Ronda and the Sierra de Grazalema by Motorcycle: White Villages and the A-397

The mountains between Ronda and the Atlantic coast of Andalusia hold some of the best motorcycle roads in Spain. The Sierra de Grazalema is a natural park of limestone peaks and cork-oak forest, dotted with white villages that cling to the hillsides, and the roads between them climb and wind with very little traffic. To the south, the A-397 drops from Ronda to the Costa del Sol in a long run of bends that riders come from all over Europe to ride. This loop links the best of both.

Planning a Ronda trip

Ronda is the natural base: a dramatic town on a cliff, split in two by the El Tajo gorge and joined by the 18th-century Puente Nuevo. It has plenty of hotels, and all the roads in this guide start from its doorstep. Grazalema and Zahara de la Sierra are smaller, quieter alternatives. Two or three nights let you ride this loop and a second day east through the Serranía de Ronda.

Riders from the UK and Ireland often take the ferry to Santander or Bilbao and ride south through Spain in two or three days; others fly to Málaga and hire a bike there. From Málaga, Ronda is about an hour and a half away, via the coast and the A-397, or inland.

The route

Ronda to Grazalema (about 35km). Leave Ronda west on the A-374, then turn onto the A-372 toward Grazalema. The road crosses rolling farmland, then climbs into the Sierra de Grazalema natural park, with the limestone peaks rising ahead. Grazalema is a white village tucked under the cliffs, and it is one of the rainiest places in Spain, which is why the hills here are so green.

Over the Puerto de las Palomas to Zahara (about 20km). Just outside Grazalema, the CA-9104 turns off the A-372 and climbs to the Puerto de las Palomas, one of the highest road passes in the province of Cádiz. The descent to Zahara de la Sierra is the highlight of the day: a long series of tight hairpins down a steep mountainside, with the village and its Moorish castle on a rock above the turquoise Zahara-El Gastor reservoir. It is steep and very twisty, so take it carefully.

Zahara to Setenil de las Bodegas (about 40km). From Zahara ride along the reservoir and east through Algodonales and Olvera, whose church and castle crown a hilltop visible for miles. Then turn south to Setenil de las Bodegas, a village built into the gorge of a small river, with houses and bars tucked under huge overhanging rocks. It is a striking lunch stop.

Setenil back to Ronda (about 20km). Return south to Ronda on quiet country roads through olive groves and farmland.

The A-397 to the coast and back (about 110km). In the afternoon, or as a separate half-day, ride the A-397 south from Ronda to San Pedro de Alcántara on the coast. It is around 50 kilometres of continuous bends as the road climbs over the Sierra de las Nieves foothills and drops through pine forest to the Mediterranean, with views down to the coast. Its popularity means heavy traffic at weekends and regular Guardia Civil speed checks. Ride back up the same way, or return inland via the A-369 through Gaucín and the white villages of the Genal valley for a longer day.

Second day: the Serranía de Ronda and the Puerto del Boyar

West of Grazalema, the A-372 continues over the Puerto del Boyar (about 1,100m) and down through the pine forests to El Bosque, a fast, flowing road with big views. South of Ronda, the A-369 to Gaucín crosses the Serranía de Ronda through a string of white villages above the Genal valley, with views of the Rock of Gibraltar from Gaucín's castle. East of Ronda, the A-366 to El Burgo and Yunquera winds through the Sierra de las Nieves.

The roads

The main roads are generally well surfaced, but the mountain roads can have broken edges, gravel on the bends and goats or cattle in the road. The CA-9104 descent to Zahara is narrow and steep, with tight hairpins. The A-397 is fast and popular, so watch for riders and cars cutting corners. In summer, fuel up in Ronda and keep an eye on the gauge; the villages have fuel, but not always open.

Carry water in the warmer months and plan fuel stops around Ronda, Grazalema, Algodonales and Olvera. The mountain roads have few services between villages, and in the heat of the afternoon many bars and some fuel stations close for a long break. An early start gets you over the passes in the cool of the morning.

When to go

March to June and September to November. Spring is green, with wild flowers and comfortable temperatures. Mid-summer is very hot inland, often above 35°C. The mountains get rain and occasional snow in winter, especially around Grazalema, but many winter days are dry and bright, and riders from northern Europe come here to ride when it is too cold at home.

A three-day plan

Day one: Ronda, Grazalema, the Puerto de las Palomas, Zahara, Olvera and Setenil, back to Ronda. Day two: the A-397 to the coast and back up via Gaucín and the Genal valley. Day three: west over the Puerto del Boyar to El Bosque and on along the white-village route toward Arcos de la Frontera, a town on a sandstone ridge above the Guadalete river, before returning to Ronda through Ubrique and the cork-oak forests.

Food and stops

Ronda has plenty of restaurants around the Plaza de España and the bridge. In the mountains, roadside ventas are the riders' friend: simple inns serving local pork, game, goat's cheese and stews at fair prices. Lunch in Spain runs from around two o'clock, and many village bars close in the late afternoon. Grazalema is known for its woollen blankets and Ubrique for leather goods.

Where to stay

Ronda is the best base, with Grazalema, Zahara and Gaucín for quieter nights. See our biker-friendly stays in Spain. The Sierra Nevada and the Alpujarras are about three hours east, and the two make a superb Andalusian week. Riders coming down from the north can break the journey in the Picos de Europa.