Zwift has just dropped a whole chain of new islands into Watopia, and this time the temptation isn’t a giant climb. It’s flat roads, ocean views, bison, and a suspiciously race-ready coastline.
But which route deserves your next trainer session? That depends on whether you want a look around, a proper race, steady kilometers, or another badge. Here’s how I’d choose.
🩷 My first pick: California Roll. It offers a manageable introduction with varied scenery. For a quick visit, choose Seafoam Circuit; for a longer outing, choose Pacific Pursuit.
What The Wild Isles adds to Watopia
The expansion launched on 26 October, bringing nine cycling routes and three running routes. Inspired by California’s coast and Catalina Island, it features ocean scenery and wildlife, including bison and whales. Zwift’s launch announcement describes approximately 17 km of new roads, with two areas designed for crit-style racing. Zwift’s launch announcement.
Island riding comes in more than one flavor: the rolling Caldera area, Seafoam’s bison territory, the flat Power Islands, and the Avalon waterfront. You can admire the scenery or turn the circuits into something considerably less relaxing. Zwift Insider’s expansion guide.
Why the flatter Jungle-to-Jarvis connection matters
The useful change is the connection between the Mayan Jungle and Jarvis Island. Zwift says it creates more options for longer, flatter rides. That gives you more freedom to link familiar parts of Watopia without making climbing the session’s center. Official expansion details.
For an endurance ride, I’d use that freedom to keep the effort steady and let the scenery provide the entertainment. For racing, I’d expect the flatter options to emphasize positioning and timing. Those are route-selection judgments, not findings from a race test.
⚠️ Watch the whole route profile: a route using these new roads can still leave the islands and take you climbing.
Choose your route at a glance
Distances below separate the route from the lead-in listed on Zwift Insider’s individual route pages, checked on 27 October. Start arrangements can differ between events and free rides; check your selected ride before setting a time limit. Elevation is the published route figure.
| Route | Route + listed lead-in | Climbing | My pick for |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Roll | 33.2 + 0.7 km | 139 m | First exploration |
| California Dreamin’ | 19.0 + 2.2 km | 106 m | Shorter ride with a climbing sting |
| Pacific Pursuit | 54.0 + 0.2 km | 381 m | Scenic endurance |
| Seafoam Circuit | 3.5 + 0.6 km | 18 m | Short laps and an early badge |
| Caldera Coaster | 4.0 + 1.9 km | 12 m | Crit reconnaissance and badge hunting |
| The Watopia 150! | 150.4 + 1.2 km | 0 m | A planned long-distance challenge |
Best for exploring: California Roll
California Roll combines roads from Seafoam, Caldera, the Volcano Circuit, and Watopia’s Flat Route. That mix makes it my choice for getting a feel for the expansion while still visiting familiar territory. It isn’t a tour of every new road. California Roll route details.
I’d ride it at a comfortable pace, leave the sprint chasing for another day, and allow time to look around. Choose it when you want a satisfying outing without turning your first visit into a distance challenge.
Best for racing: pick your kind of pressure
Seafoam Circuit or Caldera Coaster for short-lap racing
Both are compact figure-eight routes with little climbing. They’re the ones I’d scout for repeated-lap events: learn the finish approach, watch where the bunch stretches and practice staying close enough to respond without doing unnecessary work at the front. Seafoam details · Caldera details.
Check the event’s lap count, scoring and power-up rules before choosing tactics. A short route can make a long race, and low elevation does not guarantee an easy finish.
California Dreamin’ if you want a hill to change the race
This one includes the Hilly KOM before returning to the Caldera area. That makes it my more interesting choice for riders who enjoy a short climb in a mostly flat outing. California Dreamin’ route details.
My tactical focus would be to approach the climb well placed, avoid spending too much energy before it, and stay alert over the top. Save a deliberate attack for a moment when you believe it can stick.
Best for endurance: Pacific Pursuit
Pacific Pursuit links the new islands with the Jungle, Epic KOM Cutoff, Fuego Flats and Titans Grove. Its 54 km route and 381 m of climbing make it the longer, more varied option here. The cutoff does not make the entire ride flat. Pacific Pursuit route details.
I’d choose it when the aim is time on the bike with changing scenery. Ease back on the climbs if you’re aiming for a steady session rather than chasing a specific average speed.
Where The Watopia 150 fits
The Watopia 150 is the specialist choice: 30 laps around the Power Islands, with a published route elevation of zero. Including its listed lead-in, that’s roughly 151.6 km. The Watopia 150 route details.
I’d save it for a day when a long ride already fits the plan. Have your fan, drinks, and familiar ride food ready, and leave room for breaks. Flat terrain removes the climbing; it doesn’t remove the time commitment.
🚴♀️ Still setting up your pain cave?
Best for badge hunting: start small
Seafoam Circuit first, Caldera Coaster next. Their short distances make them sensible early targets. Select each named route separately and keep riding until the completion confirmation appears; don’t plan to pass through its roads on another route.
Zwift confirms that the new routes have badges and become available for free riding as they’re released. You’ll need game version 1.124.0 or later. Zwift’s access and badge guidance.
What I would ride first
California Roll gets my first session. I’d go in with one rule: explore now, race later. It has enough variety to hold my attention, modest climbing and a distance that feels like a proper ride without taking over the day.
If time were tight, I’d choose Seafoam instead. I’d choose Pacific Pursuit as my follow-up when I wanted a longer ride. These are my picks from the published route profiles, not claims that I’ve ridden them.
Explore now, race later. The islands aren’t going anywhere. 🌊
Next week: three more reasons to return
Tour of Watopia Stage 5 brings One Ride to Rule Them All, Molten Momentum and Crit Cross. Zwift confirms the additional routes unlock on Monday, 2 November 2026 at 17:00 SAST (15:00 UTC). There’s no need to squeeze every new badge into this week. Official unlock announcement.
Which comes first for you: the scenery, the race, or the badge? 🩷
Route figures checked on 27 October 2026. Recommendations are editorial judgments based on the published profiles. Event settings and start positions can change the ride you actually complete.
🩷The Endurance Diaries🩷
