Tenerife, island of contrast

“I’m not sure, the Canaries seem a bit overrated to me. There are too many people, a lot of beach tourism (meaning seaside tourism), the island seems too desert-like, monotonous, really I don’t know…” That was the first reaction of my travel companions when I suggested going to Tenerife for vacation. The tone was set. But I don’t admit defeat, I persist and we commit to this destination! I now have a week to prove to them that Tenerife is much more than what it is unfairly accused of.

We take off to reach the island and its favorable climate after that long April particularly rainy. After picking up our rental car, we head to our accommodation for the week, located in Poris de Abona, a small village on the east coast, away from the crowds.

Poris - Tenerife

We enjoy our first typically Spanish meal in the form of tapas at a small restaurant with a view of the sea. On the menu: croquetas, papas locas and tortillas of course accompanied by a tinto de verano that reminds us of our Andalusian holidays! This small village restaurant embodies the Spanish way of life: many locals gather in the evening on the bar terrace and chat cheerfully (and rather loudly it must be said) over tapas and the famous Estrella Galicia. Then we go to bed, eager to discover what Tenerife has to offer us.

DAY 1: San Cristobal de la Laguna

Well, for the sunshine, it’s a miss on this first day of vacation. It will be the rain that accompanies us today. No matter, it takes more than that to discourage us. We get in the car and head to the TF1 (the highway circling the island, which we will have the opportunity to drive along, across and through during our week) which takes us to San Cristobal de la Laguna. Exploring this city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site is truly like going back in time. We still find in its streets typical colonial architecture of the first Canarian cities.

San Cristobal de la Laguna - Tenerife

The History and Anthropology Museum, located in a magnificent building built in the 16th century, allows us to learn more about the history of Tenerife, its culture and its first inhabitants.

The History and Anthropology Museum

Then we lose ourselves in the streets of the city to admire its colorful buildings. Back in the present upon arriving at Plaza de la Concepción: there remain on the square a few empty tents, sole witnesses to recent protests against mass tourism that have shaken the Canaries and Spain in recent weeks.

Late in the afternoon, the rain will finally get the better of us and we decide to return.

DAY 2: Teide National Park

A colorful day for this second day at the famous Teide National Park. We had not planned to attempt the ascent of Teide (one of the main attractions of the park) as the hike requires a certain level of physical fitness (almost 1500 m of positive elevation gain). This week, we had decided, injury for one and sporting ambitions for the others, on a leisurely pace. Once is not custom and it’s ultimately not displeasing to me.

Note that it is also possible to reach the summit of Teide via cable car, but please note that regardless of the type of ascent chosen (on foot or by cable car) you need to have an authorisation issued by the government. With places limited to 200 per day, it is advisable to plan several months in advance to obtain this authorisation.

Instead, we decided to do 2 shorter hikes: Los Roques de García and Montaña de Samara, which would still allow us to have Teide in view. We left the TF1 to head inland. The roads became narrower, steeper and increasingly winding! The road offers superb panoramic views. We break through the sea of clouds, regularly pushed against the mountain slopes by the trade winds, and the view clears. The landscape becomes increasingly desert-like. You can feel the altitude gain and we were glad we brought our jackets when we arrived at our first viewpoint: a vast plain of volcanic rock below Teide.

Teide National Park

At 2 000 m, the wind blows and temperatures drop. We get back in the car for the few hundred metres remaining until the start of our hike. Following holiday pace, we arrive late morning and all the car park spaces are packed. By luck, we manage to squeeze between 2 cars and we are eager to discover the landscapes that make this park famous. Our first short hike takes us through the rock formations of Los Roques. These rock formations, remnants of the island’s volcanic activity, have been shaped by erosion over millions of years.

While most tourists only walk the first 500 metres to admire Roque Cinchado (also called the Finger of God), we decided to do a full circuit. It took us barely an hour and a half but allowed us to have a quieter experience on the trails. The vast lunar landscapes that emerge from it are impressive and transport us to the American West.

Hiking through the rock formations of Los Roques

Hiking through the rock formations of Los Roques

A late snack break and we head on to Montaña de Samara. To our great surprise, pine forests succeeded the vast lava fields. Our second hike of the day allowed us to discover in more detail this surprising alternation of desert landscapes and forest landscapes. We were happy to find some greenery again and these few green trees scattered across this volcanic soil offer an astonishing contrast of colours.

Montaña de Samara

The drive back to our accommodation was almost an attraction in itself, offering views as stunning as those from the hikes we did. We could even spot the island of La Gomera in the distance, standing out against the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

DAY 3: Poris de Abonas

Third day: rest day. Today we leave the car in the garage to discover the surroundings of Poris de Abonas. We take a short hike, along the coast torn by the waves, to the Punta de Abona lighthouse. We cross small unknown coves. On this windy day, they are only occupied by surfers enjoying the waves and locals armed with their shovels and buckets searching through the seaweed washed up on the beach. We stop at a small restaurant in the very small deserted village of Punta de Abona. We were actually the only customers at this establishment, run by an Italian who came to live in Tenerife 2 years ago. He takes the opportunity to tell us at length about the island and have us taste 2/3 homemade liqueurs (fortunately the hike back is rather short).

The surroundings of Poris de Abonas

DAY 4: Garachico - Icod - La Orotava

Mid-stay, after a rather restful day the day before, we pick up a faster pace with many kilometres (by car, let’s specify) waiting for us. We plan to dawdle a little less in the morning and leave a little earlier. Finally it’s still late morning when we arrive at our first stop of the day: the small village of Garachico.

Garachico

This picturesque village still displays buildings with colonial architecture, all in a landscape that is both forested and maritime. Sublime! We find more people there by the way. The natural pools, one of the city’s attractions, will be closed that day. Too bad for us, we hadn’t had the courage to swim anyway. We find the Atlantic water a bit too cold for our taste, even for northerners like us. We wander through the quiet streets, soaking in the atmosphere there.

Garachico

The natural pools

We decide to have our lunch break here to enjoy some delicious fish.

After this hearty meal, we get back in the car for about ten kilometres and we arrive at Casa del Platano (the banana plantation) of Icod. This small banana plantation can be visited quickly but allows us to learn a lot about banana cultivation. An emblematic symbol of the Canaries, it is the only banana in Europe to have the PGI label (Protected Geographical Indication. It is recognized worldwide for its small black spots, but also for its remarkable flavour and texture. At the end of the visit, a tasting of bananas as well as banana wines and liqueurs is offered to us, and appreciated!

Casa del Platano

A chance to regain strength before heading to the village of La Orotava. Once we arrive in La Orotava, we decide to visit Casa de Los Balcones.

Casa de Los Balcones

A jewel of 17th-century architecture, distinguished by its wooden balconies richly decorated with flowers. Inside, you can admire sumptuous furniture and a typically Canarian patio, surrounded by balconies and tall columns. There is also a museum dedicated to Canarian craftsmanship, where samples representative of the typical craftsmanship of the Canary Islands are displayed, as well as different traditional Canarian embroidery techniques such as rosette and fretwork.

Casa de los Balcones

But it is especially the Victoria Gardens and the acclimatization garden that are renowned in La Orotava. The botanical garden of La Orotava, created in 1788, was designed to cultivate tropical plants and flowers. This place is ideal for walking in the heart of nature and discovering fascinating species. It is a true paradise for botany enthusiasts. This day allows us to discover the somewhat more beach-like and coastal side of the island.

Victoria Gardens

DAY 5: The Anaga Massif

Another day, another landscape diversity. We head north on the island towards the Anaga Massif. This time we manage to leave early and we were right to do so, because after leaving the TF1, the TF - 12 continues and then the TF - 145. What we gain in numbers, we lose in road width. I’m glad to have the habit of driving in the mountains, even if I’m not very calm, because the roads quickly become very narrow and winding. But the landscapes and the road are magnificent. Too bad I have to focus on driving. It is ultimately without incident that we arrive at the village of Las Carboneras. These are completely different landscapes that we discover in this part of the island. The mountains are draped in a green mantle of laurel forest. Trees border both sides of the road and meet at their summit like a guard of honour for the passage of cars. Ferns are omnipresent. It’s a true haven of greenery. My fellow travelers, great plant enthusiasts, are more than delighted.

We park in the village and begin the hike, which is relatively easy. A first ascent takes us to a magnificent viewpoint over the mountains and surrounding villages. Almost no one on the trails, the sun timidly peeks out from time to time, it’s neither too hot nor too cold, perfect for walking! Ferns, bird’s-foot trefoil, as well as forests of laurels and heathers mark the splendid high-altitude trail. During this hike, I find again a rural and agricultural landscape that strongly reminds me of the island of Madeira (but after all, the islands are only 500 km apart as the crow flies). A lunch break at Restaurant La Cueva and the return is equally peaceful via a forest.

Then we head back on the road in early afternoon to reach Las Teresitas beach. Our route takes us through the Anaga Park and the different panoramas continue to amaze us. Tenerife has many scenic roads! This time it’s the island of Gran Canaria that we see standing out on the horizon. We regret a bit not having had more time to explore this part of the island in more detail. The curves chain together on a road that is still as narrow but fortunately always as well maintained. We hope, however, not to meet buses at every turn. The large beach of Las Teresitas is the only white sand beach in Tenerife, with sand being imported from the Sahara. But the omnipresent wind that day whips the sand (and us at the same time!) and makes us quickly turn back. It’s a shame because the beach is magnificent. It’s still not today that we’ll go swimming.

Las Teresitas beach

DAY 6: Los Gigantes

For our last day on the island we head back southwest to reach the site of Los Gigantes. The town immediately feels more touristy with its infrastructure but it’s the famous cliffs we want to see. These reach up to 600 m in height.

Los Gigantes beach

The small marina located next to the cliffs lends itself well to a little stroll and especially to a good meal (obviously based on fresh fish!).

Then as we don’t want to end on a failure as far as swimming is concerned, we take advantage of the rest of the day to rest on the beach. Our choice falls on the small beach of San Juan. The sun heats up quickly, the wind is very light today, we finally enjoy the fresh ocean water to cool off.

We chose during our week to avoid the southern tip of the island for fear of finding too many people there. We chose to focus on the more authentic places that Tenerife has to offer.

We also did not visit the small village of Masca, (which we were strongly recommended to see), unfortunately due to lack of time. And also due to lack of authorization… Masca being a victim of its own success, it is necessary, as for Teide, to have authorization to access the hike that starts from the village and continues in the Barranco (ravine) of Masca.

The time of the trip is coming to an end and it is already with nostalgia that we enjoy our last smoothie of the week on the terrace of our accommodation overlooking the sea and the small, so authentic village of Poris de Abona. Delighted to have set aside their preconceptions, my travel companions leave enchanted with this stay and with Tenerife which brought them superb discoveries. The objective is achieved!