Calpe and the Costa Blanca: A Cyclist's Spring Reset

Coll de Rates, Guadalest, the Xaló valley — why Calpe and the Costa Blanca are the cyclist's go-to for an early-spring reset, with a personal note from my own visits.

After a winter of indoor trainers and short, cold loops, early spring on the Costa Blanca is the reset button every cyclist needs before the season properly starts. This stretch of Spain is one of Europe's best winter-sun cycling destinations — while the rest of the continent stays grey and wet, the hills above Calpe sit in low, warm light with empty mountain roads. The climbs are real terrain, not tourist hills, and the roads have been ridden hard by enough WorldTour teams over the years that they're genuinely excellent.

Calpe and the Coll de Rates

The Coll de Rates is probably the Costa Blanca's most famous climb, and climbing it via Parcent and descending to Tàrbena is the most popular way to ride it. From that side it's a steady ascent of around 6km, leaving the coast behind for almond groves and small inland villages before opening up into wide valley views near the top. Ride it midweek and you'll mostly see other cyclists — on a sunny weekend, you're sharing the road with everyone else too.

The Calpe-Altea-Benidorm Triangle

This trio of coastal towns is the go-to winter base for a reason — easy coast spins, instant access to the main climbs, and cafés every 30-40km built for cyclists. Inland of all three sits a series of low mountains that regularly feature in La Vuelta a España.

Dénia and Jávea

Further north, Dénia and Jávea give you the same coastal base but with endless farm tracks through orange groves for gravel riders. A full loop starting and finishing in Dénia covers 126km and over 2,100m of climbing, taking on the Puerto de Tudons, Sa Creueta and Coll de Rates in one day — a proper season-opener if the legs are ready for it.

Moraira

Quieter than Calpe and Dénia, Moraira sits between the two — a smaller coastal town that puts you within easy reach of both Rates and Bèrnia without the bigger-resort feel.

Guadalest

Guadalest's reservoir is often compared to Gorg Blau on Mallorca's Puig Major — and getting there means taking on the Port de Tudons, a long climb of 15km at 5.3%. It's a full day out, not a quick spin, but the lake at the top makes the climb worth it.

The Xaló-Parcent Valley

About 25km inland from Calpe, this valley is the natural midpoint for several of the best routes, and its café culture reflects that — terraces fill with cyclists from November through March.

Other Climbs Worth Knowing

Cumbre del Sol — 3.6km at 10%, with sections above 20%, and a genuine Vuelta stage finish in its history — is short but brutal. The Vall d'Ebo climb, 9km at 5.1%, is one of the quietest roads in the region, while Port de Bèrnia rounds out the trio of climbs most riders base a Costa Blanca trip around.

My Trip There

I've been back to Calpe more than once. The Peñón de Ifach is visible from almost every street in town — that rock reminds you exactly where you are, even when you're staring straight down at the road. One climb took me high above the town, with mountains inland on one side and the coastline on the other — worth stopping for before dropping back down. After the ride, I stopped for coffee at a local cycling café, walls covered in posters of pro riders and the banner of the R.EV Velosol Spain fan club — the kind of place where everyone at the bar is talking about the ride they just finished.

The season runs October through April, with March and April warming up fast — still excellent riding, just with more early-season cyclists arriving from northern Europe. That's exactly what makes spring here worth the trip: real sun, real climbs, and the season ahead still in front of you.

Wioletta Rodzicz