In the week that in Netherlands intrepid cyclists with wind force seven and pouring rain during the NK Counterwind Cycling across the Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier, I may, Ruth Koops van 't Jagt Cycling in Gran Canaria. Enjoy climbing in the sun. Not for nothing is this Canary Island a favourite winter cycling destination of both recreational racers and seasoned pros. Barely a kilometre of flat and temperatures of between 23 and 25 degrees make this volcanic island a cycling paradise par excellence.
By: Ruth Koops van 't Jagt
On the road with Kim
I am on the road this week with friend Kim, whom I met during an introductory triathlon course in Groningen in 2017. For ten weeks, we swam, ran and cycled together in and around Groningen. Kim, who was once Dutch Flipper swimming champion, swam us all out but on the bike we were matched. During those 10 weeks, a friendship developed with outdoor exercise as the big common denominator. Even when Kim was diagnosed with MS in 2018, we continued to seek small and big adventure together. On the mountain bike around Gieten Gasselte, with skinny dips afterwards. On the road bike in northern Groningen, outside the dikes along the salt marshes of the Wadden coast.
This week I managed to persuade Kim to conquer the mountains of Gran Canaria together. Although Kim is an avid snowboarder and mountain hiker, this will be her first time conquering real mountains on a road or mountain bike. But hey, with the surname 'van den Bergh', she should be fine, even with that damned MS.
Day 1 Cycling in Gran Canaria: reconnaissance ride with Tim instead of Kim
We are staying at the beautiful Dunas Suites & Villas, with fine flats, a swimming pool for a refreshing dip and an extensive breakfast and dinner buffet. That this is a popular accommodation for cyclists is immediately apparent from the location of Free Motion Bikes that sits pretty much next to the reception, and the many guests with tan-lines and bib-shorts. In February, the sun rises around quarter to 8, a great opportunity to explore the beautiful beach with a short run.
On the beach
Passing the dried-up canal and the La Charca de Maspalomas nature reserve and bird paradise, you arrive at Playa de Maspalomas, a beach shielded from tourist development by the rugged Dunas de Maspalomas dune area. In the early morning, you only share the beach with early fishermen, walkers and other runners running barefoot through the surf.
Although the sun is obscured by the Calima, a hot and dry easterly wind that blows Saharan dust into the air, half an hour later it is already quite warm. Fortunately, the breakfast buffet at Dunas is generous, with a wide choice of fresh juices, pancakes, yoghurt and fresh fruit.
On the road with Tim
This first day, Kim is still on her way from the Netherlands and an exploratory ride is planned with Tim, my husband who, thanks to my mother-in-law's generous babysitting offer, also travelled last minute to cycle in Gran Canaria. Via Komoot, I have planned a round trip from Maspalomas via Sant Bartolome de Tirajana. Cycling on Gran Canaria means climbing. On the way, we have to conquer at least two climbs: first to Mirador Astronómico de la Degollada de las Yeguas (description). And then via Fataga to Sant Bartolomé de Tiranja before descending again towards Maspalomas via Santa Lucia.
Some 70 km with some 1369 altimeters. As we don't know how Kim's body will cope with the heat and the altimeters, I deliberately planned a relatively challenging ride for this first day (without Kim, with the fit Tim). As we set off, the sun was high in the sky and it was summery warm. We still had to pick up the bikes, hence.
Rap out of the saddle
Even before we have well and truly left the built-up area, the first climb begins. Don't be disappointed by the views of the first section, it gets more and more beautiful! The first stretch is a nice climb with gradients between 4 and 8% up to Dellogada de las Yeguas. There you will find a Mirador: a viewpoint.
View
From that viewpoint, you have breathtaking views of the surrounding volcanic mountains and can also see the sea on a clear day. Around the viewpoint are astronomical charts: it is a place from where you can get a beautiful view of the night sky after dark. After the viewpoint, you descend towards Artreara, after which the climb towards Fataga begins. Among other things, you will pass an Aloe Vera plantation, the medicinal plant for which Gran Canaria is famous. From an altitude of 343, you climb to the village of Fataga, at 617 metres. That's a nice place for a stopover, with several cafés serving espresso, café con leche with churros, or a cold glass of cola.
The road then winds further uphill via fantastic hairpin bends to San Bartholomé (Tunte). In Tunte you will find several pavement cafés, where the owners try to steal away each other's customers with big grins. This town with steep narrow roads lends itself well to lunch, or a non-alcoholic beer before you start your way back. This can be done by cycling on towards Santa Lucia, after which, once down, you still have a long stretch along a busy road westwards back towards Maspalomas.
Alternative route
Many cyclists therefore do not make a round trip, but do a return trip towards Sant Bartolome de Tirajana (the actual village centre is called Tunte), or even further towards Tejeda. If you are going to cycle on Gran Canaria, this is also advisable, the descent via Santa Lucia is not very inspiring, and if you cycle the round trip you get to go up towards Mirador Astronomico one more time, thus catching that beautiful climb again, but this time from the other side. You can find one of those routes, for example, here:
Before the descent, Tim and I said goodbye; after all, he is not only a faster climber but also a faster descender than me. Once down, I whiz along a busy road back towards Maspalomas with a strong tailwind. At a bus stop I stop for a moment, to check on my phone whether Tim is still waiting for me somewhere. He texted me around half past four: 'I'll cycle on home, you know. Then I'll make us a sandwich and we can eat it at your place. Ok?" 'Yeah right' I app back briefly but firmly and cycle on.
Back home
Over forty minutes later, I arrive back at Dunas Suites & Villas. So from El Dectoral back to Maspalomas, it really is a serious stretch of cycling, even with the wind in my favour. My head is red from the heat and exertion, my feet are tingling and I'm pretty beat up, but I feel soulful. I grin. What fantastic climbs, how wonderfully confronting to find myself like this again on the bike, and what beautiful scenery. And then this week of cycling in Gran Canaria has only just begun!
Taking a rest on the terrace
As Tim and I eat a sandwich on the terrace in front of my flat and toast this first trip, Kim arrives with her fully packed backpack. We talk about this first day of cycling and garner Kim's admiration. 'And then you ran first thing this morning too?' she asks surprised, 'You're out of your mind!' 'Well, I did underestimate those climbs a bit,' I grin back.
So today's effort seems like a good reason to plan a somewhat lighter ride for tomorrow. Using Komoot, I plan a round trip towards Ayagaures for the next day. About 30 km with just under 500 altitude metres. That should be doable, even for Kim. But first: food and sleep.
Day 2 Maspalomas - Ayagaures
After a sumptuous breakfast of yoghurt and pancakes, we are ready to go. Today we cycle towards the village of Ayagaures, to the Cime Pedro Gonzales. This mountain pass is on the GC-503 just outside the village of Ayagaures. After cycling out of Maspalomas and past a large water park, turn right onto the GC-504. This quiet road takes you through a beautiful mountain valley through impressive scenery. The first section is 'false flat' giving you plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. At the end of the road, you cycle into Ayagaures via a series of hairpin bends. If you wish, you can stop there at Bar Eva.
From the terrace of Bar Eva, you have a great view over the valley, and can cheer on the cyclists conquering that first short climb. The village of Ayagaures is also on the edge of a large reservoir. You could possibly cycle up the bridge for a bit to take a reservoir selfie, but watch out for the gravel.
Stopover Bar Eva
Bar Eva is a popular stopover for other cyclists, but you will also run into trail runners and hikers. The espresso is hot, the zuma de naranja is freshly pressed for you here and the chocolate cake comes highly recommended. So when Kim and I sit down here to take a breather from that first stretch, time flies by. For a moment we were under the impression that this was the end of the climb, until I grab Komoot and see that the steepest part is still to come. Reason for Kim to order something to eat, as extra fuel. The chalkboard recommends an avocado salad, which seems a good choice.
Dreams vs Reality
Until the waiter comes to bring the salad in question: the salad turns out to be a big paste of guacamole-like substance, with egg and mayonnaise mixed in. A pitiful strip of red pepper makes an attempt at garnish. Kim's bemused face is to be framed, and she heroically tries to take a few bites anyway. After all, the hardest kilometres are yet to come. After this questionable lunch, we fill our water bottles with cold, fresh water and get back on. We have to continue to the Cime Pedro Gonzales, with its summit located at 490 metres.
Merry on
We didn't delve in advance into the climbing percentages we will encounter on this last stretch, and perhaps that is just as well. After the first stretch that rises and falls gently, the real climb begins. Via long stretches with hairpins and long curves we cycle up. While my heart rate shoots up, I show Kim how zigzagging makes the steepest parts more manageable. Then I cycle on at my own pace. After a long 'running' bend, with stretches above 12% I see a scarce spot of shade. I put my bike against the rocks to wait for Kim. There she comes round the bend, her head bright red with effort.
All for the photo
For a moment, she dismounts and takes a few steps with bike in hand, until she sees me, with my camera at the ready. She gets back on and zigzags further up. Only to lean against the rock next to me in the shade. As we catch our breath together, we prepare for the final stretch to the summit. There it fortunately levels off a bit, and shortly after each other we arrive cheering. From the viewing platform on top of the Cime Pedro Gonzales, it's enjoyment. We take a photo together on which the difference between our faces speaks volumes: I grin enjoyably into the camera while Kim, with a red and heated head, looks happy to be alive after that questionable avocado salad and her first climb on the bike. Which was a bit steeper than we both imagined after all. Cycling in Gran Canaria is fantastic.
Options for cycling
At the top, you have two options: you can descend further via the GC-503, via the village of Monte Léon and Montaña la Data. Be careful when you come down, cars sometimes come at breakneck speed around the bend from the left. You can also choose to cycle back towards Ayagaures via the same road, after which you descend gently through the green valley. Many cyclists choose the second, nicer option.
Down
Today we descend via the other side, and I show Kim how to ("brake, brake, brake, laaaaaten go, press your bottom pedal") descend as smoothly as possible. Once back at our apartment, we wash off the heat and exertion in the fresh pool and Kim dives into bed for a nap with a podcast on.
Meanwhile, I share our valley photos and the story of the avocado salad with Tim. Today, the latter cycled as far as Taurito, the end point of the coastal road. According to Tim, that coastal road is not very special: there are quite a lot of cars. The road still goes up and down quite a bit. The last part of the coastal road to Taurito is the best: it is a bit quieter there. From Taurito you can normally climb further towards Mogan, but that road is unfortunately closed at the moment.
We end this second day with a beach walk with coke and chips. The sun slowly sinks towards the horizon, the wind blows the dune sand into our hair and we look back on a fantastic second day of cycling. On to more!
Day 3 Maspalomas - Ayagaures on repeat
Since we have a guided mountain bike tour planned for tomorrow and yesterday's climbing kilometres did not leave Kim feeling cold, she opts for a rest day today. A good opportunity for me to show Tim the beautiful stretch towards Ayagaures. Just before we leave, we hear how Ireen Wust wins a gold medal at her fifth Olympic Games as well.
Adrenaline rush
Full of supporter adrenaline, we cycle towards the valley. Today the wind is blowing from the north, so that means an extra challenge. Following Tim's wheel, I cycle towards the foot of the real climb. Bar Eva turns out to be closed on Mondays, so unfortunately we have to do without the famous avocado salad. I find a fine cadence and this time cycle up to the summit in one go. At the top, Tim and I wave to each other: he will add another lap in a few minutes while I cycle back to Maspalomas after the descent. Time to recover with a good book in the shade.
This is typically a route that won't get boring easily: the rolling road through the green valley up to Ayagaures, a short, serious climb with challenging gradients, and fantastic views on top. Great for a lap when you have less time, or as a training lap where you can play with heart rate zones and tempo changes.
Beautiful finale
We celebrate Wust's gold and the end of this fine cycling day with games, beer and chips and then go out for dinner at the Italian restaurant Time, where they serve matchless pasta and the waitress treats us to a house Limoncello that nearly knocks us out. languid from the scrumptious meal, the sun and the alcohol, we dive into bed early. Tomorrow Kim and I set off with Santiago, mountain bike guide with his own company Climbo , in the beautiful mountain range at the centre of the island.
