Calpe/Denia area route recommendations

Dave56

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Heading down to spend a week in Moraria soon and just wondered if anyone could recommend any nice routes in the area.
Moraria is situated on the coast between Calpe and Denia. :thumb2
 
Sorry I can't help with any routes but we stay in Calpe most years and love the winding coast road, make shure you stop in Grizzlys, it gets a few bikers in there and the beer and food is good :thumb
 
Heading down to spend a week in Moraria soon and just wondered if anyone could recommend any nice routes in the area.
Moraria is situated on the coast between Calpe and Denia. :thumb2

Hi, I live in Valencia. I'm assuming that you're going to hire a bike or do you intend to drive?

Actually it's academic, really, as I have some bad news for you; you're better off not bothering.

Firstly, it will likely be too hot and humid for a decent ride unless you like riding in shorts and t-shirt. I guarantee you will not enjoy a ride in anything else, much less in full gear. However, if you're going to hire a moped or a scooter, then you can ride in shorts and t-shirt and the coastal road will offer nice views and a winding road all the way to Calpe (for instance).

Secondly, most of the decent rides require you to travel some distance away from Moraira in rder to find them.

Thirdly, this really is not the time of year to be riding, or indeed, driving, around that area because of the traffic. Those same roads from October - April are...... OK (still never great, though), but in the summer very busy.

It's the heat, though, that is really the thing that will put you off; after an hour you'll be asking yourself why you bothered when you could be lounging by the pool or sipping a cold one in "El Portet".

My advice: Enjoy your week of sun, sea, sand, beers and calamari and forget going anywhere.
 
Hi, I live in Valencia. I'm assuming that you're going to hire a bike or do you intend to drive?

Actually it's academic, really, as I have some bad news for you; you're better off not bothering.

Firstly, it will likely be too hot and humid for a decent ride unless you like riding in shorts and t-shirt. I guarantee you will not enjoy a ride in anything else, much less in full gear. However, if you're going to hire a moped or a scooter, then you can ride in shorts and t-shirt and the coastal road will offer nice views and a winding road all the way to Calpe (for instance).

Secondly, most of the decent rides require you to travel some distance away from Moraira in rder to find them.

Thirdly, this really is not the time of year to be riding, or indeed, driving, around that area because of the traffic. Those same roads from October - April are...... OK (still never great, though), but in the summer very busy.

It's the heat, though, that is really the thing that will put you off; after an hour you'll be asking yourself why you bothered when you could be lounging by the pool or sipping a cold one in "El Portet".

My advice: Enjoy your week of sun, sea, sand, beers and calamari and forget going anywhere.

Boy, I’m really looking forward to my trip now.....! :blast

I’m travelling down after a couple of days in the Picos on the CT and the wife is flying into Alicante so we can spend a week in Moraira so just thought I might get out in the local area for a day’s ride while there.
I might go and explore the Orba valley if I don’t get any recommendations.
If not we’ll just stay by the pool and chill. :Motomartin
 
Sorry, but I would have been lying to you if I'd said anything else. I'm not just trying to ruin your holiday, and you asked if there were any good routes; I just elaborated on the "no".

In all honesty you'd be better off skipping that coast and if you want to enjoy roads, stick to the eastern side of Cuenca (CM 2106) and northern Guadalajara.

It will still be very hot but it will be cool in the evenings around there, empty 8m wide roads with flowing bends, great, constantly changing scenery, wonderful hotels (some 12c buildings such as in Molina de Aragon and Sigüenza). Albarracin worth a visit.

Honest opinion: you are wasting a week on your bike going down to that coast. If the idea is just to soak up some sun and enjoy the crystal clear waters of Moraira, then fine, just do that.

I'd be interested to know if think I was right or not. (I'm not always, for sure, you may enjoy riding in searing heat, in which case ignore everthing I said.

Either way...... enjoy.
 
Boy, I’m really looking forward to my trip now.....! :blast

I’m travelling down after a couple of days in the Picos on the CT and the wife is flying into Alicante so we can spend a week in Moraira so just thought I might get out in the local area for a day’s ride while there.
I might go and explore the Orba valley if I don’t get any recommendations.
If not we’ll just stay by the pool and chill. :Motomartin

I did the same after the Picos
I just headed down to Burgos and hit the autovia to Madrid and onto Valencia to Moraira
Did it in a oner - 700 miles in one hit and left at 4pm and arrived at about 1am
It was coolest like that - the heat in later Aug and Sept was murder
Once in Moraira the bike didn't move - we used the hire car with air con
On the return to Pyrenees to meet some mates - I just used the autovia again (as it was too hot down south) to get to Pamplona
We did go to Malaga a few years ago but that was in October and still warm
 
I did the same after the Picos
I just headed down to Burgos and hit the autovia to Madrid and onto Valencia to Moraira
Did it in a oner - 700 miles in one hit and left at 4pm and arrived at about 1am
It was coolest like that - the heat in later Aug and Sept was murder
Once in Moraira the bike didn't move - we used the hire car with air con
On the return to Pyrenees to meet some mates - I just used the autovia again (as it was too hot down south) to get to Pamplona
We did go to Malaga a few years ago but that was in October and still warm

Pretty much the same as my trip.
After a week in Moraira I’m heading back via Vielha and then along the Pyrenees towards Oloron St Marie before aiming towards Caen and the ferry home.
We absolutely love Moraira so spending the week off the bike won’t exactly come as a hardship. Thanks guys. :thumb2
 
Early starts essential, probably until mid September.

Anyway, a nice little jaunt:-

SW from base down to Altea de Vella, then inland on the C3313 to Guadalest (tourist stop) as is L'Abdet viewpoint up the road. Carry on westbound to Alcoy.
Then turn north onto the N340 to Cocentaina. Take the right just north of town, which avoids Muro TR at the junction onto the C3311 eastbpound Planes, Patro & so to Pego. The road runs around the north of town - carry on south it becomes the C3318 & takes you to Sagra, Orba & Parcent. We quite like Jalon, just to the east, for a stop. Anyway continue south on the C3318 over the Coll de Rates - there is/was a rest stop, popular with bikers & bike launches, on the right above one of the bends, but it was in disarray last time we looked. Then carry on down to Callosa. Then you can either retrace your steps back to Moraira, or carry on down to Polop & Barrina - Altea Old Town makes for a pleasant stop, if you haven't exhausted the coast already - busy on Market days.

Enjoy the trip.
 
Thanks for that squibb34, I’ll spend some time on MyDrive tomorrow and plot that out. :thumb2
 
Hi Dave thats a good route that Squib has set out for you. There are many superb roads inland so get out there and enjoy. P.s its cooling down a tad now. :thumb
 
Top temperature for this region, over the next 2 weeks, is forecasted to be 30 degrees - hardly sweltering IMHO, it’s certainly been hotter in this country over the summer.

Enjoy :beerjug:
 
I find hi '20s' uncomfortable in biking gear and so called air jackets just let hot air in but are lighter so more comfortable. We are not all like, some may enjoy sweltering heat.....Go figure :nenau
 
I find hi '20s' uncomfortable in biking gear and so called air jackets just let hot air in but are lighter so more comfortable. We are not all like, some may enjoy sweltering heat.....Go figure :nenau

I agree, which is why I said IMHO - others have been more definite with their ‘opinions’. OP was asking for routes, not whether people like riding in hot weather or not - see what I did there ;).

I like that part of the world, if you like riding in 30 degree heat, enjoy 😉
 
I agree, which is why I said IMHO - others have been more definite with their ‘opinions’. OP was asking for routes, not whether people like riding in hot weather or not - see what I did there ;).

I like that part of the world, if you like riding in 30 degree heat, enjoy ��

Reread my post. i said: "I'd be interested to know if think I was right or not. (I'm not always, for sure, you may enjoy riding in searing heat, in which case ignore everthing I said."

Alcoy is ALWAYS one of the hottest parts of the Comunidad Valenciana so it might not be "searing" in Moraira, but it likely will inland.

Apologies if you thought I was preaching, I shall try and moderate my responses in future. The thing is i went for a ride (in Asturias, not even in Valencia) about 2 weeks ago and the bike was telling me at times it was 34 degrees but it flitted between 28 - 30 mostly. It was a pretty awful experience and even my wife hated it. I will add that I don't ride my bike in VLC in the summer, I always transport it up north June - Sept. I will also add that I wear all my gear ALL the time because i have seen first hand what it does to you to come off without it on. I know those roads, I know how frustrating the traffic is there and I have first hand experience of what it's like to ride in heat; humid, dry and arid. So when I saw this post, I thought: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I was trying to save the chap an experience I had recently and which I didn't enjoy very much; When you ride 100miles (after a cooler early start) you still have to ride back again, except this time at the worst time of day.

But as you rightly say, everyone is different and I did say, If you like riding in searing heat (for a UK resident, 30 degrees is usually considered searing) then go ahead, enjoy your holiday whatever you decide and take my advice with a large pinch of salt.
 
On a slightly different tack, ( and I stress ) If you just want to get down to Moraira as quickly as possible, then ignore the following. Also know that I detest and avoid motorways (EXCEPT) on the east coast of Spain.

I always assume that we bikers prefer empty roads with flowing curves and good scenery. Motorways are not always the quickest way and they are NEVER the better option (there's a definite opiinion for you). There is so much more to Spain than the Pyrennees, the Picos and the coast. At the end of the day, a motorway will be just as hot as an A road but a motorway will be far more tiring to ride. In addition you are constantly buffeted by wake from large lorries of which there will be many. If it's windy, then double that buffett. Then, of course, there are the "Fitipaldies" which always use the motorways. Fuel will be more expensive and food of a worse quality and also more expensive. I leave the motorways for tourists in cars, lorries and commuters.

If you would like me to show you a FAR more interesting route to Moraira (which, in this case, will take a little longer but that you will love) then please get in touch and I will send you a link to a google maps route which you can plot yourself.

In a few days I will send you a link to the kinds of roads I'm talking about. I have to wait until I get back home where I have a fast connection to upload the videos to YouTube. No good here in Asturias where they are still in the Dark Ages.
 
If you would like me to show you a FAR more interesting route to Moraira (which, in this case, will take a little longer but that you will love) then please get in touch and I will send you a link to a google maps route which you can plot yourself.

In a few days I will send you a link to the kinds of roads I'm talking about. I have to wait until I get back home where I have a fast connection to upload the videos to YouTube. No good here in Asturias where they are still in the Dark Ages.


Just post the link(s) here and have done with it. Everyone benefits.
 
Mmh anything with ,or sounds like Engineer in the title seems to have " issues ":D
 
I've driven hire cars in that area in the past and wished I'd been on my bike. Lovely roads up and around Guadalest. And compared to Uk roads (particularly here in the crowded south east) they're all a joy.

However, it might well be a case of other man's grass being greener. Having ridden in 38 degrees last summer in Catalunya, it's just not much fun. Even in the lightest possible kit with a degree of protection, riding from the MotoGP circuit at Montmelo to cardona - a trip of just over an hour - required a stop halfway to drink and cool down in an air-conditioned garage! There was no real choice of routes - get on the motorway and main roads and get it done as quickly as possible.

This year it was a much more bearable 28 degrees and riding nice roads was a much better prospect. Anything above 30 degrees is, in my opinion, too hot to enjoy.
 
I’m planning on arriving in Potes on the 5th Sept then after a day enjoying the Picos I’ll head down towards Moraira via Segovia with an overnight stop off just north of Madrid in San Agustin del Guadalix, arriving in Moraira to meet the wife on the 9th.
I’ve checked the long range forecast and apparently it should be around 28 degrees during our stay, although I appreciate that forecasts are not necessarily to be relied upon.
I’ve ridden in the heat in full gear in Spain before and while a little uncomfortable I found with regular stops it became more bearable. I have this time invested in an RST mesh jacket which should hopefully help.
 
Wapping. OK, I shall but in a few days.

My Kit is RST (layered) but with no linings is meshed......still hot, though.

OK, So I'll publish an idea for a route based on my experience from potes. In fact It's one I'll be doing on 23rd myself with a friend who is leaving his bike at mine and flying home.

Even if it doesn't suit you, it might suit others goin down that way.

Best of luck.
 


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