Our Canary Islands Adventure: Tim’s Tenerife Travel Journal
We had such an amazing week on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. We honestly think this is the best out of all the islands in that region. Tenerife has so much to offer and we explored it all. We want to share our day to day activities and adventures with you. This is Tim’s Tenerife Travel Journal.
Tuesday January 31st – Arriving on Tenerife
Where are my AirPods? That’s how we start. Luckily, they reappeared in the backpack. Stressed and sweaty to Oma and Opa to drop off Nala and off to the Airport.
We made it. Not really a lot of traffic. Parking at the airport was super easy and on the ground level. Bagage self drop off is very easy and fast. But the suitcase is too heavy all of a sudden, 21.3 kg. 15€ extra or get some stuff out. Of course the stuff! So we get our hiking shoes out of there. 18.8 kg, nice! Time for a pricy AH to go lunch. Then security, only one lane open and super calm. 10 minutes, some extra checks on Dennis’ camera equipment and done. Time for an overpriced snack and waiting for the gate to open. Tenerife here we come!
We made it to Tenerife. Despite some heavy turbulence somewhere above the Atlantic, the flight was nice and faster than we thought. The luggage took quite some time to arrive and there was of course the absolutely longest queue at the car rental desk we needed. But finally, we gut our cute turquoise Fiat 500 with panoramic roof. Love it already! Let’s drive to the apartment.
Candelaria
After 30 minutes of driving and enjoying a little bit of scenery, we found our place for the coming week. Self check in with the key box was super easy. We have a really nice apartment on the 8th floor with a huge balcony and fantastic view of the ocean. After unpacking, we walked into the town to do some grocery shopping. Like on the plane, this time of year (end of January) seems very popular with the elderly. We even came across a huge shop for all you need when you are 60+. The shopping was a little more expensive than we thought (but we needed all the nice food, I swear). The bag was also quite heavy but we managed with the two of us. It was only 800m. By the time we arrived back, it was already time to have dinner. But the restaurant won’t open before 8 pm. But let’s just walk and it’ll be open when we arrive.
When we arrived, 10 minutes too early of course, it was still shut and dark. But all of a sudden a car arrived and two nice ladies arrived that went inside to prepare everything. In the meantime, we met an Italian girl that lives in Leeuwarden and spoke perfect Dutch. She was quite upset and crying a little because she was wandering around with her suitcase and couldn’t reach the person that should pick her up after she just arrived. We tried to help and convinced her to call a cab inside the restaurant. That worked but we gave her our number just in case something went wrong. But she texted later that all was fine. Phew! The food and the staff at the restaurant were absolutely amazing. Even the croquetas with goat cheese and spinach on the house were mouth watering. Perfect first day!
Wednesday Februari 1st – Teide National Park
Today, we decided to explore Teide National Park. This means going up and down high altitudes and driving curvy roads. But our little car managed it all. And wow, were we in for a treat! We stepped out of the car so many times. From beautiful views of the volcano, to frozen, misty forests, deserts and strange rock formations. We had it all in one day. Also temperatures dropped to around 3 degrees (starting at almost 20 at the coast). We even saw a little snow. So glad we brought our winter coats as well. They were very much needed. We also had lunch (mini ensaimadas from the local supermarket, yum) sitting on some rocks in the desert. And in that area, Dennis was even interviewed by a local news channel about the cold and the nature, all in Spanish! The diversity of the landscape and the vegetation, ranging from big forests to tiny cacti was absolutely astonishing. We never thought it would be that beautiful! Only negative point, when Dennis took over driving and drove down again (which took more than an hour) I got a little nauseous. Luckily, that stopped again when we reached the highway at the coast again.
Candelaria
On the highway back to the apartment, Dennis suggested to visit the famous basilica in Candelaria, the town next to where we are staying. It turned out to be the absolute best idea. We knew that on February 2nd there is a holiday of the virgin Candelaria which is celebrated hugely on the Canary Islands. And we also heard about a procession in the dark, which was already tonight! We asked some people and they confirmed it would start around 8 pm. So, we had a few hours to kill. First thing we did: getting out of our winter jackets and enjoy the sun with 21 degrees.
We also did a little grocery shopping and found some herbs to make your own paella and mojo (canary speciality sauces). Awesome souvenirs! In the town, they even set up a huge miniature town that you could see for free. So nice and detailed. Then it was time for dinner. We had a simple dinner with a nice view of the ocean on the terrace. The food was okay and I also actually tasted two types of mojo for the first time. Wow, super delicious!! When it went dark, we thought it was time to go to the town square. We took some nice pictures and enjoyed the atmosphere with all the lights and people starting to gather. Walking up to the church’s entrance, we even received a free candle for later on.
Then the annoying part started. It took a lot longer than expected and it was a bit cold. So, we were standing and waiting for something to happen. Luckily, some French tourists (felt like the only tourists besides us) next to us asked some locals what the starting time would be. 9 am they said. Oops! Another 20 minutes later, it finally started. It was very magical when people started to ignite each other’s candles and finally the procession started. They brought the huge statue of the virgin outside, lit up by candles. Then they turned off all the lights on the square and the candle light became even more magical. People also started shouting things like “viva Candelaria” and started singing songs, while in between someone read bible verses on the microphone. What a special experience!
When we arrived back home, we were tired but very happy we had this unique opportunity. Time to sleep and dream of more adventures tomorrow.
Thursday February 2nd – Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Today we decided to visit the capital of Tenerife. It’s quite a big city with many shops, nice streets, beautiful trees and a very relaxed atmosphere. We also wanted to visit the food market, but is was closed as most shops were. We forgot that the holiday for the virgin Candelaria is a holiday for the whole island. Oops. But we had a great time strolling around, enjoying the perfect weather of 22 degrees and sun, and having some nice food at the local park. The park itself is stunning with a lot of amazing trees and cacti. Really beautiful! Dennis had a baguette with Iberico ham that was apparently to die for. I had the almogrote spread for the first time. A Canary speciality made of hard cheese, paprika, garlic, oil and herbs. Loved it!! I also had a croqueta with banana and almogrote. Also very yum! We also went by a patissier that sold amazing cookies with white wine that are also a local specialty. The make some great food here for sure. We will definitely come back for more food, open shops and also by night because we saw a lot of light installations that will probably be amazing by night. Now, time for a short trip to the beach.
Las Teresitas
Las Teresitas is one of the few white sand beaches and it’s beautiful. But we first went up the hill behind it to take that instagram shot from above. Back down, we enjoyed a quick drink and the view before driving back to the apartment. Tonight we have a special dinner with some friends we have not seen for ages.
Los Cristianos
It took us 40 minutes to drive and immediately realized that this is a very touristy place. Completely different vibe to where we’re staying. We found Matteo and his friends quite quickly. We went for (the best) pizza first. Matteo is Italian and he claims it’s the best pizza on his life. We loved it too, but no idea if we would go that far. Since Dennis absolutely wanted to go to an Asian restaurant as well, we shared one pizza. And it didn’t disappoint! It was a combination of Peruvian and Japanese. The gyoza with sweet potato and the ceviche with tuna were mind blowing. And also the desert with chai and lucuma was to die for. We also had the absolutely best time with these people. We were laughing a lot and had very nice talks. Absolutely successful evening!
Friday February 3rd – Hiking the Chimanada Trail
We want to do a hike today. But on the way there, we needed to stop in Santa Cruz again to finally visit the food market when it’s open. And we weren’t disappointed. They had so much from local fish, meat, cheese, bread, vegetables and fruit. It felt also very authentic because the it was a lot of local people that get their food and bargain there. We also had our lunch there and tried different things. I had a green almogrote with cilantro sandwich. So good!! And we had empanadas a some different local and not local sweet baked goods. Mind blown! Especially the alfajores were so delicious. The only thing we didn’t like was the tiny pet store where mainly birds were cramped in tiny cages. Not nice to look at. With full bellies, we then continued north to our hiking destination for today.
It was a lot warmer than expected and we could’ve worn shorts even. Luckily we brought enough water. The home itself was moderate with a lot of climbing but not too steep. However, we had to pause a few times and kept asking other people how far it’ll be. But we also took the time to take a lot of photos (of course) and fly our drone again. Eventually, we made it o the top with two stunning viewpoints close to each other. Wow, what a stunning view. Again, the drone needed to take a spin. And it was a good place to cool down a little by the nice breeze from the cost. With wobbly legs we made it down the mountains again and we’re really happy to reach the car, completely out of breath. But definitely worth it!
Stargazing on Tenerife
Tonight was one of the highlights of our trip. We booked a stargazing tour Teide National Park. Apparently, one of the best places on earth to do that due to the minimal light pollution. Unfortunately, it takes quite some time to get there. So we drove more than hour to get up the mountains on the curvy roads. On the way there, we were already treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen. The combination of clouds, the volcano and the setting sun were breathtaking. The stargazing tour was also absolutely amazing. Our guide Adal was really knowledgeable and fun. We learned so much and had a great time.
Our minds were blown when all of a sudden a train of multiples lights on a row appeared in the sky and moved above us. It looked like a spaceship but was actually a cluster of Star Link satellites from Elon Musk’s company. Really bizarre! We also saw multiple planets, constellations and learned how to spot the North Star. Also, we learned about the different types of nights skies depending on the season, ancient believes about the stars etc. We were absolutely amazed! And very lucky that we followed Adal’s advice to bring warm clothes. It was 0 degrees.
The only downside afterwards: we had to drive back in the dark on these curvy roads back down the mountains. It worked out fine, but Dennis was very nauseous afterwards. All in all, a very eventful and amazing day.
Saturday February 4th – Hiking Chinyero Volcano
Today, it was time for another hike. Since it was so hot yesterday, we decided to put on shorts. Turned out to not be the best idea. The hike was on the other side of the island and quite far up. So, we only had around 11 degrees. But with our jackets on it was still very doable. The hike itself was stunning and so different from yesterday. It was a combination of lava fields and pine tree forest. We also found huge pine cones. For the most part, it was a very easy and relaxed hike which took us about 2,5 hours.
Santiago del Teide
After the beautiful hike, it was time again for a little sightseeing. We went to the town of Santiago del Teide. What a cute little town and beautiful little church. On the church square there was also a little fair going on with local products and we had lunch at a guachinche. A local restaurant with typically Canary food. This one was run by locals and only open in February for the local town festival for the almond blossom. They run this place to collect money for the festivities. It was still very cheap, felt very cozy and local, and the food was absolutely amazing. Very close by, we visited the viewpoints on Masca. Gorgeous views on that tiny village in the mountains. But we decided to not drive all the way down because it didn’t look that impressive and the road was horrible. Super narrow and steep, and a lot of traffic.
Last stop for today. This was a stop and go. Taking pictures of the beautiful rocks of Los Gigantes, a few banana plantations, enjoying that it’s warm again and back in the car to go to our apartment, which took us about an hour. On the highway, we even had a little rain, which was a first. Back at the apartment, we had dinner at a local tapas restaurant around the corner. Very simple but delicious food, especially the croquetas. And we had our first sangria, also very nice. After dinner, we realized that we were quite tired from the last days, so went to bed early to be rested for tomorrow.
Sunday February 5th – Hiking in the Anaga Forest
We were a little tired from the days before. So, we started the day a little slower and went for lunch to Candelaria. We finally wanted to have those amazing churros we saw a few days ago that you just dip in dark chocolate. And we were not disappointed! So good. The long queue outside everyday makes sense now. We then went to the Anaga forest area in the North. It was again so different from what we’ve seen before but really beautiful. We did two hikes up there. First a steap one down hill, which we only did for a kilometer or so before going back up. If there is now viewpoints, why go further and climb all the way up again, right? Then we did the path of senses, which was a lot more touristy. But it was also not that hard and we found a shortcut to an awesome viewpoint where not many tourists came, luckily. Again, an astonishing day in unique nature.
On the way back down, we decided to visit La Laguna because we passed it the other day and the church looked nice from afar. We were in for a big surprise. The town (or city even?) of La Laguna was really charming. Nice buildings, streets and churches. We had a really good time strolling around there. Only downside, all the restaurant we wanted to visit were closed on Sunday. So, we went back to our apartment for an hour before driving to Santa Cruz again to have dinner at a guachinche, a local restaurant. We of course arrived when they literally just opened the door at 19.30. But the staff and the food was very nice. Dennis had goat meat for the first time ever and I had fried potatoes with eggs on top, both a local speciality. Perfect ending of the day.
Monday February 6th – Loro Parque Zoo
Our last full day on Tenerife and we decided to do something else for a change. We heard good things about the zoo on Tenerife, Loro Parque. Already the drive on the other side of the island was a treat. We had quite some clouds and rain on parts of then island. Apparently, that lead to some snow high up the mountains. The result was a beautiful view on the snow covered El Teide. The zoo itself was absolutely gorgeous! Especially the water animals and the birds were impressive. From tropical birds flying around you, to an impressive dolphin show and even more impressive orca show. They had it all! Also the design of the park was very impressive and we spent a lot more time than we initially thought. In particular, the orca show really surprised us. We were quite sceptic about visiting a zoo in general and even more such big animals in captivity. But the effort the park does to provide for these animals, give them shelter whereas in the wild they wouldn’t survive (especially the deaf orca) and educating people to do better and organize big projects for sustainability and animal safety were impressive. This is a zoo well done.
Since we had some time to spend, we went to La Orotava close to Loro Parque. A really charming town, with beautiful narrow and steep streets, beautiful buildings and a nice garden with a fantastic view in the valley and the coast. Unfortunately, it was quite grey and cloudy and started to rain soon after we arrived. So, we decided to drive back to our apartment and take a little break before going to Santa Cruz again for the last time to have dinner.
It’s sushi time! The restaurant we had in mind first, was fully booked and only opened at 19.30 anyway. So, we went to a more “faster” place that was also on our list and already open when we arrived at 18.30. The sushi was really amazing and the service was good, too. The sushi came in waves, so we had time to take it slow and not gulp down everything at once. Definitely a successful last dinner in Tenerife! To bring in a little more local flavor again, we decided to have a local version of coffee afterwards. We were told that the barraquito is a must. Coffee with milk and condensed milk (and sometimes also with liquor 43) is regional speciality. And it didn’t disappoint! Very sweet and not bitter at all, just how we like it. We even got a decaf version so we could sleep well at night. The price was ridiculous, only 1,35€ per person. But I would definitely drink this at home! That was it for today.
Tuesday February 7th – Going home
Our last day on Tenerife. We took it slow again since we only fly in the late afternoon. Enough time to clean up and pack our bags. But at 11.00, we really had to leave. So, we used the time to visit a real ghost town. It was absolutely impressive and much bigger than we thought. Reading up on its history, we learned that it was a leper colony abandoned in the 1940s and was never used for its purpose. So, most buildings were never even finished. Officially, access is prohibited because of instability of the buildings. But of course, we and others dared to have a peek inside. Wow!
Another quick stop along the highway was the arch of Tajao. Beautiful, but we did not have to spent long there. Quick photo and go. Short stop at a gas station to fill up the car before we had to return it.
Of course we still arrived way too early at the airport and baggage drop was not open yet. So we had lunch at Burger King to kill some time. Of course, by the time we went back to the check in there was a very long queue and only two desks open which took forever. After quite some time they finally decided to open a third one and then it went faster. We made it to security about an hour before departure and it was quite quick. But we had to go through the scanner two time because nobody told us that all electronic devices needed to be taken out and go through the machine separately. So, here we go again. But we also made that, a fight with a vending machine to get some water for the plane (no proper shop available). We then had no time to relax since we could immediately queue up for boarding. Let’s go home!
Made it! After a calm flight we came back to the dark and cold, -2 degrees! The suitcase came quite quickly and the drive home took a little more than an hour.
Back in our own beds, but without Nala! By the time we were in bed it’s almost midnight. Too late to pick Nala up, so Dennis will get her in the morning when I’m at work again. Back to everyday life and business as usual.
Check out the video of all our Tenerife Adventures:
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