The Gorafe desert by gravel bike

You are about to move to another planet. It does not matter what you have been told or what you have read about the Gorafe desert: it will surprise you, it will hook you.

There are almost 70 kilometers and just over 1,100 meters of positive elevation gain that are hard, although, yes, they will fly by thanks to the amazing scenery.

When you start pedaling from the town of Gorafe and immediately take the short but intense cement climb, you begin to get an idea of where you are going and that the day is going to be special. Little by little you gain height and take perspective on the valley and on the scale of the surrounding geomorphological formations. A couple more corners and suddenly it's over: you're on what looks like a plateau above the valley. Below you see the town, the river and the stone walls. Behind you, you see a huge, seemingly flat expanse. And you start pedaling along the track that goes north.

You leave behind the fields of almond trees and a couple of cave houses hanging on the wall. You have reached the Puntal de Don Diego viewpoint. Support the bike and approach the path to the esplanade of the geodesic vertex. Now you can see where you are going: you are entering the Gorafe desert.

The next 25 kilometres, until leaving the town of Villanueva de las Torres, make up the first part of the circular desert route. Wide tracks with good pavement, incredible ravines and an alien landscape.

After a short stretch of road, you will arrive at the town of Dehesas de Guadix, the last opportunity to replenish liquids and food until the end of the Route. Here begins the second part; The route goes back into the desert, this time along paths that are sometimes narrower, with good tracks and some sections along boulevards.

Reserve energy: the last 14 kilometers of the Route are uphill, most of the time flat but with a couple of notable slopes.

You just have to go down the cemented ramp to the town of Gorafe, recharge your batteries in one of its bars and enjoy having completed a stage that you will surely save among your favorites.

Some advices:

- You can visit the magnificent museum of the Megalithic Interpretation Center in Gorafe to round off the day.
- The wider the tires you have on your bike, the more comfortable the Route will be.
- To visit the Gorafe desert, the ideal is that it is not hot or that it has recently rained; so early winter or spring can be good dates.
- As in any good worthy desert, temperature variations during the day and at night are high. Bring a spare coat in case it gets late.