Haría #1 | ≈20km, >1hr

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This is our favourite ‘test everything is working’ or ‘a quick spin after work’ ride from Haría. It is a great one to do as your first ride out of Haría. Traveling with bikes often results in things not working exactly as they should, and important pieces of kit not being remembered, so a ride like this that blows the cobwebs but is never more than 10km from home suits very well.

As with all rides described here you start at Plaza de la Constitución and, for this one, you follow the one-way street (LZ-10 to Arrecife) until the junction with the main road.

Continue straight on so that we are leaving Haría towards the sea on the Máguez side. The surface is a little rough, and there is just enough climbing to get the blood flowing, before you leave town. The road swings around to the left and down to meet the road out of Máguez to Arrieta. At that junction you take the left towards Máguez and then on entering Máguez turn right, and then right again at the sign for Jameos del Agua. 

Before you know it you will have left Máguez and be on another rough road with a little bit of climbing. This one has a couple of hard 90⁰ turns where going straight takes you down dirt tracks. There are no dirt tracks on this ride so, if you find yourself on one turnaround.

Passing through this farmed area you will descend onto the junction with then LZ-201 where you turn right and follow that road to the roundabout at Arrieta. The surface is smooth, the descent is a good opportunity to test your brakes and the views are spectacular. What’s not to like?

Before you know it you will going straight through the roundabout at Arrietta (not turning left up to Haría) and continuing on a short distance to turn right at signs for Tabayesco and start one of the most beautiful climbs on the island.

As you enter Tabayesco itself the road looks like it might be going down left into the town, but, keep right to climb the valley. 

It is simply stunning and with a pretty constant gradient of 5-6% a nice taste of what awaits elsewhere on the island. None of the climb is ‘hard’ and ‘slow and steady’ will allow you to enjoy the view and arrive at the junction with LZ-10 quite pleased with yourself. 

If you turn left here that will take you up the switchbacks to the highest point of the island, in front of you is the Valle de Malpaso, and you take the right to go downhill into Haría arriving back where you started from.