If you’re looking for stunning mountain scenery, quiet roads, great road surfaces, and near year around sunshine, look no further. Cycling in Calpe and the Costa Blanca offers these things in buckets. March and April are super peak season, but more than 300 days of sunshine each year makes a Calpe cycling trip attractive at any time of year.
The region is often featured in the Vuelta a España and Calpe is the winter cycling training camp destination of choice for many pro teams. In 2016, ten of the eighteen World Tour teams chose Calpe for their training camps.
For those with kids, the Costa Blanca’s long white sandy beaches mean you can probably sneak some cycling into a family holiday too…
All you need to know about Calpe cycling
In this guide, you’ll find the information you need to get the most out of your trip: our favourite Calpe cycling routes, plus where to stay, when to visit and all about bike rental in Calpe.
Watch our highlights video, then read on and plan your next road cycling holiday to Spain!
NB the Coll de Rates video we mention in this is found on our two Coll de Rates ride guides: see the Calpe cycling routes section below.
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Calpe cycling routes
Cycling Calpe and the Costa Blanca is all about the hills and mountains that form its craggy backdrop. Twisty roads weave up rocky mountain passes and offer far-reaching views over the coastal plains and valleys below. There’s little in the way of forest, so for much of every climb, you’re treated to fabulous panoramas.
This is not the place to come if you’re looking for flat, easy riding. Flatter areas do exist, but the geography means they’re along the coastal plains. The coast is densely populated; don’t expect quiet roads.
Want to get inspired?
Check out our Costa Blanca cycling routes, below!
And finally… don’t miss our top tips for cycling in Calpe.
Accommodation
Remember to double-check accommodation bike storage arrangements (and any other services you need) before booking as policies often change.
You’ll want to focus your accommodation search between Dénia in the north and Benidorm in the south, as this is the part of the Costa Blanca that’s of most interest to cyclists. Just a few kilometres inland from the coastline you find cycling heaven in the magnificent natural parks and mountains.
This stretch of coastline is a huge beach-focused tourist destination during the summer months. This means there’s loads of accommodation and many of the hotels offer excellent deals in winter and spring.
So, where are you going to stay?
(For the in-depth low down on where to stay, read our article sharing the best cycling hotels in Calpe).
Large hotel on the coast?
Most people coming to cycle Calpe and Costa Blanca, stay on the coast in places like Calpe and Dénia. The advantage of these towns is that there is plenty of bike hire, you’re close to the mountains, accommodation is reasonably priced in winter and (if relevant) you’re close to the beach. However, be aware that you’ll inevitably have to cycle the coastal roads, which are busy with traffic.
Our selection of the best hotels for cyclists in Calpe is here.
Or small, inland hotel?
The alternative to a large hotel on the coast is a small hotel in an inland village: for example Guadelest and Benissa.
Many of these villages/small towns are very picturesque, with ancient winding lanes topped by a castle or pretty church. The hotels tend to be small and boutique, and you’re surrounded by quiet roads. The downside is that you’ll probably have to do a fair amount of climbing from the door at the beginning and end of each day.
Our selection of the best hotels for cyclists inland is here.
Our choice: Gran Hotel Sol y Mar, Calpe
We stayed in a sea view room on the seventh floor of the four-star Sol y Mar hotel on Calpe’s seafront. It’s a large, glassy structure, with a prominent location on the promenade adjacent to the beach.
What we loved



Downsides
Conclusion
We’d happily recommend the hotel to friends and would return.



Other accommodation in Calpe
If you’d like to stay in an apartment rather than a hotel, this would also be a great choice:
3 Bedroom apartment in central Calpe
Gill got in touch with us because she’s keen to host cyclists in her 3 bedroom apartment off the Avenida de Valencia, 50 metres from the main Arenal-Bol beach in Calpe (opposite the Sol y Mar hotel). It offers:
Epic Road Rides reader Hilary stayed at the apartment and left her review on 25 February 2022 – you can read the review here.



Still not sure where to stay in Calpe? Read this in-depth article on Calpe’s best cycling hotels.
Costa Blanca bike hire
Prices, services and bike brands often change. Please let us know if anything is incorrect.
There is a good range of bike hire outlets in this area of the Costa Blanca. Not all of them are obvious from a quick google, but they’re there!
We hope that our list helps with your planning, but please note:
Undecided on whether to hire a bike or bring your own? Read this now.
Bike hire Calpe |
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Baguet Bicycle Center – Service Course Av de los Ejercitos Espanoles 45, 03710 Calp |
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Service Course by Baguet Bicycle Center offers bike rental and the opportunity to join guided tours. There’s also a cafe, sports massage and bike maintenance/servicing.
Open seven days a week in season.
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Hire is 60 euros for 3 days and 105 euros for 7 days. A 100 euro deposit is payable on each bike.
Prices include saddle bag, tube, tyre levers, pump, two bottle holders. Some brands of pedals can also be supplied, but probably better to bring your own. |
Solybike Calpe Calle Blasco Ibañez 10A, 03710 Calpe |
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Solybike bicycle rental is the most prominent of the bike hire places online. They offer Orbea carbon bikes with 105 or Ultegra. |
Prices (Ultegra prices are in brackets): 1 day: 32€/day (min 3 days) 2 days: 25€/day (min 3 days) 3 days: 20€/day (25) 4-6 days: 19€/day (23) 7-10 days: 17€/day (20) Prices include saddle bag, tube, two levers, air pump, two bottle holders, computer and a map. |
Top Bikes | |
Merida bikes with carbon or aluminium frames and Shimano Ultegra groupset.
Specify your dimensions on booking, and they will provide the bike adjusted to those dimensions.
Offer different collection points in Altea, Albir, Benidorm, Calp and Villa Joyosa. On Saturday afternoon and Sunday all the rental points are closed; pick up/delivery is agreed by discussion. Bike delivery to your hotel is available for an additional charge. |
Prices are from 17-20 euros per day.
Bikes are provided with two bottle cages, pump and inner tube.
Two day minimum hire period and a 250-500 euro deposit is taken.
Insurance is available. |
Vuelta Turistica Located next to the AR Diamante Beach Spa, Calpe Avenida Rosa de los vientos 7, local 4 |
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Predominantly a cycle holiday company, they also offer bike hire on Specialized bikes. |
Specialized Roubaix: 20€/day or 125€/week
Specialised Tarmac Di2: 25€/day or 160€/week
250 euro deposit is payable. |
Bike hire Dénia |
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Café Ciclista Dénia Carretera de les Marines 16 Dénia 03700 |
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Have a fleet of carbon Focus, Ridley and Canyon bikes with 11-speed Shimano groupsets. All have compact chainsets (52-36, 11-28).
In addition to bike hire, Café Ciclista is a coffee shop, cyclists’ hub and massage. They offer cycling training camps in Spain via their Train in Spain sister company.
If you’re looking for a group ride, check out their Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10.00am rides that start and finish is at Café Ciclista. Rides are approximately 60-85 kms, average speed approximately 28-32 kmph. It’s advisable to get in touch with them before your first ride. |
Prices: 1 day: 30€/day 2-4 days: 25€/day 5-6 days: 20€/day 7 days: 125€ (unless on a training camp in which case it’s 100€)
Provided with pump or CO2 gas canister, spare inner tube, levers.
100 euros deposit payable.
Additional options include pedals (2 euros per day) and damage insurance (25 euros). |
Note: Café Ciclista is the only company we are aware of that offer road bike rental in Dénia. There are several other bike shops in Dénia. However, they don’t offer road bike rental, just leisure bikes, e-bikes etc. |
Bike hire Altea and Albir |
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Ciclo Costa Blanca Meta Bike Café Comercio Enara 2 Cami Vell de Altea, 2403581 Alfaz del Pi |
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Offer Bianchi, Kuota and Ridley carbon bikes with ultegra groupsets and compact chainset.
Open on a Sunday.
Thursday shop rides depart from the Meta Bike Café at 9:30 am. Speak to the café before you arrive.
Also, offer cycling packages and training camps. |
Prices are from around 20-30 euros per day depending on the bike. Most bikes do not include pedals which can be added on to your booking.
Bikes are supplied with hand pump, tool bag, spare tube, tyre levers, multi-tool and two bottle cages.
Minimum hire period for online bookings is three days. There is a five day minimum between 31 March and 18 May. |
Crono Bike Altea Ptda The Planet 207 03590 Altea |
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Offer a range of bike rental in Altea, including Orbea, LaPierre, BH and Megamo.
Group rides leave from the shop every Wednesday at 9 am for 3-4 hours at a moderate level. Check before you arrive. |
Prices: 1-3 day: 15€/day 4-15 days: 12€/day 15+ days: 10€/day
If you need a helmet or pedals, they are each an additional euro per day.
Rental includes a pump and inner tube. |
Elite Bikes Albir Av de l’Albir, 159 03581 L’Alfàs del Pi |
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Contact info@elite-bikes.com for information. | |
Top Bikes | |
See information above. |
Bike hire Javea/Xabia |
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Xabia bikes (also referred to as Xabia bike and Xabias bike) Avda. Lepanto 5 Jávea / Xàbia |
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Offer Specialized Roubaix SL4, Specialized Tarmac SL4 Sport, and Trek Emonda S5
They also offer repair and maintenance. |
Prices: 1 day: 25€/day 2 days: 23€/day 4 days: 21€/day 7 days: 19€/day 2 weeks: 17€/day |
Siesta Advisor Av. De Augusta 22, Jávea |
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CUBE Attain GTC carbon bikes with Shimano 105 or ULTEGRA R8000 and 50-32 compact chainset.
Will deliver and collect bikes to and from your holiday address for a small charge. |
Prices: 1 day: 24€ 2 days: 44€ 3 days: 64€ 4 days: 82€ 5 days: 100€ 6 days: 116€ 7 days: 128€
Helmet, water bottles, repair kit with spare tube, pump or oxygen cartridge all supplied free of charge. |
Bike hire Moraira |
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Moraira cycling Calle Naranco de Bulnes 603724 Moraira |
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Offer Stevens Stelvio bikes.
Offer GPX routes that you can upload to your Garmin. |
Prices: 1 day: 30€ 2 days: 50€ 3 days: 65€ 4 days: 80€ 5 days: 95€ 6 days: 110€ 7 days: 120€ |
Bike hire Jalón |
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Alta Bike Rental La Almazara 17B, 03727 Jalon |
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Offer Wilier bikes with Shimano parts and compact cassettes.
Offer free delivery within a certain radius (that includes Calp, Moraira and Denia).
Each bicycle comes with a bicycle pump, bag with spare tire and tire levers. |
Prices: 1 day: 25-35€ 1 week: 150-210€ Day 8 onwards: 20-30€
200 euro deposit per bike |
Tips:
When to go
The Calpe region boasts more than 300 days of sunshine per year (or even 325 hours if you read some reports). The World Health Organisation says the Costa Blanca climate is one of the best in the world.
It’s somewhere you can cycle all year around, although the temperatures in summer mean you’ll need to head out early and plan your route carefully.
The most popular time for cyclists to visit Calpe is between February and May, with peak cycling season being March to the end of April or mid-May.
Between late January and early March, it’s almond blossom season and many valleys transform into a sea of pink.
It’s also worth considering timing your visit around one of the festival days. On 19 March it’s the Fallas festival. In many towns and villages, enormous colourful floats made of wood and papier-mache are paraded through the streets before they’re burned on a bonfire at midnight to mark the beginning of spring. This is accompanied by fireworks.
January | By Calpe standards, the weather is usually cold in these months. However, it is often sunny, and it’s certainly mild compared to much of Northern Europe. It can feel quite warm when standing in the sunshine, but you will certainly want to pack warm weather gear in case you arrive in a cold snap, and also for those speedy mountain descents. | ||
February | |||
March | In March Calpe weather is usually mild with many nice sunny days. By April, the temperature starts to rise quickly and by May the evenings should be warm too. This is the most popular time to cycle the Calpe region. | ||
April | |||
May | |||
June | In June the days are sunny and hot, but not as hot as July and August. July has the most sunshine hours and, statistically, the least days of rainfall of the whole year. August can be very hot, with some days reaching 40 degrees Celsius or more. You’ll want to get up early for cycling the Costa Blanca in August. | ||
July | |||
August | |||
September | The roads get quieter again as the children go back to school and most cyclists are thinking about the off-season. The weather tends to be warm, with some days being very hot, though evenings start to cool down, particularly in October. You may catch some rain, often in the form of brief showers. October is statistically the wettest month for Calpe. | ||
October | |||
November | Winter in Calpe is very mild compared to Northern Europe. Most winter days are clear and sunny with little rainfall. Temperatures are changeable and can vary greatly. There is always a chance of rainfall. Nights are cold. | ||
December |
Tips and articles
Maps and books
We used Marco Polo’s Costa Blanca guidebook to help plan our trip. The section on Costa Blanca is only 21 pages long, but it packs in some useful information on the main towns.
If you like a physical map, Michelin’s Costa Blanca 1:130,000 may be what you need.
Good to know
Confused about the different names for some of the towns? Calpe is the Spanish name, Calp is the Valencian name. The same goes for Javea (Spanish)/Xabia (Valencian) and Jalón (Spanish)/Xaló (Valencian). Our guides stick with the Spanish names.
Parking spaces marked with blue lines means you need to pay. If you see yellow lines, parking is prohibited.
If you see free chairs at a table occupied by someone else in a busy restaurant/café, don’t ask to sit down. It’s not a habit that’s common in Spain and will make Spanish people feel uncomfortable.
It’s worth knowing that both Calpe and Dénia have attractive old towns hidden away behind the urban sprawl (more on their history, here). If you’re staying in one of the towns and have any time off the bike, it’s worth searching out the old towns. The castle in Dénia doesn’t close until around midnight in July and August, so plenty of time after your ride!
Enjoyed our guide?
We’d love to hear from you – comment below or drop us a line.
Want more? Don’t miss our guides to the best Costa Blanca cycling routes in the road rides section above.
Want to check out some other destinations? Don’t miss our overview of Spain for cyclists, our pick of the best cycling destinations in Spain. Also check out our guides to Girona and Costa Daurada to the north and Murcia and Almeria to the south. Or search by the month you want to travel or cycling destination you want to visit, here.
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