a travel blog by renata green
I know, I know, it’s hot, Tenerife’s beaches are beautiful and the waters turquoise’n’tempting. Yet, spending all your time lazing on a beach would be a big mistake since idyllic townlets like Garachico, Icod de Los Vinos, and Masca are awaiting visitors on the island’s cooler yet very delightful Northcoast.
Since, after almost an entire week in Tenerife, I hadn’t been to the beach, I urgently needed to add some lazy hours of sweet nothing. After having explored the island’s northern hinterland, I really didn’t feel like letting the tourist ghettos on the south coast put an ugly stain on the positive’n’pure impression Tenerife had made. Fortunately, the wind blew me to a small surfer town on the east coast, and although I’m not a surfer, El Medano, with its beautiful coastline, laid-back atmosphere, and great fish restaurants, actually did blow my mind.
Do you guys want to see where Disney & Co. get their inspiration and their decoration ideas from? Then follow me on a day trip to the picturesque town of San Cristobal de la Laguna – mostly just referred to as La Laguna – from where we’ll take the bus uphill to the enchanted forests of Anaga. Quick, call Snow White, and then it’s hi ho hi ho off to Anaga we go!
Candelaria is a town on the eastern coast of Tenerife and, for devoted Catholics, mainly a place of adoration of the Canarian patron, the Virgin of Candelaria, but it has already been the cradle of the indigenous Guanches and part of their Kingdom of Güímar thousands of years ago.
You see, this charming town looks back at so much amazing history, and I’m happy to introduce this beautiful yet often overlooked place in this post.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Way back in Tenerife’s early years of tourism, the former fishing village Puerto de la Cruz was apparently destined to become this major mass tourism resort. Sadly, in some spots, merciless planners succeeded so that the town has to endure some of those horrific, soulless high-rising prefab buildings. But as mass tourism finally moved mostly to the south coast, Puerto de la Cruz got somehow stuck between its old charm and the ugly remains from the second half of the 20th century. It remained in a peculiar limbo between idyllic beaches and striking urban art. There is the old and the new, the borrowed and the blue – all in all, Puerto de la Cruz is a place of many contrasts, which makes it the perfect base on Tenerife’s northern coast.
Instead of joining the tourist crowds on large beaches, are you looking for small bays to swim’n’sunbathe? Do you prefer to enjoy local cuisine and homemade wine in a small tavern over wild party nights? Would you like to be enchanted by picturesque mountain ridges and dense, fairytale-like forests?
Then, I have the perfect place for you: A bit over 20 kilometers north of the capital Santa Cruz, Tenerife keeps one of its greatest treasures, namely the mountain village of Taganana – a place over the hills and far away.
Whether you get to the top hiking or if you opt for a ride on the cable car: Mount Teide is definitely a highlight of every visit to Tenerife. In this post, I’m introducing various ways to visit this majestic mountain.
There are actually still a couple of majestic structures reminding the visitor that the small yet picturesque town of La Oliva used to be of high significance for Fuerteventura in Ye Olden Days.
Whether the coronel’s former mansion Casa de los Coroneles, the old granary Museo del Grano La Cilla, or the church Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria – the little town between Corralejo in the west and El Cotillo on the east coast is basically like an outdoor museum.
This Way to the Whole Story ->It was in June. Europe’s borders were slowly opening and the Canary Islands lost their high-risk status. I finally had the chance to book a flight, look for accommodation, plan a trip. Life was like it used to be in the olden days.
It was on a Wednesday that I landed at Gran Canaria’s international airport south of the capital Las Palmas. This city would be my base, however, it had to wait another night for me. The first day was dedicated to Agüimes, a small town about 30 minutes inland at the foot of the island’s famous mountains.
Agüimes is very picturesque, however, there is not that much to do. I spent the afternoon walking around, awing and taking pictures of alleys and well-maintained houses and many statues telling stories about the town’s history and culture. Then, the next morning, I wanted to walk to the famous Barranco de las Vacas, a gorge with rock formations as beautiful as in Utah.
And then it happened. I broke a leg.
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