Motorcycle trip in Tenerife

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Motorcycle trip in Tenerife
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Motorbike tour in Tenerife

Motorbike tour in Tenerife
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Spain’s fattest volcano is enthroned on it. Millions of tourists visit them. And yet it keeps secrets that remain hidden from many. Reasons enough for a motorcycle tour in Tenerife.

Dirk Schafer

March 31, 2016

Rain is pounding on my window. Just like yesterday. And the day before yesterday. I urgently need a light change! Rustling in the hallway. Diana comes home. Dripping like Jack Sparrow, who has just been dragged out of the bloody Caribbean, she unlocks the front door. “What do you think of Tenerife?”

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Three weeks later: Willi drives ahead. With his GS. On his home route. Confident and relaxed. Willi knows his way around. On the Canary Island of Tenerife. His island. Diana and I mumble afterwards. In Adeje we still winced: The vacation dream of other troubled people cast in concrete had a motorway access and 160,000 hotel beds. But now, at the entrance to the Masca Gorge, the immobile fellow vacationers are forgotten. The road is just hopping over a knoll and a rugged landscape spreads out in front of us. Right in the middle: a three-dimensional Carrera track with a street boundary made of Lego bricks.

First gear, steering stop

The street is really not much wider than the children’s Carrera track. Overtake? No problem, because we can shake off the columns of rental cars that are still looming at the top at the first panorama selfie point. But the inside curves of the hairpin bends slow us down into the gorge. These things are as tight as paper clips. First gear, steering stop. But it is not the turns themselves that add staccato to our rhythm, but a pitiful Goldwing colleague who only takes his 1800s around corners in shunting operations. So we have time to take a look through the gorge towards the sea and the afternoon sun.

The sunset was just showing off a heart-warming kitsch light over the sea, when the blackness of the night rushes out of the sky. Willi, our volunteer guide for one day, has said goodbye and we stay with Pascal in the “Casa la Ranita” in Los Silos. Together with his wife, he has transformed the historic townhouse directly on the Plaza de la Cruz into a cozy hostel. Instead of a roof, “Casa la Ranita” has an inviting roof terrace with a view of the stars.

Tenerife doesn’t even have the dimensions of the Saarland. But the island doesn’t have to be embarrassed. Mother Nature donated her Spain’s number one mountain and volcano. With its gleaming white summit cap, the Teide marks the edge of Europe like a lighthouse with continuous light. From its top you can look down on the satellite islands: La Gomera, La Palma, Gran Canaria. The morning devil rides the thought of this view: sunrise on the Teide!

It’s not getting that cold …

Diana’s motivation threshold is below sea level. Does not matter! Then I’ll just drive alone and we’ll celebrate reunification at noon. I use my school knowledge to calculate: If the temperature drops by 0.65 degrees every 100 meters in altitude, then the mercury from Los Silos at sea level to the plateau at the foot of the Teide will fall by almost 20 ° C. Now, one hour before sunrise, the thermometer reports nine degrees. Minus 20 is … oh nonsense. It’s not getting that cold. And with the sunrise everything changes anyway. Here we go!

A bluish-white cone of light gropes its way over the winding driveway of Erjos. He scurries over trees, undergrowth all too often gets lost in a black void. Isn’t there a longer straight here so that I don’t always have to feel the route? The roof of trees over me is slowly disappearing, making way for the interstellar Milky Way highway. If anyone could see me from there, I would be tiny on a tiny street on a tiny island.

It will definitely be warmer …

The cold of space pours over the Teide, seeps down its slopes to under my clothes, blows iced air behind my visor. The heated grips run in toaster mode, but your fingertips still freeze like fish fingers in the freezer. It is sure to get warmer when the sun sends its rays across the Atlantic. Hopes my imagination. The on-board thermometer sticks more to the realities and reports minus six degrees to the cockpit. When was the last time I was so cold? And what about black ice? Now minus twelve. Why didn’t I, sucker, stay in bed? Ten minutes later, at minus 14 degrees, I finally know: A fountain of glowing yellow shoots into my eyes. Blinking, I see the white domes of the observatory on the other side of the Teide. In the rearview mirror, the actually snow-colored peak of the mountain is dipped in juicy orange. All around, the lava fields, which are dead black during the day, glow as if they wanted to start melting again. Then bright yellow haze rises from the ocean, envelops the rock masses of neighboring Gran Canaria until it is invisible and then disappears under the power of the sun. What a spectacle! I urgently need a cafe con leche to thaw.

Through miniature deserts and lunar landscapes

Algeria’s Hoggar Mountains, Australia’s semi-deserts, the lava fields of Mount Etna: Mount Teide has pressed shapes from Mother Earth, all of which seem to come from elsewhere. In the middle of the geology spectacle I meet Diana, who swung onto the little F earlier than expected and drove towards me. Through miniature deserts and lunar landscapes, we whirl down the wild TF-523 to the east coast until we meet the Martian landscape at Punta de Abona. The only clues of former earthly life: the lighthouse. And a wheeled garbage can. Probably Mark Watney’s escape pod. We save ourselves to Benijo and dock on the north coast. But why did I take the route via San Andres??

Somewhere before Santa Cruz, the island metropolis, I must have taken the wrong turn. When I noticed the mistake, my internal navigation system quickly identified an alternative route: via San Andres to El Bailadero. When I took a quick look at the map, however, I missed the road worms that are now getting under our tires. Sparkling clean asphalt swirls uphill between pointed hills. On the left, long-armed cacti pike into the sky, on the right, tangled bushes have clung to the slopes. In between, terraced fields and the farmers’ ubiquitous irrigation channels interrupt the fluffy green carpets. Oops! There is already the branch to Benijo! And where is Diana anyway?

The connection to infinity

With a mixture of “Uh, sorry” and “That was awesome too!” I gesticulate towards Diana what feels like minutes later. The horses had gone through with me properly while Diana enjoyed the motomobile sightseeing program. But the real attraction is yet to come. Behind a tunnel where Aladdin’s magic lamp would work wonders, the road turns abruptly to the right. Mountains of pointed hats widen into a deeply cut delta, at the end of which the turquoise Atlantic holds the connection to infinity. Halfway up, gleaming houses are organically embedded in the landscape. Our road follows every corner, circles an island mountain and then casually commutes down to the sea.

The surf rushes against rocks and in the ears. Warm wind sweeps the salty spray over the beach. On a hill, the terrace of the “La Vena Marrero” restaurant wins first place in the panorama competition. Without hesitation Diana turns into the parking lot in front of the terrace. A quarter of an hour later we dip the crumpled papas arrugadas in the mojo sauce, squint against the sun in the glittering waves. Has there ever been bad weather?

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Motorcycle trip in Tenerife

You should treat yourself to a couple of exciting motorcycle days on the Atlantic island with landscapes that could be in Australia, South America or on Mars.

Arrival / season: Tenerife lives in luxury all year round, mild climate. That doesn’t mean that it can’t get particularly hot or cold there. But no matter what time of year: You can almost always find a pleasant spot. In winter the coastal regions are well-tempered, in summer it is still pleasant in the high areas. Rain falls, if at all, mostly over the northern half of the island. If you can keep an eye on the weather, you can almost always be on dry roads. Traveling with a low-cost airline may charge the travel budget with less than 100 euros. Between September and April, motorcycles can e.g. B. can be rented from the German-run company Tenerife on bike (www.teneriffa-on-bike.de, partner company of BMW). Prices start at 310 euros for three days on a BMW F 700 GS. The range also includes the F 800 GS and R 1200 GS. Even clothing is offered. Willi van Bebber knows the island very well and gives valuable tips. If you want, you can also book guided tours.

The distance: We covered almost 600 kilometers in a very relaxed week. Most of Tenerife’s roads are in good to very good condition. If you are in a hurry, you will find the continuous coastal motorway on three quarters of the island. Away from the coast, the routes are sometimes extremely curvy. Passionate alpine riders will have their mouths watering. A special treat is the detour to the Masca Gorge. The road is well paved, but blessed with tight bends. Before turning in, always pay attention to oncoming traffic. Because it sometimes needs the full width of the road in curves. On the ascent to the Teide, it is important to ensure that it is slippery early in the morning. In one day, the Teide crossing was even completely frozen at the height of the Parador.

Accommodation: We lived well in “Casa La Ranita” (www.casalaranita.org) (six days approx. 300 euros, depending on the season). The house is located in Los Silos, away from the hustle and bustle on the northwest corner of the island. Pascal and his wife Bene run the Eco-Hotel with great dedication. The “Restaurante El Burgado” (www.restauranteelburgado.com) can be reached after ten minutes by motorcycle. Fresh fish are served under fishing nets right on the water. Panorama included.

Activities: Tenerife is considered a top spot among hikers. Pascal from casalaranita.org has a lot of information ready for daily stages. The hike to the Teide is certainly a highlight. This requires a free permit. Info: www.reservas parquesnacionales.es. If the walk is too strenuous for you, you can slide up to the summit by cable car: www.telefericoteide.com/de. Water rats and beach lovers will find all tourist facilities, especially on the west coast. Surfers and kiters are in good hands on the south coast near El Medano.

Cards: Freytag and Berndt offer an extensive map of Tenerife on a scale of 1:50,000. For 9.99 euros she goes on an island tour.

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