This review is from 2016, the route has changed since then, now leaving from Playa d'en Bossa and taking you along the south coast. Service and attention is as excellent as before :)
A great way to explore Ibiza that goes off the beaten track, takes in gorgeous countryside and sea views plus gives you the thrill of a mountain bike trek, but without the effort. Sounds appealing and if you want to try this out, taking a quad bike excursion will tick all those boxes and more. Our group was keen to try quad bikes out; we'd all seen them cruising along the streets of Ibiza, so we with some curiosity and bit of exciting trepidation, we decided to do one of E move Ibiza's guided sunset tours. We figured the best way to do this for the first time would be to go with a company that knows and loves the island. We were not to be disappointed.
First thing's first. There's a minimum age of 18 years old and you will need to present a current driving licence for each driver, so even if you aren't hiring a car, bring it along on holiday - it's useful ID to carry around rather than your passport too. E move Ibiza takes out small and large groups on an adventure ride taking in the lush and largely unspoilt countryside north of San Antonio by day and by evening. You will travel along roads and well defined dirt tracks, stopping off along the way to visit beauty spots or even plant the odd tree. You get full instruction when you arrive to start your trip and throughout the journey you can hone your quad biking skills as the guides take you along.
Help along the way
If you've seen 20-something's burning up the roads with abandon, then know that this trip isn't that. It's about enjoying the island with respect; seeing and learning and above all, enjoying a cool adventure. As our group set off, we cautiously motored along a busy road of traffic, some of us gung ho, some more nervous. You don't have to worry too much about main roads as the bikes are really easy to use and, for groups of three bikes or more, you get two guides, one front and one back. You never feel lost and you'll get encouragement and help when you need it.
Our first quick stop was for figs, which the organisers pulled from a tree by the roadside, before we got ready to motor through Es Broll de Buscastell, a beautiful valley surrounded by pines, orchards and farmland. You'll see the ancient Arab canals and ditches built to harness the waters from the Es Broll spring, and it's worth taking your time to look around to take in this stunning setting. A bit further along after the valley, we stopped to drop that tree into the ground (they have a licence for this) and then you get to name it and who knows, visit it again on another tour.
Vistas from heaven
From here, we continued on the dirt track coming out close to the tiny village of San Mateo (Sant Mateu) and onto some country roads, all the way taking in the red-earthed fields, traditional Ibicenco houses and fincas and, the emblematic almond and carob trees of the open Ibizan countryside. We motored through San Mateo into neighbouring Santa Inés (Santa Agnès) where we briefly paused before heading to the incredibly beautiful Las Puertas del Cielo, positioned on the top of a cliff, with wide open views to the surrounding sea and islets. Here, we had a quick drink to toast our success so far before heading for our final spot to catch that setting sun.
The last leg is fun as you travel through quite a few winding roads before taking the turning to Punta Galera to see an undiscovered side of it. From here, we took in the glorious orange of the setting sun as day turned into night, staring out the the glimmering sea and newly silhouetted flat shelf like rocks that make up this stunning bay.
The entire group had an amazing trip out, from my bike rear view mirror, I could see the big grins and excited faces as everyone started to master the quad. Yes, we didnt want it to end and that's because this is one exhilarating adventure that you'll want to do again and again.
To see how our day went, check out our video here.
E Move Ibiza Quad Tour from Ibiza Spotlight on Vimeo.
WORDS | Julian Heathcote
