1st Madeira - Trail surfing in Portugal's winter garden in the Atlantic
The trails on the Portuguese flower island in winter are rarely as dusty, dry and flowy as in the Epic video clips by pros such as Josh Bryceland, Kriss Kyle and Brandon Fairclough. Temperatures remain in the double digits, but the Atlantic sends at least a few clouds of mist for irrigation. So it's a good thing that Madeira can offer a wide variety of soils in a very small area: fine volcanic dust, red clay soil, rich forest humus or alpine gravel. Some MTB trails are made grippier by moisture, others stick to the tyre tread like cement. Conditions that British bikers know well from home, which is why Madeira is one of their favourite winter freeride destinations. The participants of the EWS also chose the island as their favourite spot. Tip: On the Trans-Madeira, you can get to know all facets of Madeira - including the national drink Poncha, which quickly makes you dizzy.
Info Madeira
Journey: Flight time from German airports: approx. four hours.
Tours: The climbs on Madeira are usually steep. It is therefore advisable to invest in a guide with a shuttle. For example at www.freeridemadeira.com
Events: Trans-Madeira enduro race with 220 kilometres and 30 stages in 5 days, www.transmadeira.com
New Year's Eve: Europe's largest fireworks display bursts into the sky over Funchal.
2nd La Palma - the greenest of the Canary Islands is back with its MTB trails
Slightly smaller than Madeira, but 460 kilometres further south and therefore closer to the warming equator, La Palma basks in the Atlantic. The advantage of the small, green Canary Island: its significantly higher peak, the 2426 metre high Roque de los Muchachos, simply dams up the oncoming trade wind clouds and ensures a stable, dry south-west of the island. Dusty trails, various bike stations with shuttle services and spring-like bathing temperatures attract most of Europe's bikers in winter - when the volcanoes are at rest. The last major eruption in the Cumbre Vieja, at the end of 2021, not only buried a few roads and MTB trails, but also cut off the biking mecca of Puerto Naos on the west coast from the outside world. The town and beach are still off limits to this day due to leaking gases. However, the trails that have been created on the metre-thick layer of ash of the new Tajogaite crater are. The base camps for bikers are now the more northerly towns of Tazacorte and Los Llanos.
Info La Palma
Journey: The direct flight from Germany to Santa Cruz de la Palma takes just under five hours.
Tours: All tours are open again after the volcanic eruption. Problem: As long as the town of Puerto Naos is closed, accommodation is very limited. It is best to book directly through the bike centres, they will always find a nice spot along the west coast.
3rd Elba - World Champion Trails
You can cycle around the small but most beautiful island in Tuscany on rewarding trails (five days) or cross right through it on ridge paths (three days). As the crow flies, the east and west coasts are only 27 kilometres apart, but the island mountains in between provide enough adventure for several stages. In the west, you fight your way steeply up to the highest possible point, the 1019 metre high Monte Capanne, and then shimmy gently up and down towards the east. At the end, the mountains are only 300 to 500 metres high, but the trails remain rough, gravely and naturally rugged. But there is still a dolce vita, because almost every climb is rewarded with sensational views over the sea, and many descents end in a beautiful bay. A backdrop that also inspired the international marathon elite when the 2021 World Championships were held in Capoliveri. But of course, Elba is now also getting a little help from the shovel: A trail centre with easy but also very rough descents awaits in the granite boulder and sandstone rock landscape near San Piero in Campo, on the south-eastern flanks of Monte Capannes.
Info Elba
Journey: Of all the Mediterranean islands, the small Tuscan island is the quickest to reach by ferry. The crossing takes just 45 minutes.
Tours: An online map with a complete overview of all bike routes, including the best trails, is available from Transalp tour author Andreas Albrecht: gps-bikeguide.com
Events: Capoliveri Legend Cup, a marathon in May with two distances (75/50 km), www.capoliverilegendcup.it
4th Trieste - exciting city, new MTB routes and trails
The harbour city on the Adriatic has changed its nationality several times in the course of its history. It belonged to Austria, France, Germany and Yugoslavia before being returned to Italy after the Second World War. The different architectural styles in the old town centre still bear witness to this. Today, Trieste is also known as the "capital of coffee". There are countless cafés and bars that provide a lively nightlife after the tour. But speaking of tours: the area begins behind the old town streets with peaks up to 1000 metres high, most of which already have Slovenian names, as the border with the neighbouring country is only a half-day ride away. An exciting trail network back into the city is provided by very active locals who obviously spend a lot of time in their coastal forests. Top spot!
Info Trieste
Food & drink: Meat and sauerkraut lovers should definitely stop off at one of the typical "buffets" in Trieste. A relic from Habsburg times that even the people of Trieste queue up for. For example: www.buffetdapepi.it
Osmize: In the forest above the city you will find small taverns: www.osmize.com
Tours: Three tours with the best trail sections in the BIKE area guide Trieste www.bike-magazin.de
5th Sierra Nevada - where Winnetou would bike
It's probably already too late for the 3482 metre high Mulhacén. The highest peak in the Spanish Sierra Nevada usually throws its white winter blanket over itself early in autumn. Which is a shame, because there is actually a trail entrance up here, and if you're up for it, you can fire down to the beach from up here - longer descents are not possible anywhere else in Europe. Even more exciting, however, is the route through the Sierra Nevada. From Granada to Almeria, 350 kilometres and 10,500 metres in altitude accumulate on dusty slopes and panoramic high mountain trails. Along the way, you can pick figs, pomegranates and almonds from the trees or sample original Serrano ham in the mountain town of Trevélez. It is best to contact the local guides. They also organise individual tours depending on the snow conditions.
Info Sierra Nevada
Journey: Almeria, Granada and Malaga are ideal destinations for tours in the Sierra Nevada.
Travelling time: The guided tours end in October. On your own you have to reckon with fresh temperatures in the Sierra!
Guided tours: Specialists for Sierra Nevada tours, also with shuttle or as a self-guided option with accommodation: www.almeria-bike-tours.de and www.puremountains.com
6th Sicily - experience volcanoes up close on a MTB
Italy's largest island is huge. Several exciting low mountain ranges rise up from its interior, they are practically the extensions of the Apennines in the boot of the mainland. You can go mountain biking here well into the autumn, and from October you can pick oranges straight from the tree. But the real star of the island is, of course, Mount Etna. The highest active volcano in Europe changes its height with every eruption and fluctuates between 3200 and 3357 metres. The shuttle and cable car help with the ascent, but you have to crank the last few metres yourself at this altitude. The view over the Mediterranean, the Strait of Messina and the city of Catania grows exponentially with it. A local will explain how close you can get to the giant until the tyres melt away, as volcano tours are forbidden in Italy without a guide. However, he also knows the most beautiful ash slopes, through which you can waggle back downhill on your bike. It takes a little while to get the right riding technique for this exotic terrain. But if you like it, you might want to add an adventurous boat trip to the volcanoes of the offshore Aeolian Islands.
Info Sicily
Guided tours: Bike Alpin offers a one-week trans-Sicily tour from Cefalù to Mount Etna in spring and autumn. Info: www.bikealpin.de
Bike & Boat: The tour operator TrailXperience organises a volcano trip on an old wooden sailing boat: from one Aeolian island to the next, plus an Etna and Stromboli experience. Individual group trips are also possible. Nine days in total. Info: www.trailxperience.com
7. Tuscany - the whole coast is a single MTB spot
If you ask three passionate bike & beach holidaymakers about their favourite spot, at least two of them will agree: Punta Ala. And there are reasons for this, of course. There is a cool campsite right on the beach and the trails up into the coastal mountains start right behind the tent. This spot became famous after the EWS was held here for the first time in 2013, putting the sandy flow trails with sea views in the international spotlight. Summer campers have been flocking here ever since. It's therefore a good idea to come to Punta Ala in autumn, when you'll find the trails showing signs of wear and tear, but you'll have them almost to yourself.
The wild boar trails of the Maremma are regularly maintained, but without direct access to the sea. And in the middle of it all, the Massa Vecchia bike hotel is like an oasis with a restaurant, pool and even its own pump track in the garden. The relatively new Tuscany Coast Park in Castagneto Carducci with its sea view trails and year-round shuttle service is also definitely worth a visit. Oh, it's best to take the rest of your holiday. The forests along the Tuscan coast are full of surprises!
The trails in Punta Ala are now too crowded for me. My favourite is the Folgorito downhill in the province of Massa-Carrara, an old military trail from the Second World War. - Ines Thoma, Enduro pro
Info Tuscany
Accommodation:
www.massavecchia.it
www.campingpuntala.it
Tours: Enduro riders Ines Thoma and Max Schumann have tracked down the best trails in Tuscany and described them in their book "Tuscany Trails".
Bucketride offers camping road trips to the best spots: www.bucketride.de
Bike park: Tuscany Coast Park, 20 minutes by car north of Piombino, www.tuscanycoastoutdoor.com
8th Ligurian coast - an insider tip for mountain biking in winter
If you only know Finale Ligure's highly frequented trail network in summer, you'll be rubbing your eyes in autumn: nothing and nobody on the road. Free ride on all trails. Especially since neighbouring Pietra Ligure has seamlessly joined in with its kilometres of trails. You don't even have to hurry, as the 200 trails are now open all winter long. Just like most of the bars and restaurants in the coastal towns. At best, you might bump into a few trail builders who are already digging up new trails for the next season. As for the best time to travel in the cooler months of the year: check the weather map. If a so-called "Genoa low" announces itself, you can expect a few days of rain and cold winds. Otherwise, however, you can enjoy a few hours of sunshine even in January.
Info Liguria
For you card: In addition to the trail map, for 12 euros you get a card to collect points in supermarkets, cafés and shuttles. This gives you benefits and also supports the trail maintainers. Available on site or online. Info: www.finaleoutdoor.com
Tours: The trail map already contains the connected bike network of Pietra Ligure. In total: 200 trails.
Accommodation tip: Agriturismo Rose di Pietra, very familiar, www.rosedipietra.com
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
