Cycling Holidays in Europe to add to your bucket list

Looking to treat you and your bike to a cycling holiday in Europe?

Thanks to budget airlines Easyjet and Ryanair plus last minute deals to be had on European accommodation with websites like secretescapes.com, booking.com and lastminute.com, there has never been a better time to save you and your bike from another boring lap of your local Saturday circuit.

(You know the one, the one that has you speeding up pass your old work friend’s house to avoid chit chat about the weather. As well as shamefully ending every ride with a sub-par cream tea washed down with lukewarm coffee whilst the town’s retired folk look at you bemused as they have never seen a person in lycra before).

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Cycling Holidays Ideas in Europe 

Here are a collection of 4 cycling holiday destinations in Europe that will not fail to disappoint even the most discerning of cyclists.

European Cycling Holiday Idea #1 – Mallorca / Majorca, Balearic islands, Spain

If you are looking for a European cycling holiday destination recommended by the pros then look no further than Majorca. The Spanish cycling legend Pedro Delgado (who won both the Tour De France and Vuelta A Espana in his day) highly rates the island of Majorca for cycling, going as far as to say it’s “the perfect place to ride”.

“Majorca is a special place to cycle because the weather is good and you can find flat terrain or mountains; Majorca offers riders of different abilities good opportunities. I think it’s a perfect place to ride. When I was a professional, I used to come here for our team training camp in January, it’s where we planned for the season. You see it still nowadays with many professional teams still coming to Majorca in the early part of the season. Majorca’s a perfect location to start the season because the weather is warm and there are good routes to ride.” Pedro Delgado 

Another great factor of Majorca is it’s small size. No matter where you base yourself the whole island is pretty accessible as long as you are comfortable with rides of 100km or more. Thrill seekers amongst you who are looking to feel the burn, in your legs not your skin, we would recommend checking out some of Majorca’s most famous climbs such as; Sa Calobra, Coll de sa Batalla, Puig Major, Coll de Femenia, Coll de Soller. (See map below for locations)

European Cycling Holiday Idea #2 – Canary Islands, Spain

When it comes to cycling Holidays in the Canary Islands you really can’t go wrong. With several islands to choose from they all offer fantastic opportunities for an epic cycling experience accompanied by all of the comforts of a traditional holiday.

As with almost all volcanic islands you can expect dramatic undulating landscapes with climbing (and of course descending) roads carved into monolithic mountain ranges.  If you can spare a second off the saddle, there are also ample photograph opportunities across the islands. The hardest choice to make when it comes to a cycling holiday in the Canaries is which island to go to?

Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote?

Cycling Holidays Tenerife

European Cycling Holiday Idea #2.1

A cycling holiday discussion on Tenerife that doesn’t mention the infamous Mount Teide would be unforgivable. The mountain’s summit is a staggering 3718m, making it the highest peak in Western Europe (outside of the Alps) and the 3rd largest volcano in the world. The mountain is renowned across the professional cycling community thanks to numerous cycling teams from SKY to Movistar using it as a training camp before the Tour de France. In Sir Bradley Wiggins own words “there isn’t any other environment that can beat Mount Teide. We have altitude, heat and virtually empty roads most days”.

The professional cycling teams will normally stay at the Parador Hotel allowing them to eat, sleep and train at 2,000m altitude. With rooms available for under £100 a night you can holiday like the cycling greats and come back from Tenerife stronger, faster and fitter than ever. (Just don’t try and book it when the SKY team are training as they tend to book the whole hotel out).

Cycling Holidays Gran Canaria

European Cycling Holiday Idea #2.2

Gran Canaria is the perfect choice if you want to combine the traditional sun, sea and sand holiday with some cinematic cycling experiences. The island boasts some of the whitest sands of all the Canary Islands but cyclists shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Similarly to Tenerife, Gran Canaria is also frequented by professional cycling teams and is home to ‘The Valley of Tears’. A name which truly does give it justice.

This famous cycling landmark starts 300 metres above sea level and climbs to a whopping 1,380 metres above sea level. The average incline grade is 10% with a maximum quad shivering incline of more than 25% in places. Once you’re done working hard it’s time to play hard with some tapas and nightlife in the town of Playa del Inglés.

Cycling Holidays Lanzarote

European Cycling Holiday Idea #2.3

Lanzarote offers a more effortless cycling holiday in terms of family friendliness. Whether you are planning on taking the kids or the parents, Lanzarote is home to a holiday resort with a twist. Club La Santa offers fitness fanatic holiday seekers the opportunity to access over 30 different sporting activities (don’t worry cycling activities are included to). Price wise 7 nights in their 1 bedroom apartments (that sleep up to 3 adults and 1 child) costs just under £700.

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