Does anyone have any locations which allow a sea to mountain experience?

Either UK or EU, holiday or home. Preferably not crazy busy tourist wise...

Somewhere with a nice coast, but also big hill / mountains right there which can be gained by bike in an afternoon / day?

Is this a real thing? or made up?

ta

What do you want from your 'sea' experience? Is it swimming and beach, or sailing/windsurfing etc. If it's the former, there are lots of lakes in france (other locations available) that are great for swimming but then also surrounded by hills/mountains

North Wales - Anglessey for beaches Snowdonia for the mountains

Aberystwyth then ride up Pymlimon and back down again. Or Barmouth and pedal up Cadair.

Newport and Preseli hills/mountains. Not the highest, but lovely scenery and easily accessible.

You've just described our place. We're 15 minutes from the mediterranean on the southern Costa Daurada, think little sandy coves and crystal clear water but a half day ride sees you at 1,400m up the Mont Caro, a climb that featured on the Vuelta Cataluña a couple of years ago. Hundreds of km of quiet roads, gravel and full on mountainbike trails and temperate weather from March to October.
2 hours flight from UK airports to either Reus or Barcelona airport, fares around £30 each way.
Here's our website. https://casatomillo.wixsite.com/home
We've just commissioned our glamping tent which increases our capacity to 5.

Not mountains per se but Exmoor and the North Devon coast fit the bill. Road bike or mountain bike doesn’t really matter.

Or there’s Madeira. Green list country with some great MTB trails and plenty sea to swim in.

Ravenglass to Eskdale is a nice ride, and you can do lots of it off road. You could then cross over to Wasdale via Burnmoor Tarn and back to the sea along minor roads.

West coast of Scotland. You get the added bonus of midges and rain although if you can get up there this weekend you'll get neither!

ssnowman wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 2:18 pm Newport and Preseli hills/mountains. Not the highest, but lovely scenery and easily accessible.

Can 2nd this - Newport is a nice little town with cracking beach/estuary and the Preseli / Carningli hills are backing right on to it. They are only 300-400m high, but the views from the tops are superb.

This is the beauty of the UK being an island I guess

I should have mentioned you can do it where I am. BUT, it's small hills rather than big hills. From where I am 40 min ride south is the beach, 40 min ride north are the hills. The biggest one is 271m so hardly massive, but there's lots of nice little ones all in a row

Are you expecting to ride to the summit or to push/carry? If the latter then many places on the west coast of Scotland would work. If it doesn't have to be a summit, then Torridon would be a good option, or Applecross. The road goes up to 626m from sea level.

Conway/Conwy up onto the hills there to Drum (750m) and then (I would imagine) onto Foel Fras at 943m.

Summittoppler will be the man to give you pointers as I’ve only walked it but not bikes it

Mt Etna on the road bike then ride down to the beach for BBQ fish and cold beer.

, or Applecross. The road goes up to 626m from sea level.

oh and what a bastard it is too.

Mount Tiede, Tenerife, ride from sea level to the crater of a volcano at 2100m in one go. Think its the longest road climb in Europe at about 35kms depending on the route. Bit busy though and the resort towns not very nice.

The climb and riding in the volcanic crater is stunning though

Finale Ligure

Check out the West of Crete and the Lefka Ori.

Thanks all. I'll have a look at those

Finale Ligure is pretty good if you like Italian food. You can swim in the Adriatic and mountain bike or rock climb in the hills around. There are companies who will shuttle you up to the summits of the mountains (1,000m+) if that's your kind of thing. I prefer to ride up and back down again.

Its a good old climb from Conwy up to the summit of Drum and all legal. You could be cheeky and keep going up to Carnedd Llewellyn and Carnedd Dafydd. On a clear day there's nothing better.
20170507_125322 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Corsica.
Best cycling destination I've ever been to for mixture of weather, scenery, food, mountains, forests, coastline, beaches, etc.
Been there four times, and would still go back for more.

Can't compete with Spain etc, but on a nice day Pont Scethin is a nice loop

https://flattyres-mtb.co.uk/route-guide ... t-scethin/

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue Jun 01, 2021 2:05 pm Aberystwyth then ride up Pymlimon and back down again. Or Barmouth and pedal up Cadair.

This.. Aberystwyth

Ben Mor on Mull.