Wild and magical, Andalusia is the jewel of the Iberian Peninsula and the crossroads of several civilisations. This region of southern Spain has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with particularly mild autumns.
10 years after the first edition in 2015, from 21 to 27 September, we are offering you the SIERRA NEVADA Classic 2025, a regularity and navigation rally in the heart of the unsuspected Tabernas desert and the mountainous peaks of Andalusia.
THE REGION
At the gateway to Africa, Andalusia is a vast and legendary territory. Boasting a brilliant historical and artistic heritage and sun-kissed beaches, this region is made up of wide open spaces bathed by the ocean, desert massifs and verdant mountain areas.
THE COURSE
The quality gravel roads, canyons and rocky hills of this region are ideal for a regularity event but also for a colourful navigation challenge. This event will alternate regularity and liaison sectors with navigation sectors in areas with little or no traffic. If the Michelin map is anything to go by, the network of beautiful little ‘green’ roads in this region is almost endless – back to pure rallying!
THE LANDSCAPES
In the north of the region, the route follows the winding roads of the Guadalquivir valley, situated between two mountain ranges, the Sierra Morena to the north and the Betic Cordilleras to the south, of which the Sierra Nevada is a part. The main crossing point through these mountain ranges is the Soupir du Maure pass (between Granada and Motril). After the Alps, the Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain range in WesternEurope, and the highest on the Iberian Peninsula, with the Mulhacén peak at 3,479 metres above sea level.
REGULARITY
The pleasure of driving will remain intact as the 24 Regularity Tests on the programme over the 5 days of the rally are linked by ‘Self Start’. There will be a number of downhill RTs and the navigation aspect will be given pride of place. You don’t necessarily need a big engine or a powerful car to finish honourably in the daily and overall rankings.
ELIGIBILITY
To preserve the ‘historic’ spirit of our events and to honour the participants who come with very old cars, we limit access to 55 vehicles aged 42, 40 and 30 years minimum.
3 categories are proposed:
- Regularity : Vehicles built before 1983. Classification based on regularity and navigation. Average speeds from 36 to 50 km/h.
- Challenger : Vehicles built before 1985. Classification based on regularity and navigation. Average speeds between 30 and 45 km/h.
- Touring : Vehicles built before 1995. Free route, identical to the other two categories, sometimes a little shorter and without time check (distance measuring device not necessary – start after the REGULARITY categories).
THE ROAD BOOK
For the 3 categories ‘REGULARITY’, ‘CHALLENGER’ and ‘TOURING’, the Road Book will be drawn up mainly with meter and non-meter Tulip arrows. Two easy-to-read maps are provided for 2 Regularity Tests.
The route and the programme
Stages of 250 to 300 km per day maximum. Return to the hotel around 5.00 p.m. for more relaxed evenings.
Tuesday 23/09
Marbella - Granada
From the coast to the Sierra Cazorla and the mountain range of the Betic Cordilleras
Wednesday 24/09
Granada - Granada
2nd loop to the Sierra Nevada via the ‘highest mountain road in Europe’. Starting in Granada, at 640 metres on the north side, it winds its way up to 3,150 metres. The same side is cut by long, narrow valleys.
Thursday 25/09
Granada - Almeria
Head east towards the valleys of the Andalusian castles, vestiges of the time when Christians and Moors waged war in these parts. Castles still stand on the inhospitable high plateaux of the Sierra Nevada.
Friday 25/09
Almeria - Almeria
3 rd loop to discover the Tabernas Desert. Between the Sierra de los Filabres and the Sierra Alhamilla, the Tabernas Desert offers breathtaking scenery, the setting for some of Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood's spaghetti Westerns. Some scenes from the film ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ were also shot in the film studios of Fort Bravo, where the grand finale of the rally will be marked by a navigation test in the very heart of the Western village.
COMFORT
The crews will stay 3 times for 2 consecutive nights in the same top-quality 5-star hotel:
MARBELLA : Kempinski Hotel Bahia Marbella *****
GRANADA : Hotel Granada Palace *****
ALMERIA : Envia Golf Hotel *****
Envia Golf Hotel
Envia Golf Hotel
More affordable accommodation is also available in a 3-star hotel close to the main hotel. All lunches and dinners are taken together at the main venue.
The gastronomic delights for which Seasunrally is renowned are guaranteed, both in the choice of lunches and the evening menus.
MECHANICAL SERVICE
A team of specialist mechanics will be on hand to help you with any mechanical problems.
An assistance vehicle equipped with a trailer will be able to take the car back to the hotel if the repairs are more complex.
An assistance vehicle can also take charge of your luggage and transport it from one hotel to another.
LOGISTICS
Our transport company specialising in classic cars (reliable and of high quality), offers to take charge of your vehicle from Belgium to MARBELLA and back from ALMERIA for an amount of :
Open truck transport (per multiple of 8 cars) : 2300€
Closed truck transport (in multiples of 6 cars) : 2600€
A UK transport from London is also possible, please contact the organisation
From UK: (different UK areas)- Peter Rushforth – LEFT HAND DRIVE tel : +44 7860206286 or +44(0)1256 461173
A shuttle service from Malaga airport to the rally start (Marbella) and finish (Almeria) hotels will be available on request.
PERSONAL VEHICLE WITH TRAILER: The start and finish of the rally are not in the same place: We advise you to leave your vehicle with trailer at the finish hotel, which has a covered car park. On request and at an additional cost, you can park your towing vehicle and trailer in the hotel garage during the week of the rally. You can then drive back to the departure hotel in Marbella in your rally car (200 km).
COST OF PARTICIPATION
5-star hotel:
- 5540€ for 2 people and a car in a Twin/Double room (All In – Regularity & Challenger)
- 5280€ for 2 people and a car in a Twin / Double room (All In – Touring)
3-star hotel:
- 4350€ for 2 people and a car in a Twin / Double room (All In – All categories)
In cluded in the participation fee :
- 6 nights hotel ***** or *** hotel (from Sunday evening to Saturday morning)
- 6 dinners
- 5 lunches over the 5 days of the rally
- Mechanical assistance
- Luggage assistance service
- Repatriation breakdown service
- Road Book, rally plates, door numbers
- Regularity Rally Insurance
- Awards and Trophies
- Gala Awards Dinner
Epilogue
Driving skills, concentration and a keen sense of observation will be the talents required to make the most of this event in the sunshine of one of Spain’s most beautiful regions.
Each day, the length of the stages will be calibrated in terms of time and number of kilometres so that you can get back to your hotel early in the afternoon and take full advantage of the swimming pools and seaside.
EXTENSION
For those wishing to extend their stay after the rally, there’s a rich historical heritage to discover. Granada, Seville, Cordoba: what unforgettable wonders frozen in time in these testimonies to refinement and the cohabitation of Muslim, Catholic and Jewish peoples. The historical and artistic heritage is phenomenal, from castles and fortresses (Alcazabas) to palaces and religious places.
Be welcome !
The Seasunrally team
Information & Registration Form
The registration form will be available soon
Pre-payment fee : 800 euro – bank expenses charged to participant
NAGELMACKERS BANK – Place d’Armes- B – 5000 Namur
Bic: BNAGBE-BB – IBAN: BE43 – 6363 9178 0101
Important : In order to confirm your entry, a 50€ euro fee per crew ( 2024 member ship) is to be paid on the same account number. (name of the driver on bank transfer communication)
Regulation reminder
7.4 Entry fee will be refunded 85% if the competitors decline with a proper postal letter before 1st june 2024. After this date no more refunds will be made, however special cases will be considered by the organization and a 50 % refund might be made.