Birthday in Tenerife (part 2)
Continues from part 1
Day 3
It’s Teide day!
Mount Teide is a volcano on Tenerife. It’s the third highest volcano in the world and the highest mountain in Spain. It’s summit 3,718 m. The surroundings comprise Teide National Park which is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2007.
We packed our coats for mount Teide and our flip flops for Los Gigantes. And it was as weird as it sounds to pack coats and flip flops…
It took us around 1 hour to reach the point where we would take the cable car. The scenery was changing frequently with lots of vegetation in some places, desert in others and so on. At some point there we were above the clouds and the scenery was all green.
Then it felt more of a lunar scenery as we were going higher. Really impressive!
As soon as we arrived at the parking area (at 2,356 meters), we boarded the cable car that took us 1000 meters higher to the upper station at 3,555m altitude in just eight minutes. The highest point I have ever been to.
We followed the Pico Viejo Vantage Point route. Pico Viejo is the second volcano in the area (now inactive). An awesome viewpoint that overlooks South Tenerife and the great caldera of Las Cañadas del Teide.
On our way back, we stopped at Roque Cinchado, a 27-metre high monolithic rock. The viewpoint was breathtaking and we took many pictures here.
After Teide, we visited Los Gigantes, an area on the south-west part of the island. The road up to there was bendy and it made me so dizzy, I just couldn’t enjoy that part of the trip.
After we finished dinner at the hotel, at 10:00 pm, we decided to revisit Mount Teide for some night pictures. We wanted to experience the stargaze because of the craggy landscape. And it did pay off.
Just before we returned to the hotel we had a nice ride along Costa Adeje. Las Americas and Los Cristianos.
Day 4
Today we decided that it would be a relaxation day. I booked for a massage in the same area. After that, I sunbathed and swam in the ocean for the first time this year at Playa de las Vistas in Los Cristianos. Then I had my barraquito coffee at Taberna Rustica and strolled around the area.
When we all met again, we had lunch at El Pinchio. A fabulous place, overlooking Playa de las Vistas. We sat at the veranda and had shrimps, paella and papas arrugadas with red and green sauce.
Then we strolled along the beach before we had our afternoon barraquito at the Cabanas.
We dined at the restaurant of the hotel and as a birthday present, they served a (delicious) chocolate mousse. They also gave me flowers.
A wonderful trip had come to an end.
Tenerife is a beautiful island with extraordinary beauty and is warm all-year-round. Mount Teide creates (apart from the microclimate) a lunar landscape and regardless of what I was expecting there is a notable change of scenery almost every 10 minutes which makes it extraordinary.
The traditional Canarian architecture is mainly influenced by Andalusia and Portugal with load-bearing masonry walls and stone slabs at the corners. Some examples of contemporary buildings of Tenerife are Magma Art and Conference Centre in Adeje and Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín.
Barraquito is a Canarian drink but from what I read it is mainly served in Tenerife. On our way back home, we bought liquor 43 and since then, I am having one barraquito daily.
As I mentioned the average age at our hotel was 60 years old (or more). I noticed how they were all so lively and with amazing humour. Each night the hotel was hosting special nights with music and karaoke, and they were all joining, having fun and dancing. On their schedule were also activities on the island such as mount Teide. I saw someone with an artificial leg on mount Teide. I can only show respect to people that can celebrate life under any circumstances. So next time you have an opportunity to do something special, just do it. Do not overthink it and definitely, don’t mind your age.
After all, age is just a number. The mentality is what matters the most. ♥
Until next time ♥
