Our energy levels were low, our motivation was waning and we had 3 weeks left of our trip We were sick of the rain, sick of the cold and sick of average. We craved the wow factor, we craved the warm, and we craved the freedom of settled weather without risks of flooding. We had planned a delicious bike packing route around Catalonia but the frosts and cold and weather forecast of more severe flooding on the Spanish coast had us a little on edge. In the past 2 weeks several towns had suffered severe damage from floods. After hours of deliberation and assessing the pros and cons of various options, our answer was to jump on a plane and head south to the Canary islands. Our friends Alba and Ricard were amazing and helped us make it happen by getting bike boxes and dropping us off at Barcelona airport. So lucky for us. Waah we landed at 8. 00pm to warm calm conditions and a bright moon, assembled our bikes and rode 6 kilometres in the pitch black to our airbnb. We were instantly warm and sweaty and bumping around on volcanic gravel roads through a mine following google maps. We were both back in our happy place excited for the ride ahead on the Grangaunche bikepacking trail route https://granguanche.com/ Bring it on.
800km 20,000 metres of climb. 5 islands.
Lanzarote- 120 km 2.450 m+ Black lava fields, white houses, and green vineyards. Lanzarote is a ride on the moon.
Fuerteventura 160km 2.600 m+ White beaches, sand dunes, and remote deserts. Fuerteventura feels like Africa
Gran Canaria 140km 3.950 m+ Deep ravines, enormous cliffs, and aboriginal caves.
Tenerife 170km 4.600 m+ Enchanted forests, old colonial towns and a massive volcano.
La palma 190km 6.450 m+ Pristine forests, bananas plantations,rugged volcanoes, and clear night skies.
Day 1 69km Lanzarote to wild camp
Woke up to blue skies and warm conditions. Slept in packed the bikes and reattached the aero bars then the heavens opened and we got our first touch of tropical raIn. We were thankful to be in the bnb and watched the rain from the comfort of our room. Once the rain had passed we headed out in search of a gas bottle and supplies for our time on the island.
An interesting fact is the Canary islands have no natural water source so use the desalination process for their water. This was going to be a new challenge for us particularly once we head out into the hills and get more remote. We were instantly blown away with the scenery barren volcanic soil and volcanoes in every direction. What a contrast to anything else we have seen on this trip. There were small patches of green where people have tried to plant crops. We headed for decathlon to get gas and once again were straight onto gravel roads bumpy and soft in places. Unfortunately decathlon didn't have what we were looking for so once again webegan the task of travelling from shop to shop seeking a gas cannister with screw top. Luckily we had been in Spain before and knew the name for hardware store so we're able to track one down there. The next stop was a supermarket to stock up on supplies for the next few days. We like to be self sufficient so try to carry a couple days of breakfasts and dinners just in case the smaller towns have limited supplies or are closed when we pass through. Learning the rhythm of each new country / island always takes a few days. Once again we were straight into single track/ 4wd/ scoria roads. At one point the rain came down and the road instantly turned to peanut butter mud. A bit of a disaster/ challenge as we couldn't move as our bikes were covered and clogged. Luckily the sun came out again and dried the roads up and we were able to scrape off the bulk of the mud in some puddles. Once we hit a main road again we found a petrol station where they allowed us to use their hose and give the bikes a good clean the lube. Made it to the bottom of the island and the start of the Grand Gauche bikepacking route. We had had a great day with stunning views great trails (mostly) and lovely white buildings. It was warm and sunny apart from 2 downpours. We found a very cool campspot off the road and sheltered from view for the night. What a great day 1.
Day 2 Wild camp to just out of . On Futureeventa Island. 102km
Another spectacular day of riding gravel roads and some bumpy bumpy. We passed through surf tourist towns, small villages all painted white and acres of rocky volcanic fields thT had been painstakingly cultivated. There were thousands of rock walls protecting grapevines. The vines were dug into hollows. It truly was mindblowing how these volcanic lands have been cleared a cultivated. Absolutely incredible. We figured that the mtb route was not worth taking as it consisted pf stairs and bumpy rocky single tracks which slowed us down considerably with loaded bikes The gravel route was still remote and challenging enough particularly when it rained and the surface turned to peanut butter within seconds. We restocked water and supplies then headed to the end of the island and playa blanca to where the ferry to the next island departed. We knew the ferry left every 30mins so sprinted in the hope of getting the 5pm one. We arrived at 2 mins to 5 but they wouldn't let us on without a ticket so we had to wit u till 6pm. This meant that it would be dark when we arrived at the next island which is always a bit stressful particularly when we wanred to camp. We found a park 4 a night site 4 kms away and set our sights on beeliniing it directly there. Luckily it was a full moon as we were quickly on a corrugated gravel road. We found the site campervan free right next to the ocean and set up camp then enjoyed a wine and some yoghurt and muesli. We had an ok sleep but were a bit concerned tge ocean was going to sweep us away when the tide came in we had plenty of height but boy was the surf pounding
Day 3 wild camp to just out of Pajara 109km
Coastal walking tracks magnificent views stunning vistas long gravel roads with a strong headwind arrangement desert landscape dotted with towns and small houses. Incredible riding bumpy in places. Stopped in a surf town for the best coffee we have had in a longtime. The benefits of tourism. Found a deserted building just before dark to set up camp for the night A great day. We are both feeling very lucky to be here and have the opportunity to experience this place. It truly is a bikepackers dream.
Day 4 wild camp to ferry at Morro jable. 74kms
Great quiet protected sleep. Woke up to another lovely day with the full moon still shining high above us .Gravel and sealed roads. Booked accommodation . Amazing coastline covered with beautiful beaches. Kite surfers windsurfers galore at one point the gpx file had us riding right on the coast in the sand it looked like at hightide we would be under water . Luckily we were there at low tide. Stocked up waited for the ferry then departed for gran canaria our next island. As it was a 2hour ferry we booked accommodation where we got off the ferry. We didn't want a repeat of riding through a town in the dark searching for a campsite. Bought fresh vegetables and things for a nice salad to eat on the ferry to help kill some time. Also fresh papaya after we saw some growing in people's well watered gardens and started craving one!
then we hit the outskirts of Morrojable. Nice as we had a cycleway but jam packed with 5 star hotels and shops. Not our scene at all - high consumerism and vulgar greed. Too many very overweight old men who could hardly walk. Made it to the ferry to gran canaria at 3pm but the next sailing wasn't until 5.30 so we relaxed and kept cool Ferry crossing was a bit rough ! Arrived into a reasonably large city Las palmas but it had a great vibe and cycle paths which to us to our hotel for the night. So thankful we had booked ahead.
Day 5 Las Palmas Grand Canaria to campsite Llanos del salado. 76km
Left Las palmas on a cycle trail and enjoyed a coffee a d thevibe of the town once more. Wereshockedto see Xmas decorations etc in shops. Omg too soon too much for us. We then found ourselves on a bumpy gravel trail in a huge gully full of plants. Banana trees avocados papaya cactus fruit trees and smells everywhere . Quite a contrast to the previous islands. The trail gave us a glimpse of the back end of town which is always a bit gross but we have definitely seen worse. The next few hours were spend winding through villages and towns in the heat (28 degrees) and a bit too suburban for us. We passed an American school with dome shaped classrooms, we stopped to buy some fruit from a roadside stall. He overcharged us but also gave us plenty of samples and an avocado and the experience of dealing with him was one to remember. It wasn't until after lunch that the scenery changed and we were happier. We wound our way up to 2000 metres on steep concrete and gravel roads through a massive canyon. There were houses built in caves on the edge of the canyon. Quite something. We summited at 2200 and felt the change in temperature. A man stopped and gave us two bottles of water which was awesome. In this area there were a number of designated camping areas so we headed to one and promptly set up camp in the cold.
Day 6 76km
Amazing amazing riding Great downs and a few ups. Spectacular vistas, awesome gravel traffic free trails. Wow days like this put a smile on the dial for sure. Caught ferry over to Santa cruz tenerife. Booked a bnb so we could restock and prepare for the next three days of riding. Happy girls .
Day 7
Up and at em steep climbs stormin Norman windy as long climbs. Were heading up tp 2400 metres and the forecast looked shocking(massive rainfall and high wi'nds)so we stopped at lunchtime and found a lovely bnb. 45km
We enjoyed a walk around the old
town and then ate a delicious dimmer in our rooamd binged Netflix.
Day 8 La Laguna -Los christiano ferry to (La palma 9hrs 115km
Massive day with an early start lots of climbing to 2400 metres 2 descent hikeabike sections , some beautiful pine forests, barren lava fields, wild fire devastated forests and some massive climbs. Then came the descent down to sea level whoop whoop blimmin awesome. After being high and cool (there was snow on top of the volcano) we rolled down to sea level and 27 degrees at 5pm at night. Booked the ferry to our last Island La palma. Hoping for some nice beach camps for our last few days here in the Canary islands 🇮🇨
Day 9
Hello Santacruz de la palma. We woke to a stunning day , enjoyed breakfast at ourbnbthen set off to explore our last island. We cruised through the town then immediately started climbing along the coast through acres of banana plantations. What a contrast to the other islands. There were avocados, papaya, guavas, bananas all growing along the roadside with bougainvillea plants and frangipani. Too beautiful . We stopped at a roadside caravan for a coffee and the most delicious pIn o chocolate straight out of the oven.The terrain was spectacular with massive volcanic ridges and gullies. We dropped off the highpoint of the island and enjoyed a massive free flowing pine needle covered 4 wheel drive track deep down to the valley below. My bike had been playing up a bit and we had heard a screeching metallic sound but it came right until now. We had gone passed the abounded town of .... where we thought we might camp and headed back into the pine forest for a 10km climb when I came to a screeching halt and found that I could not peddle. We check the bike and found that the bearings on the derailed wheel had shat themselves. We took it apart and put some lube in but we knew it was a short term fix and it potentially wouldn't get us a few metres up the road. It was just before dark so we pitched the tent on the side of the track and googled bike shops. Luckily there was one 50kms away and it was ostly downhill. We messaged them and not only did they have the part but they were also open on a Saturday. We went to bed a bit anxious hoping to be able to ride to the shop but also realistic that we may need to hitch. We'd just gone to bed when a vehicle bumped its way past the tent . We were grateful we had moved off the track as it looked like no vehicles had travelled up it for sometime and we were not expecting a car to come passed at all. We slept intermittently lulled by tge sound of water trickling down a water pipe next to our tent, then waken by the nearby sheep, dogs and chickens and roosters.
Day 10
Got up at 6.30am and set off around 7.15am just on day break. The bike albeit a bike noisy seemed to ge holding together We deviated off our route to stay on sealed roads incase we needed to hitch. Luckily everything together and we made it to the bikeshop in one piece. They replaced both derailleur wheels on both bikes Once again wefelt very lucky to be able to get what we needed when we needed it. We left feeling pretty relieved and got back on track. We resupplied and headed back up in to the hills.
