José Luís Martinez loves his Actros, his motorbike and the sea

The gulls, the sea, a fresh breeze and the peaceful comings and goings of fishing boats: the Ría de Arousa, a bay in northern Spain offers a panoramic view of which José Luís Martinez just can't get enough. Even this afternoon, the trucker stops there briefly on his way home to enjoy the view from the port in the Galician town of Vilaxoán just north of Vigo. José Luís feels a special sort of connection with the sea.

"Is there anything more pleasant?" he asks, with a sigh. Then comes the answer – there is actually one thing. And that would be arriving in the same port on his motorbike. José Luís lovingly refers to his bike as "my baby" and starts dreaming about it: "The wind in your face and a feeling of freedom like no other... on a motorbike you feel alive and part of the here and now!"

The native Galician has worked for Transportes Kartin from Vigo for twelve years now. With his Actros 1848, he loads Tuna in Vilagarcía de Arousa before transporting them to the Atunlo's tinning factories in O Grove and Santoña.

A careful drive to the destination.

When José Luís drives to O Grove, he often opts for a route which runs parallel to Ría de Arousa for a number of kilometres. "From the cab, I can really enjoy an amazing view of the scenery," he tells. "Often, I find myself looking at the fishermen on the rocks along the coast, picking mussels off the breakers with their bare hands."

But as nice as the view may be, José Luís always remains highly focussed on his driving. "I'm glad to be sitting up here in the cab," he says. "For me, driving in an anticipatory and safe manner is a must. If you're hauling such a huge weight behind you, you can't take any risks." Every vehicle and every type of road requires a different type of driving and José Luís is well aware of that.

But when he's out touring on his motorbike, then he does allow himself a little more adventure: the more demanding the route, the more enjoyable it is. "A winding road is like a sea with massive waves," says José Luís. "For me, tough stretches of road are the perfect prerequisite for enjoying yourself."

Trips with a huge fun factor.

At the weekend, he and his friends happily take their bikes on longer tours. "We often head out to Carballiño. It's a pretty little town in the middle of an old forest. The route to get there is full of snaking roads," he says with a wink. At other times, José Luís takes things a little easier and rides with his girlfriend to Sanxenxo. There, the pair visit one of the most attractive beaches in all of Galicia, where they enjoy a walk and a nice bite to eat in one of the location's many restaurants.

José Luís was 14 years old when he developed an interest in motorbikes. Aged 16, he already had a scooter, and then at 18 he bought his first motorbike with a 600 cc engine. Since then, he's tested out a number of different models.

"I've had sports bikes," explains José Luís, "but they tend to force you to want to ride faster and faster. Nowadays, I'd much rather stick to what's on the road signs and enjoy riding quite slowly." Then, the 37-year-old laughs: "Maybe that's what my girlfriend meant when she said I've matured!"

– José Luís Martinez, trucker with a love of the sea and his motorbike

Meanwhile, he has pulled back into Transportes Kartin's yard and parks up his Actros. Then he gets onto his motorbike and heads off home. There are just 15 kilometres which separate Vilagarcía de Arousa from his apartment in the small town of Cambados. With that in mind, José Luís makes sure he takes the time for a quick detour via the port at Vilaxoán, where his inner self can find peace observing the tides at work.

Photos & video: Begoña Tremps