Goat’s Path
- The ride that has it all. This fan favourite is a must ride loop from Velez de Benaudalla.
The Goat’s Path loop has a bit of everything and is one of our favourite loops leaving from Cycle Sierra Nevada HQ in Vélez de Benaudalla. Also known as ‘La Carretera de la Cabra’ which translates to ‘The Goat Highway’, is apt as the road was initially used by mule drivers who were transporting fish from the Costa del Sol to the city of Granada. This journey would take almost two days and would mainly be done at night to escape the daytime heat.
As this road has since been replaced by a major motorway, it has become a cycling haven. The climb is almost free of traffic and the consistent gradient allows you to settle into a good rhythm from the bottom.
The ride starts off through the canyon which is a flat 10km to begin with, before a rolling but primarily uphill ride through Molvízar before reaching an enjoyable, flowing descent. From here you are just 3km to the recommended stop in Otívar. Next you will move onto the main course of the climb as you will be going up consistently for the next 23km before reaching dessert. Dessert is an 8km green forest plateaux full of moments where you think to yourself that this has to be the top, but in reality, the beginning of the descent doesn’t begin until 62km in. After finishing the descent into Padul, there’s a fast section of road for 15km before making your way down a series of fantastic descents back to Vélez de Benaudalla.
The Stops: Once you leave the town of Otívar, there is a lack of food and water for the next 50km, until you get to Padul. It is strongly advisable that you refill your bottles and maybe stop for something to eat in Otívar before the main course of the climb. Restaurante Buenavista and Restaurante El Capricho always have a good tostada and are both located on the Granada side of Otívar. Meson Los Prados is a bar situated on the climb but from our experience, it cannot be relied on for water throughout the week as Google lists it as open from Thursday to Sunday. Either way, it is very easy to get caught out with a lack of water on this climb if you don’t refill your bottles at the bottom, especially on a hot day.
If you wish to stop for food or water on the other side of the descent, we usually stop at Restaurante La Abidía. It’s not the most glamorous stop but it is a sight for sore eyes after a long climb when you are craving a cold drink.