From Ubrique to...Legs of Steel

Agata ziemecka
4 maj
2 minut(y) czytania

Leaving Ubrique is like a cycling character test. Can you do it? Congratulations — the other climbs might as well hide (although, sadly, they don’t disappear). But the good news? You’re in the Sierra de Grazalema, aka the ultimate ride playground. Here, you can mix & match routes from my blog until your legs give up — figuratively and literally.

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

You can conveniently start the ride from a large parking area just at the edge of town — spacious, flat, and camper-friendly (but don’t worry, regular cars are welcome too). It’s the perfect spot to gear up, panic slightly about what’s ahead, and get going.

Ubrique itself is worth a stroll before or after your ride. Known across Spain for its high-quality leather craftsmanship, it has more leather shops than you can shake a cycling glove at. It’s also home to Los Gamones, a unique May 3rd festival where locals heat up stalks of a wild plant called gamón and smash them against rocks until they explode with a loud bang — because why not celebrate with a literal blast?

And then? Well, for the first 15 km, it’s uphill — this is the Sierra de Grazalema, after all. Jagged limestone peaks, deep green valleys, and vultures circling overhead like slightly judgmental spectators — classic Grazalema scenery to soothe the pain (or at least distract you from it).

After about 10 km of climbing, take a well-earned break at Mirador El Cintillo y Aguas Nuevas. The views are worth it — especially the natural rock arch that perfectly frames the valley. A quick photo stop, a sip of water, and you’re (almost) ready to suffer again.

Last but not least climb past Villaluenga del Rosario — the highest village in Cádiz and home of the famous payoyo cheese — and you’re rewarded with a short descent and a rare 5 km of almost-flat road. Then it’s into the shade of Mediterranean oaks and pinsapos, the local celebrity fir trees found only in a few spots in southern Spain.

After the forest adventure, you’ll catch a glimpse of Zahara de la Sierra in the distance — and probably think, “thank goodness I’m not climbing up there today.”

But don’t celebrate too soon. It’s time for another climb — a different one, about 15 km long, with the tiny white village of Gaidóvar, Grazalema’s shy cousin, quietly watching you struggle on the way up.

You’ll roll nearly all the way to Grazalema — and from there, well, you’ve probably been this way before (maybe more than once). The return to Ubrique is fast — mostly downhill, smooth, and just technical enough to keep it fun. It’s also the glorious stretch that saves your average speed… at least on Strava.