Mountain Biking in the Sierra de Aracena & Picos de Aroche Nature Park,
Western Andalucía

Superb moderate to challenging bike rides through the heavily forested woods & open trails of this vast Nature Reserve. Single track, 75% off road, dirt trails, medieval villages & great views make this an unforgettable trip.

Fact File:

Trip outline:
The Sierra de Aracena Natural Park is a 186,000 hectare nature reserve of wooded hills bordering Portugal and the Picos de Aroche. The Sierra de Aracena is one of Andalucías as yet undiscovered gems where an excellent network of drovers trails, bridle paths & footpaths weave their way through chestnut & cork oak woods from one tiny castle crested village to the next. Adjacent to this area is the The Picos de Aroche Natural Park tucked up between the Portugese border, the Sierra Morena hills & the region of Extremadura. This area is a land of wide valleys & trails blazing through open forests of pine & eucalyptus, the towns are spread far apart here but the riding is fabulous with open views & fast biking.

Biking Profile:
We occasionally start the day from our accomodation by bike or transfer out to our starting point & ride back (depends on itinerary accomodation). Our rides may start up high (for example the Cerro de S. Cristobal in Almonaster has an outrageous single track that drops 300 vert.m. to the village) or start from the valley floor & make a gradual climb out on to our trails. The area is well supplied with quality tracks used by the chestnut, cork oak collectors & Iberian pig farmers who work deep in the heart of the forests. A typical day includes biking between 40 – 55km. on varied terrain. Occasionally we may have a steep climb of up to 400m. vert. Wherever possible the support vehicle is available but we can never guarantee it as there are areas that motor vehicles are not allowed to travel.

Itinerary Options:
This itinerary can be either Centre based (Fuenteheridos, Aracena or similar) or Point to Point on the following itinerary: 2 nights Aracena, 1 or 2 nights Alájar, 3 nights Fuenteheridos, 2 nights Aroche.

Other Stuff:
Travelling through this area you cannot escape the fact that you are in an area not only of outstanding beauty but of real cultural diversity. We’ll visit the 9th.C. mosque in Almonaster, a Bull ring tucked into medieval castle walls, the deep limestone caves where they filmed the Jules Verne movie ‘Journey to the centre of the earth’, an Iberian ham curing factory & of course meet the locals over a few rounds of drinks in the many bars we see along the way. Plenty of food too, this area is famous for its wild mushrooms & hearty country cooking. If you’re a nature lover well you’ll spot roe deer, wild pigs, polecats, otters & mongoose while overhead you may see griffon & black vultures, golden, booted & snake eagles, peregrine falcons, kestrels, harriers & of course storks.

Accommodation Options:

Example Hotel option: The 3* Hotel Finca Valbono, 1 km. from the whitwashed market town of Aracena dominated by the hilltop arab castle & its 15th.C. gothic church. This comfortable country hotel is set in 20 hectares of its own woodland & gardens. A large vine covered terrace is complemented by a comfortable living room & bar for after walk drinks & relaxing. 5 minutes walk away the maze of narrow cobbled streets and small treelined 'plazas' of Aracena all point towards the fantastic limestone grottos of the 'Cave of Marvels' that run laberinthyne under the town. Plenty of cafés & bars are to be enjoyed here.

Example Apartment option: The Casas de Fuenteheridos are a series of lovingly built new houses close to the heart of this charming hill town. All the rooms have views over the haphazard tiled rooves or chestnut forests that surround the town. Log fires for cooler nights or a lovely terrace for sipping a cool after biking beer are part of the facilities here. The town has plenty of eateries from cobble stoned converted stables to local ‘mesons’ where legs of ham & dried peppers are strung up along the bar.

For a detailed itinerary please contact James at discover Andalucia.