My 3 Days in Tenerife
April 18 — April 21, 2016
DAY ONE:
My first experience with RyanAir included some anxiety as the pilot tried to land…and abruptly pulled back up! Twice! After several long minutes (panicking), the pilot finally informed us that he couldn’t see the runway due to fog & clouds at the Tenerife North airport (not what you want to hear). He would, therefore, have to land our plane at the island’s other airport — the one in the south. That was fine by me, assuming we could make it safely to the ground! 😬
My husband’s family was going to be picking us up (at the northern airport). They found out that weather conditions were not going to allow us to land, and preemptively got on the way to the opposite end of the island.
Apparently, it’s a pretty common occurrence for planes to redirect to the southern airport due to fog. We learned that Tenerife is made up of micro-climates, meaning that the weather and temperature in the north can be drastically different than in the south. While the north is dreary, cold, and foggy, for example, the south may be very sunny and warm! It’s pretty crazy considering how small the island is!
My husband (Gabe) and I had just spent two quick days in Madrid (our first time in Europe!), and then flew out with his dad and uncle to visit their family and childhood home in Tenerife.
We met Goyo and Evelyn (Gabe’s godmother) outside the Tenerife South airport and shared some tapas at the car (one of their traditions), including: farm-fresh hard boiled eggs, bread, fresh goat cheese, and homemade wine. It was a picnic!
Then they drove us to the condo that Gabe and I were going to be staying at, right along the sea with little shops all around. From our balcony, we could see the mountains AND the water!
We dropped off our bags, and then proceeded to drive ALL AROUND the winding roads of the island in a 6 passenger van.
We stopped for lunch at a diner called El Nervioso and tried many specialties de Las Canarias, including rabbit. They also had these HUGE rolls made with anise — very unique!
The rest of the day, we visited relatives and drove around and around. We made it back to our room pretty late and were supposed to fend for ourselves for dinner at one of the nearby cafes. But we ended up just passing out, exhausted. 😴
DAY TWO:
We got ready at a leisurely pace, which was SUCH a treat after 3 painfully early mornings! Gabe made breakfast at our condo with the supplies left for us in the fridge. I remember there being fresh eggs, German sausages, OJ, coffee, papaya, kiwis, apples, lemons, and radishes (maybe it was radish season? Idk).
*Fun fact: 50% of the island’s tourists are German “snowbirds.” Because of this, you find lots of German businesses and products on the island (i.e. pubs, sausages) AND signs in German, especially in the south.
I ate an apple, as I was still feeling sort of car sick from all the driving the day before. Little did we know we’d be driving just as much, if not more, over the next 2 days — on the twisty, mountainous roads, in the back of a manual, jerky van. Haha —the Dramamine I had packed came in handy.
We saw and did some very cool things during our visit, like stop at a winery for a tasting of 5 different types of the island’s wines!
Then, we donned our coats and drove up to the base of El Teide, the sleeping volcano. *Fun fact: El Teide is the highest mountain in Spain!
It was, unfortunately, too windy to take the cable car to the top. Instead, we took pictures, hiked around, and went into a little theater for a short film about the volcano. Eventually (we were all quite hungry), we found a little bar with sandwiches and other tapas.
Next, we made our way to the family residence: “La Vega.” This was a definite highlight for me! It is a beautiful, old property right on the coast, but nestled up high enough where you can see a gorgeous chunk of the island.
Gabe grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, but his grandparents (with their kids) split their time between this property in Tenerife (where the family is originally from) and their home in Venezuela. Because of this, Gabe’s dad and uncle had lots of memories to share with us.
The property is still in vibrant, working order with 20+ chickens, all kinds of fruit trees and veggies growing in the garden, and grape vines— maintained impeccably by Goyo (our host).
We got to see the wine press and learn about the process from harvest → bottling, then go down to the cellar to see all the finished product! Goyo even opened a 15 year old bottle for us to try — a very special experience! We were honored to visit and get to learn about the Melian-family heritage and traditions!
That night, we went to dinner with a friend of the family, where we had parilla (meat and veggies grilling right on the table). We sat outside next to the live saxaphone music and enjoyed a very nice meal, accompanied by yummy salads, bread, mojo sauces, and — for dessert — crema Catalana! And alcohol flowing — before, during, and after EVERY meal, really— in many different colors, sizes, and varieties. 🤣
Another full day in the books! We were so looking forward to some relaxation at the beach the following day!
DAY THREE:
Yay! The beach! I think they took us to the fanciest beach on the island (Casas del Duque), where many wealthy tourists stay. We parked in a garage below the mall entrance, which opened up to the most beautiful beach boardwalk!
Despite how hard Tio Roberto tried to convince us, the water was NOT warm (then again, we are Floridians). Gabe tried it out and quickly returned to our little towels to sit and soak up sun. After a few minutes of being badgered to get in the water, we decided to go for a walk. We walked first to the right (a dead end), then back the other way to climb up on the big, smooth rocks that curved around to the rest of the beach. Our feet were burning and not loving the little stones, but it was worth it for the view, adventure, and a little quiet time! It was so calm up there compared to the busy beach below! Trip highlight, for sure!
By the time we walked back, they were waiting on us for lunch (oops)! Evelyn and Gabe’s dad, Diogenes, had scoped out the best restaurant/table at La Torre de Mirador while the rest of us were enjoying the beach.
And it WAS an amazing lunch! Oysters, prawns (to peel), little hand washing bowels, two different preparations of sea bass (as in, two entire fish, for the table to share), “wrinkly” potatoes (a.k.a. papas arrugadas) — all with an amazing view and terrific service!
And at that, beach time was over. We changed out of our swimsuits and got back in the car for more sights. We saw the very, very old (800–1000 years old), massive tree: El Drago. And also took pictures with (around) El Pino Gordo! 🌳
Nearby was a quaint little square, set up for some celebration. We walked around for a bit, then drove to see the natural pools. So many interesting geological sights on one island!
I fell asleep on the drive back to our condo. We saw A TON in only 3 days with our non-stop itinerary; and that was only ONE of the seven islands! Las Islas Canarias definitely deserve more time!
Have you been? What are some of the coolest things you have seen or done in the Canary Islands?
P.S. Our flight OUT was also with RyanAir; and it was A-Okay. If we fly back to Tenerife, we’ll probably choose the southern airport, just in case 😉
