Riopar to Alcaraz

May 8, 2022

We were on our way early, 9am but still looking for breakfast. We bought some milk and cereal to fuel the climbs ahead and sat in a park to eat and enjoy the warm sunshine. Once we consumed our cereal we moved to a cafe for delicious coffees. There wasn't going to be much of an opportunity to stop at a restaurant for lunch anywhere en route, so we picked up some fresh bread, cheese and veggies. In this part of Spain many villages are equipped with tiny grocery stores that are open at convenient times like a Sunday morning and actually stock a good variety of real food such as fruit and veg, dairy, and bread. It was still lovely and cool as we pulled out of town at 9:45am.

We thought we'd take a higher road again, it would add 10km but we knew the scenery would be fabulous and it's a short ride today, so it made sense to add the extra kms and hills. That is until we came to the junction where the sign indicated that taking the mountainous route would add 20km. By then we were already hot and sweaty, so it didn't take us long to change our plans to take the more direct route, a mere 47km day as we cross the lower pass through the Sierra de Alcaraz.

So we stayed on CM412 and it soon began to climb as we wove up the valley. We hadn't really studied this route so we were surprised as it rose ever higher. At this earlier hour than normal for us, it was terrific to have shade as we slowly worked our way through the twists and turns, then serious switch backs until we arrived 12km later at the top - at the Puerto de las Crucetas Pass - 1,300m! Our highest pass of the trip so far.

The ride down a pass is always a thrill. We had crossed onto the sunny side of the range so the ride was much warmer then coming off the pass last Thursday between Cazorla and El Tranco. The scenery changed quickly and it was apparent that it's much drier on this side of the Castille-La Manche. It was 16km of heavenly downhill only stopping when we found a perfect lunch spot. On this side of the pass only two cars and two groups of motorcycles passed us. This is fantastic cycling territory.

After our picnic it was another mostly downhill coast until we turned on to the A32 for a busy 11km to the turn off for Alcazar, another hilltop town. After working up a thirst on the 20 minute spin up to town, we found a table in their lovely Plaza Mayor and nursed cold drinks to prolong our stay. We had missed the earlier celebration -"organized by the priest", according to our waiter- with a band and a procession, but the plaza was still busy with people, many dressed in their Sunday best.

Much later after checking in, a Steve snooze and showers we went looking for a restaurant suitable for a Mother's Day treat. We were stymied once again on a Sunday night in a small town. We settled for OK pizzas at the same cafe in the plaza, now populated with the young folk and a few others well into their "cervezas" in anticipation of the big football game tonight between rival Madrid teams. We are calling it an early night as tomorrow we've planned an 80km ride on the Via Verde to Albacete.