Augustin's whole face is beaming. "Hello my friend, welcome to the paradise of triathlon," he barks at me cheerfully. My smile is a little crooked and embarrassed, and I ask myself: "Should I let the man from Papagayo Bike Hire think that I've come to Lanzarote as a triathlete?" But before he hands me a bike with triathlon handlebars and a bottle cage on the saddle and gives me tips on the best running and swimming routes, I'd rather enlighten him.
So I tell him that I would sink like a bag of rocks after 200 metres at the latest and that my knees would only allow me to walk to the supermarket. "Oh," says the good Augustin, only to repeat his euphoric greeting in an adapted version after a moment of shock: "Okay my friend, welcome to the paradise of race cyclists." "Well, let's see," I think to myself, the images of the landing approach still fresh in my mind. After the first impression from the bird's eye view, Lanzarote seems to be as far away from paradise as I am from the finish line of an Ironman. Nothing but a grey-black wasteland of stones, ash and sand.
Cycle tour Lanzarote: Sunny, because there are no high mountains
Apart from the remote El Hierro, Lanzarote is the only Canary Island I have not yet been to for road cycling. I've struggled over steep ramps on Gran Canaria, climbed through laurel forests on La Gomera, criss-crossed the island during a surfing holiday on Fuerteventura, gasped for air at the altitude of Tenerife's Teide and suffered a veritable hunger attack in the mountains on La Palma.
So now it's Lanzarote, the flattest of the seven major Canary Islands after Fuerteventura. It's still early in the year and I want to do something like a training camp here; when I get back, the 235-kilometre Elfstedentocht in the Netherlands is on my agenda a little later, and I'm also supposed to write a report about it for TOUR. In Germany, my training laps would currently be accompanied by diagonal rain showers at five degrees Celsius, so a few days on the sunniest of all the Canary Islands would come in very handy.
The second impression counts!
Lanzarote is also better suited for basic training than the larger but much more mountainous islands of Gran Canaria or Tenerife. The Peñas del Chache rises just 674 metres into the sky. Lanzarote's highest elevation is only a small hump compared to the almost 2000 metre high mountains of Gran Canaria or the 3715 metre high Pico del Teide on Tenerife, which means that the clouds of the north-east trade wind, which blows constantly on the Canary Islands, do not rain down on the northern flanks of high mountains on Lanzarote, but instead pass gallantly over the island. The strong wind is also ideal if you want to prepare for a marathon distance on the Frisian North Sea coast.
But green like in Friesland, as my Lanzarote connoisseur buddy Frank had explained to me before departure, I wouldn't find it on Lanzarote - and warned me with a grin as I looked at the map: "What's marked in green is by no means a forest, meadows, pastures or any other kind of vegetation."
They say that first impressions count the most. Not so with Lanzarote. The island is a surprise egg and, with its small volcanic cones, a kind of enlarged Lummerland, only without the railway and King Alfonso, the quarter-to-twelfth.
The first few kilometres of the Lanzarote cycle tour
My first few kilometres of cycling take me along the well-maintained main road towards the northern tip of the island, where the Monte Corona volcano erupted around 3,000 years ago. Most of the lava flowed off to the east, forming the 30 square kilometre, impassable lava field Malpaís de la Corona. Elsewhere, sharp-edged chunks of lava cover the island; here, thousands of evergreen bushes of balsam spurge, or tabaiba dulce in Spanish, grow out of the rock. The strongly branched, semi-succulent shrubs huddle hemispherically against the black lava soil, protected from the wind.
You don't have to be a botanist or geologist to find this sight magnificent. You also don't necessarily have to understand why nature takes the liberty of changing from a lava scree desert to a dune landscape with dazzling white sand from one moment to the next off Órzola in the far north of Lanzarote. These dune beaches on the island are called "caletones" and form a wonderful contrast to the turquoise blue water and black lava.
Driving against wind force five
Incidentally, the wind also does what it wants. And it does what it does best on Lanzarote. It blows in my face with wind force four to five, making my eyes water despite my glasses. But as a young man from northern Germany, I'm very familiar with strong winds, so I'm already looking forward to the way back instead of swearing and complaining, even though at the moment it feels like I'm dragging a lump of lava weighing tonnes behind me.
From Órzola, where ferries depart for the small neighbouring island of Graciosa, a small road leads quite steeply up into the hills covered with cacti and aloe vera and interspersed with striking rocks. Before reaching the imposing volcanic cone of Monte Corona, we head against the wind to the Mirador del Río viewpoint. It clings to the steep cliffs of the Famara mountain range at an altitude of 482 metres and is the turning point for cycling in the Ironman Lanzarote.
The official vantage point can be skipped on a cycle tour, because the views from the road that leads down from there to the south are so breathtaking that I stop, lean my bike against a little wall and look for a place to enjoy them. An energy bar isn't really the right thing to celebrate this place properly, but I don't have anything else with me. So I chew on the cereal and enjoy the magnificent view from the cliffs over the Atlantic and the neighbouring island of Graciosa.
Cycle tour Lanzarote: Island hero César Manrique
Incidentally, the Mirador, which I disdain, was designed by a certain César Manrique. People here like to say about him: "Manrique is Lanzarote and Lanzarote is Manrique." The multi-talented artist (1919 to 1992) not only left a lasting mark on the island through his art, but also through his commitment as an environmentalist. You wouldn't want to know what Lanzarote would look like without Manrique's work. It is thanks to him that the houses in the villages and towns are whitewashed in the traditional white colour; in many places it is forbidden to build buildings with more than two storeys. The UNESCO designation of Lanzarote as a biosphere reserve is also due to his initiative.
This beautiful and varied route continues to Haría in the "Valley of a Thousand Palms". Legend has it that the families there once planted palm trees for every newborn child - one for each girl and two palms for each boy. From Haría, the road climbs again in a few adventurous hairpin bends carved into the rocks. And if you want to look back over the Valle de Malpaso, the pretty village and the palm trees, the best place to do so is from the glass platform of the Mirador de Haría on one of the hairpin bends.
British company
When I stop at the viewing platform, a rider is already standing there with his bike, Greg from London. He tells me that he is training here for a hobby triathlon. The Brit doesn't seem to be one of those dogged triathletes who lie on their special handlebars as windswept as possible and have nothing but their watts in front of them instead of the wonderful landscapes to the right and left.
He raves about the bizarrely grown cacti along the way, the play of colours of the lava fields in the sunlight, the historic capital of Teguise and recommends the climb to Peñas del Chache, the highest mountain on the island, via Tabayesco for another round - which turns out to be a great tip. The only thing Greg didn't seem to know so much about was the history and culture of the island. When I tell him about César Manrique, he thinks he's talking about a Spanish triathlete. Together, Greg and I climb the last few metres up towards Peñas del Chache and, on the descent, rush into a racing bike paradise with a smooth, wide road, virtually no traffic and a tailwind.
Moon trip in the national park on Lanzarote
Depending on the time of day, the volcanoes shimmer in different colours, red, grey and black.
At the end of the day, I realise that first impressions are not always the ones that count. Lanzarote is not just an oversized gravel garden. The closer you look - and you can do that wonderfully on a racing bike - the more diverse the island reveals itself to be. Fabio Cabrera, Race Director at the "La Santa" holiday club, which specialises in triathletes, later confirms this to me.
He also considers the tour to the Mirador del Río to be a must for every racing cyclist, although he himself prefers to do his laps through the Timanfaya National Park in the south of Lanzarote. This is the area where, in the early 18th century, no fewer than 30 volcanoes would not stop spewing fire for years, giving around a quarter of the island a completely new face. A dozen villages were engulfed by the conflagration and the once fertile granary of Lanzarote was buried by ash and lapilli - pea to nut-sized stones that are formed during explosive eruptions.
Some people may perceive this landscape, where NASA tested its vehicles before the first Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, as inhospitable and desolate. Fabio Cabrera is fascinated by this lava desert every time he drives through it. "Depending on the time of day, the volcanoes shimmer in different colours - red, grey, black. It's a unique spectacle. We also call Lanzarote 'the other island'. With its magical places, it captivates anyone who sees more than just the hotels on the coast."
Familiar faces from professional cycling
At his workplace, the Club "La Santa", a sports hotel in the XXL category, which also organises the Ironman Lanzarote, the world's best triathletes regularly stay, as do World Tour teams from road cycling. Cabrera reveals that almost the entire Ineos team recently attended a training camp there. And the 2023 world champion, Lotte Kopecky, is currently doing her laps on Lanzarote. It probably wasn't the Belgian who had overtaken me the day before on the dead straight road through the lunar landscape near Mancha Blanca. I console myself with the fact that it must have been at least a former European triathlon vice-champion who whizzed past me at 45 kilometres per hour...
Unique landscapes on Lanzarote
Lanzarote wouldn't be Lanzarote if the island didn't boast another completely off-the-wall landscape. In the hills around La Geria, the grapes for a first-class white wine grow in the lapilla layer, and they grow like nowhere else on earth. Because the rain stubbornly refuses to irrigate the wine sufficiently, the winegrowers on the Canary Island have devised an ingenious system. The vines, shielded by semi-circular walls and thus protected from the wind, are planted in a funnel-shaped excavation.
Irrigation is provided by the condensation that occurs at night, which is stored by the porous lapilli stones and released to the roots in a well-dosed manner. "Enarenado" - a Canarian term derived from the Spanish verb "enarenar" (to sprinkle with sand) - is the name given to this special type of dry farming, which is also beautiful to look at and another important piece in the island's pretty landscape puzzle.
However, I would prefer to replace other pieces of the puzzle, such as a few scenically boring passages. Lanzarote doesn't have an overabundance of winding dream roads, and the island is so small, measuring just 60 by 30 kilometres, that you can cover everything quite quickly on a road bike. But, as Fabio Cabrera put it so well: "When you pedal on Lanzarote, it seems as if you're outside planet Earth."
Information about the cycle tour Lanzarote
Arrival
You can fly directly from several German airports to Lanzarote, where the airport is located south of the island's capital Arrecife, in four to five hours. Direct flights cost between 200 and 500 euros; if you take your bike with you, you will pay between 120 and 160 euros depending on the airline. You can also get to Lanzarote by ferry from the Spanish mainland (Huelva and Cádiz).
Best time to travel to Lanzarote by bike
Lanzarote is a year-round destination; you can always go for a short break on the island. Even from January to March, the thermometer rarely drops below 20 degrees, although it rains the most in December and the first three months of the year. In the south of the island it is often two to three degrees warmer than in the north.
Accommodation
Costa Teguise: Hotel Barceló Lanzarote Active Resort
The four-star hotel with fitness and wellness facilities is located around 15 kilometres north-east of the airport and therefore centrally located on the east coast - ideal for road bike tours to the north and south. Bike hire is nearby. Double rooms with breakfast cost 130 to 180 euros, depending on the season.
Food and drink
Traditional Canarian cuisine is simple and down-to-earth, even on Lanzarote. However, it is only served in a few restaurants. Just as mountains and sea meet on the islands, so too does the cuisine: fresh fish and seafood from the Atlantic dominate the menus. Hearty stews such as Rancho Canario, Puchero Canario or Garbanzada Canaria are served in the interior of the island. Almost all other dishes are accompanied by papas arrugadas, potatoes boiled in salted water with wrinkled skins and served with a slightly spicier red or herb-heavy green sauce (mojo). In the tourist centres such as Costa Teguise, Puerto del Carmen or Playa Honda, you will also find plenty of kebab stands, burger shops, pizzerias and Asian restaurants.
Tip: The wines of Lanzarote are predominantly high-quality white wines made from the Malvasía grape, which is grown south of the centre of the island in La Geria and in the north on the slopes of Monte Corona.
Restaurant tip
Las Caletas - Restaurant Casa Tomas: On a small headland between Arrecife and Costa Teguise, fresh fish dishes are served, prepared without chichi. A wonderfully funny and friendly landlady and a great view of the sea round off the culinary excursion.
La Santa - Bar El Quemao: On our Tour 2, it is worth turning right into Calle el Quemao in the village of La Santa just after the small harbour (at km 37.2). In the bar of the same name, the fishermen sit in the morning with brandy and coffee. You don't have to copy this, but the homemade tapas are unbeatable in terms of value for money.
Don't miss out on the Lanzarote cycle tour!
Ironman
The Ironman Lanzarote Canarias has traditionally taken place in May since 1992 and is one of the toughest in the world, especially because 2500 metres of altitude have to be overcome on the bike course.
Everyman race
At the end of September 2024, the organisers of the Ironman hosted a race for everyone (115 kilometres) between La Santa and Puerto del Carmen for the first time. Former Spanish professional cyclists Alejandro Valverde and Alberto Contador also attended the premiere.
Multi-artist
Lanzarote's most famous son, multi-artist César Manrique, is omnipresent on the island. You can get the best impression of his work in his former home in the Fundación César Manrique near Tahíche. Also worth seeing: Manrique's last home in Haría was opened to the public as a museum in 2013. One of the most unusual concert halls in the world can be visited on the north-west coast. Jameos del Agua is a cultural site designed by Manrique in a partially collapsed lava cave directly on the Atlantic Ocean.
Volcano National Park
Everything you need to know about the volcanic eruptions between 1730 and 1736, which completely changed the face of Lanzarote and still shape it today, can be found in the visitor centres of the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya. One is located shortly after Mancha Blanca, the other in the Montañas del Fuego. At the turn-off to Islote de Hilario, you pay admission to the visitor centre, which includes a round trip on the Ruta de los Volcanes.
Bike service Lanzarote
Several providers are vying for the favour of cycling holidaymakers on Lanzarote. Our recommendations:
Costa Teguise - Papagayo Bike: Papagayo Bike has two locations in Costa Teguise, at the Hotel Sands Beach Resort and at the Radisson Blue Resort. They offer bikes from the Spanish brand Berria for between 26 and 40 euros per day for a hire period of 3 to 6 days, depending on the model and equipment.
Puerto del Carmen - Free Motion: Free Motion operates bike centres on several Canary Islands; on Lanzarote it is located in Puerto del Carmen, west of Arrecife. Models from BH and Cannondale are on offer for between 27 and 52 euros, depending on the model and equipment, for a hire period of 2 to 5 days.
Literature and maps
- Travel guide: "Lanzarote", Michael Müller-Verlag 2023, 416 pages, 21.90 euros
- Maps: Compass map 241 "Lanzarote", 1:50,000, 2024; 14.95 euros
Info
Official tourism portals of Spain, Lanzarote and Costa Teguise (all in German)
- spain.info
- turismolanzarote.com
- turismoteguise.com
On Lanzarote there are tourist information offices at the airport, at the marina and in the centre of Arrecife as well as on the Avenida de las Islas Canarias in Costa Teguise.
Orientation
Lanzarote is the north-easternmost of the seven large Canary Islands and is located around 130 kilometres west of the Moroccan coast and a thousand kilometres from the Spanish mainland. The fourth largest Canary Island measures 58 kilometres from north (Punta Fariones) to south (Punta Pechiguera) and 34 kilometres from east to west. Lanzarote includes several smaller islands, of which only La Graciosa is inhabited. The capital of Lanzarote is Arrecife (63,000 inhabitants), but the most beautiful town is probably the former capital Teguise. Lanzarote belongs to the Spanish province of Las Palmas in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands (Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias).
Cycle tour Lanzarote: Tour character
Lanzarote is nowhere near as mountainous as Tenerife or Gran Canaria, for example, but on tours of around 90 kilometres, the climbs still add up to 1200 to almost 2000 metres in altitude. They are rarely long and not very steep, but there are constant ups and downs - and a three-kilometre straight with a five per cent gradient can also take a lot of energy in a headwind.
The wind in general: it usually blows strongly from a northerly to north-easterly direction and often with wind forces of four to five, even stronger in gusts. You should take this into account when planning your tour! Riding back from a tour at 50 km/h with a tailwind is simply more fun than struggling home against the wind at just under 20 km/h. Numerous side roads are marked as "Via Ciclista de Lanzarote", cars are allowed to drive on these roads, but they are made aware of who has the right of way here - and car drivers are remarkably considerate of cyclists. The road surface is sometimes quite rough, similar to that in the south of France, but overall it is of the finest quality.
4 tours for a cycling holiday on Lanzarote
Tour 1: Fire and wine
104 kilometres | 1100 vertical metres | max. 7 % gradient
From Costa Teguise via Tahiche, Mozaga and Mancha Blanca on the initially dead straight road into the Timanfaya National Park, where black lava boulders line the road. At kilometre 36.5 in the national park there is a turn-off to the Fire Mountains; they also want to charge cyclists 20 euros in tolls there. We prefer to continue on the LZ-67 down to Yaiza, where a detour takes us to the sea at El Golfo and back through the vineyards of La Geria. We return to Costa Teguise via San Bartolomé and Teguise.
Tour 2: Once to the moon
77 kilometres | 950 vertical metres | max. 7 % gradient
Via Tahiche and past the old capital Teguise to the surfing hotspot La Caleta de Famara, with the small neighbouring island of La Graciosa and the island's highest peaks always in view. Continue through the barren steppe landscape of El Jable to La Santa, the centre for ambitious triathletes on Lanzarote. After a moderate climb up to Tinajo, the route continues from Mancha Blanca through the lunar landscape of Timanfaya National Park and back to Costa Teguise via San Bartlomé.
Tour 3: Zigzag in the north
77 kilometres | 1250 vertical metres | max. 10 % gradient
On the Via Ciclista de Lanzarote heading north and on the eastern slope of the 674 metre high basalt dome Peñas del Chache, the highest peak on Lanzarote, at around 620 metres above sea level. From there, descend into the "Valley of a Thousand Palms" near Haría and continue downhill to the sea at Arrieta. Nowhere else on the island is as beautiful to climb as in the fertile valley near Tabayesco, which is characterised by green terraces, so the route becomes a zigzag tour. So once again in the direction of Haría, down the descent at high speed on the larger LZ-10 and back on the Via Ciclista de Lanzarote from Arrieta.
Tour 4: To the northern end
90 kilometres | 1400 vertical metres | max. 12 % gradient
Parallel to the motorway-like LZ-1, you roll northwards on the Via Ciclista de Lanzarote. Via Arrieta along the Atlantic Ocean to Órzola on the northern tip of the island; the lava fields there are covered with evergreen balsam spurge bushes. From Órzola, there are some steep climbs to the Mirador del Río, from where you can see the island of La Graciosa to the north-west. Behind Haría, five hairpin bends climb to an altitude of just under 600 metres to the nameless pass below the Peñas del Chache before a rapid descent via Los Valles back to Costa Teguise.
You can find the GPS data for the tours in our tour portal
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