Cycling Routes in Spain

Full loop of the island of Mallorca keeping as close to the coast as possible. Travelling in an anti-clockwise direction.

Classic Mallorca road cycling route — 137.6km with 2639m of climbing.

Round the bay from Port de Pollença: inland through Pollença and the lanes to Alcúdia, out along the Cap des Pinar road towards the Ermita de la Victòria, then home along the bay. About 46 km and gently rolling.

Port de Pollença out to the Formentor lighthouse and back on the cape's only road. About 40 km with 950 m of climbing.

Punchy Girona loop with 1,710m of climbing through quiet winding roads. Features a gradual 20km climb to Sant Hilari Sacalm, twisting forest descents, and the dramatic Susqueda dam and reservoir.

Girona's big climb, there and back: out through Sarrià de Ter and Cornellà del Terri to Banyoles, up Rocacorba from Pujarnol to the top (about 970 m), down the same road and home by Canet d'Adri and Sant Gregori. About 107 km with 2,000 m of climbing.

Challenging Girona loop centred on the notorious Mare de Déu del Mont climb — 18km averaging 5.4% with sections hitting 14%. Quiet rolling countryside, forest terrain, and panoramic summit views. Returns via Banyoles lake.

Popular Girona cycling loop featuring the classic climb to Santuari dels Àngels chapel where Salvador Dalí got married. Two climbs through woodland and medieval villages in the Gavarres mountains.

Classic Girona loop to the Costa Brava coastline through Sant Grau. Features a 6.3km climb to Sant Grau monastery, stunning coastal roads past crystal clear bays near Tossa de Mar, returning via quiet country lanes.

Quite roads and beautiful riding

160km ride around Montseny national park. A really nice climb that should be on your bucket list if you are ever in Girona.

Deep in the Gavarres cork oak hills. Rolling terrain on quiet roads through one of Catalonia's least-visited corners.

The Costa Blanca big day: 119 km and 2,250 m combining Coll de Rates with the brutal Port de Bèrnia.

82 km taking the classic inland circuit over Coll de Rates with the Jalón valley run home.

The standard Calpe training loop: 64 km over the Costa Blanca's most famous climb, a Vuelta regular and the benchmark of every winter camp.

The island lap: 175 km around the whole of Lanzarote from Arrecife. The local rite of passage — start early and respect the wind.

101 km around the south: the Timanfaya volcanic park, the Femés climb and the southern coast — Lanzarote's hard southern century.

77 km from Costa Teguise across the island to the edge of Timanfaya's volcanic badlands and back through La Geria — smooth tarmac through fields of lava.

From Playa Blanca through the wine country to the Janubio salt flats — 70 km of rolling volcanic roads with barely 750 m of climbing. Wind is the difficulty here.

80 km from Costa Teguise through Teguise and the Haría valley to the island's northern tip and back — the standard Lanzarote north loop.

The compact northern classic from Teguise: the Tabayesco valley climb and the cliff-edge finish at Mirador del Río with views to La Graciosa. 67 km.

The other Gran Canaria: 56 km from Las Palmas into the green north via the pilgrimage town of Teror — steeper, lusher and quieter than the southern resorts.

90 km along the dramatic west: Playa de Mogán, the cliff road towards San Nicolás and 2,000 m of climbing on the island's wildest tarmac.

The mountain classic as a real loop: up through San Bartolomé de Tirajana to the Degollada de Cruz Grande and Ayacata, on to Pico de las Nieves at the island's roof (the road tops out near 1,920 m), then down the east side past Cazadores to Agüimes and back over Temisas and Santa Lucía. About 98 km and 2,900 m of climbing; the GC-60 over Cruz Grande is a main road.

The most photographed road on the island: up through the Fataga ravine's switchbacks to San Bartolomé and back via Santa Lucía. 70 km of classic Gran Canaria.

92 km circuit of the volcano's southern flank using the steadier gradients — the Teide experience without the steepest ramps.

The gentlest way up: 47 km to Vilaflor at a steady gradient — as close to an easy day as the south of Tenerife offers.

The other Tenerife: 47 km through the ancient laurel forests and ridgeline roads of the Anaga mountains in the island's north. Constant climbing, unforgettable riding.

The friendlier northwest loop from Santiago del Teide around Montaña Negra — 51 km through lava fields and pine forest without the big-mountain gradients.

Short but mighty: 49 km from Santiago del Teide through the famous Masca gorge road — relentless ramps, hairpins and the most dramatic scenery on the island.

The signature day: up through Vilaflor into the Teide National Park past the cable car at over 2,300 m, then down via Chío. 117 km and 2,800 m on the longest climb in Europe.

85 km from Adeje climbing to Vilaflor through the pine forest and returning along the quieter western slopes — the standard Teide-foothills training loop.

The medium mountain day from the southern resorts: a steady climb through San Miguel to Vilaflor, Spain's highest village, and a long flowing descent home. 63 km.

90 km and 1,850 m into the Axarquía with the full climb to the balcony village of Comares — one of Málaga's toughest regular loops.

53 km with 1,200 m of climbing — the punchy Mijas circuit from the coast at Calahonda, ideal for repeat hill efforts.

61 km from Fuengirola around the Sierra de Mijas with the climb to the white village — the western Costa del Sol's standard ride.

97 km into the Axarquía: over Puerto del León, up to the balcony village of Comares and back along the coast from Torre del Mar.

The big Montes day: 88 km and nearly 2,000 m through Casabermeja, Riogordo and Colmenar, finishing over Puerto del León. The classic Málaga training loop.

Málaga's signature climb: the beautifully engineered A-7000 through the Montes de Málaga to Puerto del León and back. 46 km with one steady 15 km ascent starting minutes from the city.

Short and quiet loop over the Montcal lanes northwest of the city — an easy 25 km leg-stretcher.

Gentle loop west along the Ter valley to Bonmatí via the Mas Llunes lanes. Quiet, mostly flat, ideal first ride in Girona.

114 km and nearly 2,000 m of the best roads within reach of Girona, built for a proper big day out.

The easy spin: 29 km on the flat triangle between Pollença, Port de Pollença and Alcúdia. Recovery-day perfection with café stops everywhere.

The prettiest section of the Mallorca 312 sportive as a 61 km loop: Capdella, the balcony village of Galilea and the Puigpunyent valley in the south-west Tramuntana.

The classic Pollença mountain loop: up Coll de Femenia towards Lluc and back over Sa Batalla, with the famous petrol-station café stop. A staple of every Mallorca training week.

The Tramuntana coast at its most beautiful: Sóller, the corniche road through Deià, and the dramatic drop to Port de Valldemossa. 61 km that punches well above its distance.

The back road to Bracons is one of those climbs that sorts out who trained over winter and who didn't. From Girona you head northwest through Anglès and Amer, passing the Pantà de Susqueda reservoir before the road pitches up through dense forest. The col tops out at 1,257m — not the highest around here, but sustained enough to hurt. On a clear morning the Pyrenees sit on the horizon all the way back down. The descent into the Vall d'en Bas is fast and technical; take the corner onto the factory road wide or you'll be scrubbing speed into the barrier. Loop back via Les Preses and Olot if you want a café stop before the long flat roll home.

185kms, bit of climbing but an awesome day out

Flattest loop around mallorca, avoiding the scary tramuntana. Second half is very windy with no major cities/stops, beware of wind.

Epic full-day road ride to the medieval cliff-top village of Rupit in the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. Multiple mountain passes, dramatic volcanic landscape of La Garrotxa, and over 3,000m of climbing.

Relaxed road ride through the quiet lanes around Sant Andreu Salou near Girona. Gentle terrain, pretty villages, and a perfect introduction to Catalan cycling. An ideal warm-up or recovery ride.