We will be cycling the Olive Oil via verde from Jaen to Moriles and part of the Campina via verde from Ecija to Marchena. with some quiet roads between Moriles and Ecija and staying at some of the gorgeous pueblo blanco villages as well as larger historic towns along the way.
The Spanish via verdes are old railway lines converted to cycle paths and this means that have no traffic and gentle gradients - perfect for easy cycle touring. We are starting at an altitude of 1,700ft and finishing at 300 ft, so we will gravity helping us but there are still some ascents and descents along the way - see height profile section.
For videos: see https://www.youtube.com/
Height profile of trip
For the route and height profile see: https://ridewithgps.com/
Weather
Typical weather that this time of year is around 18 degrees daily max but cold at night. See: https://www.accuweather.
Itinerary
Day 0 (Monday 24th Feb) Fly to Seville, Overnight in Seville. There are no trains from the airport but there is a bus. "Bus stop is on the far left from the terminal exit. The half hourly service operates between 06.15am and 23.00 pm every week day with fewer buses on Sundays.
Seville Airport buses take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to reach the city center, depending on how often they need to stop along the way. You can buy your bus ticket from the driver on the bus. The cost for a single bus journey is €2.40. The bus will drop you off just behind Seville Cathedral or at the central train station, if you prefer."
Overnight in Seville.
Catalonia Santa Justa (P, J, P, S, M, H, P, S )
Day 1 Tuesday 25th Feb
Visit bike hire shop, check bikes and pay for them
Train to Jaen (3 to 4 hours), overnight in Jaen.
Trains every few hours. Best train seems to be 13:30 getting into Jaen at 16:29. (Cost 29.10 Euros)
Jaen is the provincial capital and has the largest number of protected spaces, castles and fortresses in Spain. It originated in Arab times and was a stronghold on the Castilian-Muslim frontier during the re-conquest.
Overnight in Jaen. Estación (P, J, P, S, M, H, J, S)
Day 2 Wednesday 26th Feb Day exploring Jaen eg visiting the 11th century Arab baths and the Arab fortress that stands atop the Santa Catalina ridge with its amazing views and many other historic sites
Overnight in Jaen. Estación (P, J, P, S, M, H, J, P, S)
Day 3 Thursday 27th Feb
Maybe a little more time to explore Jaen in morning? Or else just start cycling! Jaen to Martos in afternoon, overnight in Martos. There is a gradual 500 ft climb to Martos (around the same climb as at the start of the Catalonia Greenways and half the climb to the Cimabanche Pass on the Dolomites to Venice trip. 16 miles
https://www.andalucia.org/en/
Overnight Martos Jaen (P, J, P, J), Fernando(S, P, S) Alojamiento Llanete 2 (M, H)
Day 4 Martos to Luque Friday 28th February 25 miles There is the opportunity to explore the old peublo blanco hilltop villages of Luque and Baen and also old Civil war fort.
Most are overnighting in Hostal Nicol in Luque (formerly the old railway station) http://www.
Day 5 Luque to Moriles Saturday 29th February 32 miles but mostly downhill! Overnight in Moriles, famous for Montilla-Moriles wines.
CASA LOS LAGARES (P, J, P, S, M, J), Casa Rural (P, S)
Day 6 Moriles to Ecija 33 miles 1st March. Overnight in Eciija known as the "frying pan of Andulucia" as it can get really hot on summer but probably not in winter! It is an historic village with old churches, a convent and a palace
Day 7 Ecijja to Marchena 2nd March 29 miles. Overnight in Marchena, another ancient town with churches, walls, a convent and a palace.
GM Hotel (P,J, P, S, M, J, P, S)
Day 8 Train from Marchena to Seville 3rd March. These are media distance trains so bikes permitted. [If insufficient bike space for everyone on one train, some people can catch the next train.] http://www.renfe.com/
The train times are:
6:41 getting into Sevilla at 7:33
9:29 getting into Sevilla at 10:16
11:40 getting into Sevilla at 12:27
15.59 getting into Sevilla at 16:45
18:45 getting into Sevilla at 19:33
Cost 7.60 Euros
Return bike to bike hire shop and fly home or overnight in Seville and fly home on Day 9. If the latter you may wish to use your bike to explore Seville and return it on Day 9.
Overnight in Seville, Catalonia Santa Justa (P, J, P, S, M, P, S)
Day 9 Fly home.
Mapping apps
Ride with GPS has a range of maps including Open Cycle Map but with the free version the maps are online only.
Locus Maps has a free version (although the Pro version which costs around £6 is slightly better) and you can choose 3 free downloadable maps from the Locus store. NB Locus Maps is only available for Androids not Iphones.
Komoot: free version works with either phone types but if you have an android phone Locus map is probably better.
ViewRanger: choice of online maps including Open Cycle Map. Available for Android or iPhone. Offline mapping only 5 quid a year BUT requires you to download lots of map tiles - so not ideal for a multi-day route. Probably works well if you just use the online maps (eg if you have a contact with plenty of data).
The Spanish via verdes are old railway lines converted to cycle paths and this means that have no traffic and gentle gradients - perfect for easy cycle touring. We are starting at an altitude of 1,700ft and finishing at 300 ft, so we will gravity helping us but there are still some ascents and descents along the way - see height profile section.
Height profile of trip
For the route and height profile see: https://ridewithgps.com/
Typical weather that this time of year is around 18 degrees daily max but cold at night. See: https://www.accuweather.
Itinerary
Day 0 (Monday 24th Feb) Fly to Seville, Overnight in Seville. There are no trains from the airport but there is a bus. "Bus stop is on the far left from the terminal exit. The half hourly service operates between 06.15am and 23.00 pm every week day with fewer buses on Sundays.
Seville Airport buses take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to reach the city center, depending on how often they need to stop along the way. You can buy your bus ticket from the driver on the bus. The cost for a single bus journey is €2.40. The bus will drop you off just behind Seville Cathedral or at the central train station, if you prefer."
Overnight in Seville.
Catalonia Santa Justa (P, J, P, S, M, H, P, S )
Overnight in Seville.
Catalonia Santa Justa (P, J, P, S, M, H, P, S )
Day 1 Tuesday 25th Feb
Visit bike hire shop, check bikes and pay for them
Train to Jaen (3 to 4 hours), overnight in Jaen.
Trains every few hours. Best train seems to be 13:30 getting into Jaen at 16:29. (Cost 29.10 Euros)
Jaen is the provincial capital and has the largest number of protected spaces, castles and fortresses in Spain. It originated in Arab times and was a stronghold on the Castilian-Muslim frontier during the re-conquest.
Visit bike hire shop, check bikes and pay for them
Train to Jaen (3 to 4 hours), overnight in Jaen.
Trains every few hours. Best train seems to be 13:30 getting into Jaen at 16:29. (Cost 29.10 Euros)
Jaen is the provincial capital and has the largest number of protected spaces, castles and fortresses in Spain. It originated in Arab times and was a stronghold on the Castilian-Muslim frontier during the re-conquest.
Overnight in Jaen. Estación (P, J, P, S, M, H, J, S)
Day 2 Wednesday 26th Feb Day exploring Jaen eg visiting the 11th century Arab baths and the Arab fortress that stands atop the Santa Catalina ridge with its amazing views and many other historic sites
Overnight in Jaen. Estación (P, J, P, S, M, H, J, P, S)
Day 3 Thursday 27th Feb
Maybe a little more time to explore Jaen in morning? Or else just start cycling! Jaen to Martos in afternoon, overnight in Martos. There is a gradual 500 ft climb to Martos (around the same climb as at the start of the Catalonia Greenways and half the climb to the Cimabanche Pass on the Dolomites to Venice trip. 16 miles
Day 3 Thursday 27th Feb
Maybe a little more time to explore Jaen in morning? Or else just start cycling! Jaen to Martos in afternoon, overnight in Martos. There is a gradual 500 ft climb to Martos (around the same climb as at the start of the Catalonia Greenways and half the climb to the Cimabanche Pass on the Dolomites to Venice trip. 16 miles
https://www.andalucia.org/en/
Overnight Martos Jaen (P, J, P, J), Fernando(S, P, S) Alojamiento Llanete 2 (M, H)
Overnight Martos Jaen (P, J, P, J), Fernando(S, P, S) Alojamiento Llanete 2 (M, H)
Day 4 Martos to Luque Friday 28th February 25 miles There is the opportunity to explore the old peublo blanco hilltop villages of Luque and Baen and also old Civil war fort.
Most are overnighting in Hostal Nicol in Luque (formerly the old railway station) http://www.
Day 5 Luque to Moriles Saturday 29th February 32 miles but mostly downhill! Overnight in Moriles, famous for Montilla-Moriles wines.
CASA LOS LAGARES (P, J, P, S, M, J), Casa Rural (P, S)
Day 6 Moriles to Ecija 33 miles 1st March. Overnight in Eciija known as the "frying pan of Andulucia" as it can get really hot on summer but probably not in winter! It is an historic village with old churches, a convent and a palace
Day 7 Ecijja to Marchena 2nd March 29 miles. Overnight in Marchena, another ancient town with churches, walls, a convent and a palace.
GM Hotel (P,J, P, S, M, J, P, S)
Day 8 Train from Marchena to Seville 3rd March. These are media distance trains so bikes permitted. [If insufficient bike space for everyone on one train, some people can catch the next train.] http://www.renfe.com/
The train times are:
6:41 getting into Sevilla at 7:33
9:29 getting into Sevilla at 10:16
11:40 getting into Sevilla at 12:27
15.59 getting into Sevilla at 16:45
18:45 getting into Sevilla at 19:33
Cost 7.60 Euros
Return bike to bike hire shop and fly home or overnight in Seville and fly home on Day 9. If the latter you may wish to use your bike to explore Seville and return it on Day 9.
The train times are:
6:41 getting into Sevilla at 7:33
9:29 getting into Sevilla at 10:16
11:40 getting into Sevilla at 12:27
15.59 getting into Sevilla at 16:45
18:45 getting into Sevilla at 19:33
Cost 7.60 Euros
Return bike to bike hire shop and fly home or overnight in Seville and fly home on Day 9. If the latter you may wish to use your bike to explore Seville and return it on Day 9.
Overnight in Seville, Catalonia Santa Justa (P, J, P, S, M, P, S)
Day 9 Fly home.
Komoot: free version works with either phone types but if you have an android phone Locus map is probably better.
ViewRanger: choice of online maps including Open Cycle Map. Available for Android or iPhone. Offline mapping only 5 quid a year BUT requires you to download lots of map tiles - so not ideal for a multi-day route. Probably works well if you just use the online maps (eg if you have a contact with plenty of data).
Bikes
Kalkhoff Voyager bikes for 9 people of the following heights:
S 165 L 160 P 165 J 165 S 168 M 162 H 163 P 174
P 179
Hired from Rentabike Seville http://rentabikesevilla.com/en/
Bikes delivered to us on Jaen on the 26th February (at a time and precise place to be mutually agreed). We visit the bike shop in Seville on the morning of the 25th February to pay.
Address of bike shop: Plaza de Santa Cruz, nº4 · 41003 · Sevilla. Open from 10:00 to 6pm (about 2 km from the railway station via a cycle route)
Total price for bike delivery to Jaen on is 175 Euros. We return bikes to bike shop in Seville on the 3rd March.
| S | 165 |
| L | 160 |
| P | 165 |
| J | 165 |
| S | 168 |
| M | 162 |
| H | 163 |
| P | 174 |
Hired from Rentabike Seville http://rentabikesevilla.com/en/
Bikes delivered to us on Jaen on the 26th February (at a time and precise place to be mutually agreed). We visit the bike shop in Seville on the morning of the 25th February to pay.
Address of bike shop: Plaza de Santa Cruz, nº4 · 41003 · Sevilla. Open from 10:00 to 6pm (about 2 km from the railway station via a cycle route)
The price for the bike rental is 75€ // 8 days.
Total cost per person is 75+175/9 = 94.44Euros
In the rental is included 1 extra innertube per bike, a pump, a multitool, a 15” open spanner, punchure repair kit, locks and lights.
Helmets are extra and cost 5€ each for the total period. P J S M and P wish to hire helmets.
Flights
EZY Flight 8175 departs LGW at 09:20 24th February arrive Seville at 13:10 (P, J, S, H, P)
Easyjet 24/2 14.00 from Luton to Seville (M)
BA from Gatwick to Seville 24/2 16.50 – 20.30 (P)
BA flight on 23rd (staying extra night in Seville) S
EZY Flight 8176 departs SVQ at 14:00 4th March arrive LGW 15:40 (P, J, S, M, P)
BA returning on the 4th March 20.05 – 21.50 (P)
BA flight Seville to LGW on 3rd March 20.50pm (H)
5 Mar - Seville> LGW 13.55 (S)
The price for the bike rental is 75€ // 8 days.
Total cost per person is 75+175/9 = 94.44Euros
Total cost per person is 75+175/9 = 94.44Euros
In the rental is included 1 extra innertube per bike, a pump, a multitool, a 15” open spanner, punchure repair kit, locks and lights.
Helmets are extra and cost 5€ each for the total period. P J S M and P wish to hire helmets.
Flights
EZY Flight 8175 departs LGW at 09:20 24th February arrive Seville at 13:10 (P, J, S, H, P)
Easyjet 24/2 14.00 from Luton to Seville (M)
BA from Gatwick to Seville 24/2 16.50 – 20.30 (P)
BA flight on 23rd (staying extra night in Seville) S
BA flight on 23rd (staying extra night in Seville) S
EZY Flight 8176 departs SVQ at 14:00 4th March arrive LGW 15:40 (P, J, S, M, P)
BA returning on the 4th March 20.05 – 21.50 (P)
BA flight Seville to LGW on 3rd March 20.50pm (H)
5 Mar - Seville> LGW 13.55 (S)