If you’ve only got a couple of hours to spare, this short loop is a great option.
It takes you inland from Maspalomas on a gentle gradient before kicking things up a few notches as you climb a cliff up to Monte León, one of the most exclusive addresses on the island.
It’s only about 26 km with 480 meters of climbing, but what lovely climbing, with the steepest part concentrated into the 4 kilometres leading up to and above the pretty village of Ayagaures.
Expect impressive scenery and roads that are significantly quieter than the coast.
All metrics in this article are approximate.
Highlights
The view from Cima Pedro Gonzalez/Mirador de Ayagaures, after you’ve conquered the bank of switchbacks that got you there.
Switchbacks to be climbed up to Cima Pedro Gonzalez/Mirador de Ayagaures
At the top
View down the switchbacks to AyagauresRoute notes
1. Maspalomas to Ayagaures: 0-15 kilometres
The road out of Maspalomas passes under the main road above it and suddenly you get the feeling you’re heading out of town into the countryside. You pass a Go Karting Centre and huge water park on the GC504 and things improve again.
To your right and left are mighty red-brown cliff faces and the enormous dam wall.
You gently climb up the quiet valley for 8.5/9 kilometres until there’s a very sharp left turn. This marks the start of a series of four switchbacks and a few twists.You pass under a metal pole arch by the side of the white-washed church; this is Ayagaures.
Aqualand (viewed from above) – you pass this as you ride into the Ayagaures valley
The dam wall: a huge feat of engineering
Turns up to Ayaguares and a pretty view back along the valley2. Ayagaures to Maspalomas: 15-37 kilometres
You head out of Ayagueres on the GC503 and up a steep bank of switchbacks zig-zags. These take you up the cliff face to cima Pedro Gonzalez (490m) (also marked as Mirador de Ayagaures).
From here you descend back down towards the coast, passing swimming pools and beautiful villas perched high up on the cliff above the valley you just cycled up. This is the exclusive residential area of Monte León.
You drop back into Maspalomas and you’re done, with a sense you’ve tasted rural Gran Canaria’s dramatic landscapes despite being just a few kilometers from the sea.
Whitewashed Ayagaures is a pretty hamlet
View from Cima Pedro Gonzalez/Mirador de Ayagaures
Cycling back to the coastCafé stops
These are the cafés we spotted while riding (there may be others!). If you plan to rely on visiting any of these suggestions, make sure they’re still operating and will be open at the time you want to visit, before you leave home.
Bar La Cuevita, Carretera de Ayagaures, 14, Ayagaures
Bar Ayagaures, Caserio Ayagaures, 14, Ayagaures
Accommodation
Maspalomas is the best base for this ride.
Check out the “where to stay” section of our guide to Gran Canaria and our article on the best hotels for cyclists in Gran Canaria for more detailed information.
Tips
Check our tips for cyclists in Gran Canaria and all the other detailed information in our guide to Gran Canaria.
The loop can be ridden either way but we think anti-clockwise is better.
This (plus part of our Pico de las Nieves route) makes up stage 1 of the Epic Gran Canaria sportive ride, which usually takes place in the early spring each year.
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Clare Dewey is a cyclist with a passion for travel. She set up epicroadrides.com in 2018 to help make it easy for cyclists to explore the world by bike. Today her mission is still inspiring cyclists to discover new places on two wheels – and doing what she can to make sure they have the best possible time while they’re there. Clare has visited 50+ destinations around the world, many of them by bike.
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