Tenerife, Crossroads: Europe, Africa and America

On this day our adventure begins. This afternoon you will greet your localhost and settle into your new home. As you will soon discover, we choose comfortable flats/houses in convenient locations (away from the crowds), just as we want you to enjoy the time you spend home, and we desire you to be able to move easily through the city whilst uncovering less known quarter. After freshening up, we will go for some drinks to one of our hidden spots, before heading for an included welcome dinner at one of our preferred local restaurants and indulge yourself with some Canarian delicacies! Tonight is all about breaking the ice, sharing, having fun and experiencing your initial encounter with the local cuisine. Our culinary journey will begin with traditional Canarian food (We hope you are hungry and thirsty). The Canary Islands are properly known for their goat’s cheese, as well as the famous “papas arrugadas” (wrinkled potatoes) which are always served with “mojo picon” sauce; spicy or not, yours is the choice. Relax and get a taste of some particular beers, sweet white wines or try the local red wine with its unique hints from grapes grown in volcanic soil. This will be an intro you will not soon forget, but it is only the beginning.

Our initial full day in Tenerife will begin with a nice cup of coffee or tea if you prefer. Remember there will always be coffee and tea at our accommodation for you to begin the day with the right foot! It is up to you to have breakfast at home (as you will have a fully equipped kitchen and supermarkets nearby) or you can go to one of the numerous cafeterias the city offers. We have many suggestions and the digital map we have provided you with, too.

After breakfast, we will head out and start exploring the city of Santa Cruz, where the first Conquistadors landed back in the 15th century. Today we will cover the historical centre, where we will follow the transformation of the capital throughout the centuries. We will start with the obvious and see the principal landmarks, so you know where they are (and understand how important they are when it comes to the history of the city.) and you can subsequently decide what to explore during your free time. What we want to show you today is the little alleyways, the various corners of the city, from the oldest quarter, “Concepcion” to the most modern and futuristic building of the Island, the auditorium designed by Calatrava, also known as “the pearl of the Atlantic.” This will not be your typical walk where you get dates and names that you will forget after a couple of hours. This will be a more intimate walk where you will find out what is not on Wikipedia. We want you to comprehend how the history of the city has shaped its culture and reality. We would love you to join us for lunch at our chosen restaurant, where we will be able to taste and share (like we do in Spain) a fusion of traditional and modern. The afternoon is free for you to further explore — Relax at the beach or visit a museum, or just wander about! Santa Cruz is walkable, but you can always use the transport card we have given you and take the tram or a bus. What about tonight? Who knows! We love spontaneity. Remember, travel is an art, not a science!

Launch your day with a free morning. We gently suggest visiting MUNA (Museum of Nature and Man) if you want to keep learning about the mysterious Guanches (the aboriginal people from the island) and their mommies or go on a nice walk to the “Nuestra Señora de Africa” public market and enjoy a good breakfast or an early lunch in one of its stalls. In any case, don’t get too tired, our first Escapade kicks off after lunch!

We will first get on a local bus that will take us to the lovely and green part of the Island, the north. After 40 min on the road, we will reach the Orotava Valley where you will enjoy your first glimpse of Mount Teide, the 3,718-meter volcano that dominates the island and the town we are heading to. The historic town of la Orotava is considered part of the European Culture Heritage. Join your local host for a delightful walk around this colonial village and visit some of its most representative buildings like the “Casa de Los Balcones” with its traditional wooden worked balconies, or the Conception Church, considered as the best expression of the Canarian baroque in the archipelago, dating back to the XVIII century. Sit down in one of its charming squares or parks and have a delicious coffee, organic beer or a glass of local wine from this fertile area. Once we are ready, we will get a ride that will take us to Vilaflor, the most elevated town in Spain -2,200 metres above sea level. We will first enjoy a traditional dinner before heading to our following destination, Teide National Park. With more than 4 million tourists visiting the grounds every year, we can ensure you that most of them miss one of the amazing features of this park, stargazing! By now you will have realized the people that picked us up a few hours ago are not just drivers but able astronomers, with them and their professional telescopes we will have an amazing introduction to our solar system and our galaxy, the Milky Way. The spot we are heading to is not a random choice, but the place where the Astrophysics Institute and its gigantic telescopes are strategically located. Be prepared for a big Wow!

This morning (after breakfast!) we will hop on a bus to get to a magical spot where one of our most amazing “wander about” takes place. This one will last most of our day, so get ready and grab water, put on good shoes, bring a raincoat and pack some snacks. Our destination today is the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Anaga, one of the few remaining “Laurisilva” forests in the world. This day we will witness how some parts of the earth looked like 20 million years ago during Cenozoic Era. Get your senses ready, today we will be exercising them a lot!

We will enjoy an easy start, at the interpretation centre of the Anaga Natural Park, and we will then enjoy the views of the town of La Laguna from the “Cruz del Carmen” viewpoint. If the day is clear enough, we will indeed see the magnificent Mount Teide in the distance!

After this, we will venture through our first trekking path “Sendero de Los Sentidos” (Path of Senses) that will take us along part of the medieval road that the conquerors built to connect the miniature villages of the mountain range of Anaga with the town of La Laguna. This trail is surrounded by this unique and ancient type of forest, and it is just mind-blowing!

After around 45 min we will be back where we started, we will have to wait for about an hour to take the bus again to our following destination; in the meanwhile… Lunchtime! You can either eat at a modest restaurant in the area, or you can have some of the snacks you brought whilst getting lost in your thoughts in this surreal setting. Don’t get too full, though, we still have a long day in front of us!

We will catch a local bus to our next destination, the “Sendero de las Vueltas” that will take us downhill near the small and hidden town of Taganana, nestled in the Anaga mountain range. This current path of 3.2 Km will take us through the enchanted forest of Anaga, a unique experience that you cannot miss. All those fantasy films you have watched throughout the years will suddenly seem real!

Finally, once in the town of Taganana, we will enjoy a couple of hours to wander around the village, sit and enjoy the views with some drinks and wait for the departure of the bus back to the capital.

Today we will have a late morning start, so you can recover from yesterday's hike. Our 11 a.m kick-off will be soon followed by a tram ride that will take us 1000 metres above sea level to the historic town of San Cristobal de La Laguna. This World Heritage Site city (as declared by UNESCO in 1999) remains the first capital of the island. Built inland by a natural lagoon considered to be sacred by the aborigines, was chosen by the “Adelantados” (the aristocracy that conquered the island) as the location for their residences, and soon became the most significant city in the entire archipelago. Join your host and wander the colonial streets of this university town, get lost in its alleyways and discover convents, churches and squares.

If you have ever been to any colonial towns in Latin America, you will soon realise how similar they are to La Laguna; well, the reason is simple, this city inspired their designs!

Sit down with your fellow explorers at a traditional “bodega” and enjoy lunch or if you prefer, grab some snacks and seat in one of the lovely “plazas” — don’t get too full, though! La Laguna is equally famous for the finest pastry shops and cafés on the island.

The evening will be free for you to enjoy at your own pace. It is up to you if you desire to keep strolling the streets of La Laguna, or if you want to go back down to our “base camp.” Ask your local host for suggestions and use the digital maps we have provided you with to choose your next move.

The second Escapade is here! Today we will leave around 10 a.m. Our bus will take us once again to the north of the island, but this time, we are venturing further away. After 1.5 hours we will reach our destination: The village of Icod de Los Vinos, where we will wander around and visit the famous Millennial Drago. This tree is an endemic species from the islands and although experts are not sure how ancient this specimen is (800 to 3,000 years old), we do know it is the biggest and oldest tree of its kind!

A visit to Icod would not be complete without enjoying some of its traditional food and wines. This part of the island is famous for its “guachinches”. Tenerife's most local eateries are set up in houses garages, patios and lounges. Do not assume anything fancy but do expect tasty food, locally produced wine and a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

After lunch, we will catch taxis that will take us closer to Mount Teide to visit the “Cueva del Viento” (Cave of the Wind). This cave is one of the longest volcanic tubes in the world. Once inside, we will be provided with all the necessary equipment; helmets with lanterns are particularly important as this cave has no natural or artificial light inside. Do not panic! It is safe, and we will be with a professional speleologist who will also tell us all about this unique place. The evening will be free but, as usual, yours is the choice to go back to the city with your host or to keep wandering the area!

A new day, a new plan. Today will be our last full day together, and we want to make it a more relaxing one. Take advantage of Tenerife’s eternal spring and jump on a bus to get to Las Teresitas beach (15 min away from the city centre). Relax in this artificial beach with sand brought from the Sahara and surrounded by the Anaga Mountains. You have the option to join your host and enjoy lunch in the picturesque fishermen town of San Andres. After lunch, those that crave more history and views can climb up the mountain to visit the WWII bunkers that were built to protect the island from possible invasions. Late in the afternoon, we will head back to the city to get ready for our farewell night. Tonight we are going to one of our preferred restaurants (We have many.) for a superb dinner. There is only one goal: to enjoy the best possible time, and thank everyone for sharing this experience. Drinks and music will be waiting after our dinner to keep celebrating life and say goodbye to Tenerife the way it deserves!

Today we experience that sour-sweet feeling. It is certainly sad saying bye, but it is great knowing we have new friends from different corners of the world. This morning we leave our home for the last week and get ready for our next adventures. Please let us know if we can help you somehow!



Our last Spanish lesson for now: ¡Hasta la próxima y gracias!