Winter destination: Gran Canaria

When the days get shorter in the Netherlands and the evenings and nights get longer, you have a number of options to still enjoy being active on your bike. Of course, you can still cycle in the evening and at night with the right gear, but that’s not for everyone. Many then turn to alternatives like bootcamp or training at home. indoor coach. With programs like Zwift, Rouvy And Bkool takes you a long way, but nothing beats the outdoors. Where else can you go in the winter without having to spend days on the road? The go-to destination for many cyclists is the Canary Islands, and in particular Gran Canaria And Tenerife. We have a great article about the perfect winter destination for you: Gran Canaria. Enjoy!

Volcanic soil

Gran Canaria, like the neighboring islands of Tenerife and La Palma, is primarily volcanic soil. There is also a (dormant) volcano on the island, Pico de las Nieves. Unlike Tenerife, where everything really revolves around the magical and mighty ‘El Teide’, Gran Canaria is much more diverse. In fact, there is not a single flat spot and that way you can be satisfied with a short drive quickly enough. The Pico de las Nieves is the highest point on the island. The road to get there is one that you will not soon forget. But we will get back to that later.

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Basecamp Maspalomas

It’s always good to have a base camp on an island like Gran Canaria. A place from which you can go in several directions and which is also a good base for facilities. Now you have several options on the island. Of course you can stay in Las Palmas, but this is a very busy city and to get from Las Palmas to the beautiful routes you have to go a little further. If you want to go on a high-altitude tour, you can of course also go up into the mountains, but then you’re back in the cycle of ‘always ending with a climb’. We choose Maspalomas in the south. From there you can easily do a tour of the island; there are several bike rental companies and you’ll find one of the most beautiful beaches, Playa del Inglés.

Tranendal

An absolute must-do on the island is the climb up the ‘Valley of Tears’. This route, which runs along the GC-606 from the exit with the GC 210 to the climb up to the junction with the GC-60, is perhaps the most photographed place on the whole of Gran Canaria. It is therefore not just a climb; it is 12.4 kilometers long and the average gradient is 11.1%. Stelvio, Well, eat your heart out. Another little tip from the experts: there is a section about 100 meters long that the 25% will pass through. Ouch. Not funny.

Valley of the Tears, Tejeda, Spain

• Distance: 10.6 km, Elevation gain: 976 m, Average grade: 9.5 %

Pico de las Nieves

Undoubtedly, the Pico de Las Nieves From Maspalomas, the monster climb that you should actually always do on Gran Canaria. 44 kilometers long on an average of 5.5%. That second one doesn’t sound that steep, but there are three sections that go down, as you can see on the elevation profile below. That means the rest of the climb is really going to hurt. At its peak, you’ll hit almost 12% of them. Because of the slightly flatter and descending sections, you actually have four climbs in one, with the final stretch stretching over just over 15 kilometers. Once you’re up there, you’ll be at over 1900 meters, and if you look closely you can even see neighboring island Tenerife and El Teide in the distance. Beautiful!

Pico de las Nieves, San Bartolomé De Tirajana, Spain

• Distance: 44.8 km, Elevation gain: 2005 m, Average grade: 5.5 %

Around the island

Want to see the island from a completely different perspective? A full round trip on the island is a total of just over 200 kilometers. You’ll cover almost 3,800 meters of elevation gain if you take the most direct route. The route along the coast through the Parque Natural de Tamadaba is one to tick off the list. Don’t forget to visit the lighthouse at Punto de Sardina along the way. The stretch from Las Palmas to the airport is a bit of a slog, but after that it gets nice again. Pure enjoyment, really.

Gravel rides

Basically all the Spanish islands, from Mallorca and Ibiza to Tenerife and Gran Canaria, are suitable for gravel biking. The volcanic soil works wonders. Of course, they are also suitable for mountain biking, and initially many of the routes were designed for that as well. But with the rise and popularity of gravel, there is a lot of overlap. One of the most beautiful routes we still find is the ‘cross island’ route from Tamadaba to Tejeda. You take the most challenging sections and when you’re on the way back, you just go downhill. You’ll find more cool rides and routes here!

Routes of road bike and off-road racing in Gran Canaria

Hotels and accommodations in Gran Canaria

Below you will find an overview and selection of hotels plus hotspots in Gran Canaria. Do you still miss one? Comment on this article and we will add it!