Sir Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas have something in common besides being the three British riders to win the Tour de France – they’ve all regularly trained through the winter by cycling in Tenerife.
It’s easy to see why Ineos Grenadiers and so many other top teams on the UCI World Tour choose Tenerife for their winter training camp: good weather, challenging climbs and a relaxed atmosphere all make for enjoyable cycling. And even if you aren’t quite at the same level of performance as the pros, it’s just as exhilarating a destination for amateur cyclists like you planning a fun trip abroad.
In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Tenerife cycling: why to visit, the best routes to try, and how to cover every eventuality when you plan your trip away.
Why should I go cycling in Tenerife?
A cold, wet, grey Sunday morning in February is the kind of scene which can make cycling through the British winter particularly unappealing. And this is where Tenerife cycling stands out: the weather is warm (or very warm!) all year round, making it an ideal destination for some winter riding in good conditions or to brush up on your climbing skills.
Because it’s a popular tourist destination, there’s also plenty to see, do, eat and drink while you’re there. And if your command of Spanish doesn’t stretch far beyond ‘dos cervezas, por favor’, then you’ll find that the vast majority of locals dealing with tourists will have a good command of English.
Flights to Tenerife are plentiful from almost all the UK’s major airports throughout the year. Flight time from most UK airports is around four hours each way, making it easily accessible for a week’s trip or even a long weekend. Tenerife has two airports, but the airport in the north is now solely the preserve of domestic Spanish flights: this means you’ll fly into Tenerife South, close to Mount Teide and most tourist resorts.
Where are the best Tenerife cycling routes?
There are four distinct hotspots for cycling in Tenerife, and they have one thing in common: they’re all hilly! However, each of them represents a unique challenge in its own right, and gives you a wide range of terrain to explore on each day of your trip. In this section, we’ll tell you all you need to know about each area in turn:
Mount Teide
Mount Teide looms over the rest of Tenerife – and indeed, most of the rest of the Canary Islands on a clear day! Its peak at 3715 metres above sea level makes it the highest point in Spain, and it’s the third highest active volcano in the world – although don’t worry too much, as it hasn’t erupted since 1909.
There are several roads that lead up the slopes of Teide, reaching an altitude of around 2300 metres above sea level. That’s comparable with many of the famous Alpine and Pyrenean climbs, and 400 metres higher than the summit of Mont Ventoux. But Teide is even harder than you might think, because unlike those mountains in France, you’ll be starting at zero metres above sea level if you’re staying on the coast!
It’s no surprise that the climb up Teide is a pro cycling pre-season benchmark, but if you want to ascend it yourself, be prepared for a very long day. Expect to ride around 25 miles (40km) at an average gradient of 6%, and try to get yourself into a steady climbing rhythm that you can sustain for a long period of time.
Depending on where you’re staying, the time of year and the weather conditions, you may want to ride Teide from the north as it tends to be cooler, greener and a bit shadier in places compared to the exposed south side.
Masca and Punta de Teno Lighthouse
The north-western corner of Tenerife has some stunning scenery to enjoy, with jagged cliff edges that the Atlantic Ocean lashes up against. This part of the island benefits from being both challenging to ride and very rural, meaning you can focus on your route and surroundings without being worried too much about traffic.
If heading north from the tourist resorts into the area, we recommend heading towards the village of Masca, then continuing towards the lighthouse at Punta de Teno. It’s the most westerly point of Tenerife and will give you some cracking views on a clear day that will be well worth the trip to get there.
Anaga
If you prefer to get off the beaten tourist track, then you’ll be better off staying in the north-east of Tenerife in the vibrant city of Santa Cruz. This also gives you easy access to the rural park of Anaga, with some twisty and lumpy roads that attract very little traffic.
Not many cyclists venture up to this part of the island, but it certainly won’t disappoint with some of the challenging climbs you’ll have to deal with along the way. However, it is a fairly remote setting, so make sure you take plenty of food and water with you, as finding a bar or restaurant for a mid-ride pit stop can’t be guaranteed.
Alcala and the west coast
It’s natural to want at least one day while you’re away to have a relatively short and gentle spin up and down the coast. Unlike mainland Spain, there isn’t a coastal road for you to track. But there are lots of villages dotted along the western side of Tenerife, north of the main tourist resorts but before you get to the Teno rural park.
If you want a destination to aim for, we’d suggest Alcala: it’s a tiny village that’s full of traditional restaurants and bars rather than the super-sized hotels further south. If you’re looking for a day with a more club-ride feel, with a nice spot of lunch along the way, look no further.
What you should plan for a Tenerife cycling holiday
As with any cycling tourism, there’s plenty of planning to do in order to make sure that you and your companions have the best possible time. Before making any bookings or sketching out your routes, take these five factors into consideration:
Fitness
We don’t want to put you off, but cycling in Tenerife isn’t really for those who like a leisurely club run and a long coffee-and-cake stop on a Sunday morning.
Tenerife is an extremely mountainous island with very little flat riding for respite: most of your mileage will either be going up or going down! Furthermore, unlike many other European cycling destinations, there aren’t many flat roads along the coast to help you avoid the climbs, as the coastline is rugged and lots of the flat parts have been developed into tourist resorts.
Because of that, we strongly recommend making sure you’re in tip-top condition before you travel, especially with regards to your climbing skills.
Which time of year?
As is the case with all travel to Spain, if you want to keep your costs down, avoid the school holidays as much as you can as prices will be substantially higher. And being just off the coast of Africa, it can be unbearably hot to ride at that time of year anyway, unless you head out very early in the morning.
The best time to go is during the winter, as the weather is still comfortably warm most days (around 20 degrees) and your flights, accommodation and resorts will be much quieter and cheaper. For the best bargains, try travelling in January and February before half-term as it’s the most off-peak time of year. However, you might get outrun by some of the pro cyclists doing their pre-season training, so don’t expect to set any KOMs on Strava while you’re out there!
Hire a bike – or take your own?
This is a difficult choice to make whenever you travel abroad for cycling: do you take your own bike with you, or do you hire one when you’re out there? Ultimately, it comes down to your personal preferences first and foremost, although cost comes into the conversation, too.
Your bike will be set up perfectly for your riding style, you’ll be used to its characteristics, and you may well have built up a sentimental bond with it, too. However, taking bikes on flights is expensive: at the time of writing, taking a bike with you will cost an extra £90 return with EasyJet and an extra £120 return with Ryanair. What’s more, you’ll also have the expense of buying a bike box for transporting it (unless you can borrow one from a friend), and the labour of dismantling it and putting it back together twice.
That’s why it may turn out to be a more practical option to hire a road bike from a reputable cycle hire company when you get to Tenerife; indeed, if you’re planning a short trip like a long weekend, it might even work out a little cheaper. Booking in advance means you can ensure access to your preferred type of bike, and you may be able to arrange delivery and collection from your accommodation.
Where to stay and how to get there
One of the great things about Tenerife is that, as a popular destination for holidaymakers from the UK and around Europe, flights and accommodation are plentiful.
Most of the main resorts are based around the south-west of the island, including popular locations such as Playa de Las Americas, Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos. These give you plenty of choices of accommodation to suit your needs and budgets, and easy access to shops, bars, restaurants, attractions and the coast for the times when you aren’t riding.
These resorts are also handy for Tenerife South airport (making transfers short), and give easy access to the routes up Mount Teide, and towards Teno lighthouse in the north-west of the island.
Medical cover
Of course, cycling isn’t without its risks, and the hilly terrain and fast descents in Tenerife do bring their own level of danger. You should make sure you have either a European or Global Health Insurance Card (EHIC or GHIC) with you when you travel. However, this does not give you all the cover you might need in the event of an accident, because it only covers a very basic amount of healthcare.
If you need more extensive care, such as a long hospital stay, surgery, emergency rescue or even repatriation, this will not be covered by the provisions of EHIC/GHIC. This means medical bills can easily run into the hundreds or thousands of euros, which can potentially be severely damaging for your finances.
To avoid the double whammy of both physical and financial distress, you should make sure you have insurance in place that covers all eventualities. While you may have normal travel insurance cover for holidays and tourism, these policies might not necessarily cover certain sporting activities like cycling. In this case, you should take out a specialist cycling insurance policy instead.
Get cycling travel insurance with SportsCover Direct
Whatever your plans for cycling in Tenerife, one thing you definitely mustn’t go without is comprehensive insurance cover, so that you don’t end up out of pocket if unforeseen circumstances occur. If you need extensive medical cover (as highlighted above), your travel plans are disrupted, or your bike and equipment are lost, stolen or damaged, your insurance policy can pick up the financial tab.
SportsCover Direct has been insuring riders going cycling in Tenerife for decades, allowing them to make the most of their rides in the Canaries with confidence and reassurance. And our policies are affordable and available through flexible payment plans, meaning they won’t break the budget of your trip. Take two minutes today to explore our cycling travel insurance options in more detail.