Atlantic Mountains Extreme - 4CI2405

Before we start the tour with our welcome briefing, we always have to make sure all the motorcycles are up to par for our tours. We check the oil, tires, brakes, and other parts to ensure all the bikes are safe and ready for an adventure. In this case, it meant we had to do a quick oil change on one of the bikes because a seal was leaking. But once that was taken care of, all the bikes were lined up in the garage, eager to hit the road.

Today was our first riding day, and boy, what a day it was! It started with a very short ride down to the ferry, where we encountered a little traffic but no trouble. The ferry ride takes about 45 minutes, giving us enough time to do our morning briefing on the boat. The briefing gives you an idea of what to expect, but I think everyone was very pleasantly surprised by the day we had. I lost count at 16, so I didn’t get very far, but it feels like we did about 100 times as many, and all were as good as the last one. When you arrive on the island, it’s relatively barren but already a bit greener than Tenerife. Riding up the hill, it keeps getting greener, and we stopped at a vantage point on the way up. After taking some pictures and capturing a little drone footage, it was time to ride into the forest, and that’s where everything changed— well, except for the amazing curves in the road. The forest is very dense, with much less light, but it’s beautiful to ride through. This route took us up and down a bit until we arrived at a viewpoint overlooking a steep cliff facing the Atlantic. There were clouds around, but it still offered a fantastic view. From here, we made our way to our coffee stop a little farther down the hill. Luckily, they teach you how to use a kickstand when you become a driving instructor in Canada; otherwise, it might happen that you fall over thinking it’s already down… Lunch came a little while later, down by the beach at a small restaurant. From the dining area, we could see the waves rolling in and enjoy the beach vibe. Kirk got a little traumatized, but with some therapy, I think he’ll get over it. After lunch, we sadly had to go back up the same way we came down and had to take all the curves all over again—what a bummer! We encountered so many turns that we even had a chance to experiment with doing sharp hairpins in 4th gear. Turns out that doesn’t work very well—who knew? Now, back at the hotel, we’re freshening up and then meeting at the rooftop bar with a panoramic view. A bad end to a very bad first day…

Because we weren’t done with La Gomera yet, and our ferry wasn’t until 12, we had time to do another lap around the island. Since there are so many great roads here, we could explore some we hadn’t done the day before, so now we’ve truly covered almost the entire island. The ferry ride was a chance for a small lunch and a briefing about Tenerife. Because it was very windy, the ship was moving a lot at the beginning, but then it smoothed out. After the ferry, it was time to discover Tenerife. The destination we were aiming for first was the big volcano, Teide. The road there winds through a very unique pine forest, with trees that have adapted to the special conditions they face. The road took us from sea level to almost 2,200 meters, where we stopped to take pictures of the volcano and the stunning landscape. The ascent was narrow and twisty, while the descent offered long, sweeping turns on brand-new asphalt—an absolute pleasure both ways. The other main highlight of the day was the Masca Road. This is an incredibly narrow road, barely wide enough for cars to pass each other. It’s steep, full of hairpins, and just when you think you’ve got it under control, you might encounter a big tour bus in the middle of a corner. A truly unique place to ride your bike. The café at the end of the road offers stunning views of the valley, letting you take in the incredible route you just tackled. From there, it was a pleasant ride to our hotel—first navigating more hairpins, and then cruising along the coast to wrap up the day.

To give you an idea of how our trip is going, I’m writing this blog from a heated sunbed close to the infinity pool, looking down the mountainside from our hotel. So if you were wondering, yeah, we are doing just O.K. We started our morning from the hotel, where we had a little trouble with a passport that identified as a toothbrush and was hiding in the toiletries bag, where we couldn’t find it. From then on, it was smooth sailing, making our way from the coast up towards the observatories of Tenerife. The road climbs very fast and took us up towards 2,300 meters. This meant it was only 6 degrees up there, and with the wind, it was very cold. The first group is a little more sporty, and they think that’s a good thing, but as we found out, it pays off to take your time. As the first group was at the top in rainy, cloudy weather with no visibility, we had clear skies and stunning views. As soon as we left the picture spot and turned into the forest, it did change radically. The wind was blowing the fog over the ridge, and it created a dense fog throughout the forest. With the cold and wet roads, we took it easy on the way down. After these tougher conditions, we made our way to the Anaga Mountains. The way up was a gorgeous forest with a winding road, sun peeking through at certain spots, and not more than a little traffic. The way down was absolutely stunning. The whole way down, we had a fire-orange glow towards the valley/ocean, and the road kept winding down along the hillside with turns that seemed to form a perfect rhythm to ride. At the bottom of this road was a sandy beach, so we got a chance to show off our suits next to people in bathing suits. We may have looked a tiny bit out of place. On to the ferry and away to the last island of the trip, Gran Canaria. We will spend two nights on the island here, so today we had a short ride after the ferry to the hotel and will see the rest tomorrow. That still meant we had an awesome drive along steep cliff sides parallel to the ocean and through the forest, eventually taking us up to our hotel at 1,800 meters. The hotel is an old monastery. And that’s the way we are spending the two nights, like you would expect in a monastery: straw beds, no heating, just bread and water. Oh wait, I already mentioned the infinity pool… Well, maybe the hotel is a little less shabby than I made it out to be…

Today was an incredible day spent exploring the stunning island of Gran Canaria! The morning started off a bit cloudy and chilly, but the sun was already peeking through in some spots, teasing us with the promise of a beautiful day ahead. Our first adventure took us away from the island’s center, where we’re staying, to an ancient collapsed volcano. The views were absolutely jaw-dropping—we could see the surrounding landscapes and even catch a glimpse of what lay ahead on our ride. From there, we descended into the valley before heading up to the island’s highest peak, Pico de las Nieves. From this incredible vantage point, we were treated to sweeping views of the island’s dry side, with its dramatic rock formations, towering cliffs, and those irresistibly twisty roads snaking along the landscape. Soon, we found ourselves heading toward this area, starting in a lush, green mountain range. The road wound its way down the verdant slopes and led us to a quaint little town nestled in the valley. One group decided to stop here for lunch—and with the sunshine streaming in, it was a picture-perfect spot to refuel and relax. After lunch, we split into two groups. Some riders opted for a more laid-back afternoon at the hotel, while the rest of us dove into the adventure of riding through a canyon. The journey took us to the same roadblock the first group had encountered earlier. While they had followed the detour and ended up at the island’s famous sand dunes, we turned back and got the joy of riding that gorgeous canyon road twice! Honestly, when every road is this spectacular, it’s hard to complain about a little extra riding. But wait, the plot thickens! We hit yet another roadblock, forcing us to improvise once again. This time, we added an extra loop closer to our hotel—and it was so good we couldn’t resist doing it all over again in reverse. Double the fun, double the memories! Tonight, we’ll savor our last dinner on the road and gear up for tomorrow’s final riding day, which will take us back to Tenerife. What an unforgettable journey it’s been!

It’s hard to believe, but today is the last day of our tour through the Canary Islands! After another great breakfast at the monastery hotel, we set off to ride a few more roads on Gran Canaria before catching the ferry. Since we had some extra time, we made a few stops to take photos and capture some drone shots along the way. Once we arrived at the town where the ferry departs, we used the spare time to ride a few kilometers up the coast and back. The views were fantastic, and we managed to grab some nice pictures and videos. The ferry was a bit delayed, but the trip itself went smoothly, and soon we were back on Tenerife. Even though it was the last day, we avoided the highway and headed inland after unloading from the boat. We climbed up to the higher parts of the island, enjoying some fun twists and turns along the way. On the way down, we were riding above a sea of clouds, with the island below and another island visible in the distance. As we descended, we entered the mist, came out below it, and were greeted with clear views again. From there, we rode parallel to the coast, tackling more turns through small towns and barren landscapes. This kept us busy until the very end of the day. After a short stretch of highway, we turned off toward the hotel. Back at the hotel, we returned the bikes and are now preparing for our farewell dinner tonight. Here is a link to the video from our tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHPkWa9rAs