When our bike friends came to visit us when we first moved to Spain almost 17 years ago, this is the local mountain bike ride we took them on because it showcases some of Granada’s various riding surfaces (including cobbles, bridges, and loose, rocky ascents and descents), and gives you great views of the Alhambra, Granada, and the valley beyond. That’s still the case today in 2026, but with some important edits:
- At mile 7.5, skip the ride down the canyon and instead, cross the road and pick up the singletrack to reach the paved road that descends to the Abadía de Sacromonte. DON’T take the singletrack because the steep descent to the abbey is loose and rocky. Keep your teeth and take the road instead.
- If you’ve had enough climbing by mile 10.6, continue on the paved road until it turns to dirt. After a brief climb you’ll descend a dirt road. Almost at the end of the descent, there’s a sharp right turn that will take you to a trail that follows the River Darro. Connect with the route at Jesús del Valle.
Although it’s only 27km/16.9 mi., the climbing is demanding but you can bail out along the way because you’re never more than 3km from the center of Granada.
Ride notes: This ride is best done in the early morning, before the city comes to life. The earlier you go, the fewer people and cars you’ll have to deal with. This is a circular local mountain bike ride in greater Granada that we’ve always done in a clockwise direction — if you do it counterclockwise, let us know how it works out. The route can be picked up anywhere on the track. Komoot calls this a hard ride. • Power and technique are useful on this ride but you’ll enjoy it all the same even without one or the other. • We’d suggest factoring in stops to take photos or simply to take in the view — you earned it.