Canary Islands
2-week Cycling Camp

A beautiful ride today with a mix of coastal-cliff scenery and high mountains on the Ruta de las Presas.

From Agaete you’ll head south-west for 30km (19 miles) through the Tamadaba Natural Park along a spectacular road that clings to the cliffs, high above the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll want to stop at every corner for another photo – the views are that stunning! La Aldea signals the end of the coastal road and the beginning of the long climb to the central part of the island. The top lies 26km (16 miles) ahead at an altitude of 1,100m (3,600ft) – through some of the most incredible scenery on the island. From the top enjoy 20km (12 miles) of rolling terrain through forests and green fields before the long descent back to the hotel.

This is one of the most remarkable and challenging days you will ever spend on a bike. The Valley of the Tears (Valle de Las Lágrimas) route is one of the hardest rides on the island. This is epic Thomson terrain!

From the hotel in Agaete you’ll head inland to Fagajesto where you’ll join yesterday’s ride (in the opposite direction). At the Paralillo Reservoir a sharp left turn signals the start of the Valley of the Tears climb with initial ramps of over 15%. 10km (6 miles) of hurt lie ahead, but the views are amazing!

Just over the top of the climb you’ll be rewarded with a well-deserved lunch stop in the cycling cafe in Ayacata – then a 35km (22 miles) descent to your next hotel in Puerto de Mogan.

Remember that 35km (22 miles) descent you came down yesterday, well the ride today starts with the same 35km – but uphill. The climb is simply spectacular, with switchbacks galore, a perfect road surface, no traffic and a forest of pine trees to ride through. The first top comes at just under 1,000m (3,300m) in Cruz San Antonio, then it’s another 15km (9 miles) to the final summit at 1,300m (4,300ft) in Ayacata.

After a coffee-stop in Ayacata you’ll descend through San Bartolome and Fataga to the coast. Beware of the few short, ambush climbs on the descent, especially the final climb to Degollada de las Yeguas. A final 30km (19 miles) along the coast closes off the ride.

From the hotel you’ll head along the coast then inland towards Baranquillo Andres. Keep your eyes open, as this is the road most frequented by the many pros who train on the island.

At the 25km (15 miles) mark, the climbing starts with the steady climb to Barranquillo. Enjoy this section because after Barranquillo you’ll take a narrow, much steeper road with pitches between 10 and 15%.

The route continues with the fantastic descent to Pie de la Cuesta then it’s out and back from La Aldea, over the Degollada de la Aldea climb. A tough day in the saddle with almost 3,000m (9,800ft) of elevation!

Today’s ride takes you right into the centre of the island. The first 60km (37 miles) are just stunning, with the climb to Cruz San Antonio followed by the climb to Ayacata.

After a coffee stop in Ayacata you’ll continue climbing to the beautiful village of Tejeda, which is classified in the list of “Pueblos mas bonitos de Espana” (the “Most beautiful villages in Spain”). From Tejeda, the climbing continues with our staff’s favourite climb in Gran Canaria, the climb to Cruz de Tejeda and on to Los Llanos. From Los Llanos enjoy the 40km (25 miles) descent back to the hotel!

The week in Gran Canaria ends with the most challenging climb on the island – and one of the toughest climbs in all of Europe: the brutal climb to Pico de las Nieves from Ingenio. Starting just above sea level, the summit tops out after 23km (14 miles) at 1,900m (6,200ft). It’s a tough one, but at the top, you are rewarded with stunning views of Tenerife’s El Teide in the distance. Keep your eyes open at the summit, we often meet pro riders out training on this great climb.

In the evening, join us at the hotel bar where beers and cocktails are in order to toast a fantastic week of riding!

Note: there’s a shorter ride option today that will also climb Pico de las Nieves, but from the much easier Ayacata side.

The week in Gran Canaria has come to an end but you still have lots to look forward to with one more week of riding on the neighbouring islands of Tenerife and La Gomera.

In the morning you’ll transfer to Tenerife either by ferry or by air, depending on flight times from Gran Canaria to Tenerife. After arriving in Tenerife you’ll have a short transfer to the village of La Esperanza, which sits at the bottom of the climb to El Teide. The summit lies 46km up a spectacular ridge through pine forests and lava fields, with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean on both sides of the ridge. From the top, enjoy the magnificent descent all the way to your next hotel in La Arena.

After 8 days of solid riding, we’ve planned a shorter ride today to give the legs a bit of a rest before next week’s riding begins. So, today’s the day to enjoy the rest, maybe get a massage, and take a dip in the hotel’s infinity pool, one of the largest infinity pools in Europe!

The Camp continues with the climb to Mount Teide.

On today’s climb to Teide you’ll take the western approach from Los Gigantes. From the hotel you have a 4.5km (3 miles) “warm-up” before arriving in Los Gigantes and the start of the climb to Teide. The summit lies 50km (31 miles) ahead at just over 2,300m (7,500ft). Continue over the top to Las Canadas, through the dramatic lava fields that lie in the shadow of the 3,700m (12,000ft) volcano. After a coffee stop in Las Canadas, it’s time to head back to the hotel and enjoy one of the longest descents ever!

Today you’ll head for the north shore of the island. The ride starts in the same way as the warm-up ride, with the climb to Guia de Isora but then continues climbing to the Alto de Arguayo and eventually to the Puerto de Erjos.

Enjoy the stunning views from the switchbacks on the descent from El Tanque, which takes us to the North Shore of the island. You’ll ride along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to Buenavista del Norte where the spectacular cliff road takes us through Masca to Santiago del Teide. This is one of the most impressive and dramatic roads you’ll ever ride, with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean hundreds of metres below. Save something in the tank for the climb out of Masca, it’s unbelievably beautiful – but also unbelievably steep!

A stunning ride today through the Anaga Natural Park in the north-east of the island.

To get to this remote part of the island you’ll have a short transfer to San Andres, where the ride starts with the first of 4 spectacular climbs. Enjoy the mix of sea and mountain scenery as you ride through vast forests, high cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, craggy peaks and remote mountain villages.

Local riders claim this is the most beautiful ride on Tenerife – we’ll let you be the judge.

After the long rides of the past 3 days, you’ll have a shorter ride today and rest up for the final 2 big days of riding.

However, though it may be a short ride it has its challenges! Close to the hotel is the climb through El Chirche, one of the steepest segments in Tenerife and we just couldn’t resist giving it a shot. The KOM list on the Strava segment is quite impressive: Jani Brajkovic has the KOM in 11:49 with Steven Kruijswijk, Chris Froome, Thibaut Pinot, Alberto Contador, Greg Van Avermaet and Jai Hindley all appearing in the Top 20. It’s also worth mentioning that our ride leader, Llibert Sendros, is in 7th position just 23 seconds behind Chris Froome!

Previous guests have listed this ride as one of their top rides ever! It really is a spectacularly beautiful ride: great climbs, stunning views, charming villages, perfect road surface and no traffic!

In the morning, a 50-minute ferry crossing will take you to the neighbouring small island of La Gomera. The ride starts from the port of San Sebastian de La Gomera and it won’t be long before you’re climbing the first of the 4 climbs on today’s ride. The island is essentially a mountain in the middle of the ocean with the highest peaks reaching 1,400m (4,600ft). A magnificent Natural Park covers all the interior and you’ll be riding through this National Park during the entire ride. These are some of the most beautiful roads in the Canary Islands with some of the most impressive vistas. Enjoy this epic and exceptional ride!

Today you’ll head back towards the cliff roads in Masca – but from the opposite side.

From Los Gigantes you’ll climb all the way to Santiago del Teide then enjoy the stunning descent through Masca and all the way down to the North shore of the island in Buenavista del Norte. A short, (very) steep surprise awaits in the form of the climb to Tierra del Trigo before you head back up the Puerto de Erjos, this time from La Vega. The final descent back to the hotel through Chio and Playa San Juan closes off a week of epic riding!

In the evening, join us at the hotel bar where beers and cocktails are in order to toast two fantastic weeks of riding!

Unfortunately, your 2 weeks on the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Gomera have come to an end.

Our shuttle will drop you off at Tenerife South Airport.