Bike-A-Way

Route: Puerto Lápice – Villarubia de Los Ojos – Los Cortijos – Retuerta Del Bullaque – Sevilleja de la Jara – Talavera de la Reina – Toledo – Consuegra – Puerto Lápice

13 April 2026: From Puerto Lápice to somewhere along GR 162
15,18 km – Altitude climbed: 321 mtr

In the east, the Montes de Toledo mountain range rises up from the plains of La Mancha and continues west all the way through the Extremadura to the Portugese border.  Highest peak is ‘La Villuerca’, 1.603 meter in Badajoz province, Extremadura Region.

I concentrate this trip on the eastern part in Ciudad Real and Toledo provinces, both in the Castilla-La Mancha Region.  I start in the village Puerto Lapice, which everybody knows of course because this is the village where Don Quixote was knighted.  Initially, I’m following the GR 162 route.  Via a good off-road track, I’m slowly climbing into the mountains.  I’m surprised to pass a more or less deserted village on the way in.  First day is pretty short.  I find a good camping spot close to the highest point of the route.

This part of the mountains is home to the Iberian Lynx.  Let’s hope I get to see one.  Chances are small.

14 April 2026: From somewhere along GR 162 to a few km passed Los Cortijos
71,88 km – Altitude climbed: 580 mtr

I camped at an altitude of 970 meter.  It was only another kilometer towards the highest point of this track at 1.004 meter.  A bit after the highest point, Continue reading “Around Montes de Toledo”

Route: Molina de Aragon -Checa – Orihuela del Tremedal. – Teruel – Sagunto – Valencia

This trip will be remembered as a rainy and cloudy one, almost from the start weeks ago, till now towards the end.  It wasn’t raining, entering Molina de Aragon, but can’t say it was nice, balmy weather either, which you would expect this time of year.  I passed through this place once before in 2016, on my off-road trip from Hondarribia at the Atlantic in the north of Spain, to Cartegana at the Mediterranean in the south of the country.  All about that trip here.

Upon leaving Molina de Aragon, it started raining again.  Now to a point I start to get fed up by it.  But, we can only continue.

Continue reading “Camino del Cid, Prt. 2”

Route: Vivar del Cid – Burgos – Covarrubias – Santo Domingo de Silos – Langa de Duero – El Burgo de Osma  – Sigüenza

On my day of departure from Burgos, I first rode north out of town towards Vivar del Cid, a little village with nowadays abt 140 inhabitants. This is the place of birth of Rodrigo Díaz in ca 1043. El cid is one of Spains national hero’s, a knight who fought for the Spanish kings.  In 1094, he conquered Valencia after a 2 year siege.  He ruled there until his death on July 10, 1099.

More about El Cid here.

In my whole cycling career, I have never seen a nicer or better documented website about a route as the one of El Cid, with plenty of possibilities, from routes by car, hiking routes, mountainbike routes, gravel options and road cycling options.  You can combine as you wish.  there are plenty of detours, shortcuts and the Continue reading “Camino del Cid, Prt. 1”