The first signs of spring are just beginning to appear in Andalusia, the southernmost region of Spain. Delicate pink almond and fragrant white orange blossoms, the jewel-like green buds of olive trees and the beautiful sounds of unfamiliar birds. This is a great time of year to cycle here, as the blistering summer heat is still months away. It’s an arid climate and the mornings are crisp, yielding to afternoon sun. For a couple of Northwesterners, mid-60s feels hot and we judiciously apply sunscreen.

It’s a pleasure to be back on our trusty Bike Fridays exploring the world. The road out of Malaga takes us along the Mediterranean coast, through small beachside towns with well-designed and maintained paths (mini street sweeping vehicles for bike paths!) , and correspondingly lots of people out walking and cycling. We are pleasantly reminded of how different it is riding here compared to most places in North America.

At Velez-Malaga we cut inland and begin climbing towards Ventas de Zafarraya, a long and winding narrow tertiary road that takes us first through agricultural fields of avocado and peach trees and gradually higher into olive groves and eventually, as we near a 3,000 foot pass, scrub brush and small pine trees.

After a night in the picturesque hillside village of Alhama, we continue along narrow winding backroads towards Granada. It’s chilly in the morning and in the distance,we see the snowcapped Sierra Nevada.

In the afternoon we arrive in Granada, a very prosperous city whose crown jewel is the Alhambra, a hilltop palace and fortress dating back to the 13th Century and one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture in the world, in addition to later additions of Spanish Renaissance architecture. It’s a remarkable place to visit and we are dazzled by the geometric tile mosaics and intricately carved stucco.