Nerja – Almunecar – Pena Escrita – Almunecar – Nerja

Nerja to Pena Escrita
This route encompasses the stunning Costa Tropical before turning inland to the mountains with a tough climb to a remote former Zoo!

Heading east from Nerja it’s hard to believe that this is the area known as the Costa del Sol. Far from the high, rise hotels and fast food outlets the coast here is ruggedly wild with little development between Maro and the town of Almunecar in Granada Province. On route the road undulates allowing you time to warm the legs up before the more serious work ahead. Keep an eye out for the road 3 kms after Maro leading off on the left to Rio de la Miel. This is a 10km ascent used in an annual race in September organised by Club Cycling Narixa from Nerja. This ascent is not on this route but one to consider for another day Perhaps when you want a rewarding workout but have less time and do not want to ride too far from Nerja.

Continuing on the quiet coast road you may be lucky to spot wild goats close to the cliff edge or scampering effortlessly up the sheer rock sides. Along the way there are some great opportunities for photos of the coast with the mountains slanting into the beautiful azure sea. At some points tracks lead down to secluded beaches. These are tempting if the weather is warm and sunny as it usually is in this area. After the Cerro Gordo headland, negotiated by one of 2 tunnels in this section, we enter Granada Province and the coast becomes the Costa Tropical.

Herradura meaning horseshoe in Spanish appears on the horizon. This is below the road and has a large expanse of beach that sits attractively between two headlands. A few kms further is the pleasant resort of Almunecar. Almunecar has an annual jazz festival, Arab castle, lovely beaches, and abundant fish restaurants. For fans of the classic Laurie Lee travel book “As I Walked Out one Mid Summers Morn” this is the town of Castillo. Here the author settles prior to the Spanish Civil war before being evacuated by the British Navy. Needless to say the impoverished fishing village Lee describes has grown and modernised significantly. However, it still retains a lovely Casco Antigua beneath the old castle.

Almunecar marks the point where the ride heads inland on the road to Jete and Otivar. After a short section of 3 kms a sign to the left indicates the way to Pena Escrita. This is not a straightforward climb for even experienced climbers. Perusing Strava suggests this is one of the roads less travelled. It starts sharply rising from a small hamlet before a series of descents where hard earned height is quickly lost, and another section of steep climbing begins. Particularly memorable are a series of roughhewn bends well into double figures in terms of gradient. These will leave you gasping for that next shift down. Unfortunately, even the toughest climbers have usually run out of gears leaving no option but to stand up and grit your teeth! This is pretty much how the whole 10 kms unfold. The steep ramps are interspersed with rapid descents making a comfortable rhythm impossible. Considering the uphill struggle, it is important to try not to miss the beauty of this remote corner of Andalucía. This includes the rugged Sierras surrounding you and the shimmering Mediterrean Sea to the South. The road passes isolated Fincas situated among olive and almond trees before one final vicious ramp ends at the closed gates of the forlorn Zoo. This marks the end of the suffering. Sadly, there is not much to left of the wildlife park but there is time to catch your breath, frame a photo and take a drink before commencing the descent. One thing to consider is, that due to the solitude of the road, it is slightly damaged in parts but always passable. Care is needed on the rapid descent where the road is rough and the bends tight.

The route back follows the outward itinerary with plenty of options to head off the road to a bar for some food and drink. As an added bonus, you ride the coastal undulations in reverse to enhance your work out!