Puerto del Sol and Alfarnate
The hardest day in the catalogue, and one of the most beautiful. It links three passes — Puerto del Sol (1,085 m), Alfarnate and Puerto del León — on roads known for '21 bends and almost no cars'. Long, even climbs across the high plateaus of the Axarquía, the historic Venta de Alfarnate for lunch, then the long way home over the local Puerto del León. 169 km, more than 3,000 m — a day after which you'll sleep like a log. Pace yourself and carry water.
Who it suits
The queen stage. Once or twice per stay, no more — 169 km and 3,000 m over three passes.
Traffic on the route
Water and refuelling
- 55 km · Puente de Don Manuel — shops
- 95 km · Alfarnate — Venta de Alfarnate
- 130 km · Fuente de la Reina (Puerto del León) (unreliable in summer)
Cafés and stops
- Venta de Alfarnate (Alfarnate) — historic venta, food for cyclists
Climbs
When your legs give out (bail-out)
- 55 km Alsa Vélez (Vélez-Málaga) — before the climb you can shorten the ride via Vélez
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: Leave in the dark — it's 169 km with 3,000 m, the hardest in the catalogue.
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: At least 34×32 — a long day with a lot of climbing.
Tyres: 28 mm.
Watch out for
- ⚠Queen stage — don't underestimate the distance or the heat.
- ⚠DON'T take the gravel variant via Alfarnate.
- ⚠Fuente de la Reina is often dry.
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: bike2malaga RB-26, climbfinder (Puerto del Sol).