If you and your kids enjoy cycling, you will love this beautiful route along the water in Huangpu’s Biological Island. Suitable even for the youngest of cyclists.

Don’t get me wrong, Dafushan Forest Park is still my number one family cycling spot in Guangzhou and there are plenty of other wonderful routes around the city, e.g. around Huadu Lake, which I had described before. However, they tend to get busy during weekends and could be challenging for the little ones. Not this one.

Bio-Island in Huangpu district, nestled between Changzhou Island and University Town in Panyu is a hub for scientific and pharmaceutical companies, characterised by modern, sleek and often very interesting buildings. You may be thinking – why would you take my children there? Well, because hardly anyone lives on the island there is virtually no traffic, the streets are wide and largely empty and most importantly, there aren’t many electric scooters on the roads or pavements. I know we all feel the same way about those! I recently went cycling along the Pearl River, Tianhe side, and as beautiful as the ride was, I felt constantly in competition for bike lane space with hundreds of scooters! Not ideal.

No such problem on Bio-Island! The cycling route is about 8km long and winds all the way around the island, which means you are by the water the entire time. You could, of course, cycle along the streets inland too but the designated cycling route is much nicer, in my opinion. The island is very well designed and so cyclists are mostly shaded by a wide variety of trees, surrounded by beautiful flora with many pleasant stopover points to chill. The island also has a couple of parks, which are convenient for picnics. Kids will enjoy the wide , largely empty lanes and adults the serene peace and quiet. Watch the boats go by, see tens of egrets taking flight and admire the stylish architecture.

I went cycling there during the week, which means it was exceptionally quiet but, I believe, that even on a weekend, this area would not see as many visitors as other cycling areas located in the city centre (10mn drive from Pazhou Expo). Another reason why I think this route is particularly suitable for beginners is that the entire route is flat. You can cycle and cycle uninterrupted for ages, as long as your child’s stamina allows and we know they have it in abundance! This is a brilliant way for your kids to use up some energy AND stay fit.

While this isn’t an island one might imagine when one hears the word and the landscape doesn’t resemble that of e.g. Hainan, I still found the views along the ride very pleasant, even of the industrial sites, reminding me of what a vibrant trading port Guangzhou still is.

The kids (and adults) might also enjoy a ride on one of the ROBOBUSES, driverless mini buses driving around the island! This could be a really cool, little bonus to your trip to the island.

I would recommend using your own bikes though bike rental is certainly possible, it just requires a bit more effort since there isn’t a one particular spot where the rental bicycles are parked and there are none outside the Guanzhou metro station-the only metro station on the island. It only took me about 5min though to find a rental bike and I did see many more parked along various streets.

Important note-if you had never rented a bike before, depending on the type of bike you find, it is likely you will be asked to upload your passport photo and wait for your data to be verified, which can take hours. It is a one-off process. There is one brand (blue), which doesn’t require it and allows foreigners to ride immediately but I would strongly suggest you find at least one rental bike before your intended cycling trip and register in advance so as to avoid disappointment on the day.

If your child is too young to ride a bike on their own but you would really like to go on family cycling trips without having to use a tandem/family bike, I would recommend buying one of the portable, foldable seats designed specifically for rental bikes. We got one for our son and it has served us well. There is a variety of seats available online on Taobao or JD and they are very reasonably priced. Ours looks like this one, available on Amazon:

*If you’d like more information about cycling routes in Guangzhou, you may want to check out this article by GD Today (not affiliated in any way with my blog).

!If you’d like to see some videos of this lovely place, head over to my Instagram. I also post on X and while my posts are about places and things to do in Guangzhou, they may not always be related to kids .

If you have been to the island, let me know what your experience was like:) What is it like on a weekend?

Info:

Address: Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Huangpu, Guangzhou

Getting there: Take Line 4 and get off at Guanzhou metro station. Didi-if you prefer to take a taxi, choose Guanzhou station as your destination.

Parking: Many of the office buildings offer parking. On-street parking is also possible.

Food: There are a few cafes and convenience stores on the island as well as restaurants inside the hotels but I would definitely recommend bringing a picnic with you.

Facilities: There are public toilets in the park and in cafes though not many. The island is mostly flat, which makes it very suitable for walks with a pram and for the elderly.

Age: All ages. It is common for families with young children to go there, equally many students from the nearby University Town go there for picnics.

Tips:

• Bikes are available on various streets, just walk around and within minutes you’ll find some.

• The cost is very low. I paid 13rmb for using the bike for 3 hours.

• Make sure the bike you scan shows a map showing all bikes parked nearby-if it doesn’t, it might be used for a scam asking you to pay extra unless you park the bike in a specific location-don’t believe it, all rental bikes can be left ANYWHERE.