Cyclists who want to play it safe with the weather fly to the Canary Islands in winter. Lanzarote in particular is a wonderful place to ride a bike when the temperatures are pleasant. There, special operators also offer one-week round trips with pre-booked hotels, luggage transfer and road books with GPX tracks and maps.
However, it is also possible to get closer: it is not quite as warm as summer, but it is quite pleasant in the Portuguese Algarve, for example. Of course, in front of the Bizarro Bar, a popular stop for cyclists in Albufeira, you won’t see anyone in shorts and a jersey, but with trekking pants and a fleece vest, cycling in winter is quite comfortable. “It’s always better than the wet, cold gray in gray at home,” they say over and over again. The winter cyclists explore the coast between the Atlantic and the Spanish border.
In other regions of the southern Mediterranean, the winter temperatures are often acceptable for a holiday on two wheels. Climate change certainly plays a role in this. Some cycle tour operators are taking advantage of the moment and are now also offering all-inclusive packages in winter. These are not guided group trips, but individual weekly packages, like on Lanzarote, including hotel accommodation, road book, GPX track and even luggage transport if desired.
However, there is one small drop of bitterness: some bars on the beach and in the hinterland are on winter vacation. That’s why you should always have some provisions with you on the tour. Here are some tips for cycling regions and offers:
Not that the Algarve is only for golfers: since two long cycle routes were set up from the wild west coast at Sagres to the Spanish border at Vila Real, the south of Portugal has become an attractive off-season destination for cycling fans. The well-signposted “Ecovia” long-distance cycle path runs over 220 kilometers without major differences in altitude, mainly near the coast – past dream beaches and flamingo ponds, through tourist villages and residential areas.
If you prefer something more original and tricky, choose the “Via Algarviana”, which leads mountain bikers over 300 kilometers through the hilly hinterland with sporty ups and downs. The tour of the organizer Vuelta leads in an enjoyable week around 260 kilometers with small detours along the south coast from Tavira to Sagres.
An eight-day individual bike tour by France-Bike on the Costa Vicentina runs a little windier, but also wilder and more original. It runs along the Atlantic – between Sesimbra not far from Lisbon and Cape São Vicente near Sagres, the westernmost point of Europe. Here you will pass small fishing villages, abandoned fortresses and steep cliffs where many birds nest – a real experience. (visitportugal.com/en/destinos/algarve; visitportugal.com/en/destinos/alentejo)
The Atlantic coast of Andalusia presents the cyclist with almost endless beaches, white villages, black bulls, all kinds of sherry and again and again this wonderful light that gave the Costa de la Luz its name. A popular location for tours in all directions is the former fishing town of Conil de la Frontera.
From there it goes, for example, to the historic Cape of Trafalgar or up to the narrow, steep streets in the white village of Vejer. Cyclists like to meet in the seaside resort of Novo Sancti Petri on the approximately 14-kilometer-long natural beach of Playa de la Barrosa.
Bike paths and signposted routes are still a long way off on the Costa de la Luz. However, the attractive tours are listed on maps and GPS tracks. And some hotels even offer guided bike tours. In winter, eager cyclists in Andalusia can also embark on the almost 230-kilometer Caliphate Route.
In one week, it leads from Córdoba to Granada through one of the most beautiful and historic landscapes in southern Spain and follows the old Mozarabic Way of St. James on the last stretch. A real cultural trip beyond the Mezquita, Cordoba’s famous mosque, and the Alhambra, the monumental fortress in Granada. (spain.info/en; andalucia.org/en)
The beaches of Sardinia are among the most beautiful on the Mediterranean, although most visitors only look at them in winter and do without a fresh bath. Wide, natural, white sandy beaches and the emerald-colored sea with its crystal-clear water alternate with rocky, lonely bays with bizarre granite formations, caves, mountains and forests.
France-Bike offers its Sardinia tour all year round on Saturdays. A good level of fitness or an e-bike are required on the approximately 280 kilometers along the rugged bays and rocks. It starts at the swampy areas of the Sinis Peninsula. Heading south are the Costa Verda and the dunes of Piscinas, then the abandoned mines of Sulcis and the islands of Carloforte and Sant’ Antioco. The last stage of the one-week tour leads along the Costa del Sud to Pula. (enit.de; visitsardinien.de)
In principle, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea is a year-round destination for cyclists. It is better to leave your bike there during the day in the hot summer. In winter there is usually only snow on the flanks of the volcano Etna (3329 m) or in the Madonie at Pizzo Carbonara (1979 m).
An attractive corner for a nice one-week bike tour is the south-east of Sicily. You cross the Val di Noto, whose towns were rebuilt after the strong earthquake of 1693 in the heyday of the Baroque era. The late baroque towns have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003.
Continue through the baroque Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Scicli and Noto, the most important baroque city in Sicily, as well as Syracuse, an ancient Greek colony. Other highlights along the coast include the Vendicari nature reserve and bird sanctuary, the fishing town of Marzamemi and the islands of Capo Passero and Delle Correnti. (enit.de)
Nobody wants flat tires and jumped chains on a bike tour. The ADAC is now remedying the situation. Members can now also contact the Yellow Angels in the event of a two-wheeler breakdown.
Source: WELT/ Merle Giesel
