Alicante, Spain

The beauty of visiting summer tourist hotspots in winter is the dearth of people, and therefore traffic. Roads feel like they are reserved exclusively for cyclists, and the few drivers that are around are considerate. Each winter hordes of cyclists head to this part of Spain and there is a notable presence of professional cycling teams training together in December and January.

The landscape is largely flat around the coast, and you have to pedal quite a way in-land to find some good climbs. Hondón de las Nieves, a cat 2 climb, has regularly featured in La Vuelta and has two roads ascending up it: there’s a longer option with a softer gradient; while the other has sections that ramp up to 14%. At the top of the climb you’ll find Hondón de los Frailes, a small village where refreshments can be found. Check out Tipsy Terrace.

Denia is our town of choice, as it’s in easy reach of the in-land climbs and offers more variety than other spots. A favourite pit stop is Cafe Ciclista, run by a lovely Scottish guy named John who hires bikes and imparts his wisdom of the local area.

Over the winter months you can regularly ride in short sleeves and bib shorts. This pleasant climate rests upon a surreal Dali-like landscape of olive tree plantations with arid sandstone mountains as the backdrop. Ripe oranges and clementines line the roads and offer a cheeky snack while no-one is looking–a perfect sweet treat to keep you going until the next coffee stop.