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Whatever outdoor activity you're into, Gran Canaria has you covered – for hikers there are trails galore, from beach walks to mountain treks. Watersports enthusiasts will love the waves: the consistent winds will delight windsurfers and the quiet coves are perfect for exploring by kayak. And for cyclists, there's excellent road biking, a large network of mountain bike trails, and gentle cycle paths for families.
Gran Canaria is not the biggest of the Canary Islands, but it more than makes up for it in terms of variety. From the bustling capital city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the largest town in the whole island chain, to the sand dunes in the south and volcanic mountainous terrain around the Pico de las Nieves, the island offers something for everyone.
Where is Gran Canaria
Part of the autonomous Spanish community of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria lies in a part of the Atlantic known as Macaronesia, which includes the archipelagos of Madeira, Salvajes, Azores and Cape Verde. The closest point on the African coast is roughly 210km away, while Cadiz, the closest port on the European continent, lies 1,250km away.
Many UK operators feature Gran Canaria hiking tours, including specialist walking and activity holiday companies. UK airlines including British Airways and easyJet fly regularly to the island from many regional UK airports, with an average flight time of just under 4hrs 30mins.
Why take a cycling holiday in Gran Canaria?
Gran Canaria enjoys average temperatures of 24ºC all year round, making it a great destination for a cycling trip whatever the season, although the main cycling season is from the start of October until the end of April. These are the months when most of the summer tourists have departed. With its consistent climate and winding mountain roads, Gran Canaria is a road cyclist’s dream. There are a dizzying array of challenging road climbs to choose from, almost all offering incredible panoramic views across the island’s rugged interior and beyond to the Atlantic Ocean and neighbouring Tenerife, with Mount Teide looming out of the sea. Inland, there is usually little traffic to worry cyclists. You can also sign up for day rides to explore the routes in the famous Playa del Ingles beach area.
And if you prefer thrilling MTB descents, Gran Canaria is one of the best destinations in Europe for mountain biking, especially during winter - and something of a cult destination for pro riders. Your bike will carry you to visit astonishing mountain landscapes (though most MTB rides involve a drive to an inland start point). The menu of trails on offer is extensive – the longest ones offer over 1,000 vertical metres of descent, snaking down from the peaks in the centre of the island to the coast. And there are many specialist guides and operators ready to help you navigate this often tricky terrain.
Many tours start from the summit of the island, at around 2,000m, and end along the cooling waters of the ocean. Along the way distinctive local flora and high altitude pine forests, will add to your riding enjoyment.
Gran Canaria offers an excellent infrastructure of hotels, restaurants, bars and bike rental shops to meet all your cycle needs. You can also sign up for MTB and road cycling camps.
Six of the best cycle routes in Gran Canaria
From long-distance road bike routes to breath-sapping ascents and fun MTB rides to testing expert descents, Gran Canaria has cycle challenges to face every rider. Here are six of the best cycle routes in Gran Canaria to try.
Road:
The Island Tour
Distance: 190km
Time: 1 day
Difficulty: Moderate/hard
For road cyclists this has to be your ultimate Gran Canaria ride - a full island circuit, starting and ending at Puerto de Mogan on the island's south-west corner. The GC-200 road initially heads inland, before turning to close in on the coast again at La Aldea de Nicolas, where it follows the west coast road up to Agaete in the far north west. The route darts inland to cross to the north coast where it hugs the shoreline as far as the capital Las Palmas before zipping down the east side of the island and across the south, past several beach resorts, including Maspalomas, site of the famous natural wonder, the dunes of Maspalomas. The final stretch again sticks tightly to the coastline before arriving back in Puerto de Mogán.
The early stages are the toughest, with two steep climbs and burning descents. Once these are behind you, there are a few smaller climbs to get you close to halfway, before the route largely flattens out for the remainder of the circuit.
Valley of the Tears
Distance: 12.4km
Time: 1 day
Difficulty: very challenging
This brutally steep ride is well-named, and is the ultimate climbing challenge on Gran Canaria. If you're staying on the coast there's more than one route to reach the valley so you will clock up three-figure kilometres of overall distance. And, remember, if you're heading inland the only way is up. The Valley of Tears itself is a draining 12.4km climb, with hairpin turn after hairpin turn and an average gradient over 11% with some sections at a heart-stopping 25%, all open to the elements, and including some steep drops on either side of the road.
The scenery is incredible but the ride is very remote so all the advice is to only attempt it if you are very fit and/or have a back-up vehicle support.
Maspalomas-Ayagaures-Maspalomas
Distance: 26km
Time: 2hrs
Difficulty: Moderate
This may be a short route, both in terms of distance and time, but it makes a good training ride in preparation for greater challenges or a satisfying one for less experienced road cyclists looking to boost their confidence. Starting the south at the resort of Maspalomas - which is also a popular base for cycle holidays, as are many of the south coast resorts - the route inland to the pretty mountain town of Ayagaures climbs gently uphill before a steep final ascent to the summit of Cima Pedro González.
From there, riders can catch their breath on an exhilarating descent past the botanical gardens and across the slopes of Montaña La Data back to the coast. If you fancy breaking the ride with a pit stop, you'll find welcoming bars in Ayagaures.
Mountain biking:
The Grand Canyon Tour
Distance: 42km
Time: 4hrs
Difficulty: Moderate
For less experienced MTB riders and even family groups, this is one of the classic Gran Canaria mountain bike tours - an ideal backcountry ride to and through the Grand Canyon area that'll allow you to familiarise yourself with the spectacular environment and landscapes of the island. You can let it rip on the wide, fast tracks that wind along of a series of rocky canyons! Ride it in XC race mode, with an exciting final downhill at full speed. Or take your time, exploring your surroundings on the easy tracks.
Tejada y el Pico de las Nieves
Distance: 28km
Time: 4hrs
Difficulty: Hard
To appreciate the essence of a place sooner or later you're going to have to stand at the highest point and this spectacular MTB ride to the Pico de las Nieves right in the centre of the island at 1,949m, achieves just that (although admittedly you can save your legs and drive up, but hey, this is about the ride). The uninterrupted views out over the Unesco World Biosphere Reserve, with its deep valleys and jagged ridges shrouded with vegetation and crowned with spectacular rocks are worth the effort.
This circular route also takes in the pretty mountain village of Tejada and the famous landmark of Roque Nublo – a rock monolith almost 90m high which was once a place of worship and has inspired painters, writers and musicians.
Camino de la Plata
Distance: 39km
Time: 4hrs 30mins
Difficulty: Expert
Tour operators such as Gran Canaria Mountain Bike are part of the lifeblood of the MTB tourism industry in Gran Canaria, and this iconic island Enduro route is one of their most popular tours. The descent starts from Pico de las Nieves at 1950m and ends by the ocean at Maspalomas.
The initial descent is down challenging rocky terrain, before opening into a flowing trail through a beautiful forest. This followed by a highly technical and demanding section with lots of rocks, steps and challenging steeps to satisfy the most seasoned Enduro rider. The tracks, carved into the sides of the canyons by the islanders, vary dramatically during the descent, with more fun, flowing fast stretches, and, naturally, the views are incredible.
For more information about cycling in Gran Canaria, go to grancanaria.com
