By default the Canary Islands are known for large hotel resorts, beautiful beaches and basically mass tourism. But if you’re into road cycling you might be aware of the fact, that many professional cycling teams spend a lot of time on Tenerife and Gran Canaria during the winter break and at the beginning of the season. In the case of the pro teams Tenerife is a perfect destination to get altitude training in, as there is the possibility to stay at over 2000 meters above sea level. When it comes to recreational cyclists there is a variety of options. You can for exmaple choose to a room, bungalow or something alike in one of the major tourist centers and have the amenities vast lunch and dinner buffets. If that doesn’t float your boat, then there are countless places available for rent via AirBnB, which allows you to stay anywhere on the island avoiding the tourism epicenters.
Another thing about that makes the Canary Islands perfect for cycling are the relaxed and respectful motorists. Living in Switzerland I’m used to fighting for the space on the road and I’m always expecting close overtakes and aggression against cyclists. On the Canary Islands you have to behave like a complete douchebag to not be treated with respect as a cyclist. Otherwise, for instance on small, mountainous roads, cars will always follow behind you until there is plenty of space to overtake. You also won’t be honked at or anything like this. There is also more communication going on in traffic between the different categories of participants. For example, when you’re ascending a steep, narrow road and you see further ahead then lets say a car behind you, and you see that it would be safe for the motorist to overtake, then be kind and give a wave, signaling that it’s safe to overtake.
Road
0m to 2000m
110km, 2800m elevation, hilly, road
Avoiding the Hill
70km, 2400m elevation, hilly, road
From the Sea to Mars
152km, 4000m elevation, mountainous, road