Friday 14 March 2014

Mountain biking: Bizerte to Ras Angela

Distance: 42km
Altitude difference: 570m
Terrain: forest and country track, sandy sections
Technicality: ** (out of *****)
GPS data




This brilliant route takes you from the Maison de Jeunesse in Bizerte to the wild and windswept beaches northwest of the city. You could skip the city part by parking at the edge of the pine forest.

Once you left the urban area, you start climbing a fairly steep, rough road through the forest. There's a great viewing point where the track flattens a bit. A short downhill with a small section of single track brings you back to civilisation (the village of Nadhour). In the village turn right at the T-junction and go back to the forest. This is the home of a fast competition course held in March 2014. There great bits of single track on the side of the dirt road. At the first junction you can either go up and climb towards the navy station looking over Cap Blanc (recommended!). Return to this junction again. The at times rough track turning left stays in the forest and eventually leads to an open area where you can see the Mediterranean. A challenging downhill with sandy section leads to a main junction where you turn right. Follow this route (check for some great single track on the side!) which goes all the way to Ras Angela and the lighthouse. A view of the truly wild and virtually unspoilt coastline is your reward.

Backtrack your route for around 9km to the junction after the challenging downhill. Here, turn right. A very long climb takes you back to the tar road for a little bit. At the T-junction, turn left (you will pass the Bizerte prison). At Nadhour, backtrack the forest track (the first long climb). Great, fast downhill back to Bizerte!

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