Review: Legends Vespa Bike Tour, Ibiza

The first year I ever came to stay in Ibiza for the summer, I went everywhere on a scooter. I always wonder whether that was one of the reasons I fell so head over heels in love with the island, seeing its majestic beauty, with the wind in my hair and a delighted smile on my face.

So when Legends Vespa Bike Tours asked Ibiza Spotlight to come for a 4 hour excursion on an immaculately restored vintage scooter, the answer was a resounding yes!

Located on the main road heading from Ibiza to San Antonio on the right, just after the huge ‘Gros Mercat' (that's wholesalers to you and me) it's easy to find. You cannot park directly outside the garage, but there are two large car-parks nearby, either by the wholesaler's or outside the Eroski supermarket a bit further up across the road.

I arrived for our tour at 4pm, excited to meet my vintage scooter. Owner and passionate creator of Legends Vespa Tours, Carlos, after extending a warm welcome, unveiled our authentic 1960's chariots with a grin. One word. WOW!!!

Gleaming chrome, polished mirrors, immaculate paintwork. The best, classic helmets. Soft, padded leather seats. Engines purring like kittens. I put on my ray-bans feeling like an extra from ‘Quadrophenia,' (without a doubt one of the coolest films ever). I remember wishing for a scooter back in the 1970's. In a flash of gratitude, I realized that finally, my wish had been granted. I was, if only for a day, sat on one of the coolest classic scooters in the known universe, about to explore one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Now that's what i'm talking about! High-five, fairy godmother!

We set off in glorious sunshine and headed for Santa Agnes. The tour takes about 4 hours and uses only country roads, so there's hardly any traffic to deal with. Within 2 minutes, we were leaving any kind of urban scenery behind. Ibiza's long, ancient, winding roads began to reveal her naked magnificence, the fields bursting with poppies and forget-me-nots stretching their long stems above the smaller but no less vibrant competitors. Kilometres of evergreen forest draping itself luxuriantly over the rolling Ibiza mountains.

The thing is, it's not just the scenery that you experience on a Legends Vespa Bike Tour. Its so much more. Firstly, your sense of smell comes into play. Ibiza smells incredible, did you know that? You never would inside a car. Your nose is assaulted beautifully by the smell of wild rosemary, endless wild flowers, pine and eucalyptus trees, the sea salt in the air.

The wind tackles your skin. Motorists and pedestrians alike smile and wave as you drive by. I guess Vespa fans are everywhere! Not only that, but Carlos offers the option of recording the whole excursion on a professional GoPro camera attached to your helmet. Hell yes!

My scooter was incredibly comfortable. The steering and gears are quite heavy in comparison to modern scooters, so you do need some degree of experience to handle them correctly. But once you are up and running oh boy, what a ride.

Half-way through the tour, we stopped at traditional Ibicenco bar, Can Cosmi in the picturesque village of Santa Agnes. We had some refreshments and traditional tapas (courtesy of Carlos - all included in the tour), allowing some passing Vespa fans to pose with our bikes and take photos. When we were all suitably fed and watered, we set off again for Es Cubells and the second part of the tour, taking in some incredible sea-views along the way.

Readers, the experience was an absolute privilege. I've lived on this stunning island for 11 years and know it pretty well. But the route we followed with Carlos, along little used, ancient Ibiza country lanes was completely unknown to me. Every twist and turn brought a new wonder and seemingly endless displays of natural splendour. It's without a doubt, one of the best and coolest ways to discover the magical island of Ibiza, gloriously off the beaten track, whilst feeling like a bad-ass film star. Oh. And you get a fantastic tan at the same time. Ideal! Carlos charges per bike too, so if two of you share, it's extremely affordable and you can either choose a morning tour, or afternoon. This is genuinely a very special way to see the island. My advice? Get in there before he's booked solid.