CYCLE ALONG THE WHITE VILLAGES OF ANDALUSIA: TORROX – ALGARROBO – SAYALONGA – COMPETA – FRIGILIANA – NERJA
For more than 35 years, I have travelled by motorhome all over Europe. How many times the entire coastline of eastern and southern Spain was on the programme I don’t even remember exactly. In countless coastal towns, I set foot on the ground at least once and took the bike out to go inland and cover part of the coastline by bike. Beautiful it is in many places on and around the Spanish costas. And for cycling, we spontaneously think of the areas around Girona, Tossa de Mar, Tarragona, Peñíscola, Valencia, Dénia, Moraira, Calpe, Alicante, Aguilas, Mojacar, Salobreña. Beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful and then we end up in the Costa del Sol and more specifically the area between, Almuñécar, Nerja and Torox Costa. If possible, the inland area is even more beautiful than the coast and a bike ride along the white mountain villages is something every trained cyclist should do at some point.
We start from Camping El Pino from Torrox Costa.
Torrox – El mejor clima de Europa
As you drive into Torrox Costa along the coastal road from Nerja, you are immediately thrown off guard. Here you are in the best climate in Europe. However, a (cycling) holiday in Europe’s sunniest climate with an average of 320 days of sunshine a year offers much more than just sunshine. – In fact, a ‘sun-day’ in Torrox is an average of eight ‘sun-hours’ per day. So you might expect it to be very dry and arid here – as in several regions in Spain. But nothing could be further from the truth! Due to its proximity to the Sierra Nevada and surrounded by a number of other mountain ranges, nature here is green and you will find many (small) rivers and waterfalls inland. A phenomenon that few people know is that the water coming from the Sierra Nevada flows for the most part to the south-west side so, towards Torrox/Malaga. Bad luck for the other sides of the Sierra Nevada, as nature is facing tremendous drought in some places there. The combination of the best climate in Europe with the water from the mountains makes it a paradise across the board here.
Torrox Pueblo can be found inland about four kilometres from Torrox Costa. The village is nicely located against a hill, giving you a beautiful view over the sea and Torrox Costa from here. By bike, it’s a nice warm-up for heading further inland and thus doing quite a few altitude metres. Torrox Costa is a small seaside resort with a nice long sandy beach. Along this beach runs a lively promenade where you will also find shops and several restaurants. The resort and village are surrounded by several national parks, in other words it is one of the most centrally located coastal towns to explore the amazing Costa del Sol and by extension beautiful Andalucia.
Discover the white villages nearby
Torrox – Algarrobo – Sayalonga – Competa – Frigiliana – Nerja
It’s late October, and at noon the temperature has risen to a nice 26°C. Under a steel blue sky, we set off from El Pino campsite in Torrox, along the coast towards Malaga. Our bike ride will go straight through the heart of the Axarquia region. This region is a relatively unknown pearl on the Costa del Sol. For about 10 km we ride along the coast until we turn right into the road leading to Algarrobo. Immediately we start climbing at percentages between 1 and 8%. Algarrobo is immediately the harbinger of things to come. Built up against the mountainside, the white houses look like they are enjoying a pleasant siesta in the blazing sun.
Once we leave Algarrobo in the direction of Sayalonga, we come to a beautiful road that avoids traffic and winds further uphill with percentages between 5-10%. A very nice climb that leads to the for us intriguing town of Sayalonga, the Spanish heimat of the nisperos.
The what?…Now hear many readers say…well yes, the nisperos or in Dutch loquats. A fruit that when picked ripe from the tree was voted yours truly’s absolute favourite. So the nispero, originally from China where it is called the pipa. The valley surrounding the pretty white Andalusian village turns cheerfully orange every May because of the fruit trees full of ripe nísperos.
Nispero – Juicy and flavourful
The níspero, also called loquat or Japanese medlar, is an oval-shaped fruit. Its colour ranges from yellow to deep orange and its skin is thin. The orange flesh is very juicy and the flavour is slightly sour to honey-sweet. For me personally, it cannot be compared to any other fruit; its intense flavours are scrumptious. At the heart are two to five relatively large and inedible brown seeds.
Exotic origins
The fruit tree has been cultivated for more than 1,000 years in China and Japan. In the late 18th century, it found its way to Europe and about a hundred years later, the Tanaka species from Japan made its appearance in Spain. In Nerja, the first tree on the European continent was put into the earth by a local farmer. Later, the cuttings were transplanted to Sayalonga, after which cultivation took off. Since the 1980s, this white village has become the ‘Paraíso del Níspero’ in the Axarquia region. The orange fruit feels completely at home in the microclimate of this area, located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sierra de Almijara. Today, with more than 500 tonnes per harvest, Sayalonga is by far the biggest supplier in the province of Málaga.
Healthy delicacy
The nispero is the perfect snack for athletes and all those looking to lose weight. This fruit is low in calories and very high in fibre, which as we know contributes to good bowel function. The tasty fruit also contains vitamins A, B & C as well as minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium. Furthermore, níspero helps reduce cholesterol and control diabetes.
From Sayalonga we climb on – gently with occasional steeper sections – to Competa. You can see the white village from afar. Competa is one of the truly beautiful white villages in Andalusia. In architecture, the town is a mix of Arab, Roman and Christian influences. Very worth stopping and taking some photos. Driving out of Competa, the road climbs further uphill until we reach the highest point at almost 800m. From sea level, we have just climbed 18 kilometres which thus amounts to a 4.4% average. From here it goes down towards Torrox pueblo with some vicious sections back up in between. Arriving in Torrox, we are a few kilometres from the El Pino campsite, but we know there is still a beautiful road here with little traffic where we will burn our legs and cheer with pleasure. Without encountering a single car, the road heads towards Frigiliana over 14 km and two climbs. The stretches above 15% sometimes seem to want to take our courage away, but once we arrive in Frigiliana, all pain is forgotten.
The most beautiful village of Andalusia
Frigiliana is not something you want to miss, situated at an altitude of 320 metres and right above the well-known coastal town of Nerja. From here you have an immense view over Nerja and the Mediterranean, the well-deserved reward for the earlier haggling is simply stunning. A maze of little streets, whitewashed houses and everywhere the scents and colours of flowers, jasmine and (in spring) lavender.
Frigiliana is often called the most beautiful village in Andalusia and has officially received this title many times. It really does look like a postcard picture! Moreover, from Andalusia’s most beautiful village you look down onto one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain, surrounded by nature reserves both inland and on the sea.
Nerja
After a 6.3 km descent from Frigiliana, you reach the equally picturesque Nerja. Nerja is a true beach paradise! And even for those who want more, Nerja offers all you need. It is an attractive village, with around 22,000 inhabitants and a wide range of activities, without the hustle and bustle of a larger town. You can eat out, stroll in the car-free centre, enjoy cultural events.
Part of Nerja’s old centre is exclusively accessible to pedestrians and cyclists. It invites for a leisurely stroll and a nice photo session on the Balcony of Europe! There you can enjoy some of Nerja’s most spectacular views, and it buzzes with fun and life.
Named by the king
According to legend, the sight owes its name to King Alfonso the 12th. Since this king made the balcony of Europe famous, you will also find his statue at the end of it. This lifelike statue is life-size and therefore makes a great place to take photos. It looks as if you will then appear on the print together with the former monarch.
After meeting and having a nice chat with Alfonso the 12th, we start the last part of our trip. Along the coastal road, we are soon back in Torrox and – after 64 km with 1460 hm – we can relax and recuperate at our campervan at Camping El Pino, Torrox (www.campingelpino.com).
Text: P. Van Gansen
Photos: P. Van Gansen
