138 | Cycling World
Cycling World
66 already worked and how comparatively little there is still to go . Fortunately the final run back into Ibiza Town is kind to us , if a little on the busy side . A great day ' s riding in good company , and I ’ m starting to warm up to the idea of Ibiza as a cycling cousin to Mallorca .
Day two finds us guided by Simon Rose who runs Velo Club Ibiza . Now a resident of the island , Simon offers tours and bike hire . We head out this time from San Antonio and are quickly on quiet rural roads a world away from the bustling bars and beaches of the town . It ’ s clear Simon knows these roads intimately as we track quickly into some lovely locations , deserted smooth roads , rolling hills and distant sea views . Here the obstacles are less likely to be road humps but more likely wandering goats that slow our progress . This carefully curated route is much more the kind of satisfying riding the island will sell itself on .
The morning coffee stop comes via Cafe Can Tixedo . Its location on a crossroads might suggest it would be busy but I count only two cars that pass by as we enjoy our coffee in the sunshine . Next up we whistle through one of the island ' s vineyards . Can Rich de Buscastell opens its doors for tasting the island ' s wine but today that will have to wait until the end of the ride .
Another advantage of a guided ride is that often there are gems just a few metres from the roadside that would easily be missed by following your GPS . Simon brings us to a halt in a wooded area and we dismount and walk for a few metres through the trees until we find ourselves atop the 150 metre cliffs . These overlook Ses Balandres cove , which in turn looks out over Ses Margalides , a rocky sea arch which is possible to take your boat through and is very popular with divers . The cove itself is accessible via a rickety wooden ladder and then a bit of a clamber but we decide that , wearing cycling cleats , it might not be the best idea today . Things might have been different if I ’ d been bolstered by that wine stop .
Inevitably we have to leave the beautiful rural Ibiza and roll back into San Antonio . But the day has a final treat in store when we keep going through San Antonio and on to Port d ' es Torrent , a little gem of a beach on the outskirts of the town that is well worth the extension to the ride . There we find the Imagine Beach Bar and we don ' t use much of our own imagination to order up another Paella for four with a jug of Sangria . Never let it be said that I do not immerse myself in the customs and cuisine of wherever I ’ m cycling !
Day three is a different approach and Velo Club Ibiza ' s hire partners Kandani Bikes meet us to swap our Orbea Orca road bikes for MTBs . The Orca - Spain ' s own race machine - has been a fantastic companion . A very stiff bottom bracket area has made the most of my efforts and the geometry handled descending on the mountainous roads extremely well . Mountain bikes , on the other hand , are often a great way to find the path less travelled and so it proves on Ibiza . We start in the coastal backyard of Cirque du Soleil owner Guy Laliberte , who has built his own Stonehenge-like folly on the rocks outside his seafront home from 420 tonnes of Basalt . We continue on the coastal path , past isolated coves populated by the odd naturist and continue following the sea . The terrain is always rideable , if a little bumpy , and once again the bicycle proves a wonderful way to see a different part of the Island .
This trip was organised by Easyjet who now offer a range of cycle-specific holiday packages in nine European locations including Majorca and Andorra . The packages can include cycle-friendly hotels with storage , access to hire bikes and guides such as Velo Club Ibiza . Prices start from around £ 142 per person , based on seven nights on a room- only basis at the three-star Marco Polo in Andorra , departing from London Gatwick .
Guided ride and bike hire provided by Veloclubibiza . com