We leave behind the Hacienda Minerva and its beautiful setting and shuttle to Benalúa de las Villas to begin our ride at the Olive Oil CO OP. We have options of 31 or 40 miles and I manage to do 25 mainly because we have some wonderful downhills. Again we travel through the olive trees which are in full bloom as evidenced by the sneezing and runny noses among us. 

We are told that another guide spent four days in the hospital last week when the pollen aggravated his asthma. Our descent through the valley is highlighted by the impressive Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background. 

We have a series of wonderful downhills although we always have to be watching for speed bumps, loose gravel, and potholes. Before we begin a 4K uphill, we see a turquoise glacial-fed lake. 

I manage to make it up the 4K uphill but it isn’t pretty and it’s frustrating because it was a gentle climb. I stop and take a look back anyway. Most of the climb, however, is beyond the curve.

Then we have a wonderful 3k downhill with a few twists and turns and speed to our next stop. We visit a nearby cafe and have a Magnum Bar break with Joe the proprietor.

Then I take a shortcut by riding in the van for about 5 miles to miss some “rolling” hills. We finish the ride by going through the La Vega, Granada’s main valley and here the agriculture changes.

Instead of olive trees, we are now riding on the flats along corn, artichokes, onions, and asparagus as shown below.

Traffic starts to get busier as we get nearer Granada and we end our ride at Restaurante Alexis Viernes. 

It’s about 3 pm and before a taxi takes us into Granada, I have a salad with tomatoes, avocado, and hearts of palm and it was the best thing on the trip. Yum! It’s salty and that hits the spot after a hot day. A taxi takes four of us to our hotel and drops us off along the street. Small problem; we don’t know the name of the hotel, nor do we even see a hotel. After wandering around in our dirty bike clothes in the big city, we call someone who is already there and get directions to the Hotel Victoria. Saved! Our farewell dinner is in the hotel restaurant and a brownie with ice cream is involved. 

We end the evening with a group photo on the stairs.