Moors Overview – Cordoba to Tarifa
Embark on an unforgettable cycling journey from Córdoba to Tarifa, tracing the enduring legacy of the Moors through the heart of Andalusia.
Our adventure begins in Córdoba, where Islamic architecture and Christian heritage entwine beneath the arches of the Mezquita. From there, we ride through storied towns such as Granada and Antequera—landmarks of the Reconquista and living testaments to a dramatic past. As we cycle southward, the landscapes shift from olive groves to coastal breezes, culminating in the whitewashed charm of Tarifa, where Europe meets Africa and history meets horizon.
Team Members on this Tour
Alessandro Allegro - Guide
A native of Piedmont in Italy, Alessandro is just at home in Spain where he brought his daughter up on the Costa Brava. With a surname – Allegro -that translates from Italian to ‘Happy’ in English he was perhaps destined to guide! He’s been cycle guiding for over 20 years and has led countless tours across Europe. He first worked with Dylan on a ‘gelato’ tour back in 2001 so it is wonderful to now have him on the Ride and Seek guide team. His local knowledge of the areas in which he guides and his calm professionalism make him an asset to the team.
First cycling memory:
I was around 4 years old when I received my first Olmo bicycle, however my first real road bike was a Bianchi 1973. I was 16 years old and since that bike that I have been in love with cycling.
Favourite bike:
A Wilier 101 Slr, it was lent to me by the Lampre team, it fitted me perfectly. Only thing missing is the pro legs ;)
Top climb:
In the past years I had the chance to challenge most of the famous climbs over Europe, among the legendary ones my favourite is Col d’Aspin in the Pyrenees, beautiful scenery, mythical ascent and no traffic!
One thing on your bucket list:
Live in a world with fewer cars and more bikes
A special skill you bring on tour:
My passion and knowledge of Italian food and wine
Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:
Nata; a Portuguese custard tart with a coffee is hard to beat for a break off the bike
Languages:
English, Italian, Spanish, French and my German and Croatian are coming on.
Ride and Seek tours you lead:
The Moors Epic
Sebastien Morice - Guide
First cycling memory:
My first bike was a blue Peugeot road bike, I was 6 years old, a very nice Christmas. It was the signal that I would be allowed to go to school on my own. Very quickly I was able to do, every morning and afternoon, the 3 km that separated me from school. I felt free and loved riding the roads in all weathers.
Favourite bike:
A rocky mountain that I bought myself when I was living in Paris. Hyper responsive, great brakes, I felt it was a part of me, I spent my days roaming the city and did at least 50km every day until I had it stolen.
Top climb:
During a tour in Turkey I climbed a 2000m pass north of Ankara. The landscapes were magnificent and the arrival at the sea just incredible.
One thing on your bucket list:
Going on a long trip with my family, wife and two daughters.
A special skill you bring on tour:
I love making sure that the people around me are happy and I put all my skills at the service of what I invest myself in. Apart from my availability, my skills as a mechanic, my taste for accompanying people, I offer the best of me by massaging. I have been training for a very long time and I am passionate about taking care of the body.
Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:
I hope it will be the next one, I really love to eat well!
Languages:
French, Spanish and English.
Ride and Seek tours you lead:
Conquest of the Moors and Provence Tours
Jorge Izquierdo Aguila - Guide
First cycling memory:
The first day I learned to ride a bike without training wheels. My father is behind me holding the saddle then suddenly he is gone. At that moment I discovered the feeling of fear and freedom at the same time. A little later, everything was freedom.
Favourite bike:
My first road bike, Orbea Sierra Nevada, which my parents bought me when I was 13 years old. They bought it big because it was expensive and it should fit me for several years. So big in fact that still today it's my city commuter bike!
Top climb:
Any isolated ascent where there is no traffic. The mountain and the bike alone!
One thing on your bucket list:
Travel the Karakorum highway on my bike.
A special skill you bring on tour:
I really like to sing and I am good at teaching, so I can teach you how easy it is to sing badly.
Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:
Andalusian salmorejo and Mediterranean cuisine.
Languages:
Spanish, a portion of french and a couple of portions of english.
Ride and Seek tours you lead:
Conquest of the Moors
Moors Tour Highlights
Throughout this route, you’ll experience the historical evolution of the region, from the Muslim rule of Al-Andalus to the Christian victories that ultimately led to the end of the Reconquista. The architectural, cultural, and geographical elements you encounter will provide a rich understanding of the complex history of the Iberian Peninsula during this period.
- Cordoba: Explore the Mezquita-Catedral. A symbol of the religious transition from Islam to Christianity, as it was initially a mosque before being converted into a cathedral.
- Tapas Bars: Indulge in a tapas crawl, savouring traditional dishes like salmorejo, grilled octopus, and Iberian ham.
- Sierra Nevada: Enjoy challenging cycling through the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which acted as a natural boundary between Christian and Muslim territories during the Reconquista.
- Granada: Discover the Alhambra, a stunning palace and fortress complex built by the Nasrid dynasty, representing the Muslim rule in the region.
- Flamenco in Sacromonte: Experience flamenco in the historic Sacromonte caves, where the art form has deep roots.
- Ronda: Reflect on the strategic importance of Ronda as a fortified settlement during the Reconquista and marvel at its dramatic position atop cliffs, the blend of Moorish heritage, and stunning vistas.
- Culinary Delights: Sample Andalusian cuisine, including tapas, gazpacho, and local specialties.
- Scenic Routes: Experience the stunning countryside as you ride through olive groves, vineyards, and farmlands.
- White Villages (Pueblos Blancos): Explore charming white-washed villages like Ronda and Grazalema, each nestled in picturesque landscapes.
- Tarifa: Conclude your journey in Tarifa, where the Reconquista effectively ended with the capture of the city in 1292.
Moors Bike Tour Dates
| Stage | Start Date | End Date | Days | Cost (Euros) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Epic: Cordoba to Tarifa | 10th April 2026 | 26th April 2026 | 17 Days / 16 Nights | €8,925 |
All tours are available as a custom tour for your group – contact us for details.
What’s Included?
- Accommodation in our carefully selected hotels
- Meals – hotel breakfasts, snacks en route and pre/post-ride nutrition, lunches including the famed Ride and Seek picnics, multi-course group dinners with a focus on the local cuisine.*NB we include occasional independent lunches & dinners to break up the week
- Ride and Seek jersey
- Garmin 1030 use with all routes preloaded
- Ride and Seek water bottle
- Kit laundry service once a week
- Passionate, experienced and knowledgeable guides are always on hand to help
Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Bike hire
- Pre & post tour accommodation
Supplements
- Single supplement – Our prices are based on twin/double occupancy. If you wish to have your own room then a supplement is applicable.
Deposit
- To reserve a place on a stage of this tour, we ask for a deposit of €500 (or your local currency equivalent). The final invoice will include any applicable single supplements and bike hire costs.
Richard Fletcher’s Moorish Spain tells the story of a vital period in Spanish history which transformed the culture and society, not only of Spain, but of the rest of Europe as well. He manages to both entertain and enlighten the reader as he explores the influence of the Moors have had over architecture, literature, art, and learning in general. The author manages to provide a broad overview without getting bogged down in the minutia. Fletcher’s book provides a great introduction in the subject at hand.
Driving Over Lemons is lighthearted account about life in rural Andalucia. Based around a mountain farm in Las Alpujarras it recounts the experiences of Chris and Ana in this beguiling part the world. With a cast of misfits, peasants, hippies and shepherds the author paints an entertaining picture of life in the region. An entertaining yarn that has parallels with Peter Mayle’s experiences in Provence. This is an easy reading travel book that gives the reader a wonderful insight into the trials, tribulations and joys of living on the farm. A great book to put you in the mood for travelling through the area.
The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise provides a reassessment of medieval Spain, proving that the Muslims were not, in fact, benevolent rulers. Much that is written about “al-Andalus” contends that it was a kind of a multicultural paradise where the main religious groups lived in harmony. Fernández Morera contends that there is a significant issue with this perception – it is a myth!
Hugh Kennedy book – Muslims in Spain and Portugal – is the first study in English of the political history of Muslim Spain and Portugal, based on Arab sources. As such is provides a very interesting alternative perspective since most of the literature in the West views the Moors through the prism of the Christian Reconquest. It provides comprehensive coverage of events across the whole of the region from 711 to the fall of Granada in 1492 ostensibly through Arab eyes.
In Andalus Jason Webster embarks on a quest to discover Spain’s hidden Moorish legacy and lift the lid on a country once forged by both Muslims and Christians. A enchanting yarn that charts the friendship between Webster and a young Moroccan immigrant, Zine, as their lives become entwined through circumstance. A roller-coaster of a ride provides a modern day perspective on the Moorish legacy.
Moors Bike Tour History
The word Moors derives from the Latin mauri, a name for the Berber tribes living in Roman Mauretania (modern-day Algeria and Morocco). It has no ethnographic meaning but can be used to refer to all Muslims, Berber or Arab, who conquered the Iberian Peninsula. These Moors, who were religious fanatics, arrived in Spain in the year 711 and thus began a period of history which would shape Iberia differently than the rest of Europe as the land adapted to a new religion, language and culture. Hispania became a part of the caliphate of Damascus, which was the capital of the Muslim world.
This Moorish land was known as Al-Andalus and included all of the Iberian Peninsula except for the extreme north-west, from where the Christian Reconquest would originate.
The first 40 years of Moorish rule was volatile and Al-Andalus needed order and unity which came in the form of Abd-er-Rahman who arrived in Almuñecar on the coast of Granada in 755. Within a year he became Emir of Al-Andalus and during his 32-year reign he would transform this land into an independent state which was the cultural light of Europe.
In Cordoba Abd-er-Rahman, I founded the Mezquita in 785 when he purchased the Christian section of the San Vicente Church, a place the two faiths had shared for 50 years. The Mosque was expanded to its final glory over the next two centuries. This became the second most important place of worship in the Muslim world after Mecca.
The Moors expanded and improved Roman irrigation systems to help develop a strong agricultural sector. They introduced many new crops, including the orange, lemon, peach, apricot, fig and pomegranate, as well as saffron, sugar cane, cotton, silk and rice, which remain some of Spain’s main products today.
Our Reconquista tour will seek to investigate the significance of the 700 years of Moorish rule in Spain and explore the legacy left by this intriguing period in European history. The Moors legacy symbolises a complex interplay of power, faith, and resilience, ultimately shaping the modern Spain we know today.
“It was ALL a highlight for me. I loved it all. You guys are absolutely top-notch. I am recommending you to everyone I know”
Maggie H
“Highlights were the sights, the history, the Roman ruins, the mixture of French and Arabic cultures, and the beautiful hotels.”
Jim C
“We loved the incredible choice of towns in which we were able to spend our nights and days off! The cycling routes that were chosen were especially beautiful and iconic in many cases.
This has been our favourite tour in terms of the format. We LOVE the two or three nights at a location giving us more time to explore and get rested up.”
Therese F
“The riding, the people, and the beautiful scenery! We love how small you’ve kept the groups. It keeps us coming back. We are looking forward to three more trips with Ride and Seek in 2024 and 2025.”
Gloria F
“Finishing! Much stronger! Ronda! Chefchaouen! Great bunch of riders etc etc many highlights”
Rodney N
The Trip
Embark on a transformative bike tour from Cordoba to Tarifa, threading through the tapestry of the Moors history. Pedal across Andalucia (Al-Andalus), reliving battles and culture, unveiling the enduring narrative of conquest and coexistence.
Email me the Tour Overview Book Now Schedule a CallTour at a Glance
The Epic – Cordoba to Tarifa Dates: 10th to 26th April 2026
Countries: Spain
Number of days: 17 days
Number of stages: 1
Price: €8,925
Grading: 
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