This is the longest coastal ride in the Andalucía catalogue, and the one the Atlas Indoor screenshots come from. From Nerja the road runs east past Maro, climbs over the cliffs into Granada province and drops down to the horseshoe bay of La Herradura. Then you turn around and ride it all again.
There are no mountain passes on this route, but there is a lot of climbing: 957 m over 50.7 km. It comes as a series of rises of 2% to 4% that each last a few kilometres, and one much steeper kilometre, at over 9%, climbing back out of La Herradura bay just before 30 km. The high point is 209 m, and you pass close to it more than once.
That makes it a serious endurance session. Two hours on the bike at a steady effort, with enough variety in the road that you never settle into a trance. The views help: cliffs, coves, and the sea on one side for almost the entire ride.
In Atlas Indoor the road is built from a real ride, so every rise and every bend is where it is on the coast. It is a great route for a long weekend session, a ghost race against your own best time, or a club ride with a regroup at the turn.
How to ride La Herradura and back indoors
Ride the first half below your target power. The steepest climb of the day, out of La Herradura bay at around 29 km, comes soon after the turn, and the rises on the way home come when you are already tired. Eat and drink early, and treat each rise as tempo, not as a chance to attack.
New to indoor riding? See the Atlas Indoor guide or how to connect your trainer.
La Herradura and back: questions
How long does La Herradura and back take to ride indoors?
About 2 h 15 min at 150 W, 1 h 55 min at 200 W, 1 h 40 min at 250 W. Estimates assume steady power and a 75 kg rider on an 8 kg bike, using the same physics as the ride itself.
How hard is La Herradura and back?
Atlas rates it hard: 50.7 km with 957 m of climbing, an average climbing gradient of 3.3% and a steepest kilometre of about 9.3%.
Do I need a smart trainer?
A controllable smart trainer changes resistance with the road's gradient. A power meter or basic Bluetooth trainer also works for a recorded ride. Without either, you can explore the route with demo watts, but demo rides don't count towards results.