From Conil de la Frontera to Chill Ride (almost)

Agata ziemecka
Apr 29
3 min read

Updated: May 1

Starting a ride in Conil de la Frontera sounds like the beginning of a coastal fairytale. Golden sunrise or sunset? Check. Dramatic cliff? Check. Everything feels suspiciously perfect — like this might actually be a relaxing ride. But don’t worry, that illusion will vanish in about five seconds — right around the time you’re gravel-surfing down a cliff, wondering who needs coffee when you’ve got pure adrenaline.

**Tap the pic, let Strava do the guiding.**

After soaking in the view (and snapping 20 photos just in case one works for Instagram), it’s time to head down — a short, rocky descent that’s more mountain-bike-flavoured than your average Sunday spin.

Make it through, and you’re rewarded with smooth coastal tarmac, endless ocean views, and that blissful moment when you forget you’re still doing cardio.

Eventually, you’ll hit the bike path. Yes, that one — the legendary vía verde that hugs the Costa de la Luz and forms part of EuroVelo 8, a cycling route connecting Cádiz to Athens. And while we’re not pedalling to Greece today (unless your snack was really high in carbs), this 20+ km stretch is a local must.

In spring, it gets even better — the path runs past fields bursting with colourful flowers, just in case you needed another reason to stop “for a photo.” Rumour has it, if you visit Conil and skip this path, your ride simply doesn’t count.

And if — by some miracle — you ride it without facing a brutal headwind? Congratulations. You are now part of an elite club: the 1% of cyclists who have experienced this route with a tailwind or no wind at all.

After 20 km is the perfect moment to whip out your snack and enjoy it with a view of La Pequeña Lulu beach — because soon enough, things are about to get interesting.

La Pequeña Lulu

It’s climb o’clock. Time to interrupt the joyride with what I now officially call the Mini Sierra de Grazalema — a short one, but full of character. The kind of hill that makes you wonder if you somehow teleported back to mountain country. And don’t forget to look back while you’re suffering — the view might just make up for the momentary misery. Also, let’s be honest: it’s the perfect excuse to stop without technically admitting you needed a break.

A smooth, scenic descent into Barbate hugs the beach so closely, you’ll wonder why anyone bothers going into town when the outside looks this good.

All good things must come to an end — and by “good things,” I mean ocean views and gravity doing all the work. It’s time to pay back the beauty debt with about 10 km of inland tarmac. Eventually, you'll start climbing again — but don’t panic, it’s a nice climb (yes, that’s a thing). The road leads up to the village of La Muela, which is famous for its windmills and... well, mostly for its windmills. Let’s just say you’ll definitely feel why they built them here.

To finish things off, there’s a little bit of gravel, a little bit of charming town vibes — just enough to make you feel like you’ve earned something sweet. Maybe a pastry? You know, for carb-loading purposes. Or skip the snack and head straight to the beach for some well-deserved lounging. No watts, no worries — just sun, sand, and smug satisfaction.