In January 2023 we headed off for some winter cycling in Gran Canaria. 
I booked it as a surprise 50th birthday present for Tim, and had a bit of a panic before we left that I’d picked the wrong place. I’d picked it on the basis of it being the warmest that time of year, the flight times being good, and it being one of the less windy islands. But about a month before going I looked at the bike routes and was a bit horrified by just how steep every ride seemed to be. 

You would think that the fact that the island is pretty much a volcano would have given it away (I also have a Master degree in Geography and have taught tectonics for 20 years so yes, my bad entirely!). But I just hadn’t thought it would be quite so steep! Anyway, we were booked and we were going, so we decided we’d make the most of it. 

I will caveat this review by saying that both of us weren’t in great health when we arrived. We’d both been ill, then I’d got shingles, and then the week before we traveled I got Bell’s Palsy. My face was droopy on one side and I was on a huge course of steroids. So we were probably in the worst fitness of our lives. The day before we traveled we contemplated not hiring bikes and just resting, but we decided we’d just try and if the bikes didn’t get used much then so be it. I’m so glad we did, but it was certainly challenging. 

We were staying in Puerto Rico and hired the bikes from Playa del Ingles; our first ride was back along the coastal route back to our hotel. The views were stunning and the roads were great, but even this ride was up and down all the way. So we were nervous the next morning when we set off on our first proper ride. But this was the ride we needed. As we turned off the coast and up towards the mountains, with the sun on our backs and beautiful scenery unfolding all around us, we knew we were right to be out there. It did us so much good, physically and mentally, after months of dreary winter and illness, that winter getaways are definitely part of our winter routine now.

The views in Gran Canaria were just amazing - beauty on a grand scale and far greener than we had imagined. The sense of achievement at the end of each ride was something else. But so was the tiredness! We were wrecked; I think we averaged about 9:30pm getting back to our hotel room. Part of that was illness, but part of that was also that these were the hardest routes we’ve ever encountered, at the time of year where our fitness is at its worst. With that in mind, if we return we’ve said we’d go in autumn, when our cycling and fitness is at its best after the English summer. Our plan for winter cycling, like many, is to keep the legs ticking over and not lose too much fitness in the cold dark winter months in northern Europe, but this was a step up we just weren’t ready for. 

We did have amazing rides. The majesty of the Ayagaures Valley and the views back down to the coast were just awesome. We also had the funniest pit stop at a restaurant near the top at Cima Pedro Gonzalez; the guy had a winch to send drinks to you down the mountain side, and a loudspeaker to shout encouragement as you fought your way up the switchbacks. The snacks and cold drinks at the top with views to die for will be forever in my memory. Soria was phenomenal too. For fitter cyclists who like a challenge this ride is definitely for you! I was overtaken by a guy in his 70s with his grandchild in a buggy on the back of his bike, so take that as a good point of reference!

Tim is so much fitter than me and he handled the rides much better; he phoned me at one point and I’ll never forget the shock in his voice that I was half way up and actually doing it. Admittedly my ride was not pretty - there were lots of stops, some walking, and a bit where I actually laughed out loud on the side of the mountain when I turned a corner and saw what was ahead of me. But I took it in stages, got it done, and was rewarded by the views (and the crazy restaurant) at the top. 

There were lots of rides that are meant to be amazing, but we knew they were too tough for where we were at. The Valley of the Tears is touted as one of Europe’s hardest rides, and equally heading to the highest point of the Pico de las Nieves was out of our league. Both are meant to be stunning but it would have been foolish for us to attempt this with our fitness levels as they were. 

Our Verdict:

A great cycling destination IF you are fit enough and are up for a challenge. The views are amazing, the roads are great, but the climbs are tough. Perfect if you are a good mountain goat cyclist and love a switchback. 

We usually book ourselves, but because this was a surprise for Tim’s 50th I didn’t want anything to go wrong and I wanted it to be a bit special, so I booked a lovely suite with private balcony (with its own hot tub and sun loungers) at the Servatur Casablanca Suites with Jet 2 holidays. The room was fantastic and the balcony perfect to relax on after a day in the saddle. It was also ideal for winter sunshine - a little bit sheltered so it felt warmer, and the rooftop bar and sun deck was great. Puerto Rico is in a ravine so your hotel will either get morning or afternoon sun depending on what side you’re on - I picked the side that got the afternoon/evening sun which worked for us. The resort has just spent millions on a facelift, and the Mogan Mall had some great restaurants in it. I did contemplate staying in Port de Mogan, but although the resort looks fantastic, it’s still cut off from the coastal route because of a landslide a few years ago and it’s not showing signs of opening again soon (correct in April 2024). You can still get to it via ferry or on the motorway, but for cycling purposes it’s not ideal. 

We hired bikes through Freemotion  and they have rental places in most resorts in the Canaries - their website is a pain to navigate but the bikes were good.