Beach Holiday with Good Road Cycling Nearby?

I did Fuertaventura with the family a few years ago. Some really nice rides. I was based in Caleta De Fustle (I think it was called). I went on rides with the local shop, was really well organised. Turned up the evening before, set up the bikes and then an early start for a group ride.
Some really good climbs, nothing alpine, but still really enjoyable. Roads were nice and quiet with a wide safe cycling area.
I’ve riden all over Europe and found Fuertaventura to feel one of the safest places I’ve riden.

Tenby, Saundersfoot in Pembrokeshire. No need to leave our lovely Island - wink.

Costa Brava, lots of pro cyclist based in Girona, somewhere like @41.9177993,3.2077771,3a,75y,353.84h,74.68t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPkM0KwhGyhA2QDByfO0AIcWNkvKIV84H89i1q2!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPkM0KwhGyhA2QDByfO0AIcWNkvKIV84H89i1q2%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-3.8293307-ya104.482445-ro0.36864835-fo100!7i5376!8i2688?authuser=0">Tamariu (one of the finest beaches anywhere)

Calvi, on Corsica. Or Corsica anywhere really.

Benidorm (actually just north, Calpi) - @poolman of this parish has a rather nice villa there.

I think huge chunks of the Med. For example Nice and it’s surrounding area. Although Islands have less traffic. Maybe look at Crete. We’ve did a touring holiday on Crete and loved it. GCN+ went recently and it looked even better than my memories

Maspalomas at the south end of Gran Canaria is very famous for its massive sand dune beaches and there's loads of road riding from there (although a lot of it is out/back on the same couple of roads).

Bike hire from Freemotion in town.

I did Fuertaventura with the family a few years ago. Some really nice rides.

Another vote for Fuertaventura or any of the Canary Islands really. You're spoilt for choice. Loads of good road riding on cracking, quiet roads or off road in an XC rather than GGNNNNARRRR fashion, or get a fat bike and head to the beach.

Fat bikes are good fun to go playing on beaches and all the volcanic stuff...

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or a decent XC hardtail for exploring.

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I'd also recommend Freemotion for bike hire. They were brilliant! Plenty of guided rides to be had to show you around

Châtelaillon-Plage in France - eeeeeeeeeeenormous beach, lovely town, loads of lovely road riding because, well, it's France, easy to get to La Rochelle and Bordeaux on the train for day trips out, highly recommended.

Dunnp specifically about bike hire but I'd be amazed if you can't, plus it's eminently driveable anyway so you could just take your own.

I would definitely look at the Costa Brava - Tossa de Mar area has some great cycling on the doorstep.

Southern med - too hot for summer. So how about Basque country? Great riding, lots of bikes, lots of beaches, lots of bases France or Spain, bit less baking.

Canaries are good for winter - not been in summer tho it's cooler than the med, windier also - but dirty Fuerte is the worst canary island for the road bike - busy roads, few hills, windy. (Freemotion as mentioned about have branches multiple on Grand Canaria, Teneriffe and Lanzarotte which indicates where the action is. Lanzagrotty has plenty of 500m climbs at alpine gradient great surface, v few car. GC longer but busier, Teneriffe you'll know about.

I've roadbiked in all the above a bit but mountainbiked more (bar lanza road only; fuerte surf only).

Nelson Beach Club Messini very good. Nice place, decent beach, cracking road cycling nearby and group rides almost every day or you just take a bike and do your own thing

stwhannah
Full Member
Calvi, on Corsica. Or Corsica anywhere really.

Loved Corsica when I went about 20 years ago but the driving standards were appalling. Maybe they've improved but I'd be wary of road riding there, even though some of the mountain/cliff-edge roads were spectacular
(I was mostly in the NW of the island)

Spanish coast east of Girona would be a good choice, but most Spanish resorts in the more popular areas also have great rides inland. Getting out of them maybe the issue if big cities.
But nice towns east of Girona and you are quickly into the countryside .(biased as I love the Girona area.)

Portugal is great as well, we did some great rides in the Algarve.

Loved Corsica when I went about 20 years ago but the driving standards were appalling. Maybe they’ve improved

Eldest_oab was there a month ago - and the driving standards frightened him.

Not really package holiday country, but I'd love to ride the roads on the Italian & French Riviera(s).

Stunning part of the world when you get inland, not sure the beaches are all that though.

Or maybe Llandudno, and do laps of the Great Orme?

Lagos / Praia da Luz part of the Algarve. Lots of quiet roads inland to the north.

I can wholeheartedly recommend Rhodes. Pretty much guaranteed sunshine and the road riding is properly spectacular. I’m there for the third time this summer (with family). Most of the tourist traffic stays on the coast so the inland roads are pretty much deserted. Huge climbs/decents, good road surface (mostly), big views, and easy to reach from the main east coast resort towns. Good beaches, Rhodes Town and Lindos are lovely.
Cyclist magazine have done a couple of articles on it now. I hire bikes from the guy who showed them around. Here’s the first one:
https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/colossus-of-rhodes-big-ride-rhodes

Honestly, it’s ****in’ brilliant. PM me if you like, I can send you pics/routes.

I've done MTB and Road in Lanzarote just got back from there a couple of weeks ago.
Road cycling there is really good as the roads are really quiet and so smooth, the Spanish drivers are really respectful, North of the island there are some hard climbs but some great views.
Beaches, plenty to choose from but Famara is the easiest that you can ride straight to the beach.
So many places to cake and coffee stops.

Hi All,

Apologies, I started this thread and then went AWOL with work. Thanks for the suggestions- loads of food for thought here!

I've always really fancied Corsica especially after the TdF Grand Depart there a few years ago, it looked amazing. Shame about the driving standards though, I don't think this would bother too much but as it's really a "normal" holiday with my wife and a bit of cycling thrown in perhaps I could do without nagging doubts about drivers in the back of my mind when I'm there.

I'll report back when we pick and somewhere and if its good.

PS to the people who suggested the UK, I do take this point. One of my favourite ever rides of the last few years was a road ride around Bowland in Lancs.

Not sure what part of Mallorca you were based but as long as it's not July/August too hot Cala st Vicente for the beach with the Pollencas nearby and cracking road cycling up then down chuck in a good few hairpins. Olives,grapes,figs,oranges and lemons
I need to maybe book a week in September

Tenerife is a bit of a mecca, mount teide is one of the highest road climbs in Europe,
Did a solo in mid summer but chickend out in the lava feilds due risk of heatstroke.
Can be accessed from a few of the resorts.

Corsica is great for road cycling but as said the standard of driving on the main roads is terrible. I had so many fast near misses. I was mainly on the east side of the island and once away from the main road the mountain road riding was sublime.