Cycling on Gran Canaria, Our Tips!
Gran Canaria is a diverse travel destination. Besides relaxing on the beach, there is a lot more to do. We rented a road bike and made a tour along the coast and through the mountains. Read more about our route (also available in our Google Maps travel guide Canarias), tips and experiences with cycling on Gran Canaria below!
Renting a Road Bike
There are several rental companies near Maspalomas, we rented our bikes at Free Motion a few days in advance. The reservation was arranged quickly. On the day of our tour, the road bikes were already prepared and we only had to adjust saddle height. We were a bit worried about the high deposit we had to pay upfront, but afterwards there were no problems returning the bikes at all. We were very satisfied with the rental company.
The Route fpr Cycling on Gran Canaria
Armed with a tire repair kit, water bottles and sun protection, we took off. The route first runs along the coast over the GC-500. Here, we had quite a headwind. This part of the route contains no special cycle path, so you will cycle large parts of the ride along the side of the road. Due to the strong headwind and the endless straight road, we found the first part of the route not very nice and quite heavy. It would have been better to ride this route the other way around, having a nice tailwind over this part of the route.
Near the town of Vecindario, we turned towards the mountains onto the GC-65. The beautiful (uphill) part of the route could now begin! The roads were much calmer, winding and generally not very steep. However, in some parts it was still quite tough in the blazing sun. Along the way we came across several small mountain villages and made a lunch break at Santa Lucía.
After the break we still had to cover some altimeters. Just before San Bartolomé de Tirajana we turned left on the GC-60 and to the highest point of the route just over 900m above sea level. This was followed by a lovely stretch downhill towards Fataga. We noticed that the route was getting busier, as this is a main route towards Maspalomas. Just at the last few kilometers, there was a nice climb waiting for us. The climb, located before the Mirador de las Yeguas, isn’t very long but quite steep. After enjoying the views at the lookout, the last part of the route only consisted of rolling downhill. Satisfied, we arrived back in Maspalomas at the end of the afternoon.
