Long weekend in Tenerife

This autumn, I finally made it to Tenerife for a four day day vacation (after having once cancelled a holiday there). Tenerife turned out to be quite a surprise for me. I was expecting an island with lots of beaches and a humid relaxed kind of island life, while it turned out to be a bare desert kind of place. However, it did offer quite an interesting mix of activities and our vacation turned out to be a busy one. We experienced the entire range of touristy activities, from diving, hiking, spending a day in the water park to driving to gorgeous coastal Spanish villages. And it was interspersed with relaxation at our Balinese themed resort.


Getting there and first impressions

Somehow it always feels that you can get to anywhere in Europe very quickly, but it turned out to be a long flight to get from London to Tenerife. It was more than 4 hours! Most of the flight was over the sea with not much to see. We flew over Portugal and North Spain for a bit. And I saw a striking view of the Portuguese coast, with the white waves lining the cliffs on the coast. Then it was the ocean again for a long time.

And then all of a sudden in front of the plane, appeared the first glimpse of Tenerife island. In the middle of the ocean, I spotted a huge mountain peak rising above the clouds. It was a magical view, especially as I hadn't expected it. When I saw the peak, I realised that Tenerife is a volcanic island surrounding this volcanic peak. Later, the smaller peaks around the main one came into view. And the waves of the lava flow that created the contours all around the island.

Teide peak and western coast

There are two main airports on the island, one in the north and one in the south. As we were flying in to the southern airport, our plane flew all around the Teide peak and we got a glimpse of the northern and western part of the island. On the north, it was totally covered with green forests but looked uninhabited. And then along the western coast, slowly the small villages came into view all the way to the south of the island where the villages got quite dense.

The landscape in the south was a yellow brown barren desert, which was the opposite of what the north side of the island looked like. There were miles of barren lava fields everywhere, with only some shrubs vegetation. Closer to the airport some artificially planted greens palms of the city came into view, and then the area was full of high storeyed holiday homes. The greenery in the city felt a bit fake though, given all around was just barren land.

The airport was small and you could see that the island is quite popular with sun starved Britishers. There were direct flights from interior UK, like Newcastle and Midlands too! And just coming out of the airport you realise why! The place felt like bliss, the sun was out and the air was warm. I already felt that my vacation had started, given the warmth in the air.

I took a cab to my hotel which was slightly away from the city. It was in the mountains and the way there was on the motorway. I could also see how touristy the whole island was - Chinese mall, Thai themed water park and a Bali type hotel billboards lined the highway. And down the mountains, I could see all the newly built multi-floored holiday homes.

Over the next few days, we did a few activities. The first day, we went diving; the second was spent trekking on the Teide, the third in the Siam water park, and the last day driving along the western coast. And of course, everyday we would come back and chill in our amazing resort. Let me just talk a bit about all these activities.


Diving

Tenerife is a popular diving destination and we decided to go diving on our first day on the island itself. We booked 2 dives in advance the day before with Aqua Marina (https://www.aqua-marina.com) after reading the reviews for a few of the dive schools there. And I must give a special call out to them for their service.

Anyways divers are a friendly bunch, but the staff and instructors at Aqua Marina took helpfulness to the next level. They understood each diver's capabilities and limitations, and let everyone on the group dive and explore the dive sites based on their own skill levels. Not pushing them to do more, but being understanding to how each one preferred to dive. I would totally recommend them any day.

We took a boat till the 2 dive sites, the first being a bit far in the sea while the second one was closer. That day, there was a lot of wind and the water was very very choppy. We were all feeling sea sick because of that. There was so much wind that even getting into the water was a bit of a toughie as you kept getting drawn away from the diving line. Though once you got down deep, the water was calm and clear. And swimming got a lot easier.

Turtle during the dive

We went diving at two locations, El Condesito and Palm Mar wall. Both the dive spots did not have much coral, but had more of basalt rock formations. The El Condesito is a ship wreck dive site which still has cement blocks on the ship from the time the ship was transporting those blocks to Tenerife. The Palm Mar wall was made up of rock formations, with some smaller colourful fishes around. The highlight of the second dive were the two turtles we spotted. They swam around us for a bit and were a pleasure to watch. Apparently three of them stay there and you always run into some of those on most dives.

Camouflaged fish

One of the dive instructors was on his off day and was doing a deeper dive (100 meters) using 3 oxygen tanks. We dropped him off at a different location and were to pick him up at the end of our dive. We had a few anxious minutes when we didn't see him for 10 minutes when we went to pick him up. We did eventually spot him, though very far from the spot we had dropped him because of the wind. But it did give us all a few difficult minutes for sure.

Overall, the water was coldish but very clear, and the dives were lovely. We totally enjoyed it. Sometimes if you are lucky, you can also spot dolphins in this area but we didn't get to see any.


Teide

Mount Teide is kind of the soul of the island. It is located in the centre of the island and everything on the island centres around it. No visit to the island is complete without a visit to Teide and there are many ways you can explore it. My friends cycled till there one day which is quite tough. You can hike all the way to the peak, which again some of my friends did. It is quite a strenuous climb and takes more than usual effort, given its high altitude. Or you can take a cable car up the peak, which is what I and a few of my friends did.

It takes an hour or so to drive up to the Teide, and on the way you pass through some bright coloured Spanish villages and a few vineyards. The vegetation on the way is mostly scrubs, with only a few trees as you get closer to the crater.

Teide is a peak within a volcanic crater, as when the eruption happened, the crater collapsed inwards and then erupted again. This created an interesting landscape where there is a huge very high circular crater all around and a gap in between through which the peak emerges. And once you get inside the crater, it has its own micro climate, different from the rest of the island. Inside the crater, all structures are from the volcanic eruption, and it feels like a place from outside of earth, the kind they show in Star Wars and other such movies.

Teide peak

We drove to one of the stops inside the crater - Rocques de Garcia - and hiked around that area for about 2 hours, while the rest of our friends started the trek up to the Teide peak. Even our short hike turned out to be quite strenuous as we had planned and dressed for a cold weather trek while it had got very sunny and hot when we were walking. But overall, it was fun to do the round trip around the rock formations.

We got some magnificent views of the Teide and its neighbouring Piejo peak, but also of the different rock formations and the soil layers which were all created during the eruption. This place would be heaven for anyone studying lava flows and different kind of rock formations from lava flows. We could see different coloured rocks, layers of different rocks and many other different formations all along the trek. In fact, there were so many intricately and differently structured rock formations along the way that you would not be blamed for thinking all of this was man made rather than naturally created!

After this trek in the heat, we headed to the cable car to the peak. There was a cafe at the base where we had something to eat, with a stunning view to the crater outside. And then we took the cable car up, to be greeted with even more spectacular views of the crater around. You can even go higher till the peak but you have to register beforehand if you want to. So we only went up till where the cable car takes you and spent some time there.

View of crater from the peak

It was very sunny up on the mountain but windy too, and we had to take out all our warm clothes. We walked to one of the viewpoints (mirador) nearby and could also smell sulphur on the way there. Once at the mirador, we got a full 180 degrees view of the crater, with its various layers. We saw the different shades of the lava rocks, depending on when it erupted, from which part of the earth, and how the lava cooled down. It was actually quite a fascinating view to see what an artist nature can be.

Lava Lake

On one side we got a view of the lava lake of the neighbouring peak. Next to it, we could see clouds below us, at a height of 1500-1800 feet. Apparently, the clouds on that side of the mountain always stay at that height, every day. On a clear day, you could even see the faraway island of Gran Canaria from the top, though that day they were not visible because of the fog.

From the top, you can also see bits of the north side of the island which is green, full of dense forests, where it rains most of the year. It was just the opposite of what we had seen in the south, bare, yellow rocky desert and only dotted with some shrubs. We stayed there for a bit, as it was very interesting to be there. And we were actually one of the last ones to take the cable car down to leave. But good we made it as as none of us wanted to walk down.

The most popular walking trail up is about 9 kms, though there are multiple other routes. And all along, you get some stunning views of the crater all around. It was very very warm, sunny and bright that day which made it easier to climb. There were also too many people as compared to usual, given the weather. I didn't do the trek that day, but may go back sometime, to get a chance to walk all the way up. Lets see...

It is said that Teide crater is one of the places on earth to stargaze, given the limited light pollution. And you can see the milky way on a clear night with no moon. One of my friends drove to the crater one night as it was clear and the moon wasn't as full. Apparently the views was breathtaking and he could almost see the Milky Way. Its definitely something I missed this time, maybe this will also be for some other time?


Siam Water park

Siam Water park is a popular water park located in the south of the island and we got complimentary passes to the park along with our hotel stay. So we spent one day, morning till park closing, in the park, enjoying all its rides. The park is made on a Thai theme, the names of the rides all have a Thai touch to it, the buildings and ride structures are built in the Thai architecture style and there is a lot of greenery in the park which is also very tropical in its feel.

There are multiple rides in the park for adults, plus some smaller ones for kids and a few relaxing areas with wave pools when you are tired. We spent most of our day on the rides and they were exhilarating. The slides were not extraordinarily scary, but still fun. It was a warm day and all the water showering on us during the rides was totally welcome! The best rides of the day were the Kinnaree and the Tower, both a definite recommend. Other than the rides, they also had a pool with small sharks and fishes, and one with sea lions, for anyone who wanted to just enjoy the sea life.

We went on a Monday expecting crowds to be less given it was a weekday but it was not to be so. So we had to buy fast track to be able to get onto the rides without having to stand in queues for long. And by the evening we were tired with all the running up the rides, and going down. But it was definitely a fun day and when the passes are complimentary, it feels even better 😜.


Villages of the north

The last day on the island was particularly enjoyable for me as I got out and explored the island beyond the resort areas of Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos. I saw what else was Tenerife about, the relaxed pace of Spanish life, the brightly coloured yellow and orange Spanish villages nestled in the mountains, living their life just as they did years ago.

There were two options to drive, either to go along the west coast of the island, or the east all the way to the north. Since we didn't have a lot of time before the flight, I drove towards Masca which is along the west coast of Tenerife. The drive was first all along the coast, through small towns, beaches and resort areas. And there were impressive views all along, of the sea, and the mountains right next to the sea.

Los Gigantes cliffs

My first stop was the cliffs of Los Gigantes, right next to the sea. Then I continued driving, towards Masca. The drive to Masca thereafter was through single laned mountain roads snaking along the mountain side. It was a dicey drive, with lot of turns as you go up and down the mountains.

Santiago de Teide

I passed a few beautiful villages on the way, some of them in valleys and some on cliffs next to the sea. I wish I could have stopped and taken pictures of those villages, but whenever I got a good view, it wasn't a place to stop! One particular village on the way, Santiago de Teide was especially picturesque, located in a valley, surrounded by high mountains on all sides.

Drive to Masca

And the drive from there to Masca was even more risky, but breathtaking at the same time. It was single laned with lot of hairpin bends going up the mountains. On the way, I stopped at a viewpoint, where I finally got a view of the nearby Canary islands of Las Gomera and Las Palma. And also of the snaky road, all the way to Masca. The weather was gorgeous and it was quite a picturesque drive. At times I had to force myself to focus on the road and not the fabulous views around!

Masca on cliffs

Masca felt like it belonged to a different era all together. The village had houses perched all along the cliff, and a ledge, culminating on a huge rock. Apparently the locals of the island used to hide here from the authorities. I was surprised by how many restaurants there were in the village. And how many tourists too!

Lunch view from El Guanche

I had lunch at El Guanche, a restaurant serving vegetarian food and with an interesting history. Everything they made was grown here itself in Masca. It also had a striking view of the village on the ledge. The food there was tasty, and it was fun to sit there in the sun, eating lovely food and feeling disconnected from the world.

There were a few other pretty villages along the way if I had continued on, but I had a time limit and couldn't. So I headed back to the resort and the airport. But when I read about them later, I realised that these are definitely worth going to: Garachico (the prettiest and unluckiest town in Tenerife) and San Cristobal De Las Lagunas (with its pretty coloured streets).


Resort area of Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos

This is the resort town of the south near where we stayed. To be honest, there wasn't a lot to do there. It was full of holiday homes, and some beaches which did not look inviting. It was all built up, with multi-floored buildings, huge roads lined with palm trees, lot of malls and anything else a tourist would need. The town felt greener, but all around it was bare and yellow.

 We went into the city centre twice to eat, eating lunch at a Pizzeria which had an outside seating area and made one the tastiest pizzas I have eaten. We also once ordered food from Mr Singh, which offered very tasty Indian food. Apparently there are a few Indians on the island too, one of whom was from Punjab and had opened the restaurant. Other than that, we didn't really explore the town much as the place didn't look very inviting.


Hotel Regency Club

We stayed at the Hotel Regency Club which is located in the mountains, overlooking Los Cristianos and the sea below. All around the hotel were bare mountains, with nothing growing on the them. Its location made it ideal to watch sunsets, and you could see it from most of the rooms. Down below, the twinkling town, behind it, the sea and the orange sun dipping into the water slowly and slowly, every evening...

Twilight at the hotel

The hotel was quite spread out and had lot of things to do. It looked very inviting, and relaxing because of its Balinese decor. It had a heated infinity pool and jacuzzi in the main area. It had a library, a spa and mini-golf to keep people busy. And they also organised events in the evenings for the guests. We got to see a Flamenco show one of the evenings which was fabulous. And at night the resort literally twinkled.

We were staying in a grand villa, all decorated in Balinese style, with painted roofs, huge wooden doors and sculptured cupboards. The villa had its own jacuzzi and sauna which felt perfect after all the active days we had. And we enjoyed a few nice evenings, sitting outside on the terrace, enjoying the views of the sea and sunsets below.


The weather was overall warm during the day. And it got coldish at night which I hadn't planned for. Given it was such an active vacation, I didn't even realise how time passed. We were either doing an activity, or eating or enjoying the sauna/pool/jacuzzi or sleeping. And the vacation soon got over. I don't really think we relaxed as much as I thought we would😊. But I totally enjoyed the vacation. I just wish I had got more time to do some of the things I couldn't, like star gaze, trek up Teide and explore the other parts of the islands. As I usually say, maybe for the next time...