Rent a motorbike on Tenerife

This is the first fork in the road, and it comes before the machine.

The south around Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos and Costa del Silencio is dry and sunny. The TF-51 runs straight from here towards Vilaflor and on to Teide. Most hotels are here, and so are most visitors.

The north around Puerto de la Cruz is greener, twistier and noticeably wetter. Three of the five rental offices are there. If the Anaga cloud forest is what you came for, starting here saves you the long approach. In January it also means more drizzle.

Tenerife asks more of an engine than its flatter neighbours. The climb to Teide is roughly 2,000 vertical metres in one go.

• Naked bikes and all-rounders are the sensible choice: light enough for the tight hairpins in Anaga, strong enough for the ramp up to the crater.
• Adventure bikes come second, and first if you ride two-up or carry luggage.
• Supersports look the part and are quick on the TF-21. In Anaga, with its hairpins and patchy surface, you’ll curse one.
• Cruisers work fine in the south but feel heavy on the mountain.

The classes in detail are under vehicle types.

Three things decide whether you ride on arrival day or stand at the counter:

• Licence category. A2 or A for most machines, A1 for 125s. Bring the physical licence, not a photo of it. National add-ons for car-licence holders, such as the UK CBT or the German B196 code, count only in the country that issued them. In Spain you would be riding without a valid category and without insurance cover, so we advise against it even where a rental office accepts it.
• A credit card in the rider’s name. For the deposit. Maestro and plain debit cards are widely refused.
• Minimum age and riding experience. Usually 21 to 23, depending on the rental office and the machine. We ask for you. On larger bikes, often two to three years of experience on top.

UK photocard licences are accepted in Spain for short visits. Licences issued outside the EU or EEA may require an International Driving Permit — sort that out at home, it can’t be fixed on the island. More in the licence guide, and what deposit and excess actually mean is in the deposit guide.

We don’t rent out anything ourselves. We ask five rental offices, and they differ less in price than in location and fleet.

Two are in the south: one covering Costa Adeje and Costa del Silencio, one in Playa de las Américas. Both are close to the hotels and have the shortest run to the TF-51 towards Teide.

The other three are in Puerto de la Cruz. If you’re staying there or specifically want to ride Anaga, you save yourself the trip across the island, about 90 minutes each way.

Even so, about 60 per cent of all rentals over the years went through the south, because that is where the hotels are.

Deposit, excess and minimum age are set by each rental office, and they change. We ask for them for your dates, and you get them with the offer.

The daily rate is rarely the final figure. These items turn up regularly:

• Deposit. Blocked on your credit card rather than charged, and released after you return the bike undamaged. Depending on your bank the release takes a few days.
• Excess. The amount you carry yourself in case of damage. It can almost always be reduced for a daily surcharge — whether that’s worth it depends on the machine and the rental office. The orders of magnitude are in what renting really costs.
• Second helmet and additional rider. Both usually cost extra.
• Delivery to your hotel. Some rental offices bring the bike, some don’t. Always agree this in advance.
• Fuel. Usually full to full. Petrol in the Canaries is markedly cheaper than on the mainland, so this one is in your favour.

One thing that surprises people: the Canaries are outside the EU VAT area. Instead of the Spanish VAT rate of 21 per cent, the much lower IGIC applies here. That’s why prices look better than on the mainland. It’s tax law, not a teaser rate.

And one more: taking the bike to another island is excluded by most rental offices. If you want to put it on the ferry to La Gomera you need explicit permission, otherwise your insurance cover lapses.

Take the time before you ride off. Most money is lost not at pick-up but at return.

• Photograph the existing damage. Every scratch, every dent, all the way round, with a timestamp. It’s the single most effective protection against an argument later.
• Look at tyres and brakes. Tread, cracks in the sidewalls, where the brake bites. Rental bikes cover a lot of miles.
• Try the helmet on. If it presses after five minutes it will be worse after five hours. Ask for a different one, that’s completely normal.
• Get the fuel policy in writing. Full to full is usual but not universal.
• Papers stay with the bike. Registration and proof of insurance have to travel with you. The Guardia Civil checks the TF-21 regularly.

Helmets are compulsory in Spain without exception, including on a scooter and including for the two kilometres to the beach. What else differs from home is in the Spanish road rules.

Many providers insist on a three-day minimum. The rental offices we know rent from one day, and that’s the right call more often than people think.

The weather window. It can rain in the north while the south is in full sun. Whoever stays flexible and picks the one good day rides better than someone who committed three days in advance.

Cruise passengers. If you’re in Santa Cruz for a single day you want exactly one ride, not a weekly package. The Anaga loop from the port is ideal. Just tell us how many hours you have when you send your request.

The trial day. Two weeks of holiday but unsure whether a motorcycle is the right thing? Book one day, then decide. Extending on the spot is almost always possible. The other way round, from a few weeks on, long-term rental pays off, because the daily rate drops sharply.