Cycling holidays in the Mediterranean: The 6 most beautiful spring destinations for touring cyclists

Sven Bremer

, Barbara Merz-Weigandt

· 24.01.2025

Before the tourist rush: In spring, the road to Cap Corse is still not very busy.

The islands off the Dalmatian coast are wonderfully peaceful in spring. Here on the island of Vir with a view of the island of Pag and the Velebit mountains

Tranquil: the harbour of Erbalonga on Cap Corse

The Cilento hinterland delights with pretty villages in unspoilt countryside.

The roads in northern Morocco are surprisingly good and the mobile phone network is better than a few kilometres from Marienplatz in Munich, even in the most remote regions.

14 Images

Photo: Günter Standl

The cycling conditions around the Mediterranean are already ideal in spring. If you don't want to set off on your own, you can join a tour operator and usually don't have to worry about travelling and bikes on site. Here are 6 MYBIKE recommendations.

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Corsica: collect metres in altitude

In ancient times, the Greeks referred to Corsica as "Kalliste", the "beautiful one". Anyone who has ever visited the French Mediterranean island will probably agree. It is only flat on the east coast, otherwise there are many metres of altitude to overcome on "Corse". More than 70 peaks rise over 2,000 metres into the sky, with Monte Cinto being the highest at 2,706 metres.

Photo: Günther StandlCorsica: Cycling and enjoying Cap Corse near Nonza

Travelling through the Corsican mountains by bike is a sweat-inducing experience. You may well get goose bumps - not because of the cold, but because of the overwhelming beauty of the surroundings. The best tours in Corsica run along the west coast of Cap Corse in the north and over the Col de Bavella in the south of the island. This region is also known as the "Corsican Dolomites" due to its striking rock formations. The routes through the remote mountain landscape to the east of Corte, the "secret capital" of Corsica, are an insider tip.

Cilento: slow down in a world heritage site

Long white sandy beaches and hidden dream beaches with turquoise-coloured water, historic villages and towns nestled picturesquely against the rocks: Cilento is a tranquil microcosm in the otherwise often chaotic and sometimes heavily polluted south of Italy. To say that the Cilento - or more precisely the Cilento coast - has remained untouched by tourism would be an exaggeration. In summer, the - predominantly Italian - holidaymakers throng the beaches.

Photo: REDA&CO/Getty ImagesThe village of Castellabate offers a marvellous view of the coast and the Cilento National Park

However, the roads in the hinterland, often with fantastic views of the Mediterranean, are heavenly quiet, especially after "Ferragosto" in mid-August, the peak of the holiday season and the turning point of summer in Italy. While it can get extremely hot in high summer, the temperatures in spring are ideal for cycling. In the unspoilt landscape of the Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, you often won't meet a soul for miles when cycling. Between endless olive groves and vast forests, otters and wolves say goodnight to each other, while the villages serve up down-to-earth and extremely healthy regional cuisine.

Photo: Marco VitaleThe Cilento hinterland delights with pretty villages in unspoilt countryside.

MYBIKE tips for the Cilento:

Arrival By train from Munich approx. 12 hours to Salerno.
Direct flights to Naples from several German airports, from there approx. 150 km by hire car or regional train
Price level favourable to medium
Rental bike www.antares91.com
Transport There is little going on even on the coastal roads
Package holiday A customised 15-day cycle tour along the Via Silente through the entire area of the Cilento National Park, Vallo di Diano and Alburni can be found on www. laviasilente.it. From 1290 Euro incl. half board

>> More cycle tours in Italy can be found here

Andalusia: Soak up the sun

Almost a hundred years ago, in 1928, the Austrian hotelier Rodolfo Lussnigg had an ingenious and, with 325 days of sunshine per calendar year, quite obvious marketing idea. He gave the section of the Andalusian coast to the west and east of Malaga the name Costa del Sol ("Sun Coast").

The beaches on the Costa del Sol are still deserted in spring. As here at Playa Rincon de la Victoria, you can combine a break from cycling with a dip in the sea.

Photo: Günter StandlThe beaches on the Costa del Sol are still deserted in spring. As here at Playa Rincon de la Victoria, you can combine a break from cycling with a dip in the sea.

Cycling along the coast, with its numerous bed castles and veritable architectural sins, only makes limited sense. But as soon as you have climbed a few kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, you feel like you are in a cyclist's paradise. You cycle past the famous "white villages" of Andalusia, characterised by the Moorish period in the region, through a lonely mountain landscape. And when the Mediterranean glistens like a disco ball in the sun in the distance, the cyclist's happiness is perfect.

The cycle routes around Zuheros, one of the "white villages" in the hinterland, are breathtakingly beautiful. The village has been largely spared from tourism.

Photo: Günter StandlThe cycle routes around Zuheros, one of the "white villages" in the hinterland, are breathtakingly beautiful. The village has been largely spared from tourism.

MYBIKE tips for Andalusia:

Arrival Direct flights to Malaga from several German airports
Price level medium
Rental bike www.bike2malaga.com
Transport Hardly any traffic on the side roads outside the greater Malaga area
Package holiday Winkinger Reisen has a 13-day cycle tour "In the footsteps of the Moors" in its programme. Including half board, flight, luggage transport and bike hire from approx. 2888 euros. www.wikinger-reisen.de

>> We have described further tours throughout Europe here

Crete: Versatile cycling paradise

Crete is often referred to as the "mountains in the sea". You can definitely forget about flat cycling on Greece's largest island. But with around 300 days of sunshine a year, you can confidently leave your thick cycling gear at home: From March to May, the temperatures on the island, which is only around 300 kilometres from the African continent, are extremely pleasant for cycling.

Photo: Standl/laifThe Venetian harbour town of Chania is well worth a sightseeing stop.

It is only advisable to bring a waistcoat, long trousers and shirts for tours at higher altitudes. Apart from numerous dream beaches, Crete has the Lefká Óri ("White Mountains") in the central Ida Mountains and several two-thousand metre peaks in the Dikti Mountains to offer. Inland, away from the crowds of tourists, "Kriti" is pristine and incredibly varied: Crete is an unruly wilderness, Crete is a magnificent and colourful fruit and vegetable garden, Crete is a paradise for cyclists. However, we know that not everything was perfect in paradise either: the lonely little roads on Crete are sometimes quite bumpy, so it's not a bad idea to opt for a sturdy touring bike with wide tyres.

Photo: Standl/laifSurrounded by lush greenery, you can be found on the lonely little roads in Crete's hinterland in spring. Here near Karines.

MYBIKE tips for Crete:

Arrival Direct flights from several German airports
Price level favourable in the interior, medium in the tourist resorts on the coast
Rental bike https://cyclingcreta.gr, www.olympicbike.com
Transport Beyond the coastal roads there is a heavenly calm
Package holiday Tour operator ASI Reisen has several trips to Crete on offer. 7 days bed and breakfast, guided or individual, with e-bike hire and luggage transport. Without flight from 930 euros. www.asi-reisen.de

Morocco: original and varied

If you think of endless deserts, camels, sweltering heat and lots of sand when you think of Morocco, you're absolutely right - and wrong at the same time. In fact, anyone who thinks that the north-west of Africa is all about driving on rough tracks is completely wrong. The roads in northern Morocco are surprisingly good and the mobile phone network is better than a few kilometres from Marienplatz in Munich, even in the most remote regions.

Photo: Henning AngererIn Moroccan villages, cyclists are considered rather exotic

The region around the legendary Tangier, which once attracted spies, crooks and artists from all over the world almost magically, is hilly to mountainous, greener than you might think and has a varied landscape. While Western luxury products are on offer in the shopping malls in Tangier, many rural inhabitants live in abject poverty; anyone who owns a goat or a cow is considered rich. As a cyclist, you cycle through a foreign and fascinating world, are marvelled at and usually celebrated. Probably the most beautiful tour in Morocco's north leads from Chefchaouen to the Mediterranean. Even if there are still plenty of metres of elevation gain on the way back, you should try the fish tajine cooked on an open fire on the beach promenade of Oued Laou.

Photo: Henning AngererDelicious: Fish tajine in Oued Laou

MYBIKE tips for Morocco:

Arrival Direct flights from several German airports
Price level Very favourable
Rental bike Hardly available
Transport Extremely little inland
Package holiday Tour operator Belvelo has an 11-day Morocco group tour by e-bike in its programme. Price incl. flight, catering and luggage transport from 2690 euros. www. belvelo.de

>> Bike tours all over the world can be found here

Dalmatia: Mediterranean picture-book landscape

Football, tennis, basketball - basically anything that involves a ball fascinates Croatians and they are damn good at it; they are unbeatable at picigin anyway. In this game, invented on the beaches of Split in shallow water, the players "dab" a "shaved" tennis ball at each other, which must never touch the water. Cycling, on the other hand, is rather suspect to Croats, who somehow still seem to be stuck in the belief that only people who can't afford a car would ride a bike.

The islands off the coast of Dalmatia offer the best cycling conditions in spring. Here on the island of Vir with a view of the island of Pag and the Velebit mountains

Photo: Martin KirchnerThe islands off the coast of Dalmatia offer the best cycling conditions in spring. Here on the island of Vir with a view of the island of Pag and the Velebit mountains

The south and the Dalmatian islands in particular offer cyclists a dream destination for a cycling holiday in spring. From Split, you can be on the islands of Brač or Hvar in no time at all by ferry. There you can cycle - and climb - on well-maintained, mostly low-traffic roads with breathtaking views through a picture-book Mediterranean landscape. Korčula, where Marco Polo is said to have been born, also offers fantastic tours. And if it gets too hot in the south of Croatia - the nearest dream beach is just a few pedal strokes away.

Photo: Ivan DuranA special way to discover the national park with its many islands is by bike and boat.

MYBIKE tips for Dalmatia:

Arrival Direct flights to Split or Dubrovnik from several German airports
Price level medium
Rental bike www.inselhuepfen.com
Transport There is only a lot of traffic on the islands when a car ferry is arriving. Traffic on the coastal road between Split and Dubrovnik is also limited.
Package holiday A combined bike & boat trip through the Dalmatian National Park can be found with tour operator Inselhüpfen. 8 days, incl. accommodation and catering on board, tour guide, without flight from 1149 euros. www.inselhuepfen.com

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