To Zafra

April 18, 2024

I’d just returned from my morning caffeine fix when Scott and Rachael bopped in from their room next door, asking when I was heading out for Zafra. It was a sudden clash of black and hot pink – colors predominant in both Scott’s new cycling jersey and my jersey from a small company in Iowa, Velorosa. We immediately went out and snared someone to take our picture – a study in black and pink.

Scott had convinced me to take the national N-630 route to Zafra rather than the one I’d plotted using smaller regional and district roads. The national road is adjacent to the newer autovia and thus has very minimal traffic - it's like a very wide bike lane, Scott commented. It also shaved some miles and elevation off my day, so the N-630 it was. I had a bit of trouble navigating my way from the hotel – for some reason my route started at a random spot in Mérida. User error, I presume. But I soon found my track and crossed the Guadiana River on the Roman Bridge, officially N-630.

Are you sure you've packed all your emergency food supplies

MPD Hotel Apartmento - a great place to stay in Mérida

Crossing the longest bridge from the Roman era, also known as N-630

The ride along N-630 was relatively easy and very stress free. I felt a little like I’d snuck onto a road closure where wide lanes meant for high volume traffic were completely empty, or nearly so. The sense of cheating the automobile gods had the feel of RAGBRAI, albeit without 20,000 other cyclists.

The national road was a perfect solution for a day where I needed to get somewhere rather than dally about and take a lot of photos. Unlike the Autovia, the N-630 did pass through towns along the way – Torremejía, Almendralejo, Villafranca de los Barros – that provided some variety to the day. I stopped in Almendralejo for a snack, a town so tidy they even spray washed the large trash receptacles. Vineyards and olive groves appeared as I went further south, often occupying the land between N-630 and the autovia.

Pop quiz - which of the adjacent highways is N-630

Power washing the trash receptacles in Almendralejo

Vineyard located between the N-630 and the autovia

I can get mesmerized by the patterns of row crops

Olive trees, with blue sky, white clouds, and red soil

Rest stop at an abandoned restaurant along N-630

Traffic on the N-630 increased south of Villafranca and after 35 miles I exited the national road and descended into Zafra on the regional EX101. Though the miles were on the longish side, the ride had been relatively easy so I had both time and energy to explore a little of Zafra in the early evening hours. My walkabout didn’t venture far from my hotel on the Plaza Grande and included a stop at the Spar to get supplies for an in-room picnic dinner.

It had been a great decision to take the national road, but I think that tomorrow’s ride will return to the smaller roads that I love so dearly.

Exterior of the Parish of the Candelaria, Zafra

Detail on the Parish of the Candelaria, Zafra

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Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 743 miles (1,196 km)

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Gregory GarceauDon't tell Scott, but I like your Iowa-made jersey better. I might be a little biased though.
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4 weeks ago

Rachael AndersonI’m glad the ride worked out for you!
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3 weeks ago

Suzanne GibsonI can't imagine how the N-630 could have been so quiet for your ride and we had such heavy traffic, a nightmare. I had also expected it to be quiet as it runs parallel to the A-66. Glad you had a better experience!
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3 weeks ago

Susan CarpenterTo Suzanne GibsonTraffic was really quiet between Mérida and Almendralejo and then picked up, especially as I neared Zafra. Nothing I would call a nightmare though - sorry it was so bad for you and Janos. Perhaps there was an accident or something on the A-66 that diverted traffic.
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3 weeks ago