Canary Islands - Gran Canaria

 

Gran Canaria - an island where you can be whatever you want to be! Lose your inhibitions and allow yourself to become one of the 2.5 million tourists that visit this, the 3rd largest island of the Canaries every year. Maspalomas is the biggest of these tourist areas with Playa del Ingles being the area with the most incredible beach and sand dunes. The beach is sandy and just goes on and on....! Whist the area has nightlife and hundreds of restaurants, it also attracts the kind of tourists who do enjoy walking. One just has to view the beach from above, to see them like little ants, walking in their hundreds.  We walked at a brisk pace for over an hour and did not get to the end of the beach.

The views are mind-blowing!!!! Whilst you have the mountains behind the resorts and sand dunes,  one also has the human species - quite an eye opener to somebody who comes from Cape Town where nudity is not the norm on most beaches. One has to wonder what makes both male and female want to display the wrinkled, sagging, sometimes small, sometimes large, boobs to all and sundry. I have never seen so many sagging boobs - even the 80 year olds with boobs down to the waist line or wrinkled like crisps, waltzing along in the sunshine! Or the boob job ones that stand to attention no matter what - not a sag or wrinkle in sight. And then there are the men - oh my goodness, bending over their towels exposing their butts or breezing down to the see with their bits dangling in varying sizes like prawns - some extra large king or others like tiny shrimps! Luckily, I did not have my camera with me as I am sure I would have been arrested trying to build up a portfolio of body parts! I did see a husband trying to pretend he was taking a photo of his wife, while really aiming at some of the nudes for his holiday album! It made for an interesting morning with a cool temperature of approx. 21 degrees.

To escape all that bare flesh, we took a drive around the island to view some scenery of a different sort. Our first stop was Puerto de Morgan. This is a much smaller resort area with a yacht basin, a man-made beach (Sahara Sand!) very pretty apartments lining narrow, pedestrian streets, loads of bougainvilleas, a waterfront with many restaurants and the always present, tourist shops. We stopped here for a light lunch and enjoyed the waiter and his sense of humour. When I asked for the toilet, he pointed towards the beach with a deadpan expression on his face. For a minute, I just froze, thinking, OH NO! The he cracked up laughing, together with the neighbouring table, before pointing me to the toilet at the back of the restaurant. In my state of shock, I nearly dropped my hat down the loo - only a very quick flick of the wrist saved it from a dunking! 

The road starting winding up away from the coast towards Mogan. With many twists and turns, this mountain road just goes on and on. The mountains are not quite as spectacular as those on Tenerife but well worth the drive. As one heads down the valley, you see a huge farming area. The green houses cover just about all sides of this valley and the farmers apparently grow bananas, mangoes, avocados, papaya and oranges. As most are covered by shade cloth, it is not easy to peep inside.  There is also a cactus park here, Cactualdea but we did not stop as we had visited the one in Lanzerote. 

A stunning stopping point is Mirador del Balcon. The cliffs are spectacular and about 500 m high. The views are over the northeastern part of Gran Canaria and truly beautiful. From here the road was very steep and winding until we eventually reached  Puerto de las Nieves. Parking all over the Canary Islands is a problem and this town was so full of locals enjoying a Sunday out that we could find nowhere to park so we just drove around  before heading upwards again. The port here services the ferries to Tenerife. It's a pretty fishing village with a number of restaurants, craft shops and art galleries.

At this point, we decided to join up with the highway to get us back to Playa del Ingles. Doing this half of the island, without stopping, took no time at all  as the highway is quick and fast. Those mountain roads really take forever, so do give yourself enough time to enjoy them.

Playa del Ingles is a wonderful spot so swimming and walkng are taking up much of our time but we will venture out again soon. 

The mountains on Gran Canaria are calling for us to investigate their beauty so off we set for a full day of driving around the  incredible roads. One has to admire the engineers who designed these roads, cut away with solid rock on one side and sheer drops to the ravines on the other! And the rest, twist and turn, twist and turn with barely a straight stretch anywhere. So the short distance is a fallacy as it takes forever to negotiate these mountains.

We set off towards San Bartolome de Tirajana where there are orchards of fruit trees such as plum, cherry and peach. Apparently, the fruits are used to make vodka and liqueurs! There are view points along the way where everybody gets out to admire and take some photos. The next stop was Roque Nublo which is a 60 m tall monolith. It is thought that this peak was held sacred by the Guanches. We stopped, along with many others, in the parking area thinking that the 100 m sign would take us to the view point. Ha, Ha!!! The start of the trail maybe.....so off we set, up and up and up. It's a long hike and, unfortunately, I had to stop as my Rockies were coming adrift and I did not want to fall. Yeah right - pathetic excuse? But I did get high up, not just high enough! Most walkers had walking shoes and some also had their hiking sticks. Our hiking sticks are sitting comfortably in the suitcases still as we did not realise this was such a steep climb.

But I did enjoy the magnificent views into the valleys below so all was not lost.

The next point was the highest peak on Gran Canaria called Pico de las Nieves (Well of Snow) at 1949 m. Luckily, no hiking required!!! The mist comes in rather quickly so I managed a few photos as the mist was enveloping the peaks. This is a military area with many warning signs not to touch the electric fence. There is a huge radio station here.

Views down to the valley and Las Palmas show that this area is very well populated with many villages. We continued round and round the bends to view Roque Bentayga which rises to 1412 m and is also regarded as a holy places by the Guanches.. Views, views, views - totally mind blowing and a really great way to spend the day. People are always drawn to mountains - splendour that is not man-made. Gran Canaria certainly has these in abundance. 

Feeling rather peckish by now, we stopped at a very pretty village, Tejeda, where we enjoyed a large Waldorf Salad and some thirst quenching San Miguel!

One thing that does amaze me here are the many cyclists. How they can ride up into these mountains without appearing to be struggling to breathe, is beyond me - they must all be super fit. Perhaps training for the Tour de France? Nobody should be riding up these torturous roads just for FUN???? Tough Spaniards!

The only negative is the amount of litter at all of the view points - I do not understand why people must leave dirty tissues and tin cans when they stop. It spoils the area and leaves a sense of disgust towards the litter bugs. The mountains are so beautiful, why spoil them with muck?

Local drivers always toot when they intend passing so that's OK. We have found the driving most pleasant 95% of the time. Our biggest scare of the day was meeting a huge blue bus around a blind corner - he nearly took us out and should know better than to go careering around a blind bend at that speed. The local buses do this route around the mountains as there are so many little hamlets scattered all over in the most inaccessible places. I would hate to suffer the bends on one of those buses - puke material!  

A lovely walk from Anfi Beach Club takes one to Arguineguin - approx.  1 hour walking at a slow  pace. There are a number of Blue Flag beaches along the way, always great for a cooling swim. Some even have Smoking and Non-Smoking areas! Great for both groups.If peckish, many restaurants also! The resorts are numerous until you reach Arguineguin which is a local village. The market is held here on Tuesdays and either bus,ferry or your own car will get you there.

We passed an area where the lizards are protected. An elderly gent was throwing them some food and they popped out of their holes to come dashing for the nibbles! Very prehistoric looking - at this stage I am not sure what they are exactly but they appear to be a protected species as we also passed huge art piece lizards mounted next to the road a few days ago.

The so - called glass bottom boats ply their trade between Arguineguin, Anfi, Puerto Rico and Mogan. Charges start at 6 euro return for a short hop of 10 minutes. We did the ferry to Puerto Rico which is a huge resort. Buildings creep right up the cliffs to the very top and the wide beach has hundreds of deck chairs. This resort appears popular with the British folk and we saw a number of lobster red bodies on sun loungers in the blazing mid day sun. Having caught the sun briefly myself, I shudder to think how those lobster tourists will feel later. Rather silly to burn to such a degree and perhaps spend the balance of one's holiday with sunstroke.

Water sports are very prominent in most resort areas and especially in Puerto Rico where you can try many different sports. The town has hundreds of restaurants so nobody will go hungry! The catamaran cruises appear very popular as they also give their guests bumpy rides in circles around the yacht on a banana boat. Going by the screams it appears a fun activity! The other favourite is the parascending - hanging from a huge parachute which is pulled by a speed boat. It looks extremely genteel except when the pilot of the boat lands the people in the water instead of back on the boat!

By contrast, Anfi is a quieter, more placid area despite a busy beach. The nightly entertainment at the Anfi Plaza is great and varied enough to suit all tastes.

There are many German tourists in this area plus other Europeans. The British tourists appear more concentrated in Puerto Rico.

We love the dunes of Maspalomas so much that we headed back there today. Parking is a nightmare unless staying in the area and we had to drive around for ages before we spotted a Parking Garage. We started our walk at the end of the dunes where the salt water lake is situated. This area has many posh hotels with swimming pools overlooking the sea. Simply stunning! We started our walk on the dunes in order to take some photos. The area is vast - over 4 Sq km so only the very fit can walk the entire area. If you are male, stay away from the small trees in the dunes - this is the gay cruising area so enter at your peril unless you are looking for some alternate fun!

The nudist beach area is also clearly marked and well used by both sexes. There is no such thing as being prudish at all on this vast beach - you see human figures at their worst or at their best. Anything goes and then some! 

After a great swim, we walked the boulevard which passes most of the expensive hotels. The Mime artists and the Sand Castle artist were all brilliant. We especially liked the couple who could hold a kiss until somebody dropped some money for them. Beautifully made up, they were a pleasure to watch.

On the way back to the car park, we stopped at a small Italian restaurant where they take great pride is telling their customers that all their pasta/pizza dough is made by hand. Called "Time" the service was great with a very friendly waiter. Whilst eating on the beach front is great for views, sometimes the smaller places hidden on corners offer better food and service.

Las Palmas is a well laid out city and is easily reached via the main highway. It is best to opt for a parking garage as parking is always at a premium. We chose to do the open top bus to get a feel for the city. The harbour is huge and also includes a marina which is the starting point for the annual Canary Islands to Santa Lucia race, ending in the Caribbean. 

We found that the taxi drivers were very courteous in offering advice re the starting point of the Red Top Bus even though their English was not the greatest. The huge square called Santa Catalonia Park is where we found the tourist office and Number 1 stop  for the bus.

I love the architecture of the high rises - with so many different facades and colours, these tall buildings look elegant. We stopped to have lunch in a side square - very reasonable and peaceful, watching the locals go  about their daily lives. 

There was a P & O liner in the harbour so many of those tourists were on the bus, seeing the sights!

I got wacked on the head by a palm tree branch and my "OH SHIT" had the other passengers turning around but none offered any sympathy! My head still hurts....!

The famous beach is Playa de las Canteras and it certainly is lovely. Stretching around the Bay for approx. 2.8 km, this is surrounded by many side walk cafes and lovely  views. Many of the posh hotels border this beach. However, as we has been approached by at least 3 beggars, we decided that it would not be safe to leave our wallet, camera etc on the beach while we enjoyed a swim. Maybe we were too cautious but better safe than sorry!

The roads in Gran Canaria are excellent and the 3 lane highway is great. We got back to Anfi Beach where we enjoyed a great cooling swim after our outing to Las Palmas.

I love a local ad by an estate agent " We know the market and have a register full of frozen Scandinavians who dream of a life in the sun" The weather is simply fabulous here! It was much more windy along the coast to Las Palmas but that spin off is that the wind turbines keep going for electricity of all these crazy tourists! 

A swim at our local beach and now a Micheal Jackson show to round off the day.

Gran Canaria is all about sun, sea and sand with the incredible weather that the Canary Islands enjoy. Gran Canaria has about 80 beaches. Too many to explore! The North coast is mainly rocky hence most of the good resorts are on the south of the island. 

Today we chose to visit Playa de Los Amadores; this is close to Puerto Rico but much more laid back with crystal clear turquoise water. The promenade on one side leads to the posh Amadores Beach Club and Spa. VIP Lounge is 40 euros, champagne area sunbeds are 40 euros, double solarium sunbeds are 30 euros and if you want to be cheap, then the beach front double sunbeds are 24 euros. Of course you can get the beach ones for 3 euro - 9 euro for 2 plus sunshade. Many people choose the sand - it's FREE!.

The other side of the bay leads to Puerto Rico if you are energetic enough to walk the 1 km path in the heat.

For lunch we stopped at Los Amigos. Lovely cool spot with draughts at 1.95. The service was very friendly, the one waiter kept winking at me! But oh so slow! To be fair, they had advised that their Indian Chef would be in later if we wanted samoosas. It was entertaining watching a couple on their sunbeds below us. The guy kept chewing and taking sips of water. He then turned around and hung his head over the end of the sun lounger. Perhaps he was trying to bury his head in the sand?

The water at this beach just invites one in - it was like a milk pond; so smooth and silky. Yum Yum!!! 

Entertainment at Anfi is pretty good and El Cafe had a Blues band playing last night. The amazing drummer is from Arguineguin, together with a great Spanish bass guitarist, and 2 British chaps. The leader of the pack is Bob who LOVES his beer and seems to get better the more he drinks! He is amazing with his guitar despite his love of much beer!  Drinks at El Cafe are not cheap so be prepared! The Blues band made for a lovely evening.

Friday in Puerto Mogan is market day. Parking is best in the Parking Garage which is well signposted. The stalls are all over town, including the harbour wall area. There are some fantastic clothing stalls, then the millions of belts, watches, handbags, hats and t - shirts. Many of the stall holders are African so you can get some of their souvenirs without setting foot on African soil! But that would be a missed experience....!

There are some local goods on sale such as embroidery, pottery and foodstuffs. The entire area is well worth a wander as you will find underwear in all shapes and sizes next to fine 18 carat gold jewelry!

Once the market palls, just head for one of the many restaurants, some water sports or the beach. Puerto Mogan is a great little town and the narrow pedestrian streets with their bougainvilleas are so cute and also offer much needed shade.

Besides the main, sandy beaches there are also little hidden coves which can only be reached on foot. One such is Playa de Tiritania where the hike down is ok but coming back up in the heat would make one so hot and bothered that another swim somewhere would be a must. Parking at many of the beaches is at a premium so it is always best to get to them fairly early unless travelling by bus.

After lunch we decided to drive around the coast from Anfi to San Agustín. We eventually found a parking spot near the beach and set off on our walk.

The area from San Agustín, Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas form a region known as "Costa Canaria". San Agustín is a more low key area although it has a number of 4 star hotels. The apartment blocks are low rise with some being in need of some TLC. The beach here has dark sand and is fairly quiet compared to Playa del Ingles and Maspalomas. So if you are wanting a quiet holiday, perhaps this would be a good choice. However, there is much maintenance going on with the walkways etc and, personally, I did not really like the beach. 

One can walk all the way from San Agustín to the lighthouse at the end of Maspalomas. ....If you are very energetic!
There is a promenade for most of the way to Playa del Ingles and then you have that glorious beach walk which goes on and on!

The good news is that one can cool off at any of the beaches before venturing forth again. Near the Euro Palace Hotel there are a number of restaurants overlooking the ocean. Great for a pit stop and cooling sea views 

With a temperature of 33 degrees today, it was rather a hot walk. However, as we live in our bathing costumes on this island, a swim is never far away unless one is up in the mountains!

We walked to Playa del Ingles before turning back. So although we have not done this walk in one go, we have completed it in stages.

There are black cats all over the island - however, they appear to be well fed by the animal protection services who ask that members of the public do not feed them.

Supermarkets are easy to find with Spar being the most available but also the most expensive. Super Dino and Hiper Dino offer good value with Unide being the cheapest on some items.

Driving on the island is the best way to see all the sights and to explore the various beaches. Drivers are courteous and are well versed in both the roundabout system and the pedestrian crossings. In fact, most people don't even wait for cars to stop - they are well aware that they all will! In the beginning we stood like idiots waiting for drivers to stop! One soon learns to behave like a local!

So the day dawns that we have to leave Gran Canaria. It is a beautiful island and it is ideal for an amazing beach holiday with some mountain scenery thrown into the mix. After some swims in the crystal clear sea, we had to pack up and leave.

Bye Bye Gran Canaria - you have treated us well!

A rather sour taste was that our flight to Madrid with Air Europa was supposed to leave at gate 35. Just before boarding time, we went to stand at the gate only to be told that the gate was moved C 05!!. So off we dashed only to find that the gate had been moved to C 13! We made the check in just in time. But then the flight was delayed as some of the passenger's  had obviously not seen or heard the announcement of the gate change! Air Europa staff blamed the airport for the 3 gate changes. All rather confusing when this does not happen in many International airports.

Food on Air Europa is not free....so make sure you have your wallet handy. The flight itself was fine and the passengers clapped loudly when we landed in Madrid. Perhaps they have many bad landings

Anyway on to Madrid .....! Good Bye Canary Islands.

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Canary Islands - Tenerife

Our next stop on our Canary Island holiday is Tenerife. Wow - how different to Lanzerote. Our first impression was of banana fields - more and more as we drove from the Airport (South). The roads are twisty and the views rather spectacular as some parts of the coastline are so rugged.  The name of Tenerife means "White Mountain" which refers to Pico del Tiede, Spain's tallest peak. This volcano stands proudly at 3718 m and can be seen for miles. This peak divides the island into two climate zones, with the North being very lush and green and the south being hot and arid. Our pilot was a friendly chap who pointed out that the weather would be great as " We are in the Canary Islands"   His statement is certainly true as the weather has been amazing!

The National Park del Teide was formed in 1954 and has seen thousands of visitors since as it remains one of the largest parks in Spain. There are many view points along the roads - do stop at most as all have something of interest in the various rock formations, the views, or the general volcanic landscape. The roads are not in as good shape as those of Lanzerote, but still pretty good!  We arrived at the cable station only to find it closed due to high winds of 95km per hour at the top of the mountain. Very disappointing as the journey to this point takes quite awhile but Mother Nature always gets her say and maybe today was one of those days...!

After a very mediocre lunch stop at Paradores Cafe (Avoid unless desperate!)  we continued down the mountain. The slopes are covered in pine forests with that divine smell of pine needles in the summer sun. The cloud cover down below was incredible - a blanket of white foam covering everything below the tree line. This made for marvellous views even though we could not see what was below! We eventually entered into the mist and gradually descended below to see the coastline again.The roads are  very twisted and have the most amazing views of the coastline below - another day's exploring to look forward to.

Whether you love the crowds or not, a visit and walk along the very long boulevard running from Los Cristianos through Playa de las Americanas to Costa Adeje is a must. Stop at one of the very many restaurants/shops, swim at any beach that takes your fancy, listen to some music long the way or be brave and take some surfing lessons! There are also parachute rides being towed by boats if that takes your fancy. This place is seriously built up and busy yet excellent for some exercise! We passed a Mime Man - dressed all in white as the Statue of Liberty, however, he had either made enough money or had just given up, because when we returned he had exposed his hairy legs, was sitting down in the shade! Can't say I blame him in 28 degree heat!!! 

Whilst I certainly no longer have a perfect figure, some people really should not expose themselves in public!!! But anything goes here and nobody bats an eyelid, so just enjoy the gorgeous weather and the ambience of this very busy island. 

We also passed a cop car where the policeman was radioing for assistance because of a guy asleep on a bench!! The guy was obviously sleeping off a heavy night and was quite distressed to find a cop staring at him. If this warrants police action, the island must indeed be very safe. Although having said that, we were approached by a Spaniard in the National Park wanting a lift as he was "a runner who had fallen and hurt his knee". Explaining all this by actions while leaning into my window, did not make me feel too safe but he did eventually give up. A story to rob us or a genuine accident? Why would you be running in the National Park MILES from anywhere??? It felt off so just beware.

Going north to Santa Cruz is quite boring on the highway. Varying between 2 or 3 lanes, the highway is not very scenic and is busy in both directions. To break the boredom, we chose to branch off at El Medano but this was not too exciting either. Fairly cute but it just did  not grab us. So the next stop was Poros de Abona, which is a small local village and very relaxed. 

Our swim was stunning and we really enjoyed the cool sea. Unfortunately, the tiny cafe was full so we could not sample some local fare. From there we headed off to Santa Cruz. Most visitors stop here to do some shopping in the Calle Castillo which is a pedestrian area but closed during siesta time! As it does not get that hot here in Canaries, it is just a way of life for the Spanish! To be fair, many places are open all day, every day. 

The harbour in Santa Cruz is huge and stretches for most of the seaside of the town. It looks very busy and had 3 huge rigs in when we passed, one being a Transocean rig. I could not see the others except that they dominate the front, being so huge! Going out of town, the first village is San Andres where the road also starts to go into the Anaga Mountains. If you want to tell your friends that you have stood on the sands of the Sahara desert, then a visit to Playa de las Teresitas is a MUST!!! This beach stretches for 2 km covered in imported sand and it is also lined with many palm trees! The parking area is huge and it was nearly full, despite being a Monday so week-ends must be bedlam, with people trying to find a spot on their favourite beach. 

We took a drive down a short section of the mountain which ends at the village of Igueste de San Andres. The drive twists and turns and some sections have huge wire netting holding the sides of the mountain in place! Rock falls must also be a problem here but perhaps not as bad as Chapman's Peak Drive in Cape Town where the road often has to be closed in winter due to rock falls. The village is perched above a ravine and the villagers grow mangoes, avocados and the ever-present banana's. 

After the long, boring drive back to Puerto de Santiago on a very busy motorway, we welcomed the entertainer at El Marques for an after-dinner show. Many of the resorts in the Canary Islands focus on entertaining British folk the m who seem to be the "bread and butter" for these resorts and most seem to return year after year. Many to the same sunbeds at the pool.......! Anyway, the crowd was obviously repeat guests as they knew the singer, Toby Graham, and did the same crazy things that they most probably do every year. It was fun to watch them leap up when he started a certain song, grab their napkins and do a crazy dance, waving these napkins around gaily. Two ladies even grabbed our napkins off our table to use and then politely, with huge grins, deposited them back on our table afterwards.

When the song " Alice" was started, a group of 4 dashed outside and stood up against the window behind the singer. They then proceeded to sway and dance to the music, causing much hilarity amongst the audience. In Lanzerote, the restaurant was very casual with most in shorts but here the ladies were dressed up, wearing high heels. Having injured both my toes, I discarded my shoes and danced with bare feet in my shorts! A fun evening was had by all, unless you were not English, in which case, it would most probably all have looked ridiculous! But holidays are for getting into the mood at the moment, after all.

One road trip that cannot be missed in Tererife is the outing to Masca. What an incredible road - it winds up and up in a single track, basically with passing places every now and again. Just pray that you are heading the same way as the tourist buses! There are many view points and the views are absolutely stunning. Eventually one reaches this crazy village, perched at 600 m. There are numerous restaurants to choose from and also hiking trails into the ravine . On days of yesteryear, this place was only accessible by mule and was a favourite hangout for pirates!  The hillside is terraced for crops but we saw no livestock so heaven help the husband who forgets to buy the milk - it is a very arduous trek back to the nearest town! 

On the way down, the views are just as spectacular and the outlook towards the village of El Palmar shows the deep gauges that have been made in the mountain. Firstly used for farming, the owners eventually decided to make some money by selling the soil! In the beginning, this was done with a pick and shovel (1960's) but in latter years, machinery was used. Perhaps not such a blot on the landscape as it makes for interesting photography and a talking point when visiting this hamlet. There is much cultivation here, mainly vines.

Buenavista is the most western village, it has a golf course, a small fishing harbour that we could not find and tons of banana plantations. We carried on to Los Silos which is a lovely village and it features Canarain houses with well preserved wooden balconies. 

The square was beautifully decorated and the small, local cafe tempted us as the hunger pangs were ever-!. Small and truly local with a few tables on the pavement and only 2 tables inside, it was a good choice to view local life. The guys came in to play the machines, grab a very freshly squeezed orange juice or some wine. One chap ventured over to the juice maker and started loading his own oranges, only to be waved away by the owner! Our rolls were piping hot and filled with Canarian cheese and the delicious thin ham that is sold all over the Canary Islands. It was a pleasant stop even though we had no idea what the locals were talking about!

 

Garachico  is on the north coast and was all but wiped out during the eruption of Volcan Negro in 1706. Today it is a bustling town with a large swimming pool (entrance fee payable) as the coast is very rocky. Apparently, this town gets severely battered by Atlantic gales during winter and the huge waves are something to experience. There are some places for bathing via the stainless steel ladders but we opted to carry on towards Icod de los Vinos.

This town should be explored on foot to enjoy the narrow streets and many street cafes and restaurants. The main attraction here is the wine and cheese plus the Dragon Tree. We were really to late to purchase tickets into the park area (Euro 5 pp) so just wandered the streets which are most interesting.

We got rather horribly lost here as the streets are very narrow and, with everything in Tenerife, up hill and down dale. Eventually,  we mananged to find our way down to the main street and then turned for Puerto de Santiago. An hour for a journey of approx. 34 km through the twisty roads - shades of India, without the chaotic traffic and constant hooting!! 

The rain and mist followed us for awhile and then we were back to the brilliant sunshine of the Canary Islands again.

Roads are pretty good overall although some are quite bad and in need of maintenance. No potholes have been encountered so that is a blessing!!
Drivers are courteous and we have not encountered any problems. The entire island is so mountainous that everything is either up or down and some of the building hug the cliff face in a spectacular fashion. The builders must be pretty good here - building is not an easy feat on these mountainous slopes.

El Marques offered a parrot show one night. These guys were from Loro Parque which is a major attraction in Tenerife. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit so seeing these exotic birds do some amazing tricks was rather special. They appear in very good condition and the handlers seem in tune with them. Skateboarding, bicycle riding, ringing a bell the exact amount of times as instructed and putting shapes into their correct places were all handly with aplomb by these gorgeously noisy parrots!

Living close to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, gardens all over the world fascinate me so we headed off to visit the Jardin Botanico in Puerto de la Cruz. These gardens were established way back in 1788 and so remain one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. Although, fairly small  in size, the gardens are green and lush with many flowering species. We were also thrilled to discover quite a few South African species. The scent of the frangipangi always evokes memories of Mossel Bay, South Africa where I spent many sunny summer  holidays! 

 Our next trip was to the Anaga Mountains for some more hairpin bends and spectacular scenery. Tenerife is so mountainous that there are not many straight roads, except for the highway around the east coast. Drivers are courteous and we have not encountered any major problems, unlike Crete where driving is a nightmare, never to be forgotten! We started off from San, just outside of  Santa Cruz. The road winds up and up and some of the small hamlets are perched where one would never expect any sane person to live. The Spanish must be hardy folk to live so far (in winding road terms!) from the shops and civilization. Imagine forgetting the milk??? Divorce material by Western standards! The cliffs just west of the village of Taganana are a sight to behold and mostly inaccessible, except by boat. The currents here are strong and  the small village of Roque de las Bodegas attracts both surfers and tourists. The slipway looks rather treacherous and the waves are pounding the very rocky shore so these fishermen must be made of  iron or very foolish!

We decided to stop for a light lunch at one of the restaurants here. The salad was delicious, the roll hot and served  with the mojo sauce - divine!

Mojo sauce is served at most Canarian Restaurants and comes in red and green - the red has pepper and paprika and the green has parsley and coriander. Both are made with a healthy dose of garlic! These sauces vary in constituency - some quite thin and others more like a paste. But it is a must try.....!!

This area of the island is covered in very lush forests of juniper, laurel, ferns and herbs. The air is clear and the road out towards La Luguna is like being in a rain forest, it is so green and beautiful. This is a must drive for nature lovers. If you have more time you can venture onwards to Chamorga where a 2 km path will lead you to a lighthouse.

Tenerife is mountainous and no road is straight so it does take patience and extra time to get to most places so plan ahead and enjoy the wonderful views from high above the sea. The beaches are also begging to be explored - just be prepared for the black sand on them where the sand from the Sahara has NOT been imported!!! Sea temperatures are great and the weather here has been simply superb. Maybe it does get a little cooler during October - February but not by much.

We have only had 7 days on the island so there are many places that we would have loved to explore in more depth. For those loving the nightlife, Playa de Las Americas is the place to be but do venture further out as the island is a blend of banana fields, black beaches, many villages, crazy roads, great shopping in places like Santa Cruz, much natural beauty and , if you are lucky, a trip in the cable car on Del Teide! Wind permitting!

Farming on this island is very inventive, slopes that are only fit for goats, have vines, banana's, vegetables and mangoes. It seems like an idyllic life but living in some of these very outlying villages must be tough. One hopes that they all survive and continue to  thrive, despite the age of technology and modern living where materialistic wants outweigh an older style of life.

Sadly, we said goodbye to El Marques today and headed to Hotel Ucanca, in San Isidro. We chose this hotel many months ago for its proximity to the airport for our flight to Gran Canaria. BIG mistake. It is very noisy, being right opposite a huge roundabout. There is also a children's playground just below and the kids have perfected screams that would make them into monster movie stars. Either they are totally undisciplined or their parents just don't care!

For a quick lunch we popped into Riena Sofia , a local cafe in this very busy lower to middle class town. It was fun watching the locals come in for the specials, just a cup of coffee or a beer. Two policeman came in, guns strapped to their thighs - I was too scary to take a picture as I believe that the cops here don't stand for any nonsense!! They enjoyed a quick cup of coffee, checked their cell phones and the left again in their official car which was parked RIGHT at the door!!!

It turned out to be a very cloudy day today but we needed a last swim on Tenerife so headed off south. Although we are right opposite the road to El Medano and with Montana Rojo (the red mountain) in plain sight from our hotel balcony, we decided to head further south. We found a lovely white village with a black sand beach. The water was superb and really warm - just a pity that the cloud cover was so thick. I don't know the name of the village but it has a new development right next door with roads and lights already in place - no building as yet. After our long swim, we tucked into a tuna sandwich at Cafe Elmar and watched the locals come down to swim, the kids come hurtling down on their skateboards and the dog walkers striding out to give the mutts some exercise! A peaceful part of Spain with a laid-back lifestyle. As we got back to our noisy hotel, the sun came out.....and it is still shining. Just our luck????

Oh well, we can't always have 5 star surroundings, I suppose. Can somebody perhaps come an chase these kids away?? PLEASE???????

We left the hotel early after a really bad night - the fan was of no use and having the door open meant traffic noise. Oh well, cant always have everything run smoothly!

What does appear to run rather smoothly is Binter Canarias airlines. This airline does the short hops between islands and we were rather sad to say goodbye to the lovely doughnuts served on every flight. Delicious, sticky and served with water, this is about all the air hostess has time for during a 30 minute flight. They do also come around with sweets and a wet wipe for the sticky fingers although on our last flight with them, they ran out of time and we had to suffer the sticky doughnut fingers!!! Yum Yum!

Bye Bye to Tenerife - an island well worth exploring. 

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!

Canary Islands - Lanzerote

Playa de Famara

 Canary Islands - the name conjures up a vision of beauty, peace and tranquillity. We shall see! Getting to the Canary Islands from South Africa involves quite a number of flights and is rather draining when flying "cattle class". For Europeans, the journey is much quicker and seemingly easier. There are 7 main  islands and we will be visiting 3 of these during this trip. It seems crazy that these islands are only 100 km off the African coast and yet we had to fly to Europe to get here!

It is thought that the volcanic island of  Lanzerote could be between 16 and 20 million years old. With an interesting history spanning hundreds of years, with the Canary Islands being part of Spain. Tourism brings in 80% of  the islands revenue so one hopes that the islands continue to attract those seeking the warmth and sunshine! 

Lanzerote is very arid with fields of black and high volcanic peaks. We drove to Playa Quemade for a swim. Scrambling over thousands of rocks to reach some very hot black sand, we embraced the cool waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Topless is OK here - nobody seems to bat an eyelid. One old dear even took off her bathing suit and stood starkers before putting on her underwear!

The buildings are strictly controlled so remain in traditional style, with mainly  white and mainly low rise, which is in stark contrast to the black landscape.

A great stop was the Jardin de Cactus - this garden was established in 1990 and the entrance is unmistakable with a huge metal statue of a cactus at the entrance. Fees are reasonable and a wander around plants from South Africa,  Mexico, Zimbabwe, Chile, Peru, Brazil and Mozambique all make for an interesting display. A white windmill, which can be climbed, dominates the pit in which the gardens are situated. This pit was originally dug by villagers who required the volcanic ash to fertilise their fields. There is a restaurant on site and, with over 1000  species of cactus, it is a stunning place to visit. The town of Guatiza has vast plantations of prickly pear. This plant hosts the cochineal insect, weird as it may seem! The islanders also make some sort of liquor from the fruit. We chose not to explore that avenue! 

If you are on this road and in need of a swim, stop at the village of Punta de Mujeres. There are many small coves with steps or stainless steel hand rails to get you into the crystal clear water. A very Spanish village, with  the locals out in force over week-ends. The day we visited, there was evidence of a concert going to take place as the parking restriction signs were all over the place and the stage was already set up. A great place to be.....!

Orzola has a ferry service to La Graciosa, a beautiful island which begs to be explored, and is best seen from the highest point on Lanzerote. We stopped for a light lunch at El Norte Pescada - great choice for delicious starters of home made fish croquettes and aubergine with honey. They also serve great local draught beer, Tropical.

The drive to Mirador del Rio is an absolute must when visiting Lanzerote. The views over to the island of La Graciosa are simply stunning. This is the highest point on Lanzerote at 474 metres and the views are so stunning that many photos will be taken. With a fresh breeze, one feels on top of the world. The restaurant offers plate glass clear views if you are hungry or thirsty.

 

The land on Lanzerote is harsh and dry - the fields are black with volcanic ash and stone walls protect the vines, yes vines, from the winds. It is incredible that farming of prickly pears and vines do flourish in this very unforbidding landscape.

A must see when visiting the island, is the town of Teguise on a Sunday! Parking is 1.80 Euro and there is loads of parking which tells one that there are also thousands of visitors. I lost count of the number of tour buses that we passed. The market is spread over a huge expanse and I doubt that we covered it all. Loads of bags, jewellery, table cloths, toys and magnets. It is a great place to be if you are interested in clothing or jewellery. We were so lucky to be near the square where the folk dancing takes place. Traditional dance done by enthusiastic locals was the absolute highlight of the morning. The music was superb and the dancers had spirit and great smiles. We decided to sample lunch at a local spot which served Spanish food. Most enjoyable. 

Our next stop was Playa de Famara, (see top of page photo) one of Lanzerote's most beautiful beaches. Being a Sunday, the place was packed and we struggled to find parking. The views from this beach are to die for and it has fairly white sand, not black sand. A fantastic beach of 3 km in length, it provides glorious views over to Isla Graciosa. The locals were out in full force and we cannot blame them for using this beach whenever they can - it is really a magnificent setting. Topless is OK it seems so don't be shy if you feel like exposing your boobs to all and sundry!

The landscape is so weird - black volcanic rock with the odd palm tree thrown in. The vines are all protected by rock walls and it is seldom that one sees any green. We did chance upon some green crops just outside of Teguise  - YEAH!

Round-Abouts are the order of the day here on the island and our friendly GPS lady keeps telling us which exit to take. " Go left on the round about and take the 3rd exit". If we miss this we are told in no uncertain terms to " Turn around when possible" Imagine having to live with her!!!!

A day trip took us to :
The vine growing area of La Geria. Its a fascination sight to behold - black landscape dotted with hollows which are surrounded by semicircular walls. The area is now protected, it covers 52 sq km and the wine is very sweet. There are over 10,000 of these hollows and it makes for interesting landscapes. If you have time to stop, there is a wine museum and one can also sample wines before purchasing.

Yaiza - a small village at the foot of the Montanes del Fuego. Its a pretty little town and is one of the more picturesque on Lanzerote. 

El Golfa is a tiny seaside village with a number of restaurants where service seems to be very slow or totally non-existent. We stopped at Casa Torano, established in 1981....the setting is suberb, the waiter was pathetic - so much so, that we left without eating. The main attraction in El Golfo  is the emerald green lagoon which is reached by following a path up the cliff. The views are stunning with many interesting rock formations. This semi circular volcanic crater is filled with sea water that has filtered thru the black sand and become trapped. The algae causes the green colour which looks so out of place! 

 Los Hervideros, meaning Boiling Waters, is another spectacle of nature. These series of caves and blow holes have been eroded giving rise to crashing white surf at times. Today it was fairly calm - however, the views and intricate holes below the cliffs are worth a visit.

 Timanfaya National Park is a must visit. Entrance fees are reasonable and this includes a  very hair-raising ride on a bus around hair-pin bends on sheer cliff edges. Excellent driver but wow, scary stuff!!!! The colours of the earth are glorious and the ride takes about 40 minutes. One cannot get out of the car except at the restaurant where the guides demonstrate how hot it is beneath the surface.....dry bushes catch fire, meat can be cooked on a natural braai and water poured into the earth erupts as steam within a few seconds. 

By now our nerves were on edge so we headed to the cool waters of Playa Blanca - a very large resort town with many shops and restaurants. The beaches are good and the ferries to Fuerteventura seem regular. A great place to visit or stay. Unfortunately, we did not have time to go back to these beaches - I loved the vibe here and the water is crystal clear and refreshing. 

Our next excursion was to try and absorb some cultural stuff....so we headed for the town of Tahiche to visit the former home of a rather famous citizen of Lanzerote, Cesar Manrique (1919 - 1992). This very talented artist, sculptor, architect and town planner had amazing vision when he built this house in 1968 on the lava fields of  the eruption of 1730 - 1736. 

The house has huge windows looking out to these black lava fields - incredibly striking despite the starkness. But what I truly loved were the tunnels leading downwards where the house was incorporated into 5 "volcanic" bubbles. Cool, white and so tastefully decorated, this is a haven of peace and tranquility with the most incredible swimming pool to complete the picture. Cesar lived here until 1988. So popular, with too many visitors, he decided to move. The house where he spent his latter years  is also open to visitors and clearly depicts  his lifestyle. We did not visit this house  - there are photos in Tahiche and it looks very interesting so do make time if you can - tickets are available in Tahiche. Cesar died in a car accident in 1992 but his legacy to Lanzerote lives on in the height, style and colour of the buildings in Lanzerote. Whilst this does make the villages look very "same, same" it also gives a feeling of space and openness, lacking in the built up areas of Tenerife.

Carrying on with our cultural theme, our next stop was in Tiagua, to visit the museum Agricola El Patio. This shows an old farmhouse from the 1840's with furniture and old implements/farming equipment. This farm became the most successful on the island until approx 1945. They still produce wine - Malvasia, a dry white, a red and a lovely sweet Moscatel. You get a taste of these when you reach the exit. There is an old windmill but one cannot get inside. Whist the history is fascinating, the museum was not as good as many others in other countries so we were a tad disappointed. However, having said that, how anybody manages to grow anything in this stark, volcanic island is a total miracle and should be applauded to the highest degree. It must take guts and determination.

Today, much of the water is via desalination plants and tourism accounts for a staggering 80% of revenue. Fishing is still sound and besides my horrid whole fish (I hate the eye looking at me!!!) it is fresh.

 

Our last stop was in the city of Arrecife. The area around the beaches has a wonderful promenade in both directions, one leading to a small boat harbour. There are a number of small cafes here where you can cool off before heading towards the old fort. The promenade in the other direction goes on and on and we did not make it to the end unfortunately. The area is alive with local life, kids at the skate boarding park, lovers entertwined, couples running, cyclists on the cycle path, kids on bicycles etc. The beaches are not too busy as this is more of a local hang out that a tourist mecca so our swim was pleasant and cool.

Unfotunately, our time on this fascinating island has come to a close - memories? Oh YES!

Good tapas in most places
Great roads
Many round-a-bouts!
Stark beauty, albeit mainly black volcanic rocks.
Really good beaches with clear waters
Wonderful weather

We hope to visit again one day....!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

Please share - if you did not enjoy this post .....Shhh - but please still share!

Thanks!