Four islands. Four landscapes. This ‘Four-Island’ Beyond Biking trip includes riding in La Graciosa, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria, all in the space of one week. These Islands are within easy ferry hopping distance. Each island is a completely different world, and adventure, in itself. While tiny La Graciosa looks like a Bounty Island, Lanzarote feels like being on planet Mars, parts of Fuerteventura ressemble Morrocco, and Gran Canaria feels very Jurassic Park. This Beyond Biking journey will give you a bit of a taste of everything the ‘real’ Canary Islands has to offer. Once you leave the resorts behind, you'll find a cactus-spiked canvas of black lava, red-ochre desert, neon green forests, flame-coloured mountains, and sugar-cube villages untouched by time.
The Canary Islands are a veritable paradise for road cyclers, we all know. On some stretches, expensive Specialized and Pinarello road bikes outnumber the rental cars three-to-one. Relatively unknown today, The Canary Islands reputation as a mountain biking destination will continue to grow, mountain biking magazines have started to finally see Canary Islands charms, too - although many years after their road cycling counterparts.
TRAIL DETAILS
TRAIL PART 1:
La Graciosa (1 day)
Disconnect, reconnect, and look around you. This is the Canary Isle that tourism forgot. La Graciosa is a tiny desert island made up of empty golden beaches and volcanic cones. There are no surfaced roads on the island, so miles of off-road bliss awaits.
TRAIL PART 2:
Lanzarote (2 days)
Lanzarote is surreal – landing on the moon. Lanzarote is black deserts and white houses; soaring volcanoes and sweeping sandy beaches. It’s bleak and beautiful, stark and stunning. Relativiely undiscovered, its dried lava fields and lofty trails offer perfect conditions for mountain biking.
TRAIL PART 3:
Fuerteventura (2 days)
Fuerteventura lies just 100km from Morocco, and there are striking similarities with the scenery : rolling, desert landscapes, breathtaking white-sand beaches, and volcanoes that resemble piles of saffron, chilli and coriander. The most amazing colors you'll ever see. For tourists, mountain biking still feels fairly ‘new’ on Fuerte, although locals have been doing it for years -MTB events like FUDENAS are held anually.
TRAIL PART 4:
Gran Canaria (2 days)
Few people know about the island's mountainous areas. The feel is very Jurassic Park : green and lush, with splendid mountains surrounded by extensive pine forests, and countless barrancos cut deep into the island, Within one hour you can swap the sea for high, silent mountains that ascend over 2000 metres where you can spend a whole day riding. Worldclass mountain biking!
Get ready to live the Canarian way, surrounded by nature and silence, largely untouched by tourism. Here at Beyond Biking, we know all the best local hotspots, from sleepy hillside villages to offbeat coastal towns with the laid-back vibe. We’ll treat you with best foodie experience on the islands, from farmhouse restaurants that dot the island interiors, to freshly-caught and simply grilled fish at one of the waterfront restaurants. Hopping from island to island to experience their individual flavours is a truly unique bike experience.
