Muckers Holidays – Winter 2026/27 Canaries Edition

Right then, Muckers. The clocks go back in a couple of weeks, the lanes are already wearing a fine coat of leaf mulch and the turbo is eyeing you up like an old friend who knows exactly what you did last winter. So here’s our very first holiday and deals roundup, and we’ve gone straight for the sunshine: the Canary Islands, November 2026 to February 2027.

We haven’t just rounded up the usual resort strips, though. We went looking for the best value on islands and roads that are safe for cyclists (quiet lanes, good tarmac, people who are used to seeing Lycra), with a bias towards the hidden treasures the big crowds tend to ride straight past. Every price below is exactly as the operator shows it today (9 October 2026), with a link to the offer itself. Prices change, so check before you book, and don’t shoot the messenger.

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Why the Canaries in winter?

Simple: they’re the nearest proper winter sun to the UK that still has real mountains. You get a four-to-five-hour flight from most UK airports, very little jet lag, and climbs that go on for ages. Tenerife’s Teide gives you an almost unbroken climb of around 50km from the coast. That’s why so many pro teams set up camp out there over the winter. One perk TenerifeVelo point out: you can play “pro cyclist bingo” on the climbs.

And the smaller islands are a different world. La Gomera, La Palma and the quieter north-west of Gran Canaria have smooth, empty mountain roads, little traffic and hardly any tourist crowds. A few Muckers have already been out there. Have a read of S. Ludford’s Lanzarote trip and Tenerife: Taming the Teide if you need convincing. Below are the trips and deals for this winter.

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1. Hidden Gem of the Winter: Tenerife + La Gomera Tour – Tenerife Bike Tours

Where: Tenerife (3 rides) and La Gomera (3 rides)
When: Cycling week listed as 9–16 January (8 days / 7 nights, Saturday to Saturday)
Price as shown: €1,795 per person (double occupancy). Single supplement €550. A 7% tax note applies when booking the full package. Non-riders get 30% off, and returning customers 5% off.
Included (per the operator): guided rides led by local brothers Alberto and Marcos Delgado, half board (breakfast and dinner), the Tenerife–La Gomera–Tenerife ferry, support van and hotels. Flights are not listed as included.

Why it’s a hidden treasure: La Gomera is a 35-minute ferry hop from Tenerife, yet most riders never make the trip. The operator describes it as “Spain 30 years ago”, with “almost non-existent traffic, smooth mountain roads” through Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage laurel forest. Why it’s safe: nearly empty roads, a support van behind the group and local guides who know every hairpin. One honest warning: there’s basically no flat on La Gomera. Bring your climbing legs and maybe a 34-tooth sprocket.

The ride, the views: The operator lists a week of 387km and 12,550m of climbing. It opens on Tenerife with Masca (52km, 1,700m), a famously steep, narrow road whose final 4km from the village to Mirador de Cherfe averages around 11% (Cycling Locations). Then it’s the 35-minute ferry over to La Gomera for Valle Gran Rey (51km, 1,500m), Garajonay (74km, 2,600m) and San Sebastián (51km, 1,500m), before an 83km Vilaflor finale back on Tenerife. Up top on La Gomera you’re riding through Garajonay, a misty laurel forest that UNESCO calls a living remnant of the ancient rainforests that once covered much of southern Europe (UNESCO). Then you plunge back down to terraced valleys, little white villages and the Atlantic. It’s a great find because you get two islands, one bag-drag and genuinely quiet tarmac, with a paella at Mama Delgado’s to finish.

Offer page: Tenerife Bike Tours – Tenerife + La Gomera

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2. La Palma, “La Isla Bonita”, Two Ways

2a. DIY La Palma: Bike Hire from Emotion Cycling / Bikestation La Palma

Where: Los Llanos de Aridane, La Palma
When: Open all year (Emotion Cycling works by appointment)
Price as shown: Emotion Cycling (Giant road bikes, 2×12, hydraulic discs, 32mm tyres): €36 for 1 day, €29/day for 2–5 days, €27/day for 6–12 days and €25/day for 13+ days. Bikestation La Palma: aluminium racing bike €22/day or carbon disc road bike €36/day for 6–10 days, including helmet, gloves, repair kit, pump, lock and bottle (€100 cash deposit).
Not included: flights, accommodation and getting to La Palma, which is usually a short hop via Tenerife or Gran Canaria. Check your route when you book.

Why it’s a hidden treasure: La Palma hosts nothing like the numbers Tenerife and Gran Canaria do. It has the Roque de los Muchachos, nearly 2,500m of vertical climbing to the island’s highest point, plus brand new roads across the 2021 lava fields. Why it’s safe: Bikestation’s own advice is to avoid the busy Santa Cruz–El Paso–Los Llanos road. Do that and you’ll find “many quiet paved roads in good condition in the south and especially in the north and north-west”. That’s local knowledge worth having.

The ride, the views: The big one is Roque de los Muchachos. From Santa Cruz de La Palma it’s about 41km of climbing from sea level to 2,426m, averaging roughly 5.6–5.8% overall. There’s a short downhill breather two-thirds of the way up, then a sting in the tail with pitches of around 12% to the observatories (PJAMM Cycling, CyclingCols). At the top you’re among the domes of the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, which includes the giant Gran Telescopio Canarias. You look straight down into the Caldera de Taburiente, and on a clear day you can pick out Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro on the horizon (La Palma Island guide). Pack a proper jacket for the descent, because it can be near freezing up there in winter. It’s a great find because a week’s hire here costs less than many people spend on a set of tyres, and you get one of the hardest climbs in Europe more or less to yourself.

Offer pages: Emotion Cycling – road bike hire | Bikestation La Palma – bike hire

2b. Guided: Tenerife + La Palma Tour – Tenerife Bike Tours

When: The only cycling week listed is 6–13 March. That’s just past our winter window, but worth knowing about for an early-spring getaway.
Price as shown: €1,895 per person (double occupancy). Single supplement €500, plus the 7% tax note.
Included (per the operator): 8 days / 7 nights in three hotels (2 nights H10 Big Sur Tenerife, 3 nights H10 Taburiente on La Palma, 2 nights Barceló Tenerife), half board, the Tenerife–La Palma ferry, six guided rides (two on Tenerife, four on La Palma), support van, mechanical assistance and an airport group transfer on arrival day. And a paella party hosted by Mama Delgado, which frankly should be included on every training camp ever.

The ride, the views: The operator lists 515km and 11,900m of climbing. You warm up on Tenerife at Poris de Abona (90km, 1,700m), then hop to La Palma for “Green North” (85km, 1,900m), the Roque de los Muchachos day (90km, 2,400m), “Volcanic South” (80km, 1,600m) and “Forest and Volcanoes” (100km, 2,300m). You finish back on Tenerife with Teide (70km, 2,000m). The highlight is riding brand new roads across the lava fields from the 2021 eruption: black lava on one side, green pine forest on the other. It’s a great find because, in the operator’s words, La Palma is “an island still undiscovered by most”, and you get to explore it with the van, the mechanic and the route-finding all taken care of.

Offer page: Tenerife Bike Tours – Tenerife + La Palma

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3. Gran Canaria’s Quiet Side: Tour of Gran Canaria – Cycle Gran Canaria

Where: A point-to-point tour of Gran Canaria. It’s based at Dunas Suites & Villas in Maspalomas, with stays at Puerto de las Nieves (Agaete) on the north-west coast and Mogán Valle.
When: Sat 21–Sat 28 Nov 2026; Sat 27 Dec 2026–Sat 3 Jan 2027 (Christmas/New Year tour); Sat 20–Sat 27 Feb 2027
Price as shown: €1,595 per person (Nov and Feb dates). Christmas/New Year tour €2,100. Single supplement €600 (€700 at Christmas).
Included (per the operator): 7 nights in hotels (all with heated pools, two nights of free thalasso), 7 breakfasts and 6 evening meals, all transfers with every flight met, full vehicle support with food and water, ride leaders, and around 400km over 6 riding days with groups of up to 16. Flights, bike carriage and lunches (a daily café stop) are not included. Bike hire is extra and priced per day on the page.

Why it’s a hidden treasure: Most visitors never leave the southern resort strip. This tour takes you over the top of the island to the fishing village of Agaete and Puerto de las Nieves, then down to Puerto de Mogán. Why it’s safe: it’s fully vehicle supported, groups are capped at 16, and one past rider’s verdict on the page is that “the roads are generally smooth and drivers are considerate to cyclists.” The hotel base also lets you exit “on quiet safe roads”. All the dates listed for this winter are shown as “Guaranteed”.

The ride, the views: The tour climbs out of the hot, dry south into the cool pine forests of the interior, drops to the windy north-west coast and then follows the island’s dramatic west side home (all per the operator). Stage 3, Maspalomas to Agaete, is the big one at 90km and 2,555m. Stage 5, Agaete to Mogán (67km, 1,430m), starts with 16km of road “clinging to the back cliffs”. It then goes through a 3.25km tunnel on a 1m-wide cycle track that the operator calls airy, dry and well lit, before a 10km climb at around 8–9%. The last day takes on the Serenity climb: it kicks up at 16%, then settles at a steady 7% to 980m, before you go on to Ayacata at 1,303m and a long descent home through Fataga. One honest note from the operator: the road past Presa de las Niñas has a broken surface, so go easy on your tyres there. Don’t skip the optional rest-day ride, which goes through the Agaete valley, home to what the operator calls Europe’s only coffee plantation, and ends with fish lunch on the harbour. It’s a great find because the operator says the island has resurfaced most of its roads and opened new tunnels that take traffic off the coastal cycling routes.

Offer page: Cycle Gran Canaria – Tour of Gran Canaria

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4. Ride a Sportive: Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves – Arucas, Gran Canaria

When: Sunday 22 November 2026 (as stated on the official site and in the event regulations; one third-party calendar lists a different date, so trust the organiser)
Distances: Gran Fondo 125km / +3,324m, topping out at 1,935m on Pico de las Nieves; or the “Artenara” option, 59km / +1,845m
Entry price as shown (current tier, from 7 Sept until online entries close): Gran Fondo €60 for licence holders (“federado”) or €70 without a licence; Artenara €45 or €55. Optional cancellation insurance is €10.
Included: event entry and a finisher’s medal. Travel and accommodation are not included. The organiser bills it as the first stage of the Gran Canaria Bike Week, with a UCI accreditation.

Why it’s a hidden treasure: it starts in Arucas, on Gran Canaria’s lush, much quieter north side, and climbs through Artenara (the island’s highest village) to the summit. Why it’s safe: it’s an organised event, and long-distance riders come down in groups escorted by the organisation. Pair it with a week’s bike hire and you’ve got a sportive break for a fraction of the price of a camp.

The ride, the views: According to the official regulations, the long route has three categorised climbs. First is the Cima Artenara, a long, steady 34km at an average 3%, gaining around 1,010m. Then the Degollada de Las Palomas (10.8km at 3.3%), and finally the Pico de las Nieves itself (9.8km at 6%, gaining 680m), topping out at 1,935m. The timed sections run on roads fully closed to traffic. Elsewhere you ride on the right in a controlled group. You start in Arucas, which the organisers call the gateway to Gran Canaria’s north. You climb through Artenara, the island’s highest village and home to some of its most striking summit landscapes, and finish on the island’s rooftop. It’s a great find because €70 gets you a closed-road mountain day that most holidaymakers never know exists.

Offer page: Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves | Regulations and entry prices

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5. Train Like a Pro (on a Club Budget): TenerifeVelo Training Camps

Where: Tenerife, at TenerifeVelo’s residential altitude HQ
When: 8–15 December 2026; 2–9 February 2027; 9–16 February 2027
Price as shown: £895 for 7 nights, or £1,700 for 14 nights. Single room supplement £450 per week.
Included (7-night package, per the operator): daily training rides, coaching on technique and race craft, transfers to and from Tenerife South airport, shared half-board accommodation (continental breakfast and a two-course supper), curated GPX routes, fully supported routes and a Teide climb. Bike hire and post-ride massage cost extra.

Why we like it: it’s priced in pounds and it’s one of the cheapest fully supported, coached weeks we found. It’s also run for UK club riders and racers, and female riders and racers are actively encouraged. Why it’s safe: rides are supported and guided, in groups adapted to ability. Fair warning from the organisers themselves: these camps are “not suitable for novice/occasional riders”.

The ride, the views: The centrepiece is Teide. A classic way up is from Vilaflor, the highest village in Tenerife at around 1,400m. You climb a steady 6–8% through the Canary pine forest before breaking above the treeline into the lunar Las Cañadas caldera (PJAMM Cycling). Come up from the coast at Los Cristianos and it’s around 52km to the paved high point, with smooth, wide tarmac and big sweeping bends. The camp is built around sleeping and training high, which is why pro teams set up on the island every winter. It’s a great find because it’s coached, supported and priced in pounds for under £900. That’s basically the cost of a decent winter wheelset.

Offer page: TenerifeVelo – Training Camps

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6. Tenerife Escape – Moloko Cycling

Where: Tenerife (event listed at San Cristóbal de La Laguna)
When: 30 January–5 February 2027
Price as shown: Total trip cost £1,390 in a shared twin room or £1,690 in a solo room. You secure a place with a £190 deposit (plus a £4.75 ticket fee), and Moloko members save £60.
Included (per Moloko’s Tenerife destination page): 7 days / 6 nights, guided road cycling with off-bike activities, airport transfers, buffet breakfast and dinner in local restaurants, and a one-day transfer to Masca. Groups are 10–20 riders and the trip is rated 5/5 for difficulty. Flights aren’t included, and Moloko asks you to wait for their transfer details before booking them.

Why it’s a bit different: it’s run by a UK club-style outfit, and the event is listed in La Laguna, the historic university city in the north of the island, well away from the southern resorts. It’s a big week of Teide climbing with a group that already speaks your language (and probably shares your opinions on café stops).

The ride, the views: Moloko say to expect 70–150km days with 1,000–3,000m of climbing every ride, and they’re not shy about it: “There are no flat routes in Tenerife.” From La Laguna, the climbing starts as soon as you leave town. You head up into the green north and on towards Teide, a climb Moloko describe as 50km to the crater. Their past trip reports talk about volcano rides, a “jungle” of laurel forest and a rest-day whale-watching trip (Moloko trip report). Off the bike, La Laguna’s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage city of pastel colonial streets, and your hotel has a rooftop pool and jacuzzi. It’s a great find for groups who want a social, all-sorted week with a friendly UK crew.

Offer page: Moloko Cycling – Tenerife Escape

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7. Seniors Bike Week – Club La Santa, Lanzarote

Where: Club La Santa, on Lanzarote’s quieter north-west coast
When: 15–21 January 2027
Price as shown: €190 for the camp. That covers all activities in the programme, a t-shirt, a Maurten nutrition pack (pre-signups only) and a celebratory dinner. Accommodation at Club La Santa is required and isn’t included (the camp page shows no accommodation price), and bike rental is extra.
Who it’s for: riders aged 50 and over. You’ll do daily 2–4 hour rides at 22–27km/h in ability groups, over mountain climbs, rolling roads and sections of the IRONMAN Lanzarote course, with coffee stops.

The ride, the views: Lanzarote is lower and rolling compared with Tenerife, but don’t let that fool you, because the wind does the climbing for it. From La Santa the classic loops head north. You go via Famara and the old capital Teguise to the Mirador de Haría (around 7km at 4%, part of the IRONMAN course), down into Haría’s “valley of 1,000 palm trees” and up to the Mirador del Río at the island’s northern tip, looking across to La Graciosa (Cycling Locations, Club La Santa bike routes). Head south instead and you’re into La Geria, the island’s biggest wine district, and on through Timanfaya’s Fire Mountains, past the camels on the way up the national park’s highest volcano. It’s a great find because €190 for a week of guided rides with coffee stops is cheaper than most single club-run café bills add up to over a winter.

Also at Club La Santa: the International Bike Weeks run from 23 Oct to 5 Nov 2026 (€280 for one week, €330 for two, bike hire extra). The second week (30 Oct–5 Nov) just sneaks into November.

Why it’s safe: the riding is organised in ability-based groups, with seminars on bike setup and group riding. A properly sociable way to keep the miles ticking over in January. Offer pages: Club La Santa – Seniors Bike Week | Club La Santa – International Bike Weeks

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Budget Bin: Best Value If You Don’t Mind the Busier South

• Cycle Gran Canaria – Gran Canaria Road Camp (Maspalomas): any 7-day period through the winter (rides Monday to Saturday, with Thursday as a rest day). €1,050 per person sharing for 7 nights at Cordial Green Golf Aparthotel, or €1,450 at Dunas Suites & Villas (half board). Single supplements are €450 or €600 (€800 at Christmas). Contact the operator for 25 Dec–3 Jan. Note: the Cordial board basis is listed as half board in the 2026 table and B&B in the 2027 table, so confirm it. Flights aren’t included. The riding: the operator’s weekly menu covers Soria (a 70km day to a mountain village overlooking the island’s deepest reservoir), the Pico de las Nieves “Zero to Hero” day (from 20m to around 1,949m in just under 50km) and the Serenity Pass past Presa de las Niñas. It adds up to around 409km and 8,110m for the week. Offer page
• Free Motion – Road Bike Week GC (6 days, 5 tours), Playa del Inglés: from €299 (with a Scultura Endurance 105). The price climbs with the bike you pick, up to €693 for an S-Works Tarmac SL9. Prices include IGIC, the local Canary Islands tax. Dates are bookable through the winter. Accommodation and flights aren’t included. The riding: you start from Playa del Inglés, the same southern base as Gran Canaria’s classic climbs into the interior through villages like Fataga and San Bartolomé, with the Maspalomas dunes behind you. Expect long, steady climbs and fast descents back to the coast. Offer page
• Stretch pick, Mallorca – Stuart Hall Cycling February Training Camp: 13–28 Feb 2027 at the Iberostar Waves Cristina in the island’s quieter south, from £640 per week. That covers half board and daily guided rides. Airport transfers are priced separately, and the Mallorcan tourist tax is paid at the hotel. The riding: Stuart Hall describe February in the south as “no traffic, just cyclists on the roads”, with a network of excellent quiet roads, sea views and the mountains north-west of Palma within easy reach. You might also find yourself sitting on the back of a continental pro team out training. Offer page

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Muckers Quick Tips for a Canaries Winter Trip

• Book the bike on the plane early. Airline bike carriage fees vary and space can be limited, so add it when you book the flight, not at the check-in desk. Or skip it entirely: hiring for a week (from about €22–€36/day on La Palma) often works out cheaper than flying your own bike.
• Read the small print on the “price per person”. Most packages here are per person sharing, and most don’t include flights. Single supplements range from £450 to €700.
• Ride the quiet roads, not the main roads. On every island, the locals’ advice is the same: avoid the main roads between the big towns and the riding is superb. Plan your loops with that in mind.
• Pack for four seasons in one day. It can be T-shirt weather at sea level and properly chilly at the top of Teide or Roque de los Muchachos. Bring a gilet, arm warmers and a proper windproof for the descents.
• Gearing matters. With climbs like these, a compact chainset and a big cassette (34–36T) is no shame. Your knees will write you a thank-you note.
• Travel insurance that covers cycling. Make sure your policy covers road cycling abroad (and your bike, if you’re taking it).

That’s the first Muckers Holidays roundup in the bag. If you book one of these, or you know a hidden gem we’ve missed, shout in the group. Better still, write it up for the blog. See you on the climbs (or the turbo, for those of us still saving up).

Prices and dates were checked on the operators’ own pages on 9 October 2026 and may change. Muckers Worldwide is not affiliated with any of the operators listed.