I didn’t know much about Tenerife, except I thought the weather would be warmer than London, not much of an achievement, but it is certainly welcome. Without doing much research before hand, I packed my bathing suit, tank tops, hiking clothes and plenty of sunscreen. I remember when I visited the beach in Mexico and got a not so desirable 2nd degree sunburn.
Tenerife is a very developed island, and despite the mega-resorts working their way up the mountain sides, there were plenty of places that still retained their natural beauty. I spent my first day relaxing poolside at my airport hotel, (fom swiftrank) under an umbrella and had almost a half a bottle of SPF 40 on my skin. I spent the 2nd day exploring Tenerife’s volcanic interior. The trip up the mountain not only gave me a spectacular view of the ocean, but also the various climates of Tenerife. While I was at the lower elevation, the terrain resembled the Arizona desert, complete with cactus and rocky, dry land. As I went higher, I suddenly found myself in the alpine country. I was surrounded by pine trees and the air was thinner. When I descended into the volcano, It was like the Grand Canyon meets Haleakala hardened lave rock formations. I spent only a couple of hours hiking around and exploring through the trails of Teide National Park. The parks prehistoric beauty was awe inspiring and it’s natural beauty was a nice contrast to the resort-packed beach front. It was a most refreshing day trip.
My third and last day here, I drove up the coast to Los Gigantes, it’s a town at the base of a beautiful rock cliff. I walked around town and watched the wildlife, mostly crabs and fish in the harbor. The cliffs were stunning. I then headed back to my hotel. I really enjoyed my weekend and I was so happy to have explored the other parts of Tenerife besides the poolside lounge chair. Spain was the perfect weekend get away for me.