Cycling Base Camp - Casa Maria, Novelda
The Costa Blanca's best-kept cycling secret is hiding in a wine valley 20 minutes from Alicante Airport.
Novelda sits at the heart of the Vinalopó - a quiet inland valley of vineyards, almond groves and mountain passes that professional cycling teams have used as a winter training base for decades. The roads are empty, the gradients are serious, the scenery is extraordinary. And almost nobody outside the peloton knows about it yet.
Casa Maria is a five-bedroom private villa in Novelda and has been set up specifically to work as a proper cycling base camp. Not a hotel room, not a shared apartment. A full villa, exclusively yours, with everything a group of cyclists actually needs.
The Base Camp
Casa Maria was built for groups who take their riding seriously but also know how to enjoy the rest of it. Five bedrooms sleeping up to ten, a large private pool for post-ride recovery, a fully equipped kitchen for fuelling properly, and outdoor dining for the evenings when nobody wants to move further than the terrace.
The cycling facility is elite.
Beneath the villa, accessed via a dedicated ramp with secure double doors, is a fully equipped basement cycling studio. Locked, covered and completely out of sight. Bring your good bike without the anxiety.
Inside: a professional workstand, full tool kit, track pump, and storage for up to ten bikes. Everything you need to strip, service and set up for the next day's ride — without improvising on a hotel room floor or leaving a £8,000 bike chained to a drainpipe.
Also sorted: a covered outdoor wash-down area for post-ride cleaning, a dedicated drying space for kit, and Skylink fibre WiFi running at 200Mbps+ throughout which is perfect for uploading Strava, route planning, video calls and everything in between.
The Routes
The Costa Blanca interior gives cyclists something the coast can never offer. Think empty roads, genuine climbs, and riding that rewards rather than frustrates. Here are six key routes available from the villa door:
The Vinalopó Valley Loop
Moderate · 58km · 720m elevation
The classic introduction to the region. Rolling vineyard roads through the valley, taking in the Castle of La Mola and the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena before looping back through Novelda. Perfect first-day legs. The kind of ride where you spend more time looking at the view than watching your power meter.
Pro tip: The bakery in Aspe opens at 7am. Worth timing your route accordingly.
Sierra de Crevillent Climb
Hard · 94km · 1,640m elevation
The climb that the training camps use. A proper sustained ascent through scrubland and rock, with views back across the valley that earn their place in the memory. The descent is long, fast and empty. This is the ride that tells you whether your winter training actually happened.
Pro tip: Carry two full bidons. There is nothing on the climb.
The Monasteries Circuit
Moderate · 72km · 980m elevation
A cultural and cycling loop combining the riding with two of the region's most striking landmarks — the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena above Novelda and the hilltop castle at Petrer. The roads between them are quiet, smooth and consistently interesting. The kind of route that non-cycling companions wish they'd come on.
Pro tip: The café in Petrer at the castle base is excellent. Allow time.
Inland to the Sierra Mariola
Hard · 108km · 1,920m elevation
A long day heading north into the Sierra de Mariola natural park. This is proper mountain riding — sustained climbs, technical descents, and a level of quiet that makes you forget you're an hour from a major Spanish city. Plan for six to seven hours in the saddle and a large dinner afterwards.
Pro tip: The road surface deteriorates above 900m. A 28mm tyre minimum is advisable.
The Almond Blossom Route
Moderate · 67km · 860m elevation
Best ridden February to March when the almond trees are in full flower. One of the most visually striking routes on the Costa Blanca — white blossom against red earth and blue sky. The climbs are manageable, the descents are rewarding, and the photographs are the kind that make people ask where you went.
Pro tip: Start early to get the blossom in morning light.
The Epic - Coast to Summit
Epic · 142km · 2,800m elevation
For those who came to the base camp for a reason. Dropping from the valley to the coast and climbing back via the highest accessible road in the province. A proper day out requiring full preparation, good legs and no plans for the evening beyond eating everything in the kitchen. Not to be attempted on day one.
Pro tip: Check weather. The summit road closes in high winds.
Pro Teams Train Here
The Costa Blanca interior has been a professional cycling training ground for generations. Teams including Team Visma–Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek and UAE Team Emirates use the Alicante region for winter base camps — and the roads around Novelda are part of that picture. The combination of mild winter temperatures, serious elevation, and empty roads makes it one of the best training environments in Europe.
You're not getting the same support staff. But you are getting the same roads, the same climbs, and considerably better post-ride wine.
When to Come
October – November · 18–24°C Peak cycling season Perfect conditions. Harvest season in the vineyards, ideal temperatures, roads quiet after summer. The classic pro team training window and the best time to be here on two wheels.
December – February · 12–17°C · Great training block Mild enough to ride comfortably in arm warmers. Zero crowds. The bodegas are quiet and welcoming. Bring base layers for the early starts but expect more good days than bad.
March – May · 16–24°C Best spring riding in Europe Vines budding, almond blossom on the climbs, warming days and long evenings. The shoulder season sweet spot — perfect for long days in the saddle and longer evenings on the terrace.
June – September · 28–36°C Early starts essential Hot. Ride early (5–9am) or late (6–8pm). The pool earns its keep in ways that make you grateful it's private. Serious cyclists avoid the midday hours completely — but the evenings are magnificent.
The Route Guide
For every Casa Maria cycling guest and anyone planning a stay, we've put together a full Costa Blanca Cycling Route Guide which includes GPX files, Komoot links, gradient profiles and insider notes on all six key routes. Get in touch when you book and we'll send it across.
Book Direct - Ride More, Pay Less
Booking direct with Casa Maria saves the Airbnb service fee which is typically 12–16%. For a group of 8–10 cyclists over an 11-night base camp, that's a meaningful saving that pays for a respectable amount of post-ride Monastrell.
Prime cycling season · October – May · From £180/night Minimum 11 nights · Sleeps up to 10 · The main cycling window — book early
Summer · June – September · From £195/night Minimum 11 nights · Early starts required · The pool makes the heat entirely manageable
Extended Base Camp · 28+ nights · From £95/night Direct enquiry only · Rolling stays considered · Best rate available
Plan Your Base Camp
Check availability at or send us your dates, group size and what you're planning to ride. We'll come back to you personally within two hours.
Casa Maria · Novelda · Vinalopó · Alicante · Spain
