Think Andalucía is parched and dusty? Not where I’m cycling
The wild flowers are as high as my knees as I cycle through olive groves in the rolling hills of the Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche natural park in south-west Spain. I follow paths shaded by oak canopies, whiz across streams, weave along cobbled lanes in sleepy villages and stop often to gawp at the views. There are steep, gnarly ascents at times, but I just flick the ebike control to turbo and fly up the eucalyptus-lined slopes.
This is Andalucía, but not as I know it. The sparsely populated pocket in westernmost Huelva province, close to the Portuguese border, has its own microclimate and feels different from the busier, more arid east. The topography means Atlantic winds bring more rain to the area, greening the valleys and meadows. It’s late spring and the lush landscape is spattered with multicoloured blooms, while summers are cooler and more verdant than elsewhere in the region, and autumn is a bewitching time of russet hues and plentiful mushrooms and chestnuts to harvest.
I’m exploring by electric mountain bike from my base at delightful Finca el Moro, near the small hilltop town of Fuenteheridos, an hour and a half from Seville. Its new e-biking packages take guests out for several hours each day, diving into the countryside on circular routes to taste a wonderfully untouched part of Spain.
El Moro was abandoned during the civil war, like many farms here, and brought back to life by Brits Nick and Hermione Tudor. Having lived and worked in Africa and the Scottish Highlands, they set off from the UK in a Land Rover looking for a farm and a new life in Spain, and bought the ramshackle finca in 1990. They slowly restored the farmhouse and three ruined cottages, and had a daughter, Daisy. It’s an idyllic, peaceful hideaway – 75 acres of sweet chestnut and olive groves, cork oak forest and pretty gardens. Nick spent years researching walking routes along forgotten mule paths once used to smuggle goods from Portugal into Spain, and El Moro became a haven for hiking, yoga and horseriding holidays (Hermione’s passion).
In spring the lush landscape is splattered with multicoloured blooms, while summers are cooler and more verdant than elsewhere in the region
The cottages (sleeping two to seven) are rustic and charming with their own kitchen, terrace and small pool. Breakfast of fresh eggs, fruit, bread and homemade jams is provided (with homemade cake for tea). There’s a beautiful yoga shala and farm shop stocked with fresh produce, and a collection of animals complete the picture: dogs, chickens, horses and Violeta the donkey, which guests can borrow and take on walks into town.
After living abroad for years, Daisy fell back in love with her childhood home during lockdown here. She’s now at the helm with her French partner Eliott, a keen mountain biker who grew up near Grenoble, so cycling holidays seemed a natural addition. “When Eliott first visited, he saw how perfect the terrain was for mountain biking,” says Daisy, who also teaches yoga here and offers massages. “There’s landscapes to suit all levels, and lots of secret places to explore.”
The pair spent last summer devising routes, before investing in Moustache Trail 5 e-bikes and turning the stables into a bicycle workshop. Local farmers who are family friends allow access to land other cyclists would not be able to ride on. Guests can sign up for an intro week, which involves rides of up to 30km (18 miles) a day, or a Level Up week for more advanced riders, with some technical sections and covering up to 45km daily. (The bikes can be hired for day or half-day guided or self-guided excursions too.)
After initial instruction we’re off, with Eliott as our guide. The bikes are easy to master even for relative beginners like me, and days are planned according to the group’s abilities. We cycle through woods and along tiny lanes and stop for coffee on the village square at Valdelarco. Swallows swoop overhead; I spy storks nesting on a tower above the church of the Divine Saviour.
The miles are eaten up easily as we continue – routes are a mix of 4x4 tracks and bridle paths – and there is no one else around. Lunch is a picnic of asparagus and homemade tortilla beneath an oak tree at Hermione and Nick’s new farm, and we’re back at the finca for a dip or massage before the next feast – dinner under the vines on the terrace. Sherry and jamón ibérico are among local specialities (the area is famous for its free-roaming black pigs); there’s spinach and chickpea stew and chicken in almond sauce, made with organic and local ingredients (chef Sara is the daughter of Mariluz, who worked here for 30 years, and grew up alongside Daisy).
The next day I can’t wait to jump back in the saddle. Today’s scenery is more rugged, but I’m more confident on the bumpy descents and long climbs. We cycle through Cortelazor, with its lovely square and church with 14th-century fresco (you can ask for the keys in the town hall if it’s locked).
Our mid-morning stop is at Linares de Sierra, where we refuel at a cafe opposite the bullring. It was once home to 1,000 people, but now only 300 live here. Clusters of white houses line the cobbled streets, making it a pretty place to wander.
Next on the itinerary is Aracena in the middle of the natural park, a fortified town in medieval times and the area’s largest today. Our bikes make easy work of the climb to the ruined Templar castle and hilltop church with its 360-degree views (below it the Gruta de las Maravillas is a network of limestone caverns that merits a visit). We speed back down into town for a well-deserved lunch at Restaurante Casas. Plates of juicy olives, sweet jamón, artichokes, salads and cheeses soon cover the table.
There’s something very special about this corner of Spain – a feeling that the land is still alive and wild, the towns and whitewashed villages untouched by mass tourism
There’s something very special about this corner of Spain – a feeling that things haven’t changed that much over the centuries, that the land is still alive and wild, the towns and whitewashed villages untouched by mass tourism. It’s unlike other parts of Andalucía, a protected, forest-covered haven that suits slow travel. And there’s something particularly special and restorative about El Moro.
Related: Can I cycle 200 miles around Puglia in six days? I can on an e-bike
You don’t have to sign up for a mountain bike holiday, of course – there are dedicated yoga weeks, or you can book a cottage as your base and hike, bike and do yoga – or just chill and explore. But having had a taste of what it offers – the fun of covering a lot of ground, the sense of freedom and of being in expert hands – I’d definitely come back for more.
The trip was provided by Finca el Moro. Electric mountain biking holidays run in April, May, June, September and October. Six nights full-board plus three or five days guided biking and transfers from Seville from €1,550 (non-cycling option from €1,050). Cottages cost from €775 a week and are available from April to October. A full/half-day guided e-biking from €100/€60; independent cycling from €60 a day
