Fancy a week in mid October, somewhere with stuff for me and the boy (bike) and mrs and miss OTS (non-bike). Ideally a beach + museums etc. Anything around Granada? Possibly a couple of days guiding/uplift assisted?

Ta

Loads of places to choose from but I find anything around the Mar Menor really pleasant. Can go cheaper end like Mar Menor Golf Resort (20 mins from RMU airport / 40ish from Alicante) or more expensive over at La Manga (35 mins RMU, 1 hour Alicante). Also loads of hotels but a small villa or apartment is probably better value.

La Manga has group rides based out of the local bike hire shop, think they go Tuesdays and maybe once at weekends.

Mar Menor Golf has a cycling club who do 25+ miles 3 times a week (distance depends on heat and wind).

Los Alcazares is 5 mins away from Mar Menor Golf and does bigger club rides on Sundays http://www.clubciclistalosalcazares.es/
If you are extra lucky Valverde may be there – sometimes turns up in autumn or spring. A lot of the local routes have KOMs set by professional cyclists from the area, saw a Movistar chap here (can’t recall name) back in April.

There is a local cycling tour company who do bike hire (Cannondale Synapse high spec) and guided rides all over including trips out to the national park (they drive with bikes on roof/trailer – saves doing the 100 mile round trip if you just want hills and beauty). https://etiquettecycling.cc/

Also another cheaper hire company who do Focus bikes and also will drop to your door. https://murciabikehire.co.uk/ Have used from here before.

There is also a place to hire road bikes and MTBs over at La Manga.

Riding over at Portman is good fun and Mazarrón is a challenge I’ve not yet got around to doing.

For non-cycling stuff there is plenty to do too. Cartagena has a lot of Roman stuff including old baths.

There are are some amazing gun turrets set into the hills all around, and a variety of museums all over the place. Most are free.

There are beautiful beaches both inland and the Med (Mar Menor is basically cut off from the sea so virtually wave free and warmer in off season, Calblanque is on the Med and popular with surfers).

Lots of good restaurants catering for all tastes. Los Alcazares is a little Benidorm like on main food strip but has some superb restaurants (and some terrible!).

Let me know if you want any more info about that area or contacts for flight transfers (have someone who takes my bike box to airport, knows the area well and really helped out when we somehow smashed a TV into 2000 pieces).

@Boombang thanks very much – lots for me to follow up with there.

No problems. Sorry if it is a bit road focussed but I haven’t MTB’d over here. It is very dry, dusty and rocky though so not really my thing (I like mud).

Here is the link to La Manga bike rental and MTB bit:

Mountain Biking

Strava segment explore over at Portman Murcia area would give you an idea of the sort of gradients but I think it’s quite tame compared to Alicante way.

Hey, I’m based in San Pedro de Alcántara near Marbella if you decide to head out further west. Loads or road and MTB routes here and bike hire etc…

This sort of thing: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoSYpPkRZZ2ZNuTkR_qjVCA

Alan at Sierra Cycling (Fuengirola) worth a shout.
Accommodation close to beach, access to stuff for non-bikers while you/lad get uplifted and guided in the hills.