TORRE ALTA ´S LOOP
Easy: Scarab-La Ceja-Pantanillo-El Retiro-Scarab
Either lunchtime, or after work you will see staff from either SCARAB or Torrealta doing this very same loop. We love it, it is quick, beautiful, and challenging. you get to see a bit of the amazing mountains that surround us. The loop is great on any direction, but our favorite one is doing it on the suggested direction of the link (Scarab-La Ceja-Pantanillo-El Retiro-Scarab) . This way, you get a bit of a spice! The climb right after you leave La Ceja, heading over to El Retiro (via Pantanillo) is short but steep!
580m 
600m 
33.3 km
- Difficulty level: Easy
- Distance: 34km (21 miles)
- Elevation gain: 600m (1.950 ft)
- Approximate moving time (Great shape / Easy pace): (1.5h / 2.5h)
- Ride Type: Loop. Starts and ends at SCARAB/Torrealta In el Retiro
- Early mornings are a bit crowded for this loop, lots of people heading out for work or school. It’s not horrible, but we prefer doing this loop after 8:30 am. Same happens late afternoon, aim at finishing it before 6:00 pm.
- Coffee stop? La Ceja’s main square is big and charming. You will find many options to have a snack or a coffee. Our Favorite is Candilejas.
- Feeling like you want to stop more, stopping in el Retiro is also nice! Le Montañere and Café Retiro both offer great coffee.
LA UNIÓN
Medium: La unión
La Union is most likely the most famous climb in the East of Antioquia. Exiting La Ceja, you will face this super steady 5% gradient with beautiful views and an impressive amount of cyclists. During weekdays, it is very likely you will see local teams and riders training. From a kid’s local team to Rigoberto Uran, Sebastián Martinez, among many other world class ‘escarabajos’ training here. Weekends, are just unbelievable! It feels like they were giving free ‘bocadillos’ on the summit of the climb. A lot of people simply turn around when they conquer the top of the climb, we encourage you to push a bit more and ride the extra km’s to make it to the town of La Unión. It is often easy to spot Chiva Buses on the main square! Once you have enjoyed a coffee, head back to la Ceja, and turn onto San Antonio. Rionegro and then Llanogrande, to finally arrive back to SCARAB.
1.060m 1.070m 69.4 km
- Difficulty level: Medium
- Distance: 70km (44 miles)
- Elevation gain: 1.060m (3.480 ft)
- Approximate moving time (Great shape / Easy pace): (2.5h / 4.5h)
- Ride Type: Loop. Starts and ends at SCARAB/Torrealta In el Retiro.
- Early mornings are a bit crowded for this loop, lots of traffic with people heading out for work or school. It is not horrible, but we prefer doing this loop after 8:30 am. Same happens late afternoon, aim at finishing it before 6:00 pm.
- Coffee stop? La Ceja’s main square is big and charming. We would definitely save coffee in la Union.
- Try the freshly pressed orange juice at the summit of la Union!
A RIDE BIKE IN TIME (CONCEPCIÓN ANTIOQUIA)
Hard: Scarab, Rionegro, Concepcion, Rionegro, Scarab
Concepción is a beautiful town that is amazingly well conserved, as a paved road was only built a couple of years ago. The previous unpaved road was rough and long, making it a destination for very few. Today, Concepción still keeps the essence of how a small Colombian Town used to be centuries ago. But the town is not the only beautiful thing to see… The route is absolutely stunning: The views, the “casas campesinas” along the way and little restaurants along the way to stop for breakfast; make this route one of the most iconic around Antioquia. Just keep in mind: All this greatness, comes at a price: It is a challenging Ride!
2.210 m 2.210 m 129 km
- Difficulty level: Hard
- Distance: 129km (81 miles)
- Elevation gain: 2210m (7.250 ft)
- Approximate moving time (Great shape / Easy pace): (5h / 8h)
- Ride Type: Out and back. Starting point at SCARAB In el Retiro, all the way to concepción and back.
- Leave early morning! The more time you can spend in the actual town of Concepción, the better!
- If you are looking for lunch: Finca los Abuelos,
- If you feel like getting quick dip in the river, head over to Finca los Abuelos, Super friendly people, the place is beautiful, and the food is great (from snacks to full lunch)
- Doing this ride on a two day stage is also amazing: Spend the night in Concepción we always stay at Finca los Abuelos.
- There is a place on the main square called xxxxx. It’s on a balcony. They serve snacks, really good juice. Nothing fancy, but chilling there for a couple of minutes is just magical.
SCARAB’S GRAVEL TEST TRACK
Easy-Medium: Scarab, Pantanillo, Puente Pelaez, El Retiro, Scarab
If you want to put your new gravel bike day to the test, it will most likely happen on this exact loop. Paved sections quickly become backroads which then become unpaved. The scenery is unbeatable, gradients are not brutal, Although the last unpaved climb before descending to El Retiro, is challenging. In general, gravel is not that rough (except for the last downhill to el retiro- expect around 3km’s that are shaky).
810m 820m 38.5 km
- Difficulty level: Easy-Medium
- Distance: 39km (25 miles)
- Elevation gain: 810m (2.700 ft)
- Approximate moving time (Great shape / Easy pace): (2h / 3.5h)
- Ride Type: Loop. Starts and ends at SCARAB/Torrealta In el Retiro
- Stop by Lino’s house. Located exactly km20. You will see it on the left. He grows his own coffee, sun dries it and toasts it there. Menu is basic, but if you are looking for some real coffee experience close to El Retiro, this is it! We usually buy coffee from him to take home.
- More Coffee? the unpaved section ends right at the entrance of El Retiro, look for Le Montañere or Café Retiro both offer great coffee.
- Although the quiet unpaved backroads of el Retiro inspire you to ride mid road, stay on your right! You sometimes don’t hear local motorcycles coming and they’ll startle you.
EL CRUCE DE VERSALLES
Medium: Scarab, San Jose, Montebello, Cruce de Versalles, El Retiro, Scarab
This is gravel. It mixes literally everything you will encounter on a gravel bike. From Single track to paved roads, this ride has it all. The Climb to Montebello is just pleasant and once you conquer it, all you think is how joyful the downhill will be. Well… the ride has just started. Steep climbs, single-tracks, river crossing and technical descents, you name it! It is tough! but the truth is there isn’t a single minute this ride is not amazing. You will be riding on private roads that owners have agreed to let cyclists in, make sure you don’t leave any garbage behind.
1.550m 1.560m 62.9 km
- Difficulty level: Medium-Hard
- Distance: 63km (39 miles)
- Elevation gain: 1.550m (5.085 ft)
- Approximate moving time (Great shape / Easy pace): (4h / 7h)
- Ride Type: Loop. Starts and ends at SCARAB/Torrealta In el Retiro.
- Our food stop is always right after conquering the climb to Montebello. there is a small ’tienda’ on your left. STOP there! right after that, there is nothing for quite a while.
- More Coffee? the unpaved section ends right at the entrance of El Retiro, look for Le Montañere or Café Retiro both offer great coffee.
- Although the quiet unpaved backroads of el Retiro inspire you to ride mid road, stay on your right! You sometimes don’t hear local motorcycles coming and they’ll startle you.
- Bring food, spare tubes, and basic bike tool kit. There is a good portion of this ride where there is no car access.
EL CHICHARRÓN DE DICIEMBRE
Hard: Scarab, Abejorral, Mesopotamia, La Union, Scarab
El “Chicharron” which in slang translates as something hard. We named this ride because this is usually the first proper bike ride of the year for the SCARAB team. We love/hate doing it. Love it because it is simply beautiful, quiet and remote! We hate it… well, this is not the ride you usually want to start the year with. BEWARE… this could be the hardest ride you do over the next 12 months…
2.740m 2.740m 122 km
- Difficulty level: Hard
- Distance: 122km (76 miles)
- Elevation gain: 2.740m (9.150 ft)
- Approximate moving time (Great shape / Easy pace): (7h / 11h)
- Ride Type: Loop. Starts and ends at SCARAB/Torrealta In el Retiro.
- Easy gearing on the bike, there are a couple of climbs with really high gradients.
- Where to eat? we recommend the following stops: Eat something and refill bottles right when you start the off-road. there is a small ‘tienda’.
- Second stop, Mesopotamia: this is a small town, but look there for something to eat!
- Although the quiet unpaved backroads of el Retiro inspire you to ride mid road, stay on your right! You sometimes don’t hear local motorcycles coming and they’ll startle you.
- Bring food, spare tubes, and basic bike tool kit. There is a good portion of this ride with very remote roads and very few cars passing by.
Enjoy with this routes and take advantage of our
You can discover all of the best that Antioquia has to offer. Bike through the lush mountainsides and take in the stunning views of the countryside. Explore small towns and meet friendly locals who are eager to share their culture with you. Take a ride through bustling cities and see the vibrant street art and architecture. Our rental bikes are the perfect way to get off the beaten path and experience all that Antioquia has to offer at your own pace.
GRAVEL
ROAD
