Carmona was my destination for today, and I’d considered a variety of options to take me there. I’d plotted out one route that looked fairly reasonable, but biking out of Seville is not always straightforward so it seemed like a great idea when Scott suggested I take the Cernanías to Lora del Rio and approach Carmona from the north. And that was my plan until Monday, when I took Vivien Geoge to Bici Activa and had a great conversation with Iain enthusing over cycle touring and gravel bikes.
Iain has all sorts of local knowledge and said there was an easy route on bicycle lanes out of Seville and a great gravel route between Seville and Carmona, almost entirely on unpaved tracks that were frequently used by cyclists. He was not quite sure about navigation through Alcalá de Guadaíra, but promised to send me a gpx track, which I received yesterday, routing me all the way from Seville to Cordoba! I wasn’t sure whether I was up to gravel for the whole ride, but today seemed like a good day to test out the unpaved roads – it hadn’t rained in quite a while and I reasoned the roads would be hard packed, though Iain mentioned they also might be dusty and/or sandy.
The route took me easily through Seville on marked bike lanes, crossing over the A4 autoroute, past the Universidad Pablo de Olavide Sevilla, and finally to a tow-path along the Canal del Bajo Guadalquivir. It was a beautiful morning and I was thoroughly enjoying the ride – poppies were out sunning, a group of local cyclists assured me I was on the road to Carmona, and there was a herd of sheep and goats along the way.
Bike lane bridge over the A4 highway leaving Seville
Almost eight miles into the ride, the route left the Canalway and dropped down to the Guadalquivir River, following fairly well-packed trails to the outskirts Alcalá de Guadaíra. Iain's route skirted the city to the south, through Parque Oromana where I got confused trying to figure out which of the myriad of trails I was to follow. A bit desperate, I enlisted the help of two gentlemen enjoying a morning in the park, although neither of them spoke English. We were soon joined by a couple from Seville, one of whom spoke English. All were eager to help, and after much hand waving and finger pointing among the four, there was consensus that I had to cross the river and take the highway toward Carmona. I ignored most of their advice, but they did point me across the river and I was soon back on Iain’s track. At this point, the surface became much more variable, with water, rocks and sand all making an unwelcome appearance. I persisted, though I was growing more skeptical.
Eventually I made my way to a Via Verde to Carmona that showed up on the OSM cycle layer of RWGPS . Based on its location near a penitentiary, it was probably Via Verde de los Alcores, described by Betsy Evans as “really just and unpaved farm route.” Whether it was named or not, I wasn’t taking it – I’d had enough gravel surprises. I was soon on pavement and making my way to my original route – the one I’d plotted months ago, before I’d even considered the Cernanías option. By the time I joined the my route, I’d made almost a full circle around Alcalá de Guadaíra.
After leaving the canalway, the route followed the Guadalquivir on fairly well-packed tracts
The Guardian of the Castle - from the rear. Designed by José Luis Manzanares, the sculpture spans the River Guadaíra on what is known as the the Dragon Bridge in Alcalá de Guadaíra
My route had a bit of everything. A giant water hole, which I was able skirt on the right by carefully stepping from stone to stone while Vivien George slogged through the mud
I’ve found that using GPS for navigation does not really let you see where you are going, at least not the big picture. Whether in my car or on my bike, I am usually just following a line at a pretty zoomed-in scale. It usually doesn't matter too much, as I carefully plot each cycle route in RWGPS and usually review it one or two days before loading it into my phone. But because I'd planned on taking the Cernanías, and at the last minute had decided on Iain's route, the original route to Carmona had not gotten my usual scrutiny. Therefore, I was pretty shocked when I finally joined the route and found myself on a four lane divided highway! It is not my kind of road – and I have no recollection as to why or how it had gotten into my route planner! Certainly not user error ;)
Fortunately, the A398 had a very wide shoulder and other than navigating the frequent round-abouts, I felt very safe, if not happy. At one round-about, though, I stopped to look for alternate routes. Zooming out a bit, it appeared that the blue line of my route skirted the towns of Mairena del Alcor to the north, and that I could exit A398 just before reaching the city and make my way back to the northern route – a short-cut, if you will. In keeping with the theme of the day, it turned out that my “short cut” was in fact a long rocky trail along a power line that led me right back to A398! Still, I persisted, resigned to take the highway all the way into Carmona.
But I was not safe yet. This time, RWGPS had devised a short-cut for me. As directed, I took the 3rd exit off the round-about and found myself on a goat track – literally. A herd of goats, complete with two dogs, a donkey and a herder had just crossed from one side of the round-about to the other, and I dutifully followed after. But no - I'm not falling for you, RWGPS! I could see that the goat track rejoined A398 just up ahead, so I re-entered the round-about, got back on the highway, and soon passed through the Seville Gate and into Carmona.
Next time I think I'll take the train!
My "short-cut" was a bit narrow, but it didn't look too bad
Suzanne GibsonAlcalá looks like a dreadful labyrinth of one way streets! Very challenging to get around it. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Janice BranhamAs I read your story I'm gaining respect for the challenge of navigating this region whenever we get there this fall, and for your good humor about it. Bon courage! Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Jacquie GaudetAre you going Carmina-Écija-Córdoba? You might want to avoid the Via Verde we rode between Écija and Cordoba; it was really rough. On the other hand, I don’t remember seeing an alternate unless we deviated quite a bit to the north. The road between Carmina and Écija was pretty good. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Susan CarpenterTo Jacquie GaudetThanks for the tip Jacquie. I’m a few days behind in the journal, and did go through Ejica to Cordoba. I’d read your account of the Via Verde and opted for the long, paved route! Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Susan CarpenterTo Rachael AndersonIt was a pretty crazy day Rachael. I think the stress and dust started off the cough/cold that I suffered for the next week plus. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
