There are routes you need to plan with a map and weeks in advance, and others that literally start at your own front door. This extended version leaves from Marbella, crosses the whole of the Costa del Sol inland and doesn’t stop until the bike is parked at Puerto Sotogrande. Along the way: the Sierra de las Nieves, Ronda, a handful of white villages and the Genal Valley — over three hundred kilometres of bends you won’t forget.
The route, stop by stop
Marbella — Starting point
Starting point in the old town, by the Arco de Marbella — one of the surviving gateways of the 11th–12th century Arab wall, and the perfect starting photo before leaving the cobbled streets behind.
↳ About 30 km to Fuengirola via the A-7 or the AP-7 toll motorway
Fuengirola to Mijas
This is where the mountain route really begins: the A-387 runs from Fuengirola to Mijas with bends from the very first kilometre, though it’s worth keeping a safety margin — this stretch sees plenty of tourist traffic and rental cars, many driven by British visitors who aren’t used to these roads.
↳ From Mijas, via the A-387, MA-3303 and A-366, through Alhaurín el Grande, to Coín
Coín to Ronda, via Alozaina and El Burgo
The A-366 skirts the Sierra de las Nieves along one of the stretches with the most linked bends on the whole route, passing the villages of Jorox and Junquera. It’s worth stopping at the Guarda Forestal viewpoint and, a little further on, at the Puerto del Viento, before dropping down into Ronda.
Ronda, the essential stop
Built above the Tajo gorge of the río Guadalevín, with Celtic roots followed by Roman, Arab and later Christian rule, Ronda is the longest stop on the route. The 18th-century Puente Nuevo, the bullring — one of the cradles of modern bullfighting — the Arab baths and the historic centre are well worth getting off the bike for a good while, and grabbing a bite to eat while you’re at it.
For the best photo, the Hoya del Tajo viewpoint, right below the bridge: reached from the Puerta de Carlos I roundabout, down Calle Prado Nuevo — a cobbled stretch on a steep slope that deserves some caution, especially if it has rained.
Serranía de Ronda: white villages
From Ronda, the A-397 heads south. From here there are two ways to continue towards the Genal Valley. The more direct one follows the MA-7304, linking Igualeja, Faraján and Alpandeire to the A-369 at Algatocín — a handful of white villages scattered across the mountainside.
The alternative, for those in no hurry, is the Camino de los Anadillos: it starts at the Puerto del Madroño, on the A-397 itself, and runs for 21 km of almost non-stop bends — more than 40 minutes on a narrow road, taking in the Hoyo and San Agustín passes — down to Pujerra. It’s a demanding stretch, so watch for blind bends and possible farm machinery, but it’s one you won’t forget.
Genal Valley and Casares
From Algatocín heading west, along the A-377, the road enters the Genal Valley, with the Sierra Crestelina in the background, on to Gaucín and then Casares. Casares is a medieval white village perched on the hillside, a stronghold during the Peninsular War that the French never managed to take, with views — on clear days — as far as Morocco’s Rif mountains and the Rock of Gibraltar.
Calle Pepe Largo, a dead end, has one of the village’s best viewpoints, and the restaurant Sarmiento Brasa Andaluza is a good option for grilled meats before the final stretch.
↳ From Casares, the final descent to Sotogrande↳ Desde Casares, bajada final hacia Sotogrande
Sotogrande — Arrival
The final stretch drops down to the Cádiz coast. We reach Estepona, a lovely coastal town well worth a quick visit. From there, we carry on to the Puerto Deportivo de Sotogrande, by the mouth of the Guadiaro — with a terrace waiting and the day’s ride now complete, one to remember.
Panoramic view of the Puerto de Sotogrande, closing the route.
For those who want to do it as a guided tour
If you fancy riding this area on a trail bike, with company and nothing to worry about but the scenery, at Gas&Fun we run guided routes through this same mountain range — from Ronda to the Genal Valley, also finishing in Sotogrande.
Other related links: Tour Ronda Offroad, Tour Premium Marbella, alquiler de motos trail and all nuestras rutas.
Itinerary adapted from the original route published by ANESDOR (Fuengirola–Ronda–Genal Valley–Estepona), extended to start from Marbella and finish in Sotogrande.