Aguilas – Eurovelo 1

by Chris Riches - 20th September 2018

Mazarrón to Aguilas

Once I had left the campsite and started cycling west, it wasn’t long before the coast road turned in to a gravel track, with access to cars and motorcycles prohibited. The path provided fantastic views of the beaches below, with their perfectly clear water and the rugged hills as their backdrop, they were mostly empty.

It was very peaceful without any traffic on the path and there were very few people around. This stretch of the Costa Calida was completely undeveloped, and a big contrast to the large resort towns of the Costa Blanca to the east. According to a sign it was a protected space, and I wasn’t lucky enough to see any of the local wildlife such as the spur-thighed tortoise, Bonelli’s eagle or peregrine falcon. The lack of a sealed road added to the unspoilt look of the coastline. When I paused to take some photos it was tempting to stop for a swim, but I knew it was going to be a challenging ride ahead and was keen to keep moving.

When the route turned inland there were many large plastic covered structures in the flatter lowland areas, some agricultural depot buildings, and trucks were transporting produce but it was difficult to determine what was being grown inside the plastic structures.

The steep ascent up in to the hills commenced, the roads wound their way up the hillside with metallic looking rocks on either side where the road seemed to have been carved out, and very little traffic. At the highest point, similar to the day before, the views of the coastline and surrounding hills were spectacular, and it was a relief to see the road change to a downhill direction.

There was a long descent, then a few more small hills to climb. I went through the port town of Aguilas, cycled along the seafront and it was still fairly hot when I reached the campsite on the other side of the town.

Distance: 29 miles

Maximum temperature: 30 degrees C

Costa Calida, near Mazarrón

Looking southwest from the hills, towards Aguilas

by Chris Riches - 21st September 2018

Aguilas to Aqura de Emedio

It was a nice temperature and there were hardly any clouds in the sky at sunrise when I visited the Cuatro Calas, a series of beaches just down the road from where I was staying. Aside from some caravans and campervans in the various carparks the beaches were almost completely empty. It was great to go for a swim first thing in the morning and see numerous fish.

The border between Murcia and Andalusia was only a couple of kilometres down the road from the campsite and first impressions of this region were good. The coast road was quite spectacular and it was nice to cycle right alongside the sea through the first area called Pulpí, which had several nice resorts including San Juan de los Terreros. The hills didn’t extend right to the coast in this area, but later when they did and there were cliffs to the left, the rocks next to the road still had a metallic appearance. There were some old mining ruins along the coast, and it was hard to tell but what looked and sounded like some active mining too.

After crossing the Rio Almanzora, or at least it’s riverbed, I went through the towns of Garrucha and Mojácar. Both had nice seafronts and a large choice of restaurants and bars, often with a tropical theme or name. Given the weather, nice coastal vistas and all the palm trees they didn’t look too out of place. At this point there was a strong headwind, which would later fade completely up in the hills.

I stopped for a swim at Playa Noche y Baño and saw the 18th century Castillo de Macenas, then headed up in to the hills to stay at a very peaceful and almost empty campsite near Aqura de Emedio.

Distance: 31 miles

Maximum temperature: 28 degrees