Utopia Gravel

A gravel weekend in the Gorafe Desert and Sierra de Baza, in the UNESCO Geopark north of Granada, Andalucía.

The organisers describe the Gorafe desert and the surroundings of Baza as "the most impressive location for gravel riding in Europe", and frame Utopia itself as "Europe's most breathtaking gravel race". The weekend sits inside a UNESCO Geopark and is built around high-quality off-road terrain, with over 90% of the main race run on gravel.

Utopia is one of four events in the Epicos Gravel Series, alongside Sahara (Morocco), Octopus and Gorilla Gravel. In the organisers' words, Epicos is "a gravel series for riders who appreciate stunning scenery, challenging routes and festival vibes, who are simply looking for a hell of a good time on and off the bike." Both gravel and MTB riders are welcome at Utopia.

The format reinforces the festival framing more than the race framing: Friday brings a social ride, bib collection, a signing session with pro riders and the athletes' presentation; Saturday is the main Gorafe Epic race, a kids' race, a podium ceremony and a raffle; Sunday closes with a social spin to Zújar, a short hill climb at Jabalcón and a shared meal and swim at the natural hot pools of Baños de Zújar.