Using eye-tracking technology, new research from adventure travel experts Explore reveals which cycling routes are objectively the most beautiful in the world.
The findings come as demand for two-wheeled travel surges. Google searches for “cycling holiday” up 292% in the past 12 months, now attracting more than 42,000 global searches per month.
Showing participants images of 52 renowned cycling routes from around the world, the study used eye-tracking software to measure which caught their attention quickest and held it longest. These metrics were combined into a weighted “eye-catching” score out of 100 to produce a definitive ranking.
Most beautiful cycling routes and ‘eye-catching’ scores
- 1 Canada Bow Valley Parkway (Banff–Lake Louise) 97/100
- 2 Australia Great Ocean Road 94/100
- 3 Italy Tuscany Gravel Routes 91/100
- 4 Germany Elbe Cycle Route 90/100
- 5 Chile Carretera Austral 86/100
- 6 Netherlands Amsterdam Cycle Route 86/100
- 7 USA Pacific Coast Highway 82/100
- 8 Italy Stelvio Pass 82/100
- 9 France Provence Lavender Route 81/100
- 10 USA Road to Hana 78/100
- 11 Scotland NC500 (North Coast 500) 78/100
- 12 France Route des Grandes Alpes 78/100
- 13 USA Slickrock Trail 76/100
- 14 North Macedonia/Albania Lake Ohrid Circuit 76/100
- 15 Canada Vancouver Seawall 75/100
Canada’s Bow Valley Parkway takes the top spot
With an almost perfect score of 97 out of 100, the Bow Valley Parkway is officially the world’s most beautiful cycling route. Running roughly 51 kilometres between Banff and Lake Louise, the route follows the Bow River beneath the limestone peaks of the Canadian Rockies, with views of Mount Rundle reflected in the glistening lake below.
Australia’s Great Ocean Road follows in second (94), where cyclists pass rainforest, surf beaches and the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles along Victoria’s south-west coast. Italy’s Tuscany Gravel Routes (91) completes the top three. Known for the professional one-day race held there each spring, the route features cypress-lined climbs, working vineyards and centuries-old hilltop towns.
Elbe Cycle Route, Germany (90) and Carretera Austral, Chile, (86) round off the top five most beautiful cycling routes.
Europe dominates the world rankings
Europe is home to more than half (60%) of the top 20 most beautiful routes, spanning France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and beyond. Meanwhile, the USA contributes the most entries from a single country, with four routes in the top 20: the Pacific Coast Highway (82), Road to Hana (78), Slickrock Trail (76) and Crater Lake Loop (74).
The top 20 spans nearly every continent, from the Scottish Highlands’ NC500 to Chile’s Carretera Austral, proving a beautiful ride can be found on almost any terrain and in any part of the world.
Luke Judd, travel expert at Explore, says: “There’s something about seeing a country from the saddle that no other kind of travel can match, you’re moving fast enough to cover real ground, but slow enough to take it all in. What’s interesting about this research is that it puts science behind what cyclists have always debated: which views genuinely stop us in our tracks.
“The fact that searches for cycling holidays have nearly quadrupled in the past year tells us travellers are craving a different way to experience a destination. Whether taking on a challenging ride with a tough climb in the alps or enjoying a lakeside route, there’s a cycling holiday for every ability.”
See more at exploreworldwide.ca
Main image: Australia Great Ocean Road (Photo by Wee Ping Khoo on Unsplash)