Madeira is the island of eternal spring. Islands of Eternal Spring Island of Eternal Spring

They say that once upon a time the earth goddess Gaia gave the ruler of Olympus Zeus and his wife Hera three golden apples for their wedding. Hera planted seeds from them...

...on paradise islands, turning them into gardens. These gardens were guarded by the daughters of Atlas, the nymphs Hesperides with wonderful voices. But one day rumors reached Hera that the Hesperides themselves were stealing apples from her. For this, the goddess assigned them a dragon with a hundred heads speaking different languages.

But since then, the paradise islands have haunted the sailors who searched for them and died - the Hesperides lured them with their wonderful voices and gave them to be devoured by the dragon.

All this is a legend, but the paradise islands really exist - they are called the Canary Islands and are associated with the legends about the Gardens of the Hesperides and the monastery of the blessed Elysium. And this is not surprising - it is the mild, healthiest climate in the world of these places that allows Europeans to relax while being close to home. Therefore, the Canary Islands have long become a favorite place of pilgrimage for tourists.

In the center of the Canary archipelago is the largest island, Tenerife, which amazes guests with its natural contrasts. Judge for yourself: there are majestic mountain ranges, magnificent fertile valleys, tropical and subtropical forests, volcanic deserts, mountain gorges and sand dunes. There is never winter here, but there is no suffocating heat in summer either - it is always a mild spring, without any special temperature fluctuations! The average annual temperature here is unusually comfortable - 22°C, and there are practically no transitions between seasons. At the same time, the unique combination of climate would not be beneficial for vacationers if it were not for the amazing nature and relief. One of the wonderful advantages of Tenerife is its beautiful beaches, where you can enjoy the sun and sea all year round. At the same time, there are beaches for literally every taste - volcanic in origin, with black shiny sand, and extensive, with golden sand.

And the relief is given its originality by bizarre natural pools that were created by lava during volcanic eruptions in ancient centuries. Having reached the sea, the lava cooled and formed unique forms, for example, natural puddles and pools of sea water in the north of the island.

The seabed off Tenerife is diverse and unique: it delights with its rich colors and abundance of marine life. This is a real paradise for divers: sea anemones, stingrays, turtles and two-meter conger eels are found here in abundance! You can also find other types of fish typical of this area: rock perch, white gar, redfin pagella and vieja parrotfish.

And volcanic eruptions dotted the bottom with stones, decorated it with caves and sand spits and deep slopes descending to the depths of the Atlantic. 350 kilometers of coastline, where sea water maintains an average temperature of 17-25? C, opens up a breathtaking underwater world for diving enthusiasts!

But it’s not just diving and beach tanning that attract vacationers. There are plenty of opportunities for organized leisure time here, including Aqualand Costa Adeje, a water park with attractions for all ages! Loro Parque is more than just a zoo: the stars of the best show here are four fantastic killer whales. In the ethnographic park of the Pyramids of Guimar you can find all the magic of the pyramids of Tenerife, reminiscent of the pyramids of the Mayan culture. The Eagle Park features a recreation of the jungle with wild animals and eagle shows.

The Cesar Manrique Marine Park has salt water lakes, swimming pools and everything you need to enjoy the sun in an unusual setting. Large-scale models reveal the most characteristic landscapes and architectural structures of the Canary Islands in the Pueblochico Miniature Park.

Siam Park is Europe's largest water park and the only air-conditioned outdoor park. Magnificent, well-equipped water attractions, made in the architectural style of ancient Thailand, give an extraordinary feeling of joy, and interesting engineering ideas pleasantly surprise with new accents in the recreation industry. Under the leadership of an outstanding architect and university professor in Bangkok, famous engineers and a world-famous Italian artist, it was possible to create a unique atmosphere of the ancient kingdom of Siam, combined with the modern world of water attractions and adventures. The opening ceremony of Siam Park in Costa Adeje, one of the most attractive corners of Tenerife, took place on September 15, 2008 in the presence of Her Majesty Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. On the island you can go trekking, rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sailing, diving, and deep-sea fishing. Here you can watch whales during their migration and mating season!

Despite the fact that the entire island is a unique natural monument, the main attraction of Tenerife is Teide National Park. Here, the volcano of the same name, the highest point in Spain, rises above the volcanic landscape of Las Cañadas. At its foot lies an amazing landscape reminiscent of the moon! It consists of weathered rocks, frozen lava flows, destroyed ancient craters - you will never believe that this is possible on our planet! It is no coincidence that the films “One Million Years BC” and “Star Wars” were filmed here. And all this - Las Cañadas del Teide National Park - the most visited natural park in the country.

It is to this volcano that the island owes its name - Tenerife means “snow mountain” in the language of the Guanches, the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands, who inhabited the island hundreds of years ago. Once upon a time, the Teide volcano was much higher, about 5000 meters high, but in 1706 the top of the volcano collapsed due to a strong eruption and it became lower - now the height of Teide is 3718 m. It is visible from approaching ships almost 200 kilometers away and has long been served as a guide for sailors - it was admired by Columbus and Cook, Bellingshausen and Humboldt!

And Charles Darwin even wrote in his diary: “On the sixth of January we reached Tenerife... The next morning we saw the sun, emerging from behind the bizarre rocks of the island of Gran Canaria, suddenly illuminate the Tenerife peak, while the lower parts of the island were still hidden behind the curly clouds. It was the first of those delightful days that I will never forget."

No matter from which side you approach the volcano, the road will pass through the amazing landscapes of the natural park, reminiscent of the Moon, Mars, or our planet from the time of dinosaurs.

Tenerife is also called “the island with two faces”. Tourists can choose between two different holiday options, as the island's mountain range divides it into two climatic zones: the humid north, covered with varied vegetation, and the arid south. If in the north the air temperature is always several degrees lower, the ocean is more turbulent, and cloudiness and precipitation are unpredictable, then the south, “fenced” by mountain peaks, is an ideal place for a beach holiday throughout the year.

The fashion of going to the northern part of Tenerife for the winter arose in the 19th century. European doctors recommended their patients to spend time at the resort, because the island’s climate is ideal for treating all diseases associated with age and blood circulation.

The south of Tenerife became a popular holiday destination much later, in the 80s of the last century. Due to the high mountains that act as a barrier to the clouds, the southern coast remains cloudless even when clouds gather over the northern part of the island. Despite the fact that only a few tens of kilometers separate the south from the north, the difference in climate is colossal - as if you are in completely different countries! Thanks to this unique climate feature, yachting is very popular here.

Which part of this wonderful island you choose is up to you. And maybe somewhere in the shady thicket you will be lucky enough to see one of the Hesperides nymphs flash by?..

Puerto de la Cruz. It was the first city in Tenerife where tourism was born. Despite the countless number of hotels and restaurants, it has managed to retain its flavor and atmosphere of a truly Canarian city.

One of the main attractions of Puerto is Lago Martianez. Created by the famous Canarian artist César Manrique, this complex of seawater pools is an ideal place for swimming and sunbathing.

Look: the church of Nuestra Señora de la Peña, the chapel of San Telmo, the castle of San Felipe, the Customs House, the old promenade where small fishing boats still moor.

La Orotava. This town is located in a fertile valley bearing the same name. The ancient quarter of La Orotava, filled with family mansions of traditional Canarian architecture, has been declared a monument of historical and artistic importance.

Look: the churches of Concepción and San Juan, both from the 18th century, as well as the beautiful houses of Casa de Monteverde and Casa do Los Balcones.

Icod de los Vinos. Its old quarter has a special charm reminiscent of its colonial past. Icod gained great fame as a center for the production of Malvasia wine, which in ancient times was considered the best in the world.

Look: the 16th-century Church of San Marcos, the Church of San Agustin, the Church of Las Angustias and the Monastery of San Francisco.

Garachico. It is a colorful semi-circular city with stone and historic buildings, located at the tip of a solidified lava flow.

Look: Castle of San Miguel, built in the 16th century next to the sea to repel pirate attacks; Church of Santa Ana, Palace of the Counts of La Gomera, monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo.

La Laguna. La Laguna is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is the oldest city on the island. Tenerife and its first capital.

Look: Casa de Lercaco (Museum of History), Casa del Corregidor (City Hall), Salazar and Nava palaces.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This is the capital of Tenerife and a beautiful city with gardens, alleys, parks for walking and boutiques of the world's most famous brands. Greenery is an integral part of it, as are the street sculptures scattered throughout the city.

All along the southern and western coasts, from where you can always see the exotic neighboring island of La Gomera, new resort centers have sprung up such as Costa del Silencio, Los Cristianos, Americas Beach, Los Gigantes and other small towns.

One of the most modern areas of the southern part of the island is Costa Adeje, where you can find a large number of exclusive hotels. There are impeccable beaches with all amenities, such as El Duque, Fanabe or Troya.

The calm embankment, as well as the squares and streets of the city, where there are many cafes, bars and high-quality restaurants, deserve special attention.

Look: Ada Gorge, the Church of Santa Ursula, the churches of the monastery of Guadalupe and San Pablo, Casa Fuerte (XVI century).

Tenerife is rightly called one of the most beautiful and interesting places not only in Spain, but also in the world. And there is not the slightest doubt about this from the first minutes of traveling around the island. Surprisingly, on such a small island there are 7 climatic zones, from tropical forests with relict trees to lunar landscapes!!! And plus a volcano! Tenerife is even considered the remains of the sunken Atlantis. This is not only exotic, it is also a mystical place. You look, you see, you admire and you don’t understand...

To get an idea of ​​the island, we decided to conduct reconnaissance in force and ride around its perimeter. We hoped that we would drive along the coast and be able to see all the bays, beaches, embankments and at the same time we would be able to swim wherever we liked - we wanted to combine the excursion program with a beach holiday. And we succeeded!

We slept, had breakfast, got ready, left Las Americas and took the high-speed TF-1 towards Adeje. From Las Americas, the TF-1 road towards the town of Guia de Isora smoothly turns into TF-62, and then into TF-82.

1

In the Adeje area we turned onto TF-47 in the direction of Puerto de Santiago (southwest coast of Tenerife). Puerto de Santiago used to be a fishing port, but now, together with Arena and Los Gigantes, it is a cozy resort area and it is not clear where one village ends and another begins.

Our stopover was the beach PlayadelaArena. We were seduced by photographs of this cozy beach, which are often found on postcards and guidebooks. The fine dark sand contrasts effectively with the blue water and white foam.

9

Let me explain right away, there are three types of beaches in Tenerife: with light sand, pebble and black volcanic sand. Pebble beaches are mostly wild beaches that are not in demand among tourists (the majority of them are in the east of the island). Beaches with light sand are mostly of artificial origin, equipped specifically for tourists (there were many of these in our Las Americas). The sand for them was brought from nearby Africa. In general, nothing special.

And finally, black sand beaches! Local landmark. This sand is said to have healing properties. Radiculitis, arthritis, osteochondrosis, back sprains, and fractures are treated with natural heat and minerals of black volcanic sand. I don’t know how true this is, but we certainly rolled around hard in the sand.

1

PlayadelaArena — The most beautiful natural beach with black volcanic sand in the southern part of the island. Surrounded by small but numerous hotel and apartment buildings, the beach is located in a rocky bay that protects it from wind and strong waves. It is no coincidence that Playa la Arena is protected by UNESCO as a heritage of humanity.

In Tenerife, all beaches are public and free. The concept of “hotel beach” does not exist here. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available for an additional fee. At all municipal beaches there are always lifeguards on duty and there is medical assistance. office, shower. I was amazed by the attitude towards people with disabilities. At the entrance to the beach, I saw a stand with special crutches on suction cups so as not to fall under the sand, and wheelchairs for swimming. For me, a person from Russia, this was amazing. Having subsequently visited Germany, Italy, Austria, you understand that there is actually nothing to be surprised at, this is how it should be. But, unfortunately, not with us.

Beaches throughout the island are necessarily surrounded by breakwaters, so the water near the shore is calm and children can swim. Leaving your car near the beach is not a problem. There is usually a special parking lot nearby, which we took advantage of.

Over PlayadelaArena there is a promenade running along the beach, on which we saw numerous restaurants and shops. But by the time we got there and lay on the beach, it was time for lunch and, of course, siesta!!! Which had a very unpleasant effect on us: all the cafes and shops were closed. Siesta lasts from 13.00-17.00.

Next we headed to the neighboring Los Gigantes, whose name speaks for itself. Here, hot lava once met the sea, rising in ridges to a height of three hundred meters. Yes, it is frozen in black rocks, around which lies black sand. The height of the rocks reaches 600 m. This is a miraculous splendor! The local Guanche aborigines believed that in this very place was the edge of the world.

6

Next the path lay to Maska! From Los Gigantes we left at TF-82, and after Santiago del Teide we left at the corresponding sign for TF-436. This section of the road (TF-436) in Tenerife is truly serpentine! The road is narrow and winding, winding between the mountains.

5

Although this road is at a high altitude, it is studded with villages and detached houses. The view is wonderful! Masca- This small mountain village is located on a mountain road in the Teno Mountains, at an altitude of 600 to 800 m. Along this road, high mountains surround the tiny villages and there is a small high-altitude peak near the center of the village. The combination of palm trees and cypresses in this area is striking. In ancient times, the village was pirated, and was never attacked by enemies due to its difficult approach. The troublemakers of the pirate village were seen in advance and the robbers had enough time to go down to the ocean and sail away on ships. They say that even the storm of the seas, Barbarossa (Red Beard), was seen in these waters. The white houses of Maska, surrounded by flowers, were completely isolated from the outside world for a long time; until the 1960s, it could only be reached along narrow rocky paths.

And in the 1960s, the village gained automobile access. There is a church built decades ago and several observation platforms that offer beautiful views of the ocean and where you can take great photos.

The Atlantic Ocean is visible several kilometers away. I can say one thing: you should definitely visit Maska, without being afraid of roads and passes. This place is worth it.

From Masca we moved further towards the town of Buenavista. On the way around the town LasPortelas we saw a bizarre hill that looked like a cut pie. The hill is “cut” by landslides. Personally, I was not impressed by this view, but I read on all the forums that tourists like it. Buenovista is the westernmost village on the island. Nothing remarkable. From there towards Garachico take TF-42. Around the village of Los Silos, banana plantations are visible for many kilometers.

Smoothly moving to the north of the island, we felt the climate change ourselves.

Approaching the ocean, Cape Teno appeared before our eyes.

3

6 km from Los Silos we descended through another pass into a small town Garachico) on the northern coast, founded at the dawn of the colonization of the island by the Spaniards.

Until the beginning of the 18th century it remained the most important port of Tenerife. Ships with full holds of wine departed from the port of Garachico for Europe. And from there, galleons of the Spanish fleet arrived at the port with goods from distant countries. In the spring of 1706, the eruption of the Montaña Negra volcano wiped out the port and most of the city, creating a peninsula of lava. After the eruption, only the fortress of San Miguel (1575) and the Church of St. Anna survived. During the 18th century. on the site of old Garachico, on a semicircle of solidified lava in the sea, a new city was built.

As a result, the coastline consists mainly of volcanic ruins.

1

The next point of our independent program was Icod de los Vinos (Icod de los Vinos). From its founding (1496) it was called Icod, and only in the middle of the 16th century, due to the increase in the production of excellent world-famous wine, the “nickname” was assigned to it - de los Vinos. The place is cozy, located in a picturesque valley, we drove along the ten-kilometer coastline. One of the oldest cities in Tenerife is famous for the fact that it is here that the amazing Dragon tree or Dracaena draco grows. His image is even on the city coat of arms. This is great dragon tree about 25 m high, 10 meters in girth.

4

There are different versions about the age of the dragon tree (according to one guide, the tree is 912 years old, but the reality is that the dragon tree does not have growth rings and the exact age cannot be determined, let alone yearly). in fact, it is a bush. In 1501, when the city was founded, the dragon tree was already here - that's a fact. It is also known that this tree grows very slowly, so let’s come to terms with this knowledge that the tree is very old and has seen the Guanches, conquistadors, the Inquisition, etc., and now it has greeted us calmly and with dignity. There are two explanations for the name of this tree - firstly, its unusual appearance, and secondly, its red sap. Local residents considered the tree sacred, and its unusual juice - “dragon's blood” - medicinal. When combined with oxygen, it acquires an unusual blood-red color. An old legend says that dragon trees grew from the spilled blood of dragons where they were killed. In Europe, the dragon tree has been known since ancient times - its “blood” was used in the manufacture of seal wax, paints and ointments. They say that the dragon tree was once worth its weight in gold for its ability to cure bleeding, various wounds and dysentery. The Guanches used dragon tree sap to embalm the dead. Incredible but true: The dragon tree in Icod de los Vinos is the oldest plant on the planet. Near the observation deck from which the dragon tree is usually photographed, on the Plaza de Lorenzo Cáceres there is the Church of St. Mark (San Marcos). It was built in the first half of the 16th century, and the stones for the construction of arches and columns were brought from the island of La Gomera. The church, which is representative of the true Canarian style, houses the largest silver cross in the world.

4

Having entered the city, we followed the signs for Drago Milenariu. These signs led us to a paid parking lot near the square.

It costs a few euros to visit the dragon tree park, but even there it is impossible to get very close to the tree. We decided to limit ourselves to a free observation deck. Millennial dragon tree is a Monument of National Importance since 1917 and, together with the Teide volcano, is a symbol of the Canary Archipelago.

A little higher up is the Plaza de La Pila, surrounded by houses from the time of the conquistadors and in the center of which there is a peculiar fountain topped with a plant. Very nearby there is a tree with seven branches supported by metal ropes, against which tourists willingly take pictures. Down from the Church of San Marcos and the observation deck there is a tropical butterfly garden - Mariposario del Drago. Approximately 2,000 butterflies flutter freely in this tropical-climate structure. But by the time we got there, the butterfly museum was already closed and we couldn’t get inside.

Germany (Cologne) – Canary Islands (Tenerife)

Eternal spring - because there is no big temperature difference between winter and summer. Even in the coldest period of January during the day it is 16-18, and in hot July it is 25-27, but the cool sea wind does not give a feeling of heat. True, in the winter-spring period, the temperature of day and night can differ by 5-8 degrees, just like in the north and south of the island. And yet, only in spring can nature bloom so wildly, but in Tenerife everything blooms wildly all year round. The water temperature in the ocean is not suitable for swimming with children from 16 to 18 in winter and up to +21 in summer. During our stay, the air temperature varied from +12 in the morning to +24 in the afternoon (in the shade). The water in the north was +18, in the south +20. February 8, day one – arrival.

We are flying again with this hated company Raynair. Ask what exactly you don’t like about it, I answer: the weight of luggage is 15 kilos, and God forbid it exceeds even 100 grams, the fines are huge; food and even drink are paid, and the prices, of course, are not earthly; eternal delays and waiting for the bus to and from the plane; window tickets are much more expensive; no TVs in the cabin for a flight duration of about five hours; to get out to the toilet, a whole problem in narrow passages, etc. However, buying a trip for a ridiculous price - 304 euros for 8 days with breakfast (per person), there is no point in complaining. So, at 19 local time, we landed safely at Tenerife Sur South Airport. Having received our things, we immediately went in search of a car, ordered online in advance (for 8 days, 130 euros). During checkout, they took a 500 euro deposit, which was not specified when ordering, but that’s not all the trouble; when we arrived at the indicated parking number, our car was not there. The chaos of searching for a car lasted for an hour and a half, and finally they brought up another one, of the same make, but very badly scratched. We took a photo, after which we again had to go to the bureau and re-register the car. We left the airport at the beginning of eleven in the evening with an already spoiled mood.

Roads in Tenerife, oooh, that’s a separate story, but more on that later. It took more than two hours to get to the hotel in the city of Icod de los Vinos, although later, having sorted out the roads, it took an hour and a half. Only it took almost an hour to find a hotel in the city; the navigation system “sent” us along narrow streets climbing almost vertically upward; from one of them we had to crawl backwards in complete darkness, because... we ran into a dead end, on the other there was one-way traffic (not in our direction), on the third we again ran into a “no passage” sign, fortunately, there were no obstacles, so after exploring on foot, we decided to continue moving. We often drive, there were steep roads, but the one that we climbed to the hotel, the steepness cannot be described in words, almost vertically, at first speed, the car howled and shook from tension, and so did we, because... We were afraid that it would simply stall.

Finally, we were at the hotel, oddly enough, they were waiting for us, although it was almost one in the morning - at least something pleasant for the evening. The room didn’t make a bad impression, but it was stuffy and smelled damp, so we decided to ventilate it and... we almost fell, there were no windows in it!, only two small “holes” in the wall, and the wide bright curtains turned out to be just an imitation.

Briefly about Tenerife: it is the largest island of the Canary archipelago, owned by Spain. I’ll digress at this point, because... We have repeatedly seen inscriptions on fences and houses like “The Canaries are not Spain!” However, it is not our business to figure out whether the Canaries are Spaniards or not, they are just Canaries and that’s all. This “large” island is only 80 by 40 kilometers, it would seem that you can go around it in a day, probably you can, if you don’t look at anything, but driving back and forth along numerous serpentines and mountains every day takes a lot of effort, time and energy.

The island is not only mountains, but also solid lava and everything that is built and grown on it stands on lava. It was built a lot, soundly and beautifully, and the flora defies description, simply magnificent, it’s even amazing how such beauty grew on lifeless lava. The last volcanic eruption here occurred in 1909, so the island is literally blooming and smelling again, until... until a new eruption, but let’s not be pessimists.

Hotel Estrella and its view of Teide. The hotel is not for a beach holiday, it is far from the sea and high up.

Everything is as it should be: sauna, swimming pool... although 15 euros per couple per hour. Map of Tenerife where we visited. In the process of describing the day by day, you can immediately determine the location. Red - cities; green – trekking.

February 9, day two – Puerto Cruz and Santa Cruz.

Tenerife is a place where it is impossible to accurately predict the weather during the day, especially in February. In the morning and evening it is usually cool, during the day it is warm and even hot; during the day it may start to rain a couple of times, which instantly stops and the sun and blue sky return. It’s good that we have a car, we left our clothes for all occasions and went to get to know the island. On the first day, we chose a not difficult route, because... Tomorrow we will be climbing the Teide volcano.

Puerto Cruz 30 km from us, so within an hour we were walking around the city. The sea was stormy, cloudy, but warm. The water is not entirely comfortable for swimming, but there were brave souls. The black sand of the beach looks unusual.

I admired the numerous crabs on the beach rocks, how beautiful and huge they were. Trying to photograph them closer, I lost control and got hit by another wave, it’s nonsense that it turned out to be completely wet, it was a pity for the camera, which immediately “died” from the salt water. I had to return to the car to change clothes, but I managed to take a photo of the crab.

Catholic Church of Our Lady of Penha de Francia.

The old customs building and the Santa Barbara Battery are fortifications that protected merchant ships in the harbor from pirates.

"Lago Martianez"– a network of pools with heated sea water and islands. The beauty beckoned, but... time. My husband offered me a choice: Santa Cruz or lie here for three hours, and he’ll pick me up on the way back; after hesitating for a minute, I chose the first. Still, we have been and will continue to be in many water parks, but I will never see the capital Tenerife. Initially, our plan did not include Loro, Aqua and other parks intended mainly for children's entertainment, of which we have more than enough in Germany.

The tour began with the Auditorio de Tenerife - one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in Spain, the symbol of the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and one of the main attractions of the Canary Islands. The opera was built in 2003.

The coastal defense of San Juan Bautista, also called the Black Fort, played an important role in the defense of the city. Every year on July 25, a celebration is held near this fort in honor of the unsuccessful attempt to capture Santa Cruz de Tenerife by the British Admiral Nelson.

The entire coastal strip of the square near the Opera is strewn with large black stones; many of them have portraits of famous people painted on them by local craftsmen, which is interesting.

They left the car in front of the Auditorio at some construction site. It’s a couple of kilometers to the city center, but we were too lazy to take a walk, so we decided to drive closer to the center and... made a big mistake. On this day in the evening, a celebration was planned in the city and the city center was blocked, we got into a big traffic jam, wasting more than an hour (and we could have been walking in the center a long time ago). After spinning around, we left the car in an underground garage not far from the place where we took it, but now for a fee, this is how we were punished for laziness. There wasn’t much to see in the city, and the weather had suddenly deteriorated and it began to rain, so after walking around the center a little, we went to have lunch and wait out the rain, which had become serious.

A small old church, well restored, is located across the road near the Opera.

Parish Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in the historical part of the city. It is the main temple of the city, often called the "Cathedral of Santa Cruz" or the "Basilica of Santa Cruz", although it is neither one nor the other. By the way, many historical relics are kept there, taken under the protection of UNESCO.

Plaza de España was built on the site of the San Cristobal Castle, a former bastion designed to protect the island from pirates. Now all that remains of the castle are the walls, which can be seen in the underground gallery located under the square. Around the square are the city hall, the main post office and other important municipal buildings.

In the center is the Monument to the Fallen, built after the Civil War. This is a cross-shaped tower with an observation deck at the top. The huge green “bowl” of the square is a fountain with sea water, which is illuminated by a garland of light bulbs made in the shape of water drops of three different sizes, alas... we did not see this beauty, the fountain did not work, as well as the entrance to the observation deck. Failures accompanied us throughout the entire trip to Tenerife, yesterday with the car, today with the camera, and here on Santa Cruz, as it later turned out, almost every day.

We had lunch at a pizzeria with a lawn on the roof; the prices turned out to be much higher than in Puerto Cruz.

We walked around the García Sanabria municipal park.

On the way back, we again got into a huge traffic jam when leaving the city onto the highway, so we decided not to stand there, but to wait it out, turning into the first street we came across. We climbed the nearest mountain by car to take a photo of the evening city. However, traffic jams were still not avoided.

Driving past Puerto Cruz, I sighed with regret, I still had to stay in Lago Martianez, lie on the sand and swim in the pools with warm sea water, but... the choice was made and not the best, Santa Cruz did not leave much of an impression.

Breakfast at the hotel at 8.30, very late, because of this, we lost a precious hour and a half every day. Usually on trips we left at 8 am, but here it was only after ten o’clock. Tomorrow - Teide, I wanted to leave early, so we ordered breakfast with packed lunches. February 10, day three – failed Teide; Raques de Garcia rocks; high mountain village of Vilaflor.

In the morning, without waiting for the ordered breakfast, we left the room at 7.30 and... saw a bag of food hanging on the door handle, we had to go back and have breakfast. The mood was great, because... the weather was warm and clear, we were already anticipating what super views there would be when climbing to the very top, i.e. to the crater. The climb itself was booked in advance on the Internet for 11 am, which means we have to hurry in order to have time to climb the funicular to 3550 m, and then walk to the crater at 3718 m.

We passed the “Stone Flower” on the way to Teide(from the north side), making a short break at the mirador (observation platform), from where Teide was clearly visible, although it was still a long drive to get there.

Even from a distance we sensed something was wrong; we couldn’t see the “floating” cabins on the cable car, and there were very few cars in the parking lot. The strong wind is the culprit of this silence. The cable car was closed for the whole day after a test run, you saw it yourself, the cabin was swaying incredibly, and this was at the beginning of the journey, I can imagine what was happening at the top. They asked what we should do with the ordered climb to the crater - they suggested we just forget it, because... A huge piece of ice slid onto the path when it melted; the climb will be opened only after it melts, which means we are flying over. This is perhaps one of the biggest failures. You can climb the volcano on your own along a path that starts a couple of kilometers from the cable car, but it takes 6 hours there and 5 back, and the time is already 10, therefore, we will return in the dark, not suitable. But we still approached the trail, and even walked a kilometer, well, no, we couldn’t do it, the wind just blew us off our feet. Finally we fully realized that we need to forget about the volcano for today.

What is bad luck and how to deal with it - change the route, that's what we did.

Even in the photo you can see how strong the wind is: the scarf is like a flag; Even the hood does not hold the cap; the bushes are almost lying down.

We go to picturesque rock formations Roquec de Garcia, located in the Teide National Park, near the foot of the Teide volcano towards the south. This place is popular among tourists because of the bizarre shape of the stones and the variety of their colors. There are several hiking trails around the rocks. Since we had time, we decided to take a walk around this picturesque area and did not regret it, two and a half hours flew by unnoticed.

Rock Cinchado(finger of God) is one of the symbols of the island of Tenerife. Her image was on the 1000 Spanish pesetas banknote.

Climb to these rocks for another 30 minutes	Sitting "toad"

(photo from the observation deck), from these rocks below we climbed to the observation point at the end of the path. We walked along the top of the entire ridge of rocks, then went down into the canyon and returned to the beginning of the path, going around the rocks on the other side and examining them from below.

The village of Vilaflor is located at an altitude of 1400 meters and is the highest mountain not only in Tenerife, but also in Spain. In this regard, there is a unique climate here, which allows many fruit and vegetable crops to produce four harvests a year.

We drive through pine forests that look deplorable after a terrible fire in 2007, but Canarian pine has an amazing ability to recover after forest fires that are destructive to all other vegetation. Near the village, surrounded by pine forests, grows “Pino Cordo” - a pine tree 40 meters high (third photo).

There are many hiking routes around Vilaflor so that everyone can admire the natural beauty and breathe in the purest mountain air. But we were interested in “Moon Landscape”. Having rested under the powerful crown of a 40-meter pine tree, we learned that we had passed the turn to the “Moon Landscape”, although quite a bit. We returned and... drove through again. Later they understood why they couldn’t find it: it simply couldn’t occur to them that the narrow, dirty dirt path was the “road” to the “Moon Landscape”. Moreover, it was dug up and there was a sign that passage was prohibited, repair work was underway, but... it was possible to pass. We waited a little, maybe there will still be people who want to see “Moonscape” with a car, or someone will return from there, alas... no one. And if it continues to be dug up, the road is so narrow, and even winding, that you won’t be able to turn around, you’ll have to back away. In general, we didn’t decide to buy a car. And walk 5 km to the parking lot, then 4 km, uphill, to the “Moon Landscape”, i.e. in total, 18 km was not warm, especially since we had only recently walked 8 km on the de Garcia rocks. So the “Moonscape” flew by as well as the crater of the Teide volcano.

Village of Vilaflor

In the evening, good news awaited me at the hotel: my camera “came to life”, although not all functions worked, but I still took photographs, which means it dried out a little after “swimming” in sea water. February 11, day four – Los Gigantes; Maska village; Tenopark.

We are going to the west coast of Tenerife to the town Los Gigantes, from which the giant cliffs of Acantilado de Los Gigantes stretch for 10 km along the coast. In Spanish, these steep basalt cliffs are translated as “Rocks of the Giants.” The Los Gigantes cliffs are the highest in all of Spain, they belong to the Teno mountain range and do not have a gentle slope. The height of the ledges reaches 600 meters, and they are immersed in the ocean for the same amount.

The best way to admire the majestic landscape is from the sea. The port of Los Gigantes organizes numerous sea excursions on boats, boats, yachts and catamarans, combining a walk to the rocks with watching the whales and dolphins that live in this part of the coast of Tenerife. The difference in the cost of the trip depends on the time and type of ship; there is even a large ship decorated as a pirate schooner (first photo). We chose the cheapest one - a 2-hour trip for 15 euros per person on a small boat (second photo).

I liked the walk, we saw dolphins, although we were thoroughly wet from the sea spray, because... the boat was constantly “diving” in the waves.

A short stop was near the Masca gorge (Barranco de Masca), where it ends, starting from the village of Masca. Those who wanted to bought, but there were few of them, because... We “shopped” enough during our walk along the ocean, everyone was treated to Canarian Sambria wine, and that was the end of the trip.

The tourist town of Los Gigantes - consisting entirely of hotels and guesthouses, is green and very cozy.

We are on our way to Maska village along picturesque road serpentines.

The village of Maska met with light rain and fog.

Until the 60s of the last century, it remained inaccessible; the village could only be reached by boat, and then along mountain paths. It is not surprising that since ancient times the Masca Gorge in Tenerife has been considered a haven for pirates and smugglers. Now there is no problem getting to the village, but even the road itself with a lot of sharp turns is a real adventure.

The village is quite small, about 150 residents live in it, but to this day it has retained its historical appearance. All buildings are made in traditional Canarian style. For tourists there is a souvenir shop and several restaurants where you can eat inexpensively and tasty.

After walking around the tiny village, we decided to go down into the gorge, although we understood that there was not enough time to walk to the sea and back. It takes more than 3 hours just to go down to the sea, then back the same way, but with an ascent, which means it will take more time, and we simply didn’t have seven hours before dark. But I really wanted to see the gorge, so we went, but decided that it would be no more than two hours one way.

The descent into the gorge begins near this restaurant, where we later had dinner. On the way back, this climb up the mountain turned out to be the most difficult, the restaurant is barely visible at the top, and this is only the beginning of the descent.

If you slip, you will only fall 20 meters down.

The gorge is really very picturesque. We walked almost half the way in an hour and a half (marked on the map with a red dot), then solid rocks and boulders began, we had to return so as not to spend the night in the gorge. We were aware that the last part of the journey towards the sea was much more difficult, but we didn’t think it would be that much. We spent the same amount of time on the way back, although the road was constantly going up, we were in a hurry, because... It gets dark very quickly in the mountains. In total, we “walked” through the gorge for 3 hours, we were tired, but received a lot of positive emotions from what we saw.

The pea soup in the restaurant turned out to be excellent, such a huge portion with a whole freshly baked loaf that there was simply no need for a second course. After dinner, we walked around the village of Maska a little more and bought a large multi-colored singing parrot in the souvenir shop.

We took a different road back, heading to the town of Buenavista del Norte (west). Adrenaline was added to the positivity, winding along the mountain serpentines of the Teno National Park.

At the pass we found ourselves in clouds floating at high speed, an interesting feeling. The picture of the review changed every minute: now you see mountains that are covered with incoming fog; then far below there is a valley with a village; then you stand in pure milk and even 5 meters away you can’t see anything.

On the way we saw another attraction of Tenerife - the Montana La Sahorra hill, shaped like a cut pie.

Near the town Buenavista del Norte There are numerous banana gardens, I wanted to look at the growing huge bunches of bananas. Alas, the gardens are tightly closed with waxy brick or concrete barriers.

February 12, day five – Teide volcano; Pyramids of Guimar; Candelaria.

Let's go again Teide, however, call first and make sure that the cable car is working.

View from the Teide observation deck 3550 m, minus 4 degrees.

Closed trail to the Teide volcano crater.

25 euros per person to ride the cable car up and “walk” along a small observation deck, where there is nothing to see - it’s not worth it. In a word – I didn’t like it!

We had great fun climbing in the “desert” near Teide. We watched the filming of a film about Indians.

Ethnographic Guimar Park founded by Norwegian explorer Thor Hayerdahl in 1998. On its territory, which occupies more than 64 square kilometers!, there is a complex of pyramids, a museum, large garden areas and much more.

Pyramids of Guimar, these are six step pyramids located in the city of Guimar on the southeast coast of the island. According to local scientists and island residents, these structures were piled up by local farmers, who, when plowing the land, have the custom of placing the stones they found at the borders of the fields. According to locals and old images, such pyramids existed in many places on the island, but were demolished due to their perceived uselessness and were used as a source of cheap building material. There were nine pyramids directly in Guimar, of which only six have survived.

In 1991, famous traveler Thor Heyerdahl studied the pyramids and declared that they could not just be mountains of rubble. For example, clear traces of stone processing were found at the corners of the pyramids, and also that the ground was leveled before the construction of the pyramids. The material is not round boulders from local fields, but pieces of lava. Heyerdahl also expressed opinions about the astronomical orientation of the pyramids. In addition, all the pyramids on the western side have stairs that on the morning of the winter solstice lead directly to the rising sun.

Heyerdahl was never able to find out the age of the pyramids or answer the question of who built them. However, it is firmly known that the Guanches lived in a cave under one of the pyramids, and even one of them was the residence of one of the 10 kings (Mensei) of Tenerife.

Sugar cane, heavy, however, for some reason I thought that it was not so tall. The second photo shows a figure from Easter Island. On the third - the plant “Bruise”, known on Teide, but we saw it only in the park, although I read on the Internet that it is everywhere, especially near the Teide volcano, alas... we did not see it, and it is not flowering, although I read that it blooms brightly and exactly in the spring.

We spent more than two hours in Guimar Park, had a great rest and for only 11 euros - it’s worth it. (Candelaria) is located near the capital of the island, Santa Cruz.

Tenerife's main cathedral is in La Laguna, but the heart of the island's religious life beats in the coastal town of Candelaria. Here, in the basilica (Basilica de la Candelaria), a very important relic for every Canarian believer is kept - the statue of Our Lady of Candelaria, patroness of the Canary Islands.

According to legend, the statue was found on the beach by Guanche aborigines back in the 14th century. The Guanches were pagans, not familiar with Christian values, but they treated the strange find with respect. The Guanches named the new goddess Mother Sun (Chaxiraxi) and began to worship the image of the Virgin Mary. At the same time, they also did not forget about their old gods. Subsequently, when the island was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors, to say that they were surprised by this is to say nothing; they were in a complete stupor - the pagans worship an image so revered in the Christian world. And why the image of the Virgin Mary is black is a separate story, about which much has been written on the Internet.

Nine bronze statues of the Menseys, the Guanches of Tenerife, line the Candelaria promenade. Once upon a time, the entire island was ruled single-handedly by a mensey named Tinerfe El Grande. After his death, his nine sons divided the island into nine independent kingdoms and also became menseys before the colonization of the island by the Spaniards.

February 13, day six – Icod de Los Vinos; botanical garden in Puerto Cruz; cave village Chinamada.

We live in and don’t have enough time to see everything in the city, so we decided to get acquainted with it before breakfast.

Drago Park is the main attraction of the city of Icod, with its old tree called the “thousand-year-old dragon”. Dragon trees do not form growth rings, so the real age of the tree remains a mystery. This dragon tree (Dracaena dracaena), with dagger-like leaves, is the largest and most famous member of the Dracaena genus in the world. It was declared a national monument in 1917. In 1985, a fan was installed between the tree trunks to circulate air and prevent mold growth. This dragon tree is about 18 meters high. If you make a cut on a tree trunk, a red resin (“dragon’s blood”) will come out, which was previously used as a medicine and dye.

To view it, you don’t need to buy a ticket and waste time exploring the park, which is more suitable for visiting with children; the tree is clearly visible from the observation deck, however, it is more advertised than it is anything of the sort.

But in a regular free park in the city there is a wonderful “walking ficus” growing, which we liked. The impression is complete that the tree is really walking, and the front and back roots are like huge chicken feet. It is impossible to believe that this is the same tree (second, third and fourth photos).

The other one has a stone embedded in the trunk, and the tree itself is interesting.

The third tree itself is flat, and the fruits are in the form of a large ball, very large.

Church of St. Mark.

Inside, the church is striking with an abundance of niches, and in the center there is a statue of St. Mark - a small Gothic sculpture carved from stone that came to the island before the Spaniards arrived there. This is one of the oldest European figurines in the Canary Islands.

The huge white building is a former monastery, currently a primary school. We walked around it and was amazed that most of the classrooms where the kids study were without windows and with rather dim light. Inside, the monastery remained similar to a monastery; it doesn’t look like a school, although you yourself saw kids studying in classrooms and running around the monastery courtyard.

Another attraction of the city of Icod is the underground complex of the Viento-Sobrado cave, which we couldn’t visit because we didn’t have enough time, but here you need at least 5-6 hours. The Viento Cave is unique in that it is a large lava tube and is the largest in Western Europe. It was formed about 27,000 years ago from basaltic lava as a result of the eruption of the Viejo volcano, which stands next to the Teide volcano and only slightly below it.

In total, the Viento cave has three levels, the tunnels of which in total stretch for 17-18 kilometers (the fourth largest in the world). This is a real labyrinth with many unexplored turns. Besides its length, the cave is notable for its three-level structure, which is not found anywhere else in the world. In it you can see lava stalactites, cascades and lava terraces, lava lakes, as well as representatives of flora and fauna preserved in stones.

When leaving the city, we saw a pillar overgrown with greenery, resembling a walking figure.

There was enough time to visit before breakfast city ​​of Garachico, located six km from Ikod.

Three hundred meters from the shore, a large stone is the Roque de Garachico rock, on which rare petrels nest.

Natural pools formed after a volcanic eruption. There is no “normal” beach in the city, but these numerous pools with paved paths and steps can completely replace any classic beach. In sunny weather, the water in the pools quickly heats up from the stones, and swimming in them is a pleasure. True, we were unlucky here too, the pools have been closed for a week due to an incessant storm, although in the pools themselves the water was completely calm, it is not clear why they were closed.

The Castle of San Miguel is simply called "Castle of Garachico" or "Fort of Garachico". It was built in the 16th century and protected ships from attacks by pirates, which were not uncommon in those days. In addition, unlike today, Garachico in past times was the commercial capital of the island, with ships carrying expensive cargo moored in its port. Fort San Miguel completely lost its importance in 1706, when a volcanic eruption destroyed part of the city and blocked the entrance to the bay.

Church of St. Anne.

Central square of Garachico.

After a late breakfast we go to Botanical Garden of Puerto Cruz.

The entrance ticket is only 3 euros, but we thoroughly enjoyed what we saw, two hours flew by in a flash, there was so much exoticism in such a small park. Tenerife has more than 1,300 plant species and 200 of them grow only on this island.

The first tree has roots that hang down to the ground in the form of a curly net, hard to the touch.

Tall bushes, one might say trees, blooming like large dandelions, and colorful ones.

Meter-long monstera leaves and a lumpy tree root.

These are all ficus trees, one in each photo! different wood, but looks like a forest.

This huge “fern” blooms with bright, wonderful flowers.

And on this bush, each flower is 20-25 cm in diameter.

And this is actually a miracle, a miracle, either a flower or a root...

It is impossible to post all the pictures of the garden, but you must agree, the beauty is indescribable.

Next we head to the Anaga mountain range to the north of the island. We had to go around the town of La Laguna, which we wanted to visit, because... a party was planned, Canarians love to have fun, and in connection with this there was again a monstrous traffic jam.

Our goal is Chinamada village(Chinamada). Long before the first conquistadors appeared in Tenerife, the Guanches, an incomprehensible people who have now disappeared from the face of the earth, already lived here. And the Guanches used caves as living space, of which there were plenty on the volcanic island. Quite a traditional solution for the Stone Age. And there are no problems with space, you can build as much as you want. Nowadays Tenerife is considered a civilized place, and in this village people still live in caves. Don't believe me? Come to the village of Chinamada in the Anaga Mountains. By the way, electricity was installed here only in the late 90s.

The road to Chinamada is very picturesque, and there are no less serpentines than to Maski.

We had lunch in a yellow restaurant, where only the covered terrace and outbuildings are visible; the restaurant itself is in a cave. Many “cave” houses have an external terrace, even covered with glass - this is already a sign of civilization. We ordered two different Canarian dishes at random, because... If you don't know Spanish, it's impossible to ask. During the trip we tried a lot of dishes, but not all of the Canarian cuisine was to our liking; we couldn’t eat some, like gofio (mashed porridge with the same pureed meat).

We decided to walk to the mirador with an amazing view of the Anaga Mountains and the rocky Atlantic coast. The plan was not to climb mountains, so I went in sneakers and capris. Valdemar was a little more prudent, wearing trekking boots, but stayed in shorts. It will soon become clear why there is so much detail about our equipment.

Do you dream of a place where excellent weather conditions reign all year round - warm and sunny, but not too hot, and a refreshing sea breeze blowing on your face? Would you like to go on vacation to an island, but a trip to distant tropical countries seems too long and difficult for you?

Or maybe, in addition to lying on the beach and swimming in the sea, you want to look at the wonders of nature and interesting monuments? If this is what your dream of a vacation paradise looks like, then we invite you to Tenerife - one of the Canary Islands.

Spanish archipelago IslasCanarias» consists of seven main islands that are located in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, near Morocco.

The human eye is not able to see that the pieces of land located one after another, like links in a chain, on which more than two million people live today, are practically the tops of huge volcanoes immersed in the ocean.

Some of them are still active today. On the island of La Palma, the Teneguia volcano (200 meters above sea level) was last active in 1971. In turn, on the island of Lanzarote, even today we can observe flames and clouds of steam emerging from the craters of Montanas del Fuego (Mountains of Fire) in the Timanfaya National Park (Parque Nacional de Timanfaya).

Despite the fact that the archipelago is located near Africa, administratively it belongs to Spain. The first guests from the Iberian Peninsula appeared here at the beginning of the 15th century and fought for possession of these territories for almost a century.

The local Guanche people heroically defended their land, but in the end they were defeated (the last island captured was Tenerife). Those who did not die at the hands of the Spaniards gradually assimilated. Very little of the Guanche culture has survived to this day.

Near the towns of Güímar ) and Icoddelos Vinos in Tenerife there are stone pyramids built by a former civilization. And the museums house ancient tools and mummified remains of the Guanches, and the yellowed pages of ancient chronicles tell what the Spanish invaders were able to record about their language, religion and customs.

Pyramid in the city of Guimar

Joyful Islands

Today's islanders - especially villagers - cultivate ancient traditions and customs. In this way they maintain continuity between the past and the future. The main source of income here is tourism. Trade and agriculture also play an important role here. For example, the miniature Canarian banana is very popular - it is not only smaller, but also much sweeter than other varieties.

Walking through one of the huge banana plantations is like a childhood dream come true. Only spiders swinging among the leaves will prevent us from going too far into the thicket full of fragrant fruits.

Residents of the Canary Islands love to celebrate, dance and play instruments. The main holiday on the islands is the carnival in honor of the end of winter - the Carnival de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which is sometimes compared to the Brazilian Rio de Janeiro, the Colombian Barranquilla or the American New Orleans. At this time, the Canary towns look festive, and the streets are full of people dressed in colorful outfits. The hot rhythms of salsa and meringue, which are in the blood of the locals, encourage everyone to dance, and even small children sway their hips as if they have inherited this skill.

The Canary Islands owe their excellent climate to the large number of sunny days and warm trade winds. Winters here are mild and summers are not too hot. Thus, the archipelago can be visited at any time of the year.

White Mountain

The name "Tenerife" comes from the language of the indigenous people of the neighboring island of La Palma from the words shade(mountain) and ife(white). Of course, this name refers to the snow-capped peak overlooking Tenerife.

Rising to a height of 3,718 meters above sea level, Mount Teide is the highest point not only in the Canary Islands, but throughout Spain. Next to it is the Pico Viejo volcano, which translates as Old Summit (3135 meters above sea level). The last time it erupted was in 1798.

The surroundings of Mount Teide are not only the most unusual, but also the most threatening places in Tenerife - many commercials and science fiction films (for example, One Million Years BC and Clash of the Titans) were filmed against their backdrop.

If you drive an SUV towards the volcano, you will be able to observe lunar landscapes that will take you to a completely different, mysterious world. All the way to the horizon, you will be surrounded by a lava desert: next to huge black rocks and unusual screes, rocks rise to the sky, alternating with the pastel colors of minerals.

It is difficult to believe that any life develops on this barren land. However, rare species of flora add extraordinary diversity to the landscape of the Las Canadas caldera area. Teide and its surroundings are now part of the Teide National Park (Parque Nacional del Teide), so every rock and every plant is protected here. Local residents care very much about nature. It is therefore not at all surprising that almost half of the island's area (48.6%) is protected area.

Pilot whales (large cetaceans from the dolphin family, or bottlenose dolphins) still live in the sea between the islands of Tenerife and La Gomera.

Voyages are organized here for tourists in search of these sea creatures. If you're lucky, you'll get to see them with your own eyes. On the western coast of the island, steep basalt Rocks of the Giants (Acantila dos de los Gigantes), several hundred meters high, rise directly from the ocean, which are best viewed while on board a boat or yacht.

On the north side

Located in the geographical center of Tenerife, the Teide peak not only gives the island its characteristic contour, but also divides it into a northern and southern part. It is the most symbolic natural monument of the entire archipelago. Her fiery image can be seen in the middle of the coat of arms of Tenerife. In addition, the Teide motif is often used by the creators of Canarian handicrafts, postage stamps and manufacturers of various souvenirs.

If in the south of the island the landscape becomes almost deserted, then on the second side of the mountain lush vegetation develops. The most beautiful parts of the northern coast include the western region of Isla Baja, where tourists are attracted by unusual natural attractions, beautiful peaks, cliffs and gorges, as well as picturesque villages cut off from civilization.

One of these villages is Masca, located in the valley of the same name. They say that it was once a hideout for pirates. Now she radiates incredible calm. And on the slopes of the surrounding mountains you will find numerous caves. As legend has it, pirate treasures are still hidden in some of them.

The real pearl of the region is the town of Garachico with a population of five thousand - once the most important port of Tenerife. This is where the family of Simon Bolivar (1783-1830), the Venezuelan liberator of South America, came from. Today in the Plaza de la Libertad you can see a statue of this great hero.

In 1706, Garachico was destroyed by a powerful eruption of the Trevejo volcano (Arenas Negras). Lava flowing towards the ocean over the coast created a small cape on which the destroyed houses of a former fishing village were rebuilt.

Another place worth visiting in the Isla Baja region is Icod de los Vinos. It gained its fame, first of all, thanks to a specimen of a huge (18-meter) dragon tree ( Dracaenadraco), which is considered the oldest representative of this species in the world (according to some estimates, its age is a thousand years old, hence its Spanish name DragoMilenario).

An oxidizing red resin oozes from the damaged tree trunk, which locals attribute to healing properties. The Guanches used this so-called dragon's blood ( sangrededrago) as a medicine and for embalming the dead.

Parrots from Puerto de la Cruz

One of the most famous resorts on the northern coast of Tenerife is Puerto de la Cruz, picturesquely located in the La Orotava valley, which the famous German naturalist and traveler Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) called the most beautiful in the world. The local port began to develop here after the destruction of Garachico.

Today, well-preserved houses with beautiful carved balconies and churches for more than several centuries in Puerto de la Cruz create an atmosphere typical of old cities. Janitors sweep squares and alleys here with huge palm leaves. This city is famous for the parrot park (Loro Parque), where you will see not only these colorful birds, but also gorillas, chimpanzees, tigers, penguins, various types of fish (including dangerous piranhas, sharks), turtles, lizards and other animals, as well as exotic plants (for example, orchids, palms, Canary dragons, cacti and fig trees). During musical performances of trained dolphins, sea lions and killer whales, the captivated audience applauds with joy, and the performers themselves give the impression that they enjoy it too.

The natural coastline around Puerto de la Cruz, with its black sand and rocks, discourages some swimmers. For their convenience, the Lago Martiánez beach complex has been built with an artificial lake in the center, a group of seawater pools, tropical gardens, and restaurants. This complex was designed by César Manrique (1919-1992), a Spanish artist who spent most of his life on the island of Lanzarote.

For the same reason, another beach, located in the northeast, Las Teresitas Beach, was also redone. It is located in the town of San Andrés next to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is one of the most popular beaches in Tenerife. Las Teresitas Beach is covered with tons of silky, yellow sand brought here straight from the Sahara.

Two capitals and an entertaining south

In the north-eastern corner of the island there are two capitals of Tenerife: the former San Cristobal de La Laguna (universally known as La Laguna) and the current Santa Cruz de Tenerife or simply Santa Cruz. The elder capital was the first unfortified colonial city built by Spanish colonists.

Due to the fact that to this day we can observe the original urban structure and many buildings from the 16th-18th centuries, in 1999 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

While the former capital fascinates us with its centuries-old monuments, the current one has grown into a truly cosmopolitan city of 200,000 people. Next to the old buildings in Santa Cruz, more and more new houses, elegantly designed shops, modern office buildings, and shopping galleries are appearing.

On the southern side of the island, in the coastal zone of the Arona and Adeje districts, the largest tourist center of Tenerife operates. Those looking for relaxation and entertainment will find beautiful hotels, beautifully maintained beaches, wonderful restaurants, a bustling city life, as well as the opportunity to engage in various water sports.

The famous Playa de las Américas, stretching from Mount Chayofita to Playa del Bobo, and located in the Arona and Adeje districts, is characterized by the fact that there is nothing Canarian here. At every step you will find restaurants, Irish pubs, Italian pizzerias or American fast foods. This is because Playa de las Américas is mainly visited by tourists from Northern Europe who, after a whole day of relaxing on the beach, want to have fun in the nightclubs or those who have not yet gotten used to the tastes of Spanish cuisine.

Tenerife can be safely considered an ideal destination for tourists of any age. In addition, a stay on this island of eternal spring will satisfy both lovers of blissful laziness and people who like to spend time more actively. It's hard to imagine a better place for a successful holiday.

P.S. You will find the best prices for air tickets to Tenerife on the website. !

Somewhere in Russia the air temperature is already well below -30, in Rostov it is snowing, and Moscow is covered with frost every morning instead of snow that never falls.
I, a Siberian by birth, like fair winters and hot summers. The Siberian climate is honest, clearly defined and delineated. Winter is just winter. Snow and -30. Summer means summer. Sun and +30. And short transition periods from winter to summer (spring) and back (autumn).

However, not the entire planet is so lucky. In Antarctica (or "on Antarctica"?) there is eternal winter, in Africa it is always hot...

Stop.

Not all of Africa is always hot. There is a piece of Europe next to it, in which eternal spring has established.

And this is the Canary Islands.


Anyone who reads me will remember that I have already confessed my love for the Canary Islands in.

I won't show off by calling myself a "nook and cranny specialist." Like most Russians who have visited this archipelago, I have not been to Fuertoventura or Lanzarote. Not to mention the end of the world - El Hierro.

I visited La Gomera and vacationed in Gran Canaria. And I visited Tenerife several times, traveling around this island along, across and diagonally. True, the last time I was there was four years ago, but it’s ticked off in my plans for the future “To visit Tenerife again and, at the same time, visit the other islands that I haven’t been to yet”

It is quite possible that if I had visited not Tenerife in 2008, but, for example, Egypt, I would have fallen in love not with Spain, but with Africa. But from a very young age, I wanted to go to Tenerife, and even at the beginning of the Turkish and Egyptian boom I did not feel any craving for “full-inclusive” and “Russian-style holidays”. In the 90s, the word “Canaries” smelled of something special, unknown, foreign, extra-class, and so on. My parents visited Tenerife in 1996, and to say that this was an event for an ordinary Barnaul family is to put it very modestly. It was an EVENT.

Today, few people can be surprised by such banality. Top bloggers, in search of the island, climb into the most exotic holes of our planet, but I don’t pretend to any glory with my photos, especially since the romantic aura from the word “Canaries” has since subsided, the islands have become much closer than before. And many “Turks” and “Egyptians”, tired of sunbathing and eating, moved to this next level of tourist travel, so, most likely, I will not surprise many who come here.

Yes, I don’t set such a goal. But my post will be watched by my beloved parents, for whom a trip to Tenerife has become the main trip of their lives, except for the distant, distant 80s, when they escaped from the USSR to Bulgaria.

And knowing how bright that journey became for them in 1996, which, unfortunately, was darkened by the death of my grandmother ( and, of course, they couldn’t get to the funeral - even now planes don’t fly to Moscow every day, and even more so to Barnaul and Rubtsovsk - my father’s parents lived there), knowing that after the trip my father said very pessimistically that “they’ve been there and it won’t work out again,” I had a dream - not only to visit there myself, but moreover, to one day bring my parents there.

And in March-April 2010 it happened. I will use the photographs from that trip to warm myself up on the eve of tomorrow's winter.

By the way, so far I have not visited either Turkey or Africa as a tourist. And indeed, nowhere else except various parts of Spain. Unlike my wife, who visited many more places as a tourist, including Turkey and Egypt :)

Everything is simple with my vacation. Spain - Altai Territory :) And I look at the rest of the world from the windows of the plane, delivering other bloggers to different nooks and crannies.

If you find fault with geography, then the Canary Archipelago belongs to Africa. But politically - to Europe, as part of Spain. True, from time to time the local population recalls the uncivil behavior of the conquistadors, but things do not go further than indignation.

When planning a vacation, we do not use the services of tour operators. We book accommodation ourselves - usually these are apartments with a kitchen, and, without fail, a car for the entire stay. We prefer to buy and cook our own food, so the most we include in the price is breakfast, and not always.

I can’t imagine myself on a vegetable holiday - sleeping, eating and lying in the sun, necessarily getting sunburned three times in two weeks. I like to wake up, throw a breakfast prepared to my taste into my body, map out the next route in the navigator, get into the car and drive the next hundreds of kilometers. My standard “travel” around the islands is 1000 km per week, and a significant part (taking into account the specifics of choosing places to stay) is serpentine.

Unlike my mother, I like to drive through the mountains - it's a free opportunity to see breathtaking landscapes. It was difficult the first time - in March 2009 we vacationed on the southern part of coastal Spain, then moved to Tenerife. And it was difficult not because of the “fear of mountains,” but for a banal reason - I started driving a few months before, and had not yet gained enough experience and confidence.

But after the first time, both experience and confidence grew sharply. Now I know for sure that if you are careful, attentive, look at the signs and predict the navigator’s readings, then a trip around Spain turns into a walk. Good roads, clear markings, signs on the sides of the roads, duplicated with paint on the asphalt. Normal neighbors downstream.

So, if you have doubts, and because of them you are still going on excursions by bus, afraid of falling behind at the next stop - away with fears! Serpentine from the window of your car is much less scary than from a tall bus driven by a fearless native.

The island of Tenerife is unique for its climate. He's different! And the main creator of the weather here is the Teide volcano, the calling card of the island. It is located approximately in the middle, rising 3718 meters above the sea, and 7500 meters above the bottom of the Atlantic, being the highest peak of the Atlantic Ocean. The mountains block the northern winds, forming clouds in the northern part of the island, due to which significant amounts of precipitation fall there. This part of the island is very green.

However, the tourist area is in the south. Here the area is practically bare, but there is very little rainfall throughout the year. In the southeast, winds constantly drive waves, which has made El Médano a favorite destination for wind surfers. And in the southwest it is almost always calm. Therefore, this part of the island is the most touristic.

The island is not very far from the equator, so the sun shines almost vertically here... However, the air temperature is on average +26 degrees, which deceives tourists, and they burn out "once... twice." The thing is that the island is washed by a cold ocean current, which neutralizes the scorching sun, turning the climate on the island into “eternal spring,” as marketers write.

Of course, the temperature changes plus/minus throughout the year. I visited Tenerife at the beginning of March, in April, in September - and you could always wear a T-shirt and swim in the ocean. However, I must say right away - do not expect the temperature of fresh milk from the ocean. It is always cool there (see above about the cold current). Temperature +20..+24 degrees. At the beginning of March it is cooler, at the end of September it is a little warmer. But never warm enough to climb into to warm up.

And I like it even better - you go into the waves, tremble... and get a sharp increase in tone. But then you get used to it, and you don’t want to go out.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the beaches. They may be a disappointment for those who first visited the Maldives or the Dominican Republic. It should be noted that without human intervention there would be practically no beaches there at all. This is a volcanic island! Only one beach with yellow sand in the northeast of the island was created by nature - thanks to winds from the east, sand was blown from the Sahara Desert, and man helped complete what he started - bringing the missing sand.

Most of the beaches (except for the rocky ones) have black volcanic sand, which is a real pleasure, especially for small children. It tends to get clogged in all possible human places, and is quite difficult to wash off. But it will scrub your body, be healthy!

And, of course, it gets very, very hot in the sun - be careful!

The excitement in the ocean is quite decent. Of course, there are a few small beaches that are well protected by breakwaters, however, most beaches allow fairly high waves to reach the shore. It’s even more interesting for me, but I wouldn’t recommend letting small children stay away from you. My eldest son (he turned 9 years old the other day), Artemka, being a very active child at 4 years old, took a moment... and disappeared. Thank God - I found him, sobbing, quite far from us, but close to the shore... Lost, you see. And we were so scared!

By the way, all beaches throughout Spain are free and free for everyone to enter. So, if you can only get to a beach through a hotel, don’t hesitate to get there, even if this hotel is not yours.

There are many different places on the island that are interesting enough to visit. Let me remind you that it is easy to implement any plans - if you always have a car at hand.

What is a hackneyed "must visit" - Loro Park, Siam Park, Monkey Park. The miniature park, Pueblo Chicco, will not leave you indifferent.

For nature lovers, I would recommend the following routes:

1. Drive around the island, no matter clockwise or counterclockwise.

2. Drive from south to north through the Teide valley, pine forests, go down to the northern airport, leave it behind and climb into the northeastern mountains - here you will find entire thickets of relic laurels (careless guides, trying to gather as many tourists as possible, broadcast, that these can only be found on La Gomera - that’s a trip, not for the faint-hearted), you can admire the two sides of the island from the tops, and then go down to Teresitas beach. The one with the yellow sand.

3. From the south, through the village of Maska, drive all the way north, and turn onto the road to the Teno lighthouse - the westernmost point of the island. Yes, you will have to drive along a closed road (there is a sign “No Trespassing” with the inscription: further travel at your own peril and risk”), under the cliffs hanging over the abandoned road, abundantly strewing the asphalt with pebbles of various sizes. But, once you escape, you will be treated to dizzyingly beautiful views on the rocks, sky and sea.

By the way, the road to the village of Maska is called the “road of death.” Marketing, nothing more. Excellent road, with a fence. The only thing that distinguishes it from the rest of the Tenerife serpentine road is that in some places it is quite narrow and in order to pass tourist buses you have to back up. Well, in some places the slope is a little more than usual. By the way, having chosen the route to Cape Teno, we did not pay attention to the fact that it goes through Maska. And, in general, they did not understand where the “road of death” was. Moreover, I will say that all the most beautiful things will be revealed to the tourist who travels further and does not look at the incomprehensible houses of this unremarkable village.

The best way to get to Masca is by water - you can book a trip on a glass-bottomed catamaran. It will be really interesting, unlike visiting the village overland.

In general, you can simply map out routes - the Internet is full of reference books on all kinds of "miradors" - and find them in person. This is interesting in itself, as opposed to stupid wallowing on black sand under the vertical rays of the sun.

And after daytime travel, just when the sun goes down lower, around 4 pm, you finally come to the beach, when the bulk of the “redskins” are already starting to arrive at the exit, afraid of missing out on the evening “all-inclusive”.

And after the beach, return to the apartment, wash off the black sand, set the table on the terrace overlooking the sea, and drink ice-cold sangria while watching the sun set directly on the island of La Gomera.

I love Tenerife, and I will definitely visit there more than once.

It remains to summarize the story with photographs, I hope that they will bring a bit of sun, sea and south to our first day of winter.

In one of the parks, I don’t remember where exactly.

My nephew, Sergei (now taller than me), and my son Artemka.

In 1996, my parents rented a hotel room in this area and swam in this artificial lake, so we couldn’t help but visit it in 2010.

Eddie Medano. A paradise for windsurfers.

Typical landscape in the green part of the mountains.

Loro Park. Really worth a visit

Gorillas walk there almost within walking distance. Powerful creatures.

A phenomenal penguin colony in which the climate of Antarctica is recreated.

The main population of the park are parrots.

Not long ago, a mega-water park, Siam Park, opened. Recommended for lovers of crazy water slides.
But others will also find entertainment for themselves.

30 meter "slide". Falling from it, you fly through a pipe inside the pool. With sharks, or something.

Water slalom for those who like to race.

The dragon is also an attraction

Father says hi.

A shallow lake on which an artificial ninth shaft is periodically formed.

And this is the heart of the island, the Teide volcano

This area has a very unique landscape, fantastic.

Finger of God.

Lunar landscape

Tenerife pines.

And again the ocean.

Armas sailed to La Gomera.

A piece of typical coastline.

And again Loro Parque. In addition to flowers, trees and animals, it hosts various shows. The fur seals will not leave anyone indifferent - this is the funniest show in the park.

And this is the most grandiose performance! Orca show! Mast visit!

And, of course, nowhere without dolphins

There is also an aquarium