Leaving Aqura de Emedio around 9am whilst the sun was still low in the sky, and there was some cloud cover, meant the temperature was relatively cool. There were some other cyclists on the roads.

The first stage of the ride consisted of a climb, then after entering the Cabo de Gata national park, a nice winding descent towards the coast near Carboneras with great views. The sand in the area was quite dark as a result of historic volcanic activity.

Heading inland, the tyres were sinking in to the sandy ground along the dry riverbed of the Rio Alias, and later there was a puncture from a thorn, which made for slow progress. There was a section on a gravel track then a gradual climb on sealed roads, and eventually a steep descent towards the coast and the campsite near Las Negras. This last section of the ride was also along a dry sandy riverbed.

Most of the buildings in Las Negras were painted white and weren’t very high, so the town fitted in to the landscape quite prettily. In the evening I walked along the coast path towards Playa el Playazo, there were some steep cliffs which dramatically dropped in to the sea, where there were people in kayaks enjoying this unspoilt part of the Andalucian coastline.

Distance: 25 miles

Maximum temperature: 28 degrees C

Coast near Carboneras

Path near El Llano de Don Antonio

Las Negras

Cabo de Gata National Park

Looking south towards Playa el Playazo