15 Sep Istan – A good ride to discover an Andalusian town

This route starts at Carmen Virgin Port and ends in the beautiful town of Istan. Is a 45 kilometer ride. The beginning is in el Puerto Deportivo as it is called here, located at the sea front, right in the middle of town. Its hard to resist not looking in all shops here.

If you have come with someone on holidays, they won’t be disappointed to join you on this ride! You have many options for the tour; we recommend you ride gently along the sea front, with the beach on the side but be mindful of pedestrians: depending on the time of the year and the hour of the day, the paseo maritime can be crowded and impossible to access with a bike.

If you can’t access the sea front or decide to take an alternative route, you can ride through downtown streets, until CN-340, the main road which

has different names based on location.

From there you will reach la Milla de Oro, usually quite busy, up to the bottom of el Palacio del Rey Fahd, Kind Fahd’s Palace. This is where A-7176 begins, and the 14 km road to Istan. Just a few kms later, you will pass over the highway. From here on the roads have a lot less traffic, which will allow for a gentle ride.

Next to the river, we will leave behind the Manolo Santana Tennis Club, which can be easily spotted there. Under the highway bridge, the ride intensifies. This is the streepest part of today’s route, so it is best to relax yourself with some sightseeing: the dam of the Conception’s Reservoir and the Sierra Blanca and its peak called “The Concha”. This road has little traffic and good views of the reservoir, Sierra de las Nieves and the previously mentioned Sierra Blanca.

We will share roads with many cyclists, this route is our usual place to ride, quiet enough and quite flat.

Just before arriving to the village, there is the San Miguel’s Hermitage and opposite to it a viewing-point of the reservoir, which is the perfect spot to take touristic photos. The track ends right in the streets of Istan, one of the famous Andalusian white villages which offers warm welcome, delicious food and water, with many water fountains.

Filling our water bottles is a must with these many water fountains, photographed on many occasions. The route can be extended if you are still eager, by taking the street up to the source. Riding an extra 3 kms on asphalted road will give you the opportunity to see the village from a different perspective while riding past orange trees, olive trees, pines, avocados and fresh air.

For those who ride mountain bikes, this is a dream come true with kilometers of tracks where you can become lost in nature.

The descent through Istan is very entertaining, and we will let you lead the way and enjoy the view. For mountains bikers, keep an eye on kilometer 6, where there is the option to go to Nagueles’s Quarry, Cantera de Nagueles, a place with great history and many sights to enjoy. You will then be back to the urban area, and go towards the Puerto Deportivo with a few possibilities on how to end the ride.

You can download the track in the link : Track

Foto : Paco Portero @Pacoporterook

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