Nerja – La Herradura – Almunecar – Lentegi – Return

Nerja – Lentegi
A foray into the Rio Verde valley via the spectacular coast road east of Nerja. The ride embraces the lovely climb to the White village of Lentegi perched on the mountains overlooking the Sierra de Alama.

Rolling out of Nerja on the A340 towards Motril you soon pass the village of Maro perched on cliffs above the sea. The village is picturesque and well worth a visit. The rows of old tiled houses are very appealing and there are some bars and restaurants to serve food and drinks. Maro was formerly the site of a sugar factory that processed the locally grown cane. This is still growing here and there in the area. The old factory itself stands just below the village on the beach road. It remains a disctinctive and handsome building nuzzled among the palm trees.
Continuing on the ride the road becomes very quiet. It offers great views over the coast and down to secluded beaches nestled under the cliffs. The road undulates all the way to Almunecar as the carriage, carved out of the mountain side heads around valleys and headlands. For cyclists wanting to incorporate some intervals into their ride the rolling terrain is ideal. When the sun is shining, as it usually is in Axarquia, the shimmer from the sea looking towards the coast of Africa is one of the best panorama sights in the region. Additionally, the road is only used for light traffic as a motorway a little further inland accommodates all the through traffic.

Approaching Almunecar the area becomes more developed. The town itself is quite sizeable but it retains its old charm in the Casco Antigua and the Moorish castle on the hill top. In addition, it marks the point in the ride where we turn inland towards the mountains. Here we begin a more sustained but gradual climb.
Heading into the campo beyond the town it’s obvious that agriculture remains an important part of the area’s economy. The wide valley of the Rio Verde contains plantations of avocados and mangos stretching for as far as the eye can see. Another sight of interest is the massive expanse of the motorway bridge that strides over the valley carrying cars and lorries many meters in the sky.

The gentle climbing by bike continues through the villages of Jete and Otivar both of which have bars and shops for drinks and food. After Otivar there’s a turning to the right for Lentegi and the real climb starts. It is relatively short at about 4.5km and is an enjoyable hill to ascend. The climb is pretty constant but has some sudden changes in gradient. It averages at approximately 6 percent allowing the rider to find a good rhythm and manage the effort. It also means the rider can appreciate the fresher air which is pleasantly scented with the pine and mountain herbs growing on the side of the road.

The village largely remains out of sight as it is perched a little back on the side of the mountain. However, in the final 1 km houses begin to appear and before long, you enter the pueblo of Lentegi. Arriving in the main square there is a little bar, the church and some interesting old houses. Behind the village spouting from the mountain side above a little waterfall gurgles downwards. Tall mountains surround the area. The view across the valley reveals the road that leads up the Ruta de Cabra another magnificent ride in this area.
After pausing in the village it’s time to descend to the valley road. If you want to see Lentegi from afar you can turn left and ride for a few kms until it appears in view. Alternatively, the route back to Nerja is a reverse of the outward journey.
A pleasant detour on the ride is to turn after La Herradura towards Cerro Gordo. The road loops around the headland avoiding the tunnel and presents some beautiful cliff top views of the coast. There is a bar open at the weekends in season which is a pleasant spot for a drink.
After more hill intervals on the undulating coastal road the familiar features of Nerja appear. After one last push its all downhill to town and time to “levanta tu pie, (raise your foot)”.