I wanted to get the ferry boat at 07:45 to cross the bay of Cadiz and go to El Portu de Santa María and avoid to use one of the two bridges with lots of traffic.
I was the only passenger. The ferry ride took only half an hour but was wonderful for all senses.
The sunrise the smell the wind.
In the awakening city I found an open bar and had coffee and cheese toast.
The ciclying was quite normal along a rural road.
Endless land with agriculture. I saw fields with sunflower, wine yards and next to Lebrija tomatoes. The grain was already harvested.
My plan was to make it to Sevilla but Lebrija was the end of the line. I was weak and tired. So I took a hotel here.
Good bye Cadiz. Railway station at Jerez de la Frontera. One of the many churches there. Wide farmland. Tomato harvesting. One harvester and 4 semitrailer truck. From Cadiz to Lebrija 69 km thereof 10 by boat in 7 hours. GT 3.831 km.
Doing the laundry. Breakfast. Walking around and relaxing.
Tostado con queso. Aceite y tomate. Café. For breakfast. Two unbelievable huge rubber trees (ficus). The Atlantic sea next to the Ficus in the morning. And eight hours later in high tide. Cadiz‘ city hall. Churros con chocolate 🙂 second breakfast. Visiting the Genoa parc. Spiky trunk.
With this route I will finish the N340 that I followed – more or less – for more than 1.200 kilometers from Barcelona to Cadiz.
The first part of the route was westwards facing headwinds. The second part to the north east enjoying tailwinds. And the last 15 kilometers to the west and to the north with heavy headwinds on the CA-33 also a kind of highway but the only avenue to Cadiz from the south.
Another PV power plant. It’s a mover following the sunlight. Umbrella pine forests are so wonderful and I choosed them for today’s lunch break. Cadiz in the horizon of the marshlands. Cadiz‘ ancient city wall. The Atlantic side in the evening sun. Cathedral of Cadiz. 79 km from Vejer de la Frontera to Cadiz in 8,5 hours. GT 3.772 km
After the rain yesterday evening today started cloudy.
After a little climb I made the downhill to Tarifa the most south European point at a latitude of exactly 36°00. Unfortunately the island with the lighthouse in front of Tarifa was closed so a few 100 meters I couldn’t stay there.
The next highlight I planned to see was Bolonia a marvelous beach with a traveling dune and excavations of a Roman village.
But it started with an additional 100 meters climb and so many cars. I couldn’t believe that all these cars can be parked.
After the climb I enjoyed una cerveza sin alcohol in a bar over there 😉
On top of the little climb. Clouds with sun, wind mills and Africa. The first of so many wind turbines. At Tarifa Island. 36°00 View back from the island to Tarifa. The Atlantic at the left side the Mediterranean to the right. The kite and wind surf Hotspot at Tarifa. Nice surf bar for breakfast. Famous beach 😉 At the end of the beach the traveling dune. A view over the excavations of the Roman village Baelo Claudia. Roman basilica for the administration of justice. The bathroom. Roman’s got it warm by so called Hypocausten heating. Causten means to burn. Hypo means below. Ancient Greek words. So hot air circulates below the floor. Therefore Romans fired millions of trees. 2.000 years later Germans fired millions of people. So called HOLOcaust(en). Holo means completely. One of 3 known aqueducts brought the water from a source 8 kilometers away. Climb back 200 meters to the pass over there getting tapas and cerveza. I believe about 700 wind turbines in this area from Tarifa to Cadiz. From El Bujeo to Vejer de la Frontera 78 km in 8,5 hours. GT 3.694 km.
No problem to find an appropriate room. But not so on Saturday. Only the rooms from 200 Euros up but also only a few and often far away from my route.
I started from the hotel in La Linea de la Concepción and stopped after a few meters to put on the primaloft. It wasn’t really cold but the ponente – heavy wind from the west – made it cold.
Today my way is more or less westwards. So I had to struggle a lot because ponente is really heavy.
Because of the room stress I wasn’t focused on where to go. Different options occurred. The most crazy on: to board the ferry boat a Algeciraz to Tanger. Booking.com had many rooms there 😉
Another alternative was to use the tent. Especially I wanted to reach the Bolonia bay and wild camping there.
Also I downloaded several booking apps and deleted them after they did not work.
You see I was torn. To bring me down I started cycling and wanted to make it to Tarifa.
N340 again and one pass (Puerto del Bujeo) to climb. The 326 meters were easy to climb not more than 5 %. Only the heavy and permanent headwinds were the challenge 😉
Shortly after the pass and after dressing the primaloft for the downhill I passed a hotel stopped was ambivalent but finally I decided to ask. At this time heavy clouds occurred.
Fortunately they had a room, a garage and a restaurant.
After enjoying a swordfish it is raining. How glad I am now about my decision to take the room here 🙂
In the Parque de Maria Cristina at Algeciraz I had my lunch break and slept until a parc staff made the „wake up call“ because she had to close the doors 😉 As you see the name of Paco de Lucia, he is a son of Algeciraz. Algeciraz‘ main square. Amazing cloud build by ponente. The hotel staff opened the garage to put my bicycle in. Big surprise a Fiat 850 sport 🙂 my brother had exactly the same one in the mids of the 1970s. And I had the limousine chassis 😉 Opposite the Fiat four vintage Mercedes. 38 km from Gibraltar to El Bujeo in 7,5 hours. GT 3.615 km. The latitude is 36°04. So, only 4 minutes to the south to reach the most south European point the Isla the Tarifa.
I have totally underestimated how large the island or peninsula is. 6,5 square kilometers but only 1,2 km wide so around 5 km long. I walked up to the summit (426 m). I never arrived because the last 500 meters to go were closed. Nevertheless I was on a height of 400 meters. Instead of summit I took the Mediterranean way on the east side steeply down and to the south. From there I walked on the west side in the height of around 200 m to the north to visit the Great siege and WW2 tunnels (in total 34 miles!) and the Moorish castle. Finally I walked about 20 kilometers and my lower legs hurt.
But it started with a mechanical problem at the cable car. I have bought the ticket up (14 Gibraltar pounds) and for walking down the walking ticket (5 GibP) and stood in the queue for boarding. After half an hour the officer told us that the cable car has broken down and it would be better to give the ticket back and get the money. So I started walking 😉
Morning sun. Very British 😉 Parking block and on top two stories for living. Space is the bottleneck here. Every full hour: mounting of the guard. Although British the traffic is on the right so you have to look to the left before crossing 😉 Well, GB stands for Great Britain. GBG was given to Guernsey so Gibraltar got the Z. Department for Climate change sounds like FridaysForFuture 😉 Half an hour later it broke down. 1 Gibraltar pound equal to 1,12 Euro. Slow Brexit 😉 The Gibraltar bay with Algeciraz on the opposite side. Nice rhyme. The Barbary ape or Barbary macaque. The young had just hided away behind her mother. Only a bit of its butt is to see. Miss Gibraltar with a windy hairstyle 😉 Nearly on the summit. View northwards on the east side of the island. And to the south. Walking down the steep Mediterranean way. What a wonderful view the Neandertals had about 24.000 before. In the Gorham cave at Gibraltar they survived the Homo sapiens sapiens as long as nowhere else according to Wikipedia. 190 meters above sea level. The name is because in the 19th century the caves were used by goatherds. But also used by man: English Wikipedia gives this information: … a female human skeleton with a crushed skull… Were found. View to the Europa point Trinity Lighthouse on the south end of the island or peninsula. Another nice view over the Gibraltar bay. Maybe you have asked yourself why there are so many vessels. Wikipedia tells that in 2005 6.662 large ships arrived thereof 90 % only for refueling. At Princess Caroline’s Battery. Unique at Gibraltar. Runway and street crossing. During take of and touch down the lights turn to red the barriers go down and the nailbeds are enrolled. But the time I am here wasn’t much air traffic. A part of WW2 tunnel. At the end of the tunnel dolls show the position of the Royal army. Entrance to the Moorish castle. View over the rooftop of the Moorish castle to Africa a 20 km away. Also there the exclave an part of Europe the city of Ceuta. Nostalgic 🙂 Pedestrian zone. Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowed.
I did it! And I am so glad to know Costa del Sol behind me!
From my hotel room on the 5th floor I see the Rock of Gibraltar and Africa.
The last kilometers to Gibraltar – to be correct: La Linea de Concepción, the Spanish city with the border to Gibraltar – were so easy cycling, asphalted roads, less traffic, sometimes even bike path and no winds I enjoyed it very much after the obstacles since Malaga.
But it started badly 😉
Today I tested LocusMap’s navigation systems and ended after a few kilometers in the pathlessness. See the pictures below.
But on top of the climbed hill I had a good view over A7 and lo and behold: tow race cyclists on A7!!
So I carried my bag down the hill put it onto the bike and walked back to the road and drove to the highway. Fortunately in this moment another racer passed me at the freeway entrance ramp. I hurried up and followed him. In the beginning I felt a bit wrong there but the more I drove the braver I became. Of course I took the next exit but came back soon and drove to the exit I had to reach today.
The A7 is a kind of updated N340 with lots of exits and also roundabouts. So there are even traffic jams.
Yesterday I red online there are special rules for this sort of highway. One of it is that you can drive it by bike if there is no alternative road to cycle.
Finally I drove about 10 kilometers.
Then the climb of 200 meters started to the interior of Costa del Sol. Finally I was on a dirt road with steep climbs and downhills. Upwards I often had to step off and walk.
It was a wonderful landscape there and nearly nobody there. Demanding but amazing too.
And with LocusMap (not the navigation ;-)) I always knew where I was!!
Doesn’t look but actually was 😉 On top of the hill. See the bicycle over there. As I saw the cyclists on A7 I turned immediately. 🙂 View from today’s summit to the sea. Here to see AP7, the real highway. Only 2 of 15 turned. View westwards. And southbound. Canada 😉 – – correct: Ca~nada – – pronounced: canjada. Suddenly: many storks. Cute! Also storks are living one upon the other 😉 PV in the area of a refinery. 66.000 panels. 12,3 MW. One household with 4 persons and hot water needs about 5.000 kwh/year = 0,5 MW. Means 25 households can be provided. View to the left. View to the right. Same time same place. The Rock of Gibraltar.
Today I tried komot a cycle app and was impressed by the ways it proposed.
At the beginning I looked onto LocusMap to because I didn’t trust komot. But as it showed a path (dirt road) I never had gone with LocusMap I trusted and followed the navigation.
My confidence was shaked as I drove through the area of a garden company had a steep climb at the end and arrived at a locked door 😉
50 meters south of the garden company there was a possible but also dirt track and steep route.
Yesterday I had a wonderful tiny little parc for my lunch break but 50 meters next to the highway but above it.
Today’s lunch break I had under the highway. I slept under the bridge 😉 a special feeling 😉 The shade was fantastic.
I arrived at Estepona and asked at the bus terminal to go with the bus to Gibraltar. It’s a trip of 1 hour.
The staff did not speak English and had a question to me I didn’t understand. Finally she said it is not possible. Well, nothing else was to expect by an official 😉
Outside the bus office I saw a sign TAXI so I went over and asked one of the cell phone gaming or smoking drivers. He told me it will be possible for 60 to 70 Euros. To much 😉
Wow, komot navigated me through this path. Another dirt road by komot. One more 😉 After a 400 meters dirt road through the garden company and a steep climb I had to turn 😉 I closed komot 😉 Up and down. Hill and valley 😉 One of the tourism ruins. Didn’t they pay the Camorra? Marbella to Estepona 36 km and 7 hours. Bee-line 25 km. GT 3.510 km. View from my hotel room.
Today’s tour was quite stupid. The road N340 is combined with and to A7 a highway. And even a highway without shoulder and without breakdown lane. So I was afraid of using the highway for 500 meters or 1 km.
Sometimes I couldn’t bridge a few hundred meters and had to take a detour of some kilometers.
It was arduous to find and follow the way. I had to look on the following few hundreds of meters and the following crossways but also an eye on the big picture.
Today I can add a special obstacle to the one for cyclists I have mentioned before (highway, railway, river) golf range.
Today I faced the beach in the south, the A7 – highway next to the beach and more northwards the AP7 – highway. And from east to west some riverbeds and golf ranges. A tricky mixture 😉
Bee line is 21 km but I drove 41. And total climbs of 1.000 meters if LocusMap is correct.
Pretty nice beach. Looks crazy the skyscraper behind the tiny little houses with the wonderful umbrella pines. Maybe the Camorra build the skyscraper to launder money. So steep than this sign 🙁 don’t worry trust in LocusMap. I suppose the golfers did it to keep people away 😉 One turn and landscape went green 😉 … even a pool. As I always say: what else you can get with a handful of money. Every climb is rewarded 😉 I followed the Google maps navigation and at this point was interested where it will end up 😉 LOL 😉 firstly I closed Google.Maps and than I turned to find a better way. But about one hour later I walked the bike through the sandy beach – terribly exhausting. An other world. Green, neat and clean. Districts from rich people with a security at the border. In this area 25 % are foreigners from UK, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands and Germany. The luxury lovers 😉 The highest climb for today 200 meters. The benefit for the climb. The tourist industry grows binary. Ready for the last downhill. Nice Marbella downtown. A street chapel. From Fuengirola to Marbella 41 km. GT 3.474 km. On my way to Pizzeria Sergio (Google.Maps) I fell into this hummus restaurant. Sooo delicious 🙂
It was a bit difficult to leave the city because it is large.
I am a bit confused about the terms used for the roads. Today I used MA 21. I wasn’t sure I am allowed. There were three road signs showing pedestrian, traktors and horses aren’t allowed to use. But the fourth prohibition, the bicycle wasn’t there so I drove feeling a bit uncomfortably. There was a comfortable shoulder so I felt better.
The grew. Four lanes. This is so loud and busy. Nothing to enjoy. Asap I drove off.
There was a footbridge – also for buggies and bicycles – and I crossed the road. On top of the footbridge I saw a campsite next to the road. 8 lanes at all. Additionally the airport in a distance of not more than 1 km. Every five minutes one take off. Horribly!
Cliff coast is pretty nice and remember me to think of Costa Brava. But here is bad because normally there are only two roads, the highway and the N340 with lots of traffic.
I feel a bit sick today so I decided to stop at Fuengirola instead of going to Marbella.
After buying the lunch food I’m always on the lookout for trees and hope to find a parc. Today I found a large parc on the map. Disadvantage: a short but incredibly steep climb. But it was absolutely worth it.
A wonderful parc with – believe it or not – lots of different chickens 🙂
And a bench under a shady tree. And after the nap a bar with comfortable lounge chairs under shady trees with chickens 😉 I spent more than an hour there.
The coastline here is called Costa Nostra – according to Wikipedia. Costa del Sol. Cosa Nostra. Yes, the Camorra is / was here. That remembers me to think of Castell Volturno close to Naples on my Sicily trip last year 🙁
But here everything looks clean and neat 😉
On Wikipedia I’ve just red that together with Marbella Fuengirola is the village with highest criminality in the Costa Nostra 😉
Costa Nostra 😉 Immediately I unterstood: the English plumbers went to the Costa del Sol because of sun and sea and lots of free time. So the Polish plumbers went to UK and the British people with an IQ like Boris Johnson were voting for Brexit 😉 38 km from Malaga to Fuengirola in 7 hours. GT 3.433 km.
