Probably everyone has heard of Malaga as a winter getaway destination to catch up on the sun, enjoy the ocean and beaches even though the water is only suited for ice bears to swim in. All winter long temperatures range between 17-20 degrees with only 4-5 days of rain per month. Not everyone knows however that the whole coast around Malaga is very mountainous with tons of hiking and mountain-bike specific trails built by the locals. Malaga offers a great balance between high quality of trails, availability of shuttling, flight duration (usually around 2-4 hours from most of Europe’s cities), flight ticket price and also very affordable prices for the accommodation and food.
There are many trail areas, which are each very specific in its character, the looseness of the ground, amount of rocks and vegetation around. However you won’t find easy trails in Malaga as the nature of the place, doesn’t make it easy for trail builders and it is also not the intention, since they want to keep Malaga’s unique character intact. The mountains here are also protected as a cultural and natural heritage so we need to be respectful of this fact.
The greatest thing at riding here is that within one week you will be able to ride on all types of terrain possible, from flowy natural trails with some areas of considerable incline as well as gnarly tough tracks. Therefore enormous fun as well as your progression as a rider is guaranteed.
On the individual days we will visit some of these trail areas depending on the current riding and trail conditions, group setup and preferences. We will have a local Spanish guide with a shuttle so that we will minimize uphills and maximize the way down. Following are all the areas where we will do shuttle lifts, if we like some trails more than others we can gladly repeat them. Our guides will also take us to some of the oldest trails and explain the scenic and historical value making the experience even more worthwhile.
Difficulty
Please see the itinerary for specific trail locations if interested. In general Malaga’s trails range from blue flowy trails with hard-packed ground up to the rocky, dry and technically challenging trails like in the Mijas area. We would highly recommend this trip to upper intermediate to advanced riders as the terrain will test your skills heavily and there are far more technical trails than the easier flowy ones. In terms of fitness we will be doing uplifts with the shuttle so there won’t be a huge need for pedalling uphill (here and there maybe). Please be mindful of all-day riding along multiple days, which is quite taxing with regards to strength moving the bike up and down all the obstacles. We will have a days rest in the middle by the beach or do only lighter riding during that day depending on group preferences. You are also of course welcome to skip a shuttle or two if you feel you need to get a break to replenish your personal battery.
Itinerary
During the week we will ride in most or maybe all of the following areas:
Mijas
Natural trails with a lot of loose stones and with a feel like on the beach. Riding here often feels like surfing.
Alhaurin
Mixed terrain of sand and compacted earth with very fast trails and many rocky parts. More technical downhill-style trails, where we also have a fun mid-level jump line.
El Chorro
Fast trails of compacted earth mixed with hard and porous rock with a lot of grip. We will go down sections where there will be only rock all around us. A beautiful landscape with amazing views.
Montes de Malaga
Descents with a lot of flow, perfect for an enduro adventure. Forest terrain with a slope, without rocks and with many small jumps where fun is guaranteed.
The Secret of Loose
The local people call it the Malaga Alps. Many fun trails of all kinds and with technical sections where the difficulty is in the speed at which you roll. Very humid area where the grip conditions can vary a lot and with a wonderful landscape of authentic Malaga mountain range.
There are still many more areas if we have the time and energy to explore.
Included
What is included in the price of the trip:
- 7-day bike trip for a maximum of 6 people
- 6 nights accommodation in standard bike-friendly apartments
- 4-5 days of riding in most of the areas mentioned in the itinerary
- guided and shuttled riding by local guides
- safety and bike check at the beginning of the stay
- certified MTB guide to lead the way and create itinerary
- instruction before each new trail about what awaits us
- Europe-wide MTB insurance in case of emergency
- service equipment and know-how in case of failure
- first aid kit and first aid in case of emergency
Not included
What is NOT included in the price of the trip:
- bike – you have to bring your own or rent one
- transportation (we will connect participants or arrange a van if interested)
- food and drinks
- cost of additional activities
- personal travel & sports insurance
Pricing
If you buy for 2 or more riders we are able to provide a group discount. We can also arrange a private trip for you and your group. Please reach out to us if you want to book for multiple riders and we will give you a custom price as each trip has a different pricing structure.
Minimum amount of riders is 5. The maximum is 6 due to shuttle limitations.
Gear
Mandatory gear (you can’t ride with us without it):
Full-face helmet or Enduro/XC helmet (ideally both)
Knee pads
Helmet Light (in case of night ride)
Rain Jacket
Spare brake pads
Spare tube
Recommended gear (up to you, but highly recommended):
Elbow pads
Back protection
Bike Light (in case of night ride)
Sun screen
There are multiple bike shops here so most things can be bought or repaired also on-site, just make sure if you have something specific for your bike, that is not readily available in bike shops to take it with you. We will do our best to get any issues fixed ASAP so you can continue your ride.
Bike
As this is an Enduro MTB trip, please make sure your bike fits the category, a full suspension bike with at least 140mm front and back, ideally more.
Accommodation
We will specify accommodation closer to the date. However it will be 2-3 person rooms in an apartment or bed & breakfast on a standard comfort level, so that we get a good nights sleep, a hot shower and have space to put our things to dry. Our bikes will be stored safely for the night.
Guide/s
We will be guided by top notch local guides that know the trails really well, since they are also trail builders and take care of their maintenance. A Traildeer guide will be closing the group at the back to ensure no one gets lost and everyone can ride their own tempo as well as organize all activities locally around accommodation, transportation and most importantly riding (communication with local guides, planning, scheduling, meeting points etc.).
Cancellation
Traildeer cancels
In case we need to cancel the trip for any reason we will refund the whole fee in full. We’re fully insured and financially covered so whatever happens, if we need to cancel a trip from our end, you will receive your money back.
Rider cancels long trip (4-7 days)
Please contact as ASAP in case you need to cancel the trip for any reason. The following terms apply:
- up to 2 weeks before 80% of your fee is refunded, we keep the reservation fee to cover costs.
- up to 1 week before 50% of your fee is refunded to cover the costs of a vacant seat and potentially not finding a replacement.
- less then a week before a trip we cannot refund any fees, as we already have costs with accommodation, guides etc. and we will not be able to find a replacement.
We will try our best to find a replacement and try to refund the most we can if you have to cancel, but please keep the above conditions in mind if we do not succeed.