Calpe vs Mallorca vs Gran Canaria vs Tenerife! Which is the best for YOU?!!

Every time I'm away I get a TON of questions asking to compare against the others. So here's the video to help you figure out which place is best to go on YOUR cycling holiday! :)

Any questions... leave them in the comments! x

Well chuffed to have the following brands support me and my ol' cycling adventures. So you will see some of their products I choose to use in my content :)

[drummerman]

Calpe compared with Mallorca is deserted. During Jan and Feb you will find a lot of pro cycling teams in Calpe. If you want to fight the coaches on Sa Calobra and idiot drivers on the lighthouse ride then choose Mallorca. It rains in Spain surprisingly enough and February and March can be wet although there are plenty of dry days.It snowed in Mallorca 2 weeks ago. There are so many rides to do in the Calpe area. Denia is also a great place to stay and has a cycling cafe that organises group rides. I also think Girona is fabulous.

[robtomlinson]

I’m very surprised by your Calp comments, it’s definitely not flat, top climbs all over, cafe stops everywhere, so why you couldn’t find any was again was a surprise. A lot of top riders go there hence the under cutting on the descent, especially with no traffic so you can go faster and take the racing lines more. Never been to Majorca so will bare your comments, and I enjoyed both Tenerife and Gran Canaria but the poor road surface quality does let Gran Canaria down compared to Tenerife’s roads but both are great for climbing nonetheless

[modartcri]

Hi Katie. I will probably be the only Spaniard to comment, and I don't know the areas you have reviewed but let me recommend another one: Andalucia. You have plenty of flights to Malaga, and I would recommend to stay in the East Coast of Malaga or even in the Coast of Granada, where I live, only one hour from Malaga Airport. Here you have plenty of climbs in very quite roads. I would avoid December and January as they're the coldest months and from mid June to mid September since it is too hot and more crowded. But the rest of the year is also a hidden paradise for cycling. Many pro teams are spotted since they stay in Sierra Nevada for the altitude, but also come to the coast.

[breezehillpete]

I was just around the corner from you when you were in Calpe, in Denia. The weather was very unseasonably cold this year but that was for the whole of Spain and can't be attributed to Calpe alone. We are seeing the effects of the cold spell in Spain in the supermarkets in the UK at the moment as they are struggling to get produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and lettuce that would have been grown in Spain. I also found that there were lots of cafes that accommodated cyclists really well and were very friendly. I was lucky in that I was with a big group of cyclists who had been there many times before, so they knew lots of great places to ride, but if you found yourself alone and wanted to ride with others, head to Cafe Ciclista in Denia where there is always a group going out a couple of times a week. There, I've said my bit for the Calpe/Denia area!

[gibfear]

I'd love to do Mallorca but do think you sold Calpe very short, or for me Moraira. There are some classic, Col De Rates that you were on being one of the most famous, but the caps, castell de castells, the climb up from Altea to Tarbena is fantastic and there is a lot out past Orba where you were. Some of the areas around benissa too, just on country roads. You can't run out of routes round that area!

[grahambell]

Try the Torrevieja area of the Valencia region, its a hidden cyclists gem. 30 minutes south of Alicante airport. Majorca for me is another top spot and a an afforable "safe pair of hands". Lanzarote for the canary islands ( great for triathlon bike training). Alternatives? Portugals Algarve & Croatia.

[thebikepackingadventurer]

Calpe for a short flight and an area I spent many years with my parents as a child on holiday (moraira). Mallorca is easy and I have booked a cheap villa for me and many mates before just at the base of Femenia opposite the Lidl (great spot to walk to go shopping) but the Canary Islands win for me for less traffic and more consideration from drivers to cyclists. I love riding on Lanzarote whilst staying in playa blanca.

[roybuffey]

Hi Katie I think you gave Calpe an unjustified review based on not having been before I was out around the time you were there and the weather was very unusually cold and wet and windy with winds out of the north and yes some of the roads are steep but it is very varied so it must have something going for it with so many pro teams using the area every year as you can probably gather i like the variety of terrain

[robredpath]

Hi Katie great video, you really need to visit Girona. You would love it. The drivers are absolutely fantastic, there are mountains, stunning beach loops, short climbs and flat areas. It really is the pick of the bunch. The town is absolutely beautiful also, it’s immaculate and there food!!! I could go on forever. I’ll be going back there in July after I do the Marmotte fondo in the alps. Hopefully see you out there

[jeremytaylor]

You should try San Remo area - lovely pretty quiet roads, iconic climbs (Poggio, Cipressa, Col de Madone), and great cafes serving coffee like only Italians can!

[pantster]

You got really unlucky on weather in Calpe. Bear in mind at the same time there was snow in Mallorca and across Europe and Calp and Palma are only 150 miles apart so what affects one affects the other

As a resident of Calpe I love the terrain there as do the pros who are always here and if you know where to look there’s plenty of cafes, more so than Mallorca.

I visit Mallorca once a year but best of all is Malibu hills (you missed the best bits when you were there). Beats the lot hands down!

[wjp]

Where would you go if you didn't want to fly either for environmental reasons or you're just not enamored of sitting in a tin can 30k ft with 2 petrol bomb machines saving you from instant death?

[Ruben-hhyd]

Gran Canaria . No doubt . It is called miniature continent . That's means something.

[_msc-dssj]

Always nice to listen to you, Katie. I fully agree, but three points: (1) It depends on when you want to go. Mallorca is quite cold in the winter ... (2) I would add Girona and the surroundings for spring to autumn. (3) It depends on what you want to do: road, gravel, or MTB.

[simonemarin]

For anybody coming to Tenerife, I understand it is quite easy to go to Los Cristianos, climb Teide and call it a day, but there is much more to it, the Anaga national park offers some some seriously challenging climbs, and the ladnscapes and nature can compete at the same level as Teide, plus all the north coast is plagued with double digits extreme climbs, smaller villages and mainly out of the tourist area. Even climbing Teide from the north (La Esperanza or La Orotava) will give a completely different experience.

[shaunkirby]

Mallorca is the absolute best in my opinion...Great roads, variation, a clear welcoming of cyclists and good food / coffee. What is not to love.

[robkedian]

GC over Tenerife. Completely different but loads of better climbs and the road surfaces are superior.

[lenwilkinson]

Katie, I noticed that you commented on four areas, and your rundown was very informative. Thank you for the excellent description. However, you did not include Virginia, USA, and the Shenandoah National Park. When are you going to review it? lol

[jimmygee]

Based on everything I have read, experienced (in the case of Mallorca) and seen I think that except in the UK winter period, Girona tops all of these. Good roads, climbs, mountains, sea, lakes as well as a beautiful medieval city with world class food and a great vibe are only made better by a super accessible airport (20 mins) and low prices. Just don’t tell anyone else 😂 as it’s still relatively quiet when we usually go in early October

[MrNisipeanu]

So funny the way English folks pronounce Teide. 🤣