• Distance 54 km
  • Elevation gain 830m
  • Difficulty
  • Epic rating

This is a coffee ride with a twist.

You can either just ride the N-332 from Calpe to D’Origen coffee shop in Albir, just south of Altea (a paradise for coffee geeks). Or you can do that but also tack on a crazy steep spin up Serra Gelada, above Benidorm.

Tempted to just go for the coffee shop option? Fair enough – but be warned, you’ll be missing some truly staggering views of Benidorm and the Costa Blanca coastline.

All metrics in this article are approximate.

Highlights

The clear winner is “that view” from the top of the Serra Gelada. The coffee at D’Origin is also superb!

Road between Calpe and Altea, Costa Blanca, SpainThe N-332 between Calpe and Albir (usually busier than this!)
View of Benidorm from Serra GeladaView of Benidorm from the lower viewpoint on the Serra Gelada
View from the top of the Serra Gelada with road cyclist in foregroundView from the summit of the Serra Gelada

Route notes

This is a simple out and back ride from Calpe, down the busy N-332 south of Calpe. The views over the coastline help make up for the traffic, but it’s not our favourite stretch of road.

D’Origin is a fun place to visit. They take their coffee seriously, being one of Spain’s first micro-roasters and having their own coffee plantation in Panama. Their cakes and pastries are great too…

It might be tempting to stop and not head on… but if you’ve got the legs, get on your bike and head up the savage inclines to the cross at the top of the Parque Natural de Serra Gelada (sections at 13-15% and there’s a one kilometre section that averages 11.2%!).

The Serra Gelada rises almost vertically above the tower blocks and skyscrapers of the weird phenomenon that is Benidorm. It gives you an interesting perspective.  The contrast between the natural beauty of the mountain/sea landscape and the brash urban development of Benidorm is fascinating and strangely beautiful.

Tunnel on the N-332 on the Costa BlancaSeries of short tunnels on the N-332 before Calpe
Group of cyclists on the N-332 between Calpe and AlbirMechanical on the N-332 – it’s a busy road!
View from Serra Gelada, Costa Blanca at dusk across BenidormView from the top of the Serra Gelada at dusk

Café stops

It seems unlikely that you’d need a stop in addition to D’Origin, but if you do, it should be easy to find. The N-332 runs through/past lots of towns and resort areas.

Accommodation

We stayed in the four-star Sol y Mar hotel on Calpe’s seafront. It’s a large, glass-fronted hotel, with a prominent location on the promenade adjacent to the beach. It suited our needs well as it was comfortable and both service and breakfast were excellent. For a coastal resort, Calpe is also well placed since it’s in the middle of the Costa Blanca’s most interesting riding.

If you’re looking for something a bit different, check our article on where to say in Calpe (for cyclists).

Tips

Read our tips for cycling in Calpe and the Costa Blanca before you set out.

As you’ll realise if you’ve read down this far, this route is predominantly on the N-332 which is far from a quiet rural idyll. It gets a lot of traffic. The coffee and Serra Gelada make it worth it – for us anyway!

The Serra Gelada is quite a popular spot at sunset (where we were there!) as the views over Benidorm are even more special. You may encounter a few cards on the road.

Found this guide useful?

We’d love to hear from you – comment below or drop us a line.

Don’t miss our other ride guides on Calpe and the Costa Blanca: see the related rides section above.

Check out our ultimate guide to cycling Calpe and the Costa Blanca and other articles, below.

 

Please support Epic Road Rides

A huge amount of time and effort goes into the article you’ve just read, all with the aim of helping you!

If you found what you’ve read useful, I’d really appreciate it if you dropped something in the tip jar here.

It’s a way you can say thank you and help us carry on creating top quality content with no annoying ads and no pay wall.

Leave us a tip here!

Looking for an organised cycling trip?

If you want someone to help you plan and book your cycling holiday, fill out this form. We aren’t a tour operator/agent but we work with lots of people who are and will do our best to put you in touch with someone that can help (within 24 hours wherever possible)!

We will use this info to send the enquiry to Clare and/or their team. Our privacy policy explains more and here’s a reminder of our disclosure policy and terms and conditions.







Clare Dewey

Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels – and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they’re there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.

The contents of this website are provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on it. You should carry out your own due diligence and take professional advice. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our website is accurate, complete or up to date. If you use any information or content on this website, download from, or otherwise obtain content or services through our website, it is entirely at your own discretion and risk. Epic Road Rides Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the information and content on this website. Find out more here.

2 Responses to “Coffee ride with a twist: coffee plus Serra Gelada”

  1. Hi Clare,
    Just accidentally ran into your website while searching for routes in southern Spain.
    Loved it!
    Thanks

Leave your comment

  • (will not be published)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.