Malaga is a tempting destination for an autumn cycling adventure, whether you’re into road cycling, mountain biking or gravel.
There’s masses of terrain to ride, you can expect temperatures in the upper 20s and there’s little rain at a time when UK riders are battening down the hatches for winter riding.
Here are five reasons to pack your bags and your bike, and head to Malaga.
Tick off more from your cycling bucket list
Use the Skyscanner City Break tool to plot your next cycling trip across Europe
1. Cheap and easy local flights from the UK
Malaga is a popular holiday destination, so there are low-priced flights from smaller UK airports, not just the major hubs. Skyscanner has direct flights from Liverpool, Bournemouth, Cardiff and even Newquay.
Car rental in Malaga is cheap in the autumn too, with Skyscanner showing SUVs large enough for five people from £8 per day, while city hotels cost well under £100 a night and a lot less out of the city.
Plan your next cycling trip to Malaga
2. Cowboy country closer to home
Gravel riders will be drawn to the Badlands, a desert area crisscrossed by gravel roads and dry river beds, and home to the 600km unsupported Badlands Ultra Race. It’s an area that has stood in for the western US from the spaghetti Westerns of the 1950 to the present day and also been a backdrop for the hit TV show Game of Thrones.
Plan your next gravel rides in Malaga
3. Cooler temperatures and dry days
Average daytime temperatures are 31ºC in Malaga in July and August and can reach 40ºC, with the sun to go with it. You could end up like the guys in the Western movies with the vultures circling overhead.
By September, they’ve dropped to 28ºC, 24ºC in October and 20ºC in November. That makes riding a lot more comfortable, while still warm enough that you don’t need to pack your winter kit. There’s little rain, too, so you can leave your waterproof jacket at home.
Plan for the good weather in Malaga
4. A lively cycling scene
Cycling action isn’t confined to gravel rides in the desert, there’s plenty of road and MTB riding available too.
Jonas Vingegaard has trained here and the Ridiculator downhill MTB trail is right on the edge of town, dropping 800m in five to 10 minutes.
5. Plenty of off-bike action
Malaga’s history stretches back to the Phoenicians, who founded a colony here in the 6th century BC, and it boasts a 1st century Roman amphitheatre. It was under Moorish control until 1487, with the Alcazaba and Castle of Gibralfaro monuments to their 700-year rule. Pablo Picasso was a native, too.
For relaxation, there’s the Atarazanas produce market to browse and the beaches to laze on. And, of course, there’s the local food and wine.
Plan your cycling trip to Malaga
Tick off more from your cycling bucket list
Use the Skyscanner City Break tool to plot even more rides across Europe
