The Gorafe Desert – barren, otherworldly, and unforgettable – wasn’t always part of the plan. During the early scouting of the NorthCape-Tarifa route in 2017, Andy stumbled upon it almost by accident. A map Andy was using showed a paved road crossing the area. In reality, it turned out to be an unpaved, rugged track cutting straight through the desert.
That unexpected detour sparked an idea: what if there were a gravel race across Spain, one that embraced wild, remote places like this?
Two years later, in the spring of 2019, the first edition of the Iberica-Traversa was born – marking the first gravel bikepacking race to cross the dramatic landscape of the Gorafe Desert.
What started as a lucky discovery became a defining feature of a true off-road adventure.
Photos: Gorafe desert 2023
Rider: Irena Sosinska
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