Guajar Alto
- If you are getting in late or leaving town early and you want to get one more climb in, this out and back ride gets straight into the action.
One of the best things about being based in Vélez de Benaudalla vs the likes of Malaga is the fact that you can get straight into the riding that you came to Spain for right off the bat. If you are late into town or you only have a few hours in the morning before having to catch a flight, we have the luxury of having a 12km climb right on our doorstep. This climb is perfect if you’re looking to test out a bike that has just been built or squeeze a few final meters of elevation into your week, or just if you are looking for a slightly shorter day.
At kilometre 15, just before you reach the town of Guájar Alto, you will pass Waterfall La Toba. The waterfall seems to come out of nowhere as you approach the town, but it is certainly worth a stop to take it all in and to take a few pictures. The town of Guájar Alto comes 16.5km into the ride and is a great spot for a cold drink at the charming local bar, Comidas Caseras Carmen. Guájar Alto is a dead end town at the top of the road, unless you have a gravel or mountain bike that is…
Guájar Alto is the top of a trio of towns. Los Guajáres translates from the Arabic word for ‘abrupt’, ‘steep’, and ‘difficult to access’. The first town which you bypass is appropriately named Guájar Fondón, with Fondón translating to ‘Foundation’ as it is the first and lowest town in the trio. The next town, which is also the biggest is Guájar Faragüit which also has an appropriate translation to ‘steep garden’. You will understand why this translation is so appropriate if you take a right turn in the town and head towards Pinos del Valle instead of towards Guájar Alto as the gradients immediately kicks up to 10% climbing out of the town. Eventually we come to one of our favourite towns in the area, Guájar Alto (with Alto having a complex translation to ‘top’); the town has very few tourists and a very high level of authenticity for us plebs to enjoy. The landscape around the top town is unlike anywhere else in the area as it is overlooked by some steep peaks which are just asking to be explored further on another day…