Gran Canaria Mountain Biking

Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands off the coast of north-west Africa, is one of Europe's best-known winter-sun mountain biking destinations. The island climbs from beaches and dry ravines on the south coast to pine forest and volcanic peaks at almost 2,000m around Pico de las Nieves and Roque Nublo, so one ride can drop through several climate zones. There is no graded trail centre or bike park. Instead the riding is a mix of more than 350km of mapped forest tracks that the island council opens to bikes in and around its protected natural areas, old stone paths and rocky singletrack outside those areas, and long descents reached by commercial shuttle, with guided enduro, cross country and e-bike days running from the south coast resorts. Strict rules keep bikes off footpaths across much of the high interior, so knowing where you can ride matters more here than at most destinations.

The Trails

Gran Canaria is a round volcanic island with deep ravines, known locally as barrancos, running out from a high central massif. The riding is rocky, loose and steep almost everywhere, with volcanic rock, old cobbled paths and very little flat ground. Long descents often include short climbs along the way. Food and water stops are rare in the interior, so carry enough for the whole ride.

The high ground is pine forest, around the summit near Pico de las Nieves, at Tamadaba in the north-west and at Inagua and Pajonales in the west. The south of the island, around Fataga, Guayadeque and the Tirajana valleys, is drier and more open, with long views down to the coast.

Where You Can Ride

About 43 percent of Gran Canaria lies inside its 33 protected natural areas, and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve covers much of the centre and south-west of the island. Inside the protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the island council, bans all vehicles, bicycles included, from footpaths (senderos), and riding off-track is also forbidden. Bikes may use only the forest tracks (pistas) in the council's cycling network, more than 350km of wider tracks mapped in and around the protected areas. Riding a footpath inside a protected area is an environmental offence that can lead to a fine, and the council's environmental agents do investigate reported cases.

The protected areas take in most of the high interior, including the Nublo Rural Park around Roque Nublo and Pico de las Nieves, Tamadaba Natural Park, Pilancones Natural Park and the Fataga Protected Landscape. In the Inagua Integral Nature Reserve even the one cycling track, between El Juncal and Las Ñameritas, needs written authorisation in advance. Outside the protected areas, cycling on trails is allowed, but respect private land.

Download the council's maps of the permitted tracks, available as KMZ files and a PDF, from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria cycling page and plan your rides around them. Some published enduro routes on the island run on footpaths inside protected areas, so if you book a guided or shuttle day, ask the operator which routes it rides before you book.

In hot, dry spells the council declares forest fire alerts that close access to forest land above 400m, tracks and trails included, often at short notice. Always check the Cabildo de Gran Canaria website for current alerts before you head into the mountains.

Gravel Riding

The council's cycling network of forest tracks is the backbone of legal riding in the interior, and suits a gravel bike with wide tyres or a hardtail. The tracks are typically 3.5 to 5m wide, on loose volcanic surfaces, and climb through the pine forests of the summit, Tamadaba and the west of the island, with big views to Roque Nublo and, on clear days, across the sea to Tenerife. Expect long, steady climbs and very few water points, and link sections with the quiet mountain roads to build longer loops.

Guides, Shuttles and Hire

There are no lifts on Gran Canaria, so uplift comes from van shuttles: a van and bike trailer collects riders, often from their hotel, and drives them up to the summit area around Pico de las Nieves and Cruz de Tejeda for long descents towards the coast. Operators also run guided enduro and cross country days, guided e-bike tours and bike hire, from bases in Las Palmas and along the south coast.

• Bike Station Las Palmas 24: mountain bike and e-mountain bike hire, a bike shuttle up to Pico de las Nieves, route suggestions and free GPX tracks, based in the Santa Catalina district of Las Palmas.
• CanaryCleta: guided mountain bike rides across the summit from Tejeda to Artenara with transport included, plus mountain bike hire from €30 a day, based in Vegueta, Las Palmas.
• Free Motion: guided e-mountain bike tours with the bike included, some with a shuttle, from €105, plus bike hire, with shops in Playa del Inglés, Meloneras, San Agustín, Arguineguín, Puerto de Mogán and Las Palmas.
• Gravity Center: guided enduro days with uplift, van support and hotel transfers from €80, guided cross country rides from €50, bike hire and a shop and workshop, based in Vecindario in the south east of the island.

Much of the island's interior is protected, and bikes are banned from footpaths there, so ask the operator which routes it rides and how they fit the Cabildo's rules before you book. Prices are correct as of September 2026 but subject to change, so check current rates with the operator.

Getting There from the UK

Gran Canaria Airport, on the east coast between Las Palmas and the south of the island, has direct flights from many UK airports. The south coast resorts of Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés are around 25 minutes from the airport by road, Las Palmas is closer still, and the summit area around Cruz de Tejeda is under an hour's drive on winding mountain roads. Public buses link the airport with Las Palmas and the south coast, but the interior is poorly served, so hire a car or book a shuttle for the mountains.

Bikes can fly as sports equipment in a bike box or bag, but this usually has to be booked in advance and paid for separately, so check your airline's current rules. Many riders hire on the island instead.

When to Go

Gran Canaria can be ridden all year, but the main season for visiting riders runs through the winter, with November to March the core months and January the most popular. The south coast is typically 18 to 25°C at that time of year with very little rain. The mountains are a different climate: the summit is much cooler than the coast, and colder still in wind or cloud, and the north of the island is cloudier, windier and wetter than the south, so pack a warm layer and a waterproof for high days.

Summer is hot, especially in the south and the inland ravines, and it is the season when fire alerts are most likely to close the mountains. The Transgrancanaria Bike, a UCI-ranked multi-stage cross country marathon, runs each spring.

If you are making a longer Canary Islands trip, Tenerife, a short flight or ferry away, has more than 2,000km of forest tracks open to bikes and guided shuttle days from its south coast.

Where to Stay

The south coast resorts, Maspalomas, Playa del Inglés and San Agustín, are the usual base. They are the sunniest and driest part of the island, close to the airport, and where most shuttle and guide operators collect riders. Accommodation there is mostly apartments, hotels and villas, and some hotels cater specifically for cyclists. Las Palmas, the island capital in the north-east, suits riders who want a city base, though the weather is cloudier. To wake up close to the summit riding, rural houses (casas rurales) in interior villages such as Tejeda, Artenara and San Bartolomé de Tirajana are the option, with cooler evenings and fewer services.

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