Thrilling downhills, spectacular views, and the all-important endorphin rush – an inclusive mountain biking holiday at one of our Beach Clubs is an epic experience. A mountain biking holiday in Europe means you'll be riding along stunning coastlines and through national parks and rolling countryside. The mountain biking possibilities are endless.
With guided mountain bike rides every day, there’s no need to map your trail – just turn up and ride. Or if you fancy hitting the road and eating up some miles, check out our road cycling holidays to mix things up. On a Neilson Beach Club holiday, there are routes to cater for all abilities and fitness levels, from mountain biking holidays for beginners to experienced cyclists.
Book one of our mountain biking holidays in Europe by contacting our team today.
The lowdown
Inclusive mountain biking
Free guided mountain bike rides every day
Strava routes available to download for free riding
Four levels of ride for all abilities
E-bikes at selected Beach Clubs
If you have pedals and shoes, bring them with you so they're guaranteed to fit
Our fleet of Trek X-Caliber 9 mountain bikes is perfect for your mountain biking holiday. Equipped with motion control dampers and high-tech frames, these bikes offer fast, agile and efficient riding. Plus, our expert teams ensure that they stay in top condition. We have a range of frame sizes to accommodate all riders, and our bikes are suited to local trails. Here's where you can find them:
Trek X-Caliber 9 MTB - Available at Messini, Buca and Baia dei Mori
Trek X-Caliber 9 MTB - Available at Alana, Vounaki and Levante Beach Club
Trek Roscoe 7 - Available at Cosmos Beach Club in Greece
The Powerfly 4 625 Gen 4 makes cycling easy for every rider. A tough aluminium frame, Bosch Performance CX motor and long-range 625Wh battery mean bumpy rides are no problem. Available at Alana and Baia dei Mori Beach Clubs.
Introducing the Trek Marlin 6+ and 8+ e-bikes. These boast platinum aluminium frames and Bosch active line motors, primed for trail-ready performance and pedal assist for tackling those climbs. The 6+ available at Adakoy and the 2026 8+ available at both our new clubs in Mauritius and Sicily.
These bikes will be available for taster rides, guided blue or red rides and free riding so that you can explore at your own pace. E-bikes are non-inclusive and are available for a little extra, subject to availability.
Inclusive
Beginner and improver mountain biking
Available at all Beach Clubs (except Turkey and Mauritius), our 'green' rides are leisurely and achievable for everybody on a mountain biking holiday. Ride to nearby beaches, villages, and tavernas, with distances varying from 5km up to 10km. You can get riding tips from the bike team or join an introduction session.
A small step up, our ‘blue’ rides take you further afield and may include slightly harder terrain. Blue rides vary from 10km to 25km and will take you inland to villages or along the coast.
We're proud to offer beginner and improver mountain biking holidays everyone can enjoy. Check our activity levels for mountain biking and other activities.
Inclusive
Intermediate and expert mountain biking
For more adventurous and technical mountain biking holidays, speak to our bike team about 'red' level rides at our Beach Clubs. You’ll venture far and wide – and it's a fantastic way to explore more of your holiday destination with technical ascents and descents.
If you're up for something longer, steeper, and even more challenging, give our 'black' rides a go, they're guaranteed to make you work hard.
Red and black mountain bike routes are available in Levante Beach Club, Vounaki, Cosmos, Messini, Buca and Baia dei Mori Beach Clubs. They are perfect for those looking for intermediate and expert mountain biking holidays. Look at our activity levels for mountain biking and other activities.
Inclusive
Guided mountain biking
if navigation isn't your strong point, then our guided mountain biking holidays are the answer. Our bike team does most of the hard work for you. All our rides are fully guided so you can just turn up and ride. You can focus on your fitness or take it easy while enjoying the view.
Every Beach Club has a variety of rides mapped out and the team will take the time to make sure you're happy and comfortable on the bikes. You'll receive guidance on all parts of the ride if you need it.
To get riding straight away, sign up for a ride with the bike team at the welcome meeting. After completing your first ride, more can be booked with the bike team.
Inclusive
Free riding and Strava
Prefer the idea of a self-guided mountain biking holiday? Doing your own thing has never been easier, safer or more accessible. Bikes are available to use at any point during the day, and one of our team will always be on hand at the cycling centre to advise and assist with routes and bike mechanics.
Our use of the popular cycling and running smartphone app Strava has made free riding easier than ever. All our routes are now available through destination-specific Strava pages.
We provide secure phone mounts to ensure the safety of your phone, giving you the flexibility to explore your mountain biking holiday destination at your own pace. If you need advice on how to use the tech, speak to one of the bike team at your Beach Club.
Inclusive
Family mountain biking holidays
Families will be well-catered for during your holiday. Our bike team have scouted out the perfect routes for a family ride. We have junior bikes suitable for 9 to 12-year-olds and XS mountain bikes, ideal for 13+ years.
If you’ve got a budding teenage mountain biker who wants to go further, we will also offer teen rides during the school holidays. All teens need to fit our standard mountain bikes. Those aged 14+ can join guided bike rides with an adult if their ability matches the available routes.
For the little ones (2-8), we have kids' bikes for use in the Beach Club. Remember, with our kids' clubs, you can head out on the mountain biking trails knowing they'll be enjoying themselves while you enjoy some time to yourself.
Inclusive
What can I expect from mountain biking holidays with Neilson?
There are many benefits to off-road cycling – and a mountain biking holiday allows you to enjoy them while riding through idyllic settings. You can zip along gravelly fire roads in Croatia, take on hill climbs to soak up views of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Sardinia and tackle valleys and mountainous terrain in Greece.
A mountain biking holiday is perfect for anyone with a taste for adventure. But that’s not to say you can't take it easy. At Buca and Messini Beach Clubs, choose electric bikes for extra power on hill climbs. You can also mix up mountain biking with other activities such as tennis, yoga, paddle boarding and dinghy sailing - or mountain bike all day if you'd prefer.
How can I prepare for a mountain biking holiday?
If you plan to take on more physically demanding, technical routes you may want to do some prep beforehand. It may be sensible to ride frequently in the weeks leading up to your mountain bike trip so you can build your stamina. Cross-training, such as squatting with weights at the gym, will also help to build muscle endurance. Spinning classes will boost your fitness and yoga will help your posture and reduce the likelihood of injury. Check out our handy guide to help you get ready for your mountain biking holiday on the Neilson hub:
Mountain biking is a sport involving off-road cycling across rough terrain, on dedicated trails through woodland and on other off-road or cross-country routes. There are several differences between mountain biking and road cycling. With the former, riders benefit from shifting their weight and keeping their bodies loose to manoeuvre the bike, whereas road cyclists will focus on generating speed and power using the bike's pedals.
Mountain bikes are capable of riding off-road, as they have suspension to absorb the bumps created by uneven trails. They also have lower ratio gears to help you tackle steep hill climbs. A mountain biking holiday is a great way to stay active and boost your fitness!
Find out more about what mountain biking involves.
Why choose Neilson for your mountain biking holiday?
Ready to book your next mountain biking holiday with us? Rest assured that we have over 40 years of experience in arranging holidays for happy customers. We have over 1,000 5-star reviews to prove this. We've also won British Travel Awards across a range of categories and our flight-inclusive trips are ATOL protected.
Check out the Neilson Hub to find out about group mountain biking or how to get in shape to get the most out of your mountain biking trip. Then, when you're happy to book, get in touch with our team.
Brilliant Neilson staff and hotel staff.
Hotel food menu very good and evening Al la Carte was excellent.
Plenty of tavernas around to eat out for simpler fare.
Good watersports activities and...
Brilliant Neilson staff and hotel staff.
Hotel food menu very good and evening Al la Carte was excellent.
Plenty of tavernas around to eat out for simpler fare.
Good watersports activities and cycling - both MTB and road.
Messini Beachclub is one of our favourites. It's a fabulous, well equipped resort with excellent Cycling, Sailing, Tennis, Gym, a 50m pool, a great sandy beach, and a lovely pool-bar. It's great for...
Messini Beachclub is one of our favourites. It's a fabulous, well equipped resort with excellent Cycling, Sailing, Tennis, Gym, a 50m pool, a great sandy beach, and a lovely pool-bar. It's great for waterskiing in the morning, when the sea can be like a mirror, the wind can get up in the afternoon and is generally on-shore so does mean you get a few waves and a bit of shore-break.
Cycling is fabulous, with plenty of Road & MTB bikes, the guides are amazing and have a wide variety of rides from easy to very challenging.
There's a great selection of dinghies, cats etc. and they're all well maintained by the very efficient beach staff.
The windsurfing can be very good, it's a consistent, clean wind but as it's on-shore, you'll need to be able to deal with a few waves and be able to get up-wind.
PLUS, it's only a 20min transfer from the airport !!
I only have a couple of minor criticisms:
- Windsurf kit is a bit limited compared to somewhere like Vass
- The food selection for Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner is amazing, but we found that the desserts were rather dominated by cream. Great if you like cream, but not so great if you prefer the prefer the traditional Greek Baclava etc.
Fantastic team of Neilson staff at Cosmos. All of them were hardworking, patient, fun and genuinely a lovely team.
I suffered a bump to the head during windsurfing and the resort Manager Daisy...
Fantastic team of Neilson staff at Cosmos. All of them were hardworking, patient, fun and genuinely a lovely team.
I suffered a bump to the head during windsurfing and the resort Manager Daisy and Beach Manager Theo, immediately assisted me and ensured I attended the medical centre and checked how I was on a daily basis.
There was someone in the tower whenever the beach was open so it felt very safe.
The different cycling routes were true to their grading. Eg a Green MTB was exactly that and not outside of my capabilities. Mhairie was excellent.
Freya, The fitness instructor was a joy - always smiling and approaching her classes in a very engaging way with different stretches for each class.
The learn to windsurf team were extremely patient even though I showed little ability. By the end of the holiday I was able to stand up and travel which may not sound like much but at 65, it was an achievement! Thank you James and Marcus, , Sam and Jeremy,
We enjoyed it so much that we are considering an even longer stay next year.
