From El Bosque to the Top (also Mentally)

Agata ziemecka
27 kwi
3 minut(y) czytania

Welcome (back) to Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park — where you can ride like a pro from La Vuelta, conquering tough climbs and enjoying stunning views. A 60 km route from El Bosque, with ascents, descents, and the mysterious Fuente de Peñarroya. Ready to suffer with a smile?

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

We start from the charming little town of El Bosque, famous for its traditional cheese, beautiful hiking trails, and being the kind of place where time moves just a little bit slower (which, spoiler alert, you might appreciate after the first few kilometers).

Pro tip: start from the parking lot next to the botanical garden — not only is it beautiful and free (my two favorite words), but it’ll also make you feel extremely put-together and nature-loving before the real suffering begins

And speaking of suffering: the route kicks off with a 16 km climb. Because if mountain rides were easy, they'd call them ‘coffee rides’ — and we all know that’s not the kind of ‘ride’ we’re talking about. Here you’ll have plenty of time to question your training plan, and why you thought riding uphill for fun was a good idea. And hey, if you’re struggling, just remember — you’re basically riding where the pros of La Vuelta 2024 raced! The peloton passed through Arcos de la Frontera, El Bosque, and Grazalema, heading towards Puerto del Boyar.

Pro tip: at the 15 km mark, you can refill your water bottles (it may look undrinkable, but if it were, I'd probably be dead by now — I’ve drunk so much of it). This Fuente de Peñarroya (which I’m secretly calling it Fountain of Survival) has perfect timing — it shows up right when you need it most. Though, if you’re being honest, it almost feels like a ‘choose your own adventure’ moment: drink the mysterious water or risk dehydration... Hmm, decisions, decisions...

Last but not least, the final kilometer and we’re at Puerto del Boyar. We reach the viewpoint, where the view takes your breath away (just like the climb we just conquered). At this point, you already know it was totally worth it.

Time to keep moving, even though we'd all rather stay here (unless the wind is blowing, then it's a bit easier to leave). Now, the reward awaits! Time to put on that jacket (or not) and head off on an incredibly refreshing descent straight into Grazalema. Is it finally bocadillo time? I think it might be...

After the break (or maybe not, since we already decided it’s definitely not a coffee ride), we’ve got 30 km of route ahead of us (a few nice climbs and even nicer descents). Here’s where you can really drop the hammer and blast off like a rocket.

No time to enjoy the views — I won’t lie, I’ll save those descriptions for the next loop proposition. In that case, today’s descent will turn into a climb — and as we all know, that’s when you get more time to appreciate the scenery... because you’re not frantically trying to recover your average after a climb, just making sure Strava agrees