This gallery contains 12 photos.
Once back to the bus, we made the drive over to the base station of the Teide Cableway (Teleférico del Teide) at 2356m above sea level. The ride took a mere eight minutes and got us up to an elevation … Continue reading
This gallery contains 12 photos.
Today we were aiming high – looking at tackling the highest point of the island. We kicked it off in the morning with an uphill bus drive; we had our first stop after a 26km drive at the Boca Tauce … Continue reading
Today was the first day of group activities – and time for the first of many hikes of this trip. We first made it up into the mountains to an altitude of about 1400m above sea level and the small town of Vilaflor. Here we kicked if off with a quick tour through town, covering the Sanctuary of the Santo Hermano Pedro and the associated church, the town park – and the famous (well – on the island) local bakery (Dulcería Vilaflor), including a quick sample of their produce.
We left town and made our way out on a hiking trail going through the pine forest, that is typical on the island at this elevation. After about two hours we left the forest and found ourselves walking between vineyards. Wine was also the topic at the destination of this 8km hike – we were heading for Bodega Lagar de Chasna, where a wine tasting and some snacks were waiting for us (after a tour around the bodega of course).
After about two hours (and a bit of intoxication) we were picked up by bus, to get back to our base at the beach – with an opportunity for quick, refreshing dip into the Atlantic Ocean – before getting ready for some nice grilled octopus in a nearby seafood restaurant – what an upgrade to yesterday. 😉
November usually makes a good time, to leave the bad weather at home and have a trip elsewhere. As such – already back in March – I did go ahead, booking a trip to Svalbard … looking for the experience of all-day twilight, a great mix of outdoor activities and a chance, to get more than a glimpse of the Northern lights.
As it turned out, I was the only one, interested in that experience … the trip never took place – and I ended up looking for other options – ultimately deciding for a trip to the Canary Islands – covering the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera and a bit of Gran Canaria.
And now was the time – it took a flight of four hours, to get to Tenerife – and El Médano, a smallish tourist town with mainly surfers and kite surfers. After moving into my room, I got out, to explore town, walk along the beaches and make my way up two nearby small mountains – Montaña Bocinegro (36m above sea level) and Montaña Roja (171m above sea level) – to get a view of the surrounding area.
The group got together for the usual tour briefing before dinner; dinner was a bit of a disappointment, pretty much a canteen buffet – from here it could only get better (and – spoiler – it did).
