The A-397 links Ronda, the town perched above the Tajo gorge, with San Pedro Alcántara on the Marbella coast. It is one of the best-known mountain roads among Andalusian riders: a single road that climbs into the hills from Ronda and descends to the sea without passing through villages in between, which gives it a steady rhythm of bend after bend.
The road leaves the Serranía de Ronda, crosses the municipalities of Ronda, Parauta, Igualeja and Benahavís, and ends in Marbella, on the western Costa del Sol. Up high the landscape is limestone sierra, pine woods and scrub, with views over the valleys of the Serranía; on the way down the coast comes into view and, on clear days, the sea. It is fairly wide for a mountain road, with bends of every radius.
It is about 50 km and a little over an hour without stops, between around 1,130 m and 45 m of altitude. It is a busy road, popular with riders, so ride with a margin and stick to the limits. There are few places to stop, so make sure you have enough fuel, and watch for gravel on the bends.