El Chorro & the lakes — loop with a viewpoint restaurant
The tougher, looping sister of the valley route to El Chorro. From Málaga you ride into the farmland of the Guadalhorce valley and follow the river upstream through Cártama and Álora to the Guadalhorce lakes and reservoirs and the famous El Chorro with its Caminito del Rey. Above the reservoirs you can stop with a view over the lakes — a great spot for a break and a photo. I rode it very easy (IF 0.65), but don't be fooled: the way back is hilly. There are a few short but very steep sections — the hardest wall around km 86, roughly 2 km averaging over 11% and more than two hundred metres of climbing, just when you have over a hundred kilometres in your legs. Add a few short, rideable strips of gravel across the road — nothing serious, but expect them. The reward is 130 km and 2282 m of Andalusian landscape, with limestone gorges and the blue of the lakes. Watch out for the midday heat in the valley; the C-2 train from El Chorro is your bail-out.
Who it suits
Strong riders who want a tougher all-day loop with lakes and views as the reward — harder than the valley El Chorro route because of the 2282 m and the steep climbs on the way back.
Traffic on the route
Water and refuelling
- 25 km · Cártama — supermarkets
- 55 km · Álora — bars in town
- 70 km · El Chorro — cafés by the Caminito del Rey
Cafés and stops
- Cafés by the Caminito del Rey (El Chorro) — touristy, but coffee and food guaranteed
Climbs
When your legs give out (bail-out)
- 70 km Cercanías C-2 (El Chorro (Álora)) — the C-2 Málaga–Álora line serves El Chorro; bikes under Cercanías rules
Wind, season and kit
Wind: Watch out for the terral — a föhn-type northerly wind from the sierra, extremely hot and dry. It hits Málaga and the Guadalhorce valley, but often doesn't reach Rincón (10 km east). Terral in the forecast = ride east, or go high and early.
When to set off: Morning — the Guadalhorce valley is hot at midday and the terral blows; save the hilly return for the cooler part of the day.
Season: Best in March–May and September–November. In September the share of muggy days drops from 43% (1 Sept) to 16% (30 Sept) — the end of the month is noticeably more pleasant. Summer is too hot for the inland climbs.
Gearing: Bring a low gear — the steep sections on the way back (hardest wall ≈ km 86, ~2 km @ ~11%) are hard on tired legs; ideally 34×32 or lower.
Tyres: 28–30 mm is fine. On the way back there are a few short, rideable gravel strips across the road — just take more care on narrow tubulars.
Watch out for
- ⚠The way back is hilly — a few short but very steep sections (hardest wall ≈ km 86: ~2 km @ ~11%, ~220 m) on tired legs. Hard going for less strong riders.
- ⚠A few short gravel strips across the road on the way back — short and rideable, just slow down.
- ⚠The Guadalhorce valley is hot at midday and the terral blows — set off in the morning.
- ⚠Getting out of west Málaga is tricky (airport, Campanillas).
Your bike is waiting in Málaga
You ride this route on your own bike, straight from the door — we bring your bike over and store it, you fly in with just a backpack. We'll tell you where to ride for your form, and if something goes wrong, you call and we come and pick you up.
Metrics are calculated from the GPS track. The route has been planned with a routing engine so far — we'll ride it and check it on site (water, surface, traffic), then add the real GPX and photos here. Sources: Strava aktivita 20133848478 (Jan, 11.9.2026), web: povrch A-7078.