CANARY ISLANDS - 2025

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

RIDE DESCRIPTION

SUMMARY: This is the fifth time this popular tour has been offered.  The 2025 tour follows the same routes as the 2022 tour.   It includes 13 days of cycling (some of which are optional) and three ferry rides.  The tour starts on the island of Lanzarote and ends on the island of Tenerife.  The tour will be suppored by Simon Proffitt (of IberoCycle) who has successfully supported many BAC tours.  A detailed itinerary is available by email upon request before you sign up for the tour and visible on Ride Leader Docs after you sign up.   

This is an island ride through the southernmost part of Europe. The Canary Islands belong to Spain, yet are a long way south — abount 1000 miles south of Madrid. The archipelago is of volcanic origin, and the volcanoes are still active on some of the islands. The tour travels across four islands: Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife, each with incredible scenery.  In Lanzarote we cycle through recent lava flows in the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya.  A volcano here is used as a natural barbecue for the park's restaurant.  Fuerteventura's vast stretches of sandy beaches are a reminder of just how close it is to the Sahara Desert.  Gran Canaria features lush vegetation and forests.  Our hotel here is in the center of the island, surrounded by blossoming fruit trees. The final island, Tenerife, is home to the famous Teide volcano (Spain's highest mountain), and is the winter training ground of many professional cycling teams. Ferries will be used from island to island.  This tour is a great combination of sea, sun, volcanoes, beaches, boat trips, cities, desert, and forests.

RIDE RATING: The tour is rated 2B.  There are 5 required riding days and 8 optional riding days; two of the optional riding days are on van transfer days.  A variety of distances and climbing levels are available on the optional riding days (with ratings from 1A to 4B).  One required day exceeds the 2B rating with a distance of 57 miles and 3543 ft of climbing. There are some short sections of 10% grades. 

OVERNIGHTS:  Lodging will take place in a variety of settings. Some are seaside hotels, while others are in colonial cities such as Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. On Gran Canaria, one of our hotels is in a charming village high in the center of the island.  On Tenerife our hotel is in the shadow of the Teide itself.  One night each: Costa Calma in Fuerteventura, Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, and El Medano in Tenerife.  Two nights each: Costa Tequise and Playa Blanca in Lanzarote, and Santa Cruz and El Teide in Tenerife.  Three nights: Tejada in Gran Canaria.

WEATHER:  The climate is subtropical; the islands enjoy mild winters and pleasant summers. For early June the average temperatures are 79F for high and 66F for low. There is minimal to no rainfall.  Lanzarote and Fuerteventura tend to be windy.  The ride routes in these two islands are designed to minimize wind riding conditions by riding from the north to the south.

LOGISTICS: The tour starts in Costa Tequise, Lanzarote, with happy hour at 5:30pm on Saturday May 31. The tour ends in El Medano, Tenerife, on Saturday June 14 after breakfast.  Arrive in Lanzarote via Arrecife Airport (code ACE) or via ferry boat from Tenerife.  Prefer method for hotel transfer is by taxi.  Depart via Tenerife South (TFS) or Tenerife North (TFN) airports in Tenerife.  Bike rental including Ebikes is available from Iberocycle (www.iberocycle.com) at additional cost and riders will make arrangements directly with Iberocycle. Tamden bikes are welcome.  Bike boxes will be transported to last hotel.

COST & ADMINISTRATION: $4435 based on the exchange rate of $1.20 = €1. If the exchange rate changes, the amount of the final payment may be adjusted.  As always, any funds that are not spent are refunded to the riders after the tour is completed.  The tour cost includes 14 nights lodging with buffet breakfasts, 7 group dinners, BAC happy hours, van and driver, maps, route sheets, and gps files, ferry transfers (Lanzarote to Fuerteventura to Gran Canaria to Tenerife) and a gratuity for the guide.  Two shuttle transfers are included. For riders who have bike boxes, they will be transported by Iberocycle to the end point of the tour.  Initial deposit of $1000 is due at sign-up.  Final payment of $3435 is due on February 15, 2025.

SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY: It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. Singles are accepted as long as they pay solo supplement if no roommate is found.  Solo supplement is $816. Please contact the Ride Leader if you want to be solo.  The Ride Leader will help with the single's search for a suitable roommate. Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office by January 15, 2025. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check.  They should be mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Participants must be vaccinated for Covid. Participants will be asked to provide verification. Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Should someone's health become compromised and the group’s health and safety placed in jeopardy, a plan will be developed by the ride leader(s) and communicated to all participants. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness as a means to ensure the tour can continue as planned.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC Ride Registration Fee and Payment Processing Fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

RIDE PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.   All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.  We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader.  While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up.  Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, and repatriation. This coverage applies when touring outside the US and your home country, regardless of your nationality. It will cover you door-to-door for a maximum of 90 days but will expire if you make a side trip not related to the BAC tour for more than 7 days before or after. There is limited coverage for a family member to join a covered person in an emergency. The policy covers the cost of treatment for Covid and other unexpected illnesses, but not quarantine. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible.

SIGN-UP: To submit a request to join this ride use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description.  When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List.  At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit of $1000 by credit card.  As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List.  To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description