The ¡Estupendo! Blog Site

I’ve had some form of two wheeled transport ever since we moved to the island. Motorbikes are hugely practical here – wet days are rare, and they make parking in Arrecife or Puerto del Carmen dead easy.

But the biggest benefit to me has always been that there are some simply spectacular roads to ride on here – and this is contrary to popular opinion, as people often ask me where you can enjoy a bike here.  These are some of my favourite roads:

• The “switchback” road up from Haria
• The road down to Famara
• The road from Famara to Teguise
• The old road down to Playa Blanca
• The road through La Geria

I could go on and on, but I’ll leave some for you to add!

Another question I’m often asked is about the wind. It can be a pain – it doesn’t really cause stability problems, but it can really slow you down if you’re struggling into a head wind on anything 125 CC or less.

And because of dust and grit being blown around, I’d advise wearing either a full face helmet or one with a large visor. I left my visor up recently and was hit by a small stone which cut my face.

There are a few motorbike clubs on the island, including the inevitable Harleys and Gold Wings, and you’ll see them cruising in convoys. Many people also take their bikes island hopping and even to the mainland on the ferries.

Tax is cheap and insurance, unless you’re under 25, is also inexpensive.

I had an Aprilia 50 CC scooter when we first arrived, and I upgraded it to a 125 a couple of years ago. The 125 handles riding two up quite comfortably, and being a large wheeled bike is nicely stable. For the hills around Haria, I’ve already decided the next one will be the same model, but the 200 CC version. These scooters have plenty of storage and good sized fuel tanks, but they’re light and easy to manoeuvre.

For a one up blast along the roads I mentioned above, or for a quick and easy trip into Arrecife, they are pretty much perfect!