Around Gran Canaria in three days

What better way to expand your riding CV than with some winter riding in the sunshine of the Canary Islands, and some dramatic mountainous roads

- Mark Sumner

I had spent the summer of 2023 on my new Ninja 650 discovering Sussex all over again. But as my first season as a new rider advanced and the British sunshine diminished, I decided to bring forward my idea of riding abroad so as to recapture the feel of the warm sun on my back. It was November and European riding tours were starting to close or offered limited scope. All of my research pointed to the Canary Islands as being the best for winter riding with their all year-round good weather.

Motorbike touring companies advised that Gran Canaria would be challenging and required 'technical riding' skills with its winding roads, blind hairpin bends and vertigo-inducing roads etched on the side of mountains. Mindful of the challenge, but keen to develop my skills further, I reserved a Honda Scrambler (which was as much fun as I thought it would be) with Canary Ride for a self-guided tour as no tours were running on the dates I wanted to travel.

Canary Ride was a great choice as, in addition to sorting out the hotel (Livvo Lumm, Las Palmas, which was a short walk from their office) and airport transfer, they provided suggested routes with which to explore the island. My previous experience of Gran Canaria with family was limited to Meloneras (in the south) where I had attempted, and failed, to persuade my children to explore the island rather than remain in the pool.

So, in November, after flying to the island and settling into the hotel, I spent the first afternoon wandering around Las Palmas before, as typical for Brits abroad, popping into an Irish pub...