Lost Horizons

Lost Horizons is a self-supported 830-kilometre gravel event through the remote highlands of inland Castile, starting in Soria and looping through some of the most sparsely populated and least-ridden terrain in mainland Spain. With 13,000 metres of elevation gain, the route traverses the high Castilian meseta, the ancient canadas (drove roads) used by shepherds for centuries to move livestock between seasonal pastures, pine-forested mountain sierras, and remote villages that see almost no cycling tourism. Soria is the provincial capital of Spain's least-populated province — a fact that shapes the entire character of the event. The landscape is one of wide skies, ancient stone, and an almost complete absence of commercial cycling infrastructure, which means riders must plan resupply carefully around village shops with irregular hours, roadside bars, and the occasional petrol station. The July timing brings warm conditions on the lower meseta and cooler but potentially stormy weather in the higher sierras. Lost Horizons has built a devoted following among riders who appreciate the cultural depth of Castile — the landscape here is full of Romanesque churches, medieval castles, and roads that follow paths used since Roman times. It is one of the hidden gems of the European ultra-gravel calendar and deserves a much wider international audience.