By George, what a thrill!
Hire a Harley and follow in Clooney’s tracks on this epic two-wheeled tour of Andalucia
Hollywood heart- throb George Clooney joked that his wife Amal had banned him from taking a motorcycle trip ever again after he was thrown 20 ft through the air in an accident in Sardinia last year.
Clooney, a father to one-year-old twins, has just turned 58, but it’s unlikely family life and a few scars will stop the ocean’s Eleven star from travelling abroad on two wheels.
Every summer, Clooney likes to ride out on a ‘boys only’ trip with his best friend, Rande Gerber, husband of supermodel Cindy Crawford. For years, the pair have crisscrossed America on Harley- davidson motorcycles. The dedicated bikers have found their inner Easy Riders, wearing leather jackets, retro helmets and cool shades.
‘our aim is to find the road less travelled,’ Gerber has said. ‘George is pretty old- school, so we just pack a map and don’t switch on the satellite navigation.’
Most of their rides have been in the U.S., but they have visited the dolomites and Corsica, too.
one of the boys’ recent favourites is southern Spain. ‘we thought we’d check out Andalucia because of the mountain roads and passes,’ said Gerber ahead of their trip.
well, I can vouch for the beauty of those. I’m here in southern Spain with my friend Ian Smith — I’m no Hollywood star, and he works with computers, but we can both ride motorbikes.
Harley- davidson Authorised Tours allows people to hire bikes at more than 200 showrooms around the world. All you need is the appropriate motorcycle licence to hire a bike this big — and health insurance might be advisable, too.
our journey starts at Harleydavidson in Malaga, where we pick up our retro bikes, perfect for laid-back touring.
Each has two leather panniers and there’s room on the pillion seat to strap on a further bag. with no hope of Cindy Crawford filling my empty saddle, we head off into Spanish rush-hour traffic.
To communicate en route, ‘Mr Clooney’ and I have fitted Bluetooth phone systems in our helmets — but we end up using sing this mostly to argue about directions. ections
our first stretch, the A7000 north- east from Malaga to Colmenar, is spectacular. The road, a series of sweeping corners that cut across the centre of the Montes de Malaga Natural Park, is punctuated by magnificent vistas of the Mediterranean.
The smell of gorse and wild poppies filters up my nose as the Harleys rumble through the hillsides. There are no major towns here, only astonishing scenery and the occasional horse and cart moving even slower than we are.
our first stop is at la Bobadilla, tucked away in more than 1,000 acres of olive groves near loja. It’s the kind of hotel where a publicity-shy superstar can easily escape the paparazzi.
A terrace sheltered by palm trees is the perfect spot to stretch our aching legs.
we rise early the next day to avoid the midday heat and ride west, towards la Roda de Andalucia. The roads here are faster as we cross the southern plains, passing sleepy agricultural towns and the odd vineyard.
our destination is the Andalucian bullfighting capital of Ronda. Sitting above a deep ravine and surrounded by lush river valleys, it’s one of Spain’s most aweinspiring cities.
THE cobbled streets aren’t well suited to a heavyweight Harley, it turns out, so we find rooms just outside. la Fuente de la Higuera is a small but tastefully furnished hotel on a quiet hillside. Cool artwork covers the walls and the restaurant is highly regarded by locals.
our room has an enormous outdoor bath made of metal — in different circumstances, it would be a tub to wow any leading lady.
Superstars are few and far between in this remote corner of Spain, but ride 70 miles south to the coast and you’re in The only way Is Essex heaven. Pulling up at the refurbished Amare Beach Hotel Marbella on a Harley turns heads, even without celebrity status.
with our bikes safely stored in the car park, we avoid the crowded promenade and instead relax on the rooftop terrace, where the views are simply magnificent.
whether you’re mates with George Clooney or not, the real star of the show on this holiday is the Andalucian scenery. And it feels even more invigorating from the seat of a motorbike.
TRAVEL FACTS
JEREMY TAYLOR travelled to Spain with Harley-Davidson Authorised Tours ( harley-davidson.com). Motorcycle hire from £140 a day. Rooms at La Bobadilla, a Royal Hideaway Hotel ( barcelo
labobadilla.com) from £135 a night; Hotel La Fuente de la Higuera ( hotellafuente.com) from £150 a night; and Amare Beach Hotel Marbella ( amare
hotels.com) from £200 a night.