The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Canary Islands 2026

May 30th to June 13th

Ride Coordinator: Nelson Diaz
Report by: Barbara Delaney

The Canary Islands were the perfect place to start an amazing adventure with BAC.  It’s exciting to explore a new destination embracing the culture, tasting new foods, meeting the locals while experiencing it all on a bicycle.  The seven islands of this Spanish Archipelago are located off the Western coast of Africa.  It has a rich history and is now home to over 2 million people.  The landscapes, formed from volcanic eruptions over thousands of years, are varied and unique.  The highest point in Spain is actually an active volcano and a beautiful national park.  We experienced a wide range of weather conditions throughout our trip, from cool cloudy days to many days of brilliant blue skies with intense sunshine.  The wind was a major factor in our daily riding and could be a challenge. Each day we embraced the adventure with a hardy spirit and a willingness to get the most out of our trip.

First Stop-Lanzarote

Much of the island of Lanzarote was once covered in lava. Often called the "Island of Eternal Spring", Lanzarote has a subtropical hot desert climate.  We experienced some cool days with heavy cloudcover.  Our rides were enhanced by visits to Jameos del Agua volcanic cave and blue lagoon, the cactus garden and an amazing home built into the rocks, all created by local artist and advocate for nature conservation, Cesar Marique.  In addition, there were beautiful beaches, local markets, wineries and museums.  Our final day of riding included a stop at Timanfaya National Park.  This remote park is part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  A bus tour took us past the protected Montañas del Fuego or Fire Mountains, offering unique views of this stunning volcanic landscape. 

Fuerteventura

After a short ferry ride we arrived on the island of Fuertaventura.  With the wind at our backs we rode our longest route of almost 60 miles from the northern tip of the island to our hotel in Costa Calma.  The volcanic landscape here was very different.  The hot, dry climate was a beautiful tapestry of browns, reds and oranges. The sands, blown over from the Sahara yielded desert-like vegetation.  There were a few climbs but the toughest challenge came at the end of the ride with wind gusts that were over 30 mph!

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Taking a 2 hour ferry ride we arrived in Gran Canaria.  There were interesting sights to see on our day off the bikes including the Santa Ana Cathedral, (which was getting ready for a visit from the Pope in a few days), the house of Columbus and nice shops and restaurants.

The optional shuttle transferred us to the town of Tejeda.  Some adventurous bikers make the strenuous vertical climb to our B&B in the charming hilltop village of Tejeda.  The views were spectacular as we enjoyed dining and watching the late sunset. The next two days of riding were out and back routes along the mountain range.  Despite the wind, this was some of the most spectacular riding with climbs, amazing vistas and interesting land formations. After a lovely descent into the port of Agaete we enjoyed sitting by the harbor and having lunch before boarding a ferry to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, our final island.

Tenerife

For many of us, the  most challenging biking day began with a tram ride up to the World Heritage site of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the first established city in the Canary Islands. From here, the climb to Rural Ananga Park took us into a stunning forest of laurel groves and native plants.  As we ascended, the wind picked up and was compounded by a misty rain. At times it was hard to even stand without being blown around.  As we started the descent we were now below the clouds and eventually the sun shone on the scenic route that took us down to the sea.  For those who needed a day off, our beautiful Hotel Grand Mencey in Santa Cruz was the perfect place to relax by the pool, visit the local park and enjoy a stroll around the town.

Our final biking destination was to Teide National Park, the highest mountain of Spain and the third highest volcano in the world.  A few hardy riders took the challenge and cycled up to the park.  With over 6000 feet of climbing and grades over 10 percent they earned the respect of those who chose to take in the scenery from the shuttle bus.  Teide is yet another unique landscape of volcanoes, craters and lava fields.  There was time for riding, hiking, touring the museum or taking in the breathtaking night sky. The final ride was a heavenly descent into the seaside town of El Medano.  Our last night was at the Hotel Player Sur.

What BAC is All About

For someone who has never been on a BAC tour I would like to say that it is so much more than just a great bicycle adventure.  The club members come from all over the U.S. and Canada and by the end of the trip they become like family.  You may know folks from other trips, but there are always new friendships to make.  At the end of the day the best part is happy hour where we come together to share our experiences of the day and have a lot of good laughs.  Putting a cycling trip together requires a lot of hours of planning.  Our tour leaders from Ibero Cycle, Simon and Borja attended to all the details to make every day run smoothly. They did an outstanding job of seeing to our every need and making this a truly extraordinary experience.  And finally, a special shout out to our BAC leader Nelson Diaz who put our trip together and made it a most memorable bicycling tour, thank you Nelson.  I will miss everyone and look forward to more cycling with BAC.