Location, Accommodation & Travel
Benalmadena, Malaga, Spain
SwitchbacksDH is situated close to Malaga where we take advantage of our van shuttling and chairlifts to ride upto 20 different purpose built DH tracks. Our 3 star hotel is set in a quiet village with winding streets and lots of bars and restaurants to choose from. While for late night ventures, a 10 minute taxi drive will set you in the heart of the Costa del Sol. With an average of 340 days of sunshine a year - flowing, dusty DHing is only a short flight away...
Climate
The weather close to Malaga provides perfect conditions for winter downhill mountain biking. Temperatures are not too hot and there is very little chance of rainfall.
When the tracks of the Alps close due to rain and snow, SwitchbacksDH's chairlifts continue to run year round. If you have a 6" + travel bike and want to continue DHing under bright sunshine and enjoy a cold beer on the beach at the end of each day then come to SwitchbacksDH.
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Accommodation
Your stay will be right in the heart of Benalmadena Pueblo. A small village set close the tracks for easy shuttling yet only a short taxi ride away from the Costa del Sol night life - a Saturday night on the coast is something not to be missed.
Each hotel/ apartment sleeps 3/4 persons with secure bike storage, A/C and central heating, WIFI, a full stocked kitchen, terrace and TV. There are no less than 15 restaurants and bars within 30 seconds walk while the supermarket is just around the corner. If you are in a larger group you will be in 2/3 different apartments right next to each other.
Situated only 15 mins drive from Malaga airport means you will get several runs in on your day of arrival/ departure. Most importantly your accommodation is only 10 minutes drive from the tracks. There is a well stocked bike shop with spares nearby and we have DH inner tubes and tyres for sale if required.
Travel
Switchbacks Spain is best served by Malaga airport with a transfer time of 15 mins. This means you can arrive early in the am and be out riding by 1pm on your day of arrival. Just about every airline across Europe flies to Malaga – to name a few BA, Iberia, EasyJet, Monarch, RyanAir, bmiBaby, FlyBe, My Travel, Jet2, Thompson, FlyGlobeSpan and FirstChoice.
Please note that charter flights extra baggage allowances (bike carriage) always incur a surcharge. Although they vary widely, most range in price between 15 to 30Euros which will NORMALLY take your individual baggage allowance (bike) up to 32kgs and combined baggage weight up to 50kgs giving you more than enough to bring all but the heaviest bike and kit. British Airways however does not charge for checked nor bicycle carriage as long as the weight and dimensions of its box are within specified limits. Whilst bmiBaby appears to be the most expensive option with a maximum weight for bicycles being 18kgs at a charge of £10 per kilo over! So please make sure you check your airlines rules on bike carriage before you book your flights to avoid hidden costs.
Generally we would recommend you do not fly with extra tyres, tubes or unnecessary tools which will increase your overall weight. If required we have new Maxxis DH tyres and tubes for sale at CRC prices and a fully stocked workshop.
Simple to follow mountain bike packing instructions
