What better way to test the effectiveness of indoor winter training than throwing the bike on an airplane to somewhere sunny? My somewhere sunny? Lanzarote, part of the Spanish Canary Islands. Would I recommend it? Yes, highly, and I will try to tempt (and warn) you further.

Firstly, to date, I have not ridden in Tenerife & Gran Canaria. I understand the obvious attraction of these two locations with the iconic climbs and connections to pro-peloton teams. After all, who doesn’t want to ride the same routes as the pros? So why Lanzarote? In all honesty, my wife and I have spent a few weeks there every winter for the last six years. We are very comfortable there, have our favorite places, restaurants, and can navigate the island without using maps. Essentially, I need to balance the holiday requirements of a “non-cycling” partner while I squeeze in a ride every other day.

OK, why should you go?

The Climbs: OK, the highest climb is just shy of 2,000 feet, so not quite Mt. Teide. But to your average cyclist, this is still a decent challenge, and any ride over 50 miles will have you ascending 4,000 to 5,000 feet quite easily. Low-lying vegetation ensures every climb has stunning views, and smooth surfaces allow for confident, speedy descending.

The Roads: Ultra-smooth, damage-free roads cover about 90% of the island. Another 5% consists of coarse, well-conditioned compacted surfaces, while the remaining 5% are not suitable for road tires. However, you wouldn’t navigate these sections, as they are generally tracks to beaches, farms, or houses.

Traffic: I’ve never felt safer on a bike. Almost every driver (there’s always one exception/idiot) will cross entirely to the other lane to pass and wait if a car is coming from the opposite direction. Even if I crossed the white line into the generous (and smooth) gutter lane, cars would still wait to pass.

Where to stay (3 options in my opinion):

Puerto del Carmen: Good if you are balancing holiday convenience (bars/restaurants) with cycling. It’s a central location for island rides. We stayed here in a self-catering apartment (approximately €70 per night).

Costa Teguise: It has fewer bars/restaurants than Puerto del Carmen but more cyclists. Many, including teams, stay at Sands Beach Resort, with road cycle hire directly opposite.

La Santa: Club La Santa is a massive complex/sports village. Almost 50% of cyclists I met on the island stayed here, but I would suggest the entire family needs to be activity-focused to stay here. You can also hire bikes here (mostly Carbon Cannondales) that you return each night for cleaning and lubrication.

I took my own bike, but obviously, this requires self-build and maintenance and transportation of the specific tools for each task. It was just nice to have my own bike under me.

Top Tips: Do not take deep rims unless it’s all you have. If you have climbing wheels with shallow rims, take them. The crosswind gusts on Lanzarote can be as sudden as they are strong. You can be wrestling with your steering on a windy day on the flat, not to mention descending at 40+mph around a volcano when the side wind gets you. I’ve talked to a few riders who regretted their wheel choice.

The climb to and down from Femes is prohibited for cyclists (apparently, we cyclists get in the way of car drivers on the hill). As attractive as this climb looks, don’t be tempted, as the

Police actively patrol and prosecute cyclists who ignore the signs.

Must-do rides:

• Orzola to Mirador del Rio
• Tabayesco climb (LZ-207 then LZ-10 zigzag)
• La Santa to Yaiza (via Timanfaya National Park)
• Costa Teguise to Teguise (LZ-14 .. LZ-404)

To be clear, you could cover the entire island on a one-week, five-ride holiday or even do a 120-mile circumference ride of the island in one day.

Negatives (better to be warned): It’s windy, mainly because you are never sheltered, so take a big friend if you can. The Calima (i.e., Sahara sandstorms from Africa) can impact the Canaries if the wind blows long and hard enough from the southeast. This can affect air quality with particles that can impact respiratory health. Do a little research just to be aware.

Please comment below with “If you like Lanzarote, you will love…” type suggestions. I need inspiration. I will be returning here, probably annually for my wife, but I hope to tick off a few more islands and locations in the coming years.