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Spain
Andalusia
Granada
Comarca de Guadix
Gorafe

The Gorafe desert by gravel bike

Hard

4.7

(3)

60

riders

The Gorafe desert by gravel bike

06:55

66.7km

1,160m

Gravel riding

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.

Last updated: July 29, 2024

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Geoparque de Granada

Waypoints

A

Start point

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1

2.44 km

Gorafe Desert

Highlight • Natural

The Gorafe Desert is located in La Hoya de Guadix, a natural plain plenty of gullies and badlands in the northern part of the province of Granada.

La Hoya de Guadix, with a landscape deeply marked by the erosion of the basins of the Rivers Fardes and Guadix, is one of the oldest human settlements in the Iberian Peninsula, containing the largest concentration of cave dwellings and dolmens in Europe.

The picturesque village of Gorafe stands at the bottom of the Gor Canyon and it is considered the entrance to the desert.

Los Coloraos is one of the most popular areas of the desert, owing its name to the predominant red colour and its similarity to the Grand Canyon.

Although the sunset and the sunrise are probably the best moments to enjoy the amazing landscape and the dynamic shapes of the Gorafe Desert, the area also offers a spectacular night sky.

Tip by

2

3.79 km

Puntal de Don Diego Viewpoint

Highlight • Viewpoint

From here the Desierto Gorafe lies at your feet. Great panoramas at any time of the day or year. Absolute must on gravel and mountain bike tours.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3

13.0 km

Gorafe Desert

Highlight • Canyon

The large gullies and colourful sandstone formations make the Gorafe Desert one of the most amazing landscapes in Europe.

Los Coloraos is one of its most popular areas, owing its name to the predominant red colour and its similarity to the Grand Canyon.

The picturesque village of Gorafe stands at the bottom of the Gor Canyon and it is considered the entrance to the desert.

Although the sunset and the sunrise are probably the best moments to enjoy the amazing landscape and the dynamic shapes of the Gorafe Desert, the area also offers a spectacular night sky.

Tip by

4

51.6 km

Gorafe Desert Canyons

Highlight • Canyon

If it's raining or has recently rained, don't even think about going down the ravines: it's impossible to pedal on such sticky clay.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

B

66.7 km

End point

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Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

38.5 km

20.5 km

7.86 km

Surfaces

56.0 km

7.37 km

3.21 km

205 m

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Elevation

Elevation

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Highest point (1,010 m)

Lowest point (540 m)

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Weather

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Friday 17 July

39°C

19°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 18.0 km/h

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Comments

November 18, 2023,Geoparque de Granada
Route explained to: mundodeportivo.com/solobici/20231128/1002139980/ruta-bicicleta-geoparque-de-granada.html

Showing Translation

May 26, 2025,2/8 Gorafe loop
With the bikes unloaded we take a tour in the Gorafe desert among gullies, ravines, ridges, ochre-colored plateaus. Unforgettable lunch stop at Cortijo Nuevo, hosted by a local family. In the evening another mega pot of Paella and the usual trash of Sangria

Showing Translation

Today's stop is to visit part of the Gorafe desert. It is called this even though from a climatological point of view the only real desert is the one not far away in the province of Almeria, the Tabernas desert (which we will visit in a few days). Here the "toponym" Badlands takes on its true connotation. The morphology of …

Showing Translation

July 4, 2022

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

Translated by Google •

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Hard

4.7

60

The Gorafe desert by gravel bike

06:55h

66.7km

1,160m

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