Cycling on the Costa Blanca – a training paradise for professionals and enthusiasts

In the winter season, the region around Alicante and Calpe is a phenomenal cycling paradise. In the autonomous region of Valencia, there are a myriad of bike enthusiasts. Not for nothing, more and more professional teams and amateur teams are looking to this beautiful region for their training camps. Moreover, more and more professional riders (including none other than Mathieu van der Poel) have apartments here and spend almost the entire winter there. Excellent roads, beautiful climbs, and mild temperatures combined with lovely winter sunshine make this region the perfect place to start a good cycling season. And that applies not only to the pros. Even as recreational cyclists, you can enjoy yourself here. We cycled for four days along the Costa Blanca through Marina Alta, as this area is also called. We have compiled the most beautiful routes and tips for you. 

By: Ruth Koops of ‘t Jagt and Tim Sinke

Stay

We are staying at the beautifully located Bed & Breakfast Good Idea From the welcoming Hans and Jolanda. This B&B is located in an authentic finca that is more than a hundred years old and is just outside the village of Xaló in the Jalon Valley. The B&F has seven double rooms and a shared conservatory where you can have breakfast or relax. If you are going cycling on the Costa Blanca, this place is ideal for a group of cyclists. If you book all the rooms, you can also use the kitchen. One of the rooms can also be converted into storage for the bikes, with a professional hanging rack. There is a swimming pool and a ‘drinking pool’ to cool off in, although that is for the real enthusiasts in the wintertime. In the conservatory there are comfortable seats for relaxing in the afternoon and evening sun, and you can look out over an almond plantation and the mountains in the distance. Hans and Jolanda welcome you with great warmth and care. For example, after a hearty breakfast, you can start your bike ride with peace of mind and a full stomach.

You can find more accommodations on our map of bike hotels below:

Bike rental

We rented our fire-red Wilier racing bikes Alta Bike Rental From the friendly Belgian Kurt Caboor. He rents out top-quality bikes and provides fantastic service: he delivers the bikes to your place of residence for free and has, among other things, installed my power meter on the bike (you want to know how hard you pedal up the Coll de Rates, of course). Kurt is himself a passionate cyclist (he regularly rides with Fem van Empel and other female pros), and knows the region inside out. He knows as well as anyone how important a good bike is, and you can feel it in everything he does. If you go cycling on the Costa Blanca, Alta Bike Rental is your address.

Bike cafes 

Along the way, you can clearly see that the region is becoming increasingly popular as a cycling destination, and there are therefore also more and more bike cafés. For example, you will find one in Xaló / Jalon Velosol Cycling Bar where they also sell bike jerseys, among other things. A little further down in Alcalali you'll find it Musette Café where the pros also regularly stop for the fantastic coffee and the legendary carrot cake (indulge in both on their Facebook page). Finally, in Parcent, on CV-720, just before or after the climb of the Coll de Rates (it just depends on when you’re craving cake and coffee or cola), a relatively new bike café run by the owners of Blanca Bikes. 

Cycling among the pros and stories

This region is known for its good training routes. The ascent of the Coll de Rates, Coll de la Vall d’Ebo and Coll de Bernia are well known. While the February sun keeps climbing higher and the valley warms up, cyclists of all kinds are zooming across the roads in the Costa Blanca region. In all shapes and sizes. Profs from, among others, Ineós, Visma Lease-a-bike, Lotto-Dstiny, FDJ and Lidl Trek. Semi-professional teams that do their blocks and tests on the Coll de Rates, including lactate measurements. And also a complete team from Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL that speeds past us like a flight of birds in the descent after the fabulous traffic-free climb of Alt de Tarrenyes / Pla de Petracos from La Vall d’Ebo. 

Don't let yourself be fooled

It can be quite intimidating at times, as such strong riders can easily catch up with you while you’re puffing and groaning, yet you can actually see a 10% increase in your Garmin altitude profile. The muscular, sinewy calves. The tight-fitting shorts. And the smooth pedaling on a bike that seems to be one with them. At the same time, it’s also inspiring. Many pros greet you with a reassuring nod, and they are here to push boundaries and enjoy the moment. Moreover, you share a love for cycling. 

A new chapter

And while we are here writing a new chapter in our cycling book, I realize that all those cyclists have their stories too. That behind all those impressive climbs there are just as many stories. Beautiful and sad stories. It turns out that even when we talk more with Kurt, this is not just the region where world champions Fem and Mathieu are preparing for a top performance. It is also the region where Ellen van Dijk was already on the bike shortly after the birth of her son Faas. Where the unyielding Lieuwe Westra with his friends like the ‘Four Musketeers’ was doing laps of kilometers on the bike almost daily. Before he finally returned to the Netherlands, where he eventually passed away. It is also the region of the fall of Amy Pieters just before Christmas in 2021. 

It makes me quiet and grateful. That I am allowed to cycle here, in the soft winter light, along the lemon and orange orchards. Along the almond trees that haven’t yet been affected by a virulent bacterium and therefore seem to be showing their pink blossoms in an extra exuberant way. Through the mountains that every day see thousands of cyclists passing by. All of them with their own mountains, their own valleys. Here you don’t just cycle among the pros. Here you also cycle among thousands of stories. 

Highlights

The highlights in the region are, of course, the well-known Coll de Rates, from which you have a magnificent view of the valley from the 626-meter high peak. However, in our opinion, the climb up the Coll de la Vall d’Ebo is even more beautiful, and the section from Vall d’Ebo over the Carrer Titar Albir and the Cami a la Vall d’Ebo definitely tops the list. Kurt later tells us that the local riders also call it the “death road” because the first part of this route has short, steep sections where you can really pedal yourself to exhaustion. The second part is a gentle descent along the Barranco de Malafi, where you cycle through a fabulous canyon that seems straight out of a fairytale. Another less well-known but beautiful route is the CV-748 between Llíber and Gata de Gorgos. And finally, you must not miss the Coll Port de Bernia, with fantastic views over Calpe and the sea. 

Cycling on the Costa Blanca – our routes

During our stay, we rode on some beautiful routes. You can find them in the Komoot collection below. Here you will find, among other things:

• Our first day together with guide José Tur
• A ride around Vall de Laguar (it's lovely to be in the countryside)
• A round trip from Sa Creueta to Coll de Rates
• A beautiful round trip on the Vall d’Elbo
• A beautiful Gran Fondo loop

Practical

You can travel to the Jalon valley by car (about 2,000 kilometers from Utrecht), by Flixbus or train (about 33-35 hours from Amsterdam), or by plane. If you choose to fly, you can fly to Alicante or Valencia and then go for a rental car or a shuttle service or taxi. Although it may seem attractive to stay in one of the coastal towns, such as Denia, Calpe or Altea, we recommend looking for accommodation that is more inland, such as B&B Buena Idea in Xaló. Then you can start your bike rides right away. The roads along the coast towards the valleys and mountains inland are often busier with cars and much less scenic. There are several bike rental companies, with a focus on racing bikes. For mountain bikes, you can visit Snake Bite MTB. 

Want to learn more about cycling in Spain? Then visit our special page ‘Cycling in Spain’ page