Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
Planning this year's tour in June and wondering if anyone has experience of cycling in southern Spain and northern Morocco (and the ferry between the two). Any feedback welcome!
-
eileithyia
- Posts: 8399
- Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 6:46pm
- Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)
Re: Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
My main experience is that we toured Andalucia last year.
We had time to take a daytrip to Morocco.
We stayed in Algercira, in a hotel fairly well opp the port entrance, looked a bit dull on the outside but was perfectly OK and had a cupboard (locked) for us to store the bikes overnight. Sorry cannot recall the name.
The important thing to remember is there is a brand new ferry port on the Moroccan side.
I have listed info about this before, but essentially.
There are 2 ferries either to Ceuta (more expensive I believe) and to Tangier.
We thought we were going to Tangier town, however I was intrigued by a massive building project I could see on the African side esp when we started to approach it.
Some of fellow travel companions were also intrigued, and they lived in Morocco and were being met at Tangier town (they had a van full of building materials and had someone to aid the transition thru customs).
I believe they had only started using this new port that week and possibly only that day as no one up until then had realised they would be going to the new port.
This port is about 45-50 kms to the east of Tangier and might alter some of travel expectations.
I might add that we exited the port in the direction of Tangiers and at the first village/town down the road there was plenty of accommodation and a signposted campsite.
It was still under construction and we were riding out down the new road as the construction workers were still very much in evidence.
No doubt it will be much further along the road to completion if not properly completed by now.
Be careful you do not end up on the motorway but the old road was still well signposted, as we got toward the end of the new road.
Whilst we were there the ferries from Tarifa (further west on the spanish coast) were also coming in so clearly they were also now using the new port.
For what it is worth the area around Algecira is quite busy but you are allowed to use the motorway, though we were directed off on a specific cycle route to get us around the junction of the 2 motorways where the coastal one and the Seville route joined.
What we saw of the moroccans we met they were extremely friendly, like i said we only did a short day there.
And remember they are on GMT - unchanging, so they are 2 hours behind Europe in the summer!
We had time to take a daytrip to Morocco.
We stayed in Algercira, in a hotel fairly well opp the port entrance, looked a bit dull on the outside but was perfectly OK and had a cupboard (locked) for us to store the bikes overnight. Sorry cannot recall the name.
The important thing to remember is there is a brand new ferry port on the Moroccan side.
I have listed info about this before, but essentially.
There are 2 ferries either to Ceuta (more expensive I believe) and to Tangier.
We thought we were going to Tangier town, however I was intrigued by a massive building project I could see on the African side esp when we started to approach it.
Some of fellow travel companions were also intrigued, and they lived in Morocco and were being met at Tangier town (they had a van full of building materials and had someone to aid the transition thru customs).
I believe they had only started using this new port that week and possibly only that day as no one up until then had realised they would be going to the new port.
This port is about 45-50 kms to the east of Tangier and might alter some of travel expectations.
I might add that we exited the port in the direction of Tangiers and at the first village/town down the road there was plenty of accommodation and a signposted campsite.
It was still under construction and we were riding out down the new road as the construction workers were still very much in evidence.
No doubt it will be much further along the road to completion if not properly completed by now.
Be careful you do not end up on the motorway but the old road was still well signposted, as we got toward the end of the new road.
Whilst we were there the ferries from Tarifa (further west on the spanish coast) were also coming in so clearly they were also now using the new port.
For what it is worth the area around Algecira is quite busy but you are allowed to use the motorway, though we were directed off on a specific cycle route to get us around the junction of the 2 motorways where the coastal one and the Seville route joined.
What we saw of the moroccans we met they were extremely friendly, like i said we only did a short day there.
And remember they are on GMT - unchanging, so they are 2 hours behind Europe in the summer!
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
Re: Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
That's great eileithyia, especially about the new port and the roads to avoid. Many thanks!
Anyone else spent more time cycling in northern Morocco?
Anyone else spent more time cycling in northern Morocco?
-
mattraisin
- Posts: 73
- Joined: 23 Feb 2010, 6:15am
Re: Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
My Sister's friends did a cycling trip from John 'o' Groats to Morocco. Will see if I can get you a link to their experiences. They were a bunch of Uni Rowers started out as five but only 2 finished (would of been three if the two superhumans were willing to slow down to a more normal 90-100 miles a day). They did an average of 130 miles a day and they were camping. To make things worse I had carried out a JOGLE about the same time (1200 miles, solo, camping) and only managed 70 a day. Put to shame I tell you, Shame!
A puncture in the middle of nowhere simply gives you more time to admire the view.
Re: Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
I did this 25 years ago , its changed too much for my info to be useful , except it will be seriously HOT HOT. Think I would aim to finish the days cycling by 12 am unless you dont mind factor 60 all over and can stand the heat
Re: Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
Thanks everyone. As it stands we're planning a small 4-day excursion, with the ferry to Cuerta, down the north-east coast to Oued Laou, then cutting across to Larache and heading back up the west coast through Tangier and back to Cuerta.
The only concern is what the roads will be like in terms of traffic. We'll be on the N13/16 going south and the N1 going north. There just aren't any alternative smaller roads. I presume the N roads are smaller than the A roads which often run alongside. Anyone ridden any of this?
The only concern is what the roads will be like in terms of traffic. We'll be on the N13/16 going south and the N1 going north. There just aren't any alternative smaller roads. I presume the N roads are smaller than the A roads which often run alongside. Anyone ridden any of this?
-
matt2matt2002
- Posts: 1130
- Joined: 25 Oct 2009, 7:45pm
- Location: Aberdeen Scotland UK
Re: Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
2017 Ethiopia.5 weeks.
2018 Marrakech 2 weeks.
2023 Thailand 8 weeks.
Always on a Thorn Raven/Rohloff hub.
2018 Marrakech 2 weeks.
2023 Thailand 8 weeks.
Always on a Thorn Raven/Rohloff hub.
Re: Morocco - Spain cycling anyone?
matt2matt2002 wrote:These guys are in Morocco now
Useful info...
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=R ... =7651&v=oy
Excellent link matt - plenty of info there. Thanks!