Roque de los Muchachos from Santa Cruz de la Palma

My favorite climb I have ridden so far. The road begins with a few hairpins with views over the beautiful island. Soon after, you enter a very long stretch surrounded by bushes and trees. You never see far ahead so there is never that additional motivation of seeing your next target. Finally, the trees around you quite suddenly disappear and you begin riding along the Caldera De Taburiente. It feels as if you are on another planet. Soon before the short descent, you pass by the Mirdor de los Andenes. You could stop here but you will get an even better view at the top of the Roque. Finally, you reach a short descent and then the final struggle past the huge telescopes. At the top, you have a 360 view of the island, Tenerife and La Gomera. This climb has a unique feeling to it. If you go, remember to bring warm clothes as it can get cold on the open land at 2400m above the sea. The only minus is the worsening quality of the road but I rode it on a road bike and it did not bother me.

Nice climb. Largely modest gradients, but beware you go down before climbing again from Santa Cruz side. Not much traffic, and drivers respectful of cyclists.
No water/drink stops en route; be sure to bring what you need. Descent less fun, as road condition mediocre in sections (Nov.2024)