Cycling Costa Blanca – A Flatter Loop Through Xalo, Pego, El Verger & Pedreguer

After several hilly, yet stunning rides, in the Costa Blanca over the last few days we decided to try and find a slightly less up and down route from our base in Xalo. Heading out (as usual now) on the CV-750 to Alcalia, we yet again made our way north through Orba and onwards to Pego following the CV-715. This is the same route we had followed on our incredible loop through La Vall d’Ebo so it was becoming a familiar one, a rolling ride with some good views and a little climbing through some pretty scenery before a descent to reach the town of Pego itself.

Once in Pego we followed signs to Denia and soon picked up the CV-700 heading out of town, a gradually descending road with a magnificent tail-wind during our visit. We were charging along at 50 kph plus with barely an effort at all.  The road surface is very good, and there was also a cycle path on one side as well, although we stayed on the main road which was wide enough. The CV-700 passes through the Parc Natural de la Marjal de Pego-Oliva, which is quite a mouthful, but means that a good chunk of the road passes through some tall rushes on the left while on the right the bulk of Monte Pego rises up, dotted with various houses.

With the tail wind pushing us along we covered the distance to El-verger very quickly, and were soon weaving through the streets of El Verger itself, heading south on the N-332a.  I can’t say this is the prettiest portion of the ride, but we were soon out of town and picking up the CV-729 towards Beniarbeig and then the CV-732 to Pedreguer which isn’t very far away. So far the road since Pego had been very flat, but after Pedreguer there was some climbing to do to get home.

From Pedreguer we followed the CV-720 up a fairly continuous climb for about 6 or 7-km through scenery which made this my favourite portion of the entire ride. With the almond trees in blossom all around and plenty of orange and lemon groves, it was nice to be back among the hills and plants after some of the busier, albeit flatter, roads of civilisation.

From the top it was just a matter of brief descent into Alcalali and then a couple of kilometres back to the motorhome in Xalo. About a 50-km loop in total, much of which had been flat and never ‘too’ steep even on the lumpy bits. A nice change from the more strenuous rides in the hills, although it did leave me ready to get back in the hills again.