El Teide

Yesterday we went up Mount Teide with Margaret and Nigel. They did not want an early start so we picked them up at midday and headed down the Autopista Sur to Guia de Isora, which is the easier way up.

On the way, Margaret marveled at the pine trees growing up in the lava fields

Parking near the cable car looked bad but in fact we found a spot near the kiosk. The queue was longer than expected, and it took about an hour to get to the front. It was 25 Euros, which is rather expensive, and extortionate in Margaret's eyes. The ride to the top rises 1500m to just short of the summit cone at 3717m.

It is cold at the top but Kevin had brought extra hats and scarves which Margaret availed herself of. Apart from the previously mentioned ascent to the summit, there are two walks. We took the one to the viewpoint that overlooks the north of the island. It was fairly easy going, but Nigel was finding the change in temperature hard and went back. By the side of the path there were a couple of fumaroles which were nice to put your hands in for a warm. We took the obligatory photos.

Given Nigel was feeling uncomfortable, we thought it best to go straight back down when we returned but Margaret wanted to see the other path. In truth there wasn't time to do it all, though if we had had more time, we would have liked to have done. This path goes to a viewpoint of the old crater, Pico Viejo, and Margaret was insistent that she wanted to do some of it. Her and Joan went off and not too far down the path came across some more fumaroles and a sulphurous geothermal field. Mindfulof the last cablecar, Joan drragged Margaret back. On the way back and she came across a ticket for the journey down the cablecar. Margaret picked it up. It turned out to be the ticket of the lad in the queue in front off us. He was grateful for its return!

They pack you into the cable car and we became separated. During the drop Kevin became light headed and afterwards had to rest in the cafe with a hot chocolate. The oversugared drink soon perked him up and we drove down from the mountain to views of a sunset over La Gomera and El Hierro. Margaret and Nigel were so unperturbed by the zigzags, they both fell asleep.

Having dropped them off at their villa, we returned home to a dinner of bean casserole and rice.



Looking down to the coast where we are staying.









At the cable car station.

Montana Amarilla & Costa del Silencio

Today we went for a walk along the Costa del Silencio.

Rather than hotels, there seemed to be a lot of flats there, set out in estate rows. It was all a little over disciplined and impersonal. We nboticed quite a few up for sale.

We passed a bar, which had only English signs which seemed to be populated by English ex-pats. They were playing bowls outside.

The start of the route was across a pebbled beach, each pebble about the size of a football. Then the route skirted under the Montana Amarilla, or yellow mountain, named, of course, for its colour.

Around a corner we came across a sunny bay, populated it seemed by naked Germans. We averted our eyes and carried on up to the cliffs where there were great views of the coast and El Teide.

The walk was pleasant, above rock pools where the waves crashed. Out to sea there were a number of yachts, struggling with the high winds. Just before reaching the marina at Los Abrigos, we turned around and retraced our steps. The Brits were still playing bowls.

Back at home, we ate fajitas on the veranda as darkness fell.

Tamaimo to Montana de Guama

Today we decided to take a walk from Tamaimo to the Montana Guamo, up the souththwest part of the coast near the Los Gigantes cliffs. In the German guidebook we are using it was described as a "comfortable circular walk onto the ridge above Tamaimo [that] opens up wonderful views of the valleys and gorges on the southwest coast."

The first part of the walk was welsignposted up to a peak called the Cruz de Misioneros, a route used by pilgrims allegedly. Looking up at the cross we were to reach, Kevin said "Do you want to do this?" It looked steep but we assumed from both the description on the book and fron having done other routes with, for example, Stations of the Cross, on them, that the way would be easy. Wrong!

Immediately the path was rugged and steep. For ther less sure-footed it involved a bit of scrambling, though inially this was just not that relaxing. The description of the walk suggested that once one made the cross, the walk evened out a lot so it seemed worth it. As we rose higher and higher the path became more open and steep. We followeed the yellow and white marks which led us up to the mission cross. The last part was exposed and vertiginous. The view at the top was awesome but a way ahead was not obvious. The only path we could find skirted the edge of a perilously steep slope across the mountain's side. Reluctantly we decided to call it a day and tiptoed back down - and as any one who has done walking knows, coming down steep bits is harder than ascending!

Towards the foot of the climb we met a couple about the start the ascent, but they must have thought the better of it as they were soon following us back to Tamaimo.

We drove home along the lowere main road which took us through miles of banana plantations, with the bunches protected by blue plastic bags. It had been raining in El Salto as the patio was puddled and the owners of the villa had covered up the outside furnture.

For the first time on holiday we ate inside - a vegetarian lasagna made by Joan. Kevin flicked through our odd collection of TV channels (no BBC, ITV or news channels) and came across Nigerian Pop Idol, complete with its own version of Simon Cowell.

Christmas day

Another hot day! Another lazy start!

We both bought each other the new Peter Kay DVD for Xmas, so we have a spare one now.

We had some panetone for breakfast, and set off up the roads to Teide. On the way up we stopped to take photos near the site of the last eruption and then carried on up to the car park by the Samara volcano. The walk we did skirted the side of the Botija volcano (2122m), next to a fairly recent lava field. It was quite an uphill trek but at the end flank of the volcano we were rewarded with views of the Reventada volcano's cone, where much of the lava had come from. We could also look down on the clouds beneath us. It's strange that during the middle of the day when you look up towards Teide it is cloudy, but on the top it is sunny. Yet a no point does one drive through cloud on the way up.

We met a few other walkers who had the same idea as us for Christmas Day.

Back down everything was quiet. Even the old men who populate the street cafes and benches had gone.

Back at the villa, we ate a Xmad dinner of pumpkin and spinach nut roast with mushroom sauce, roast potatoes, carrots and french beans, followed by Xmas pudding and brandy sauce.

We tried to get the DVD to play but the TV system here defeated us so we watched Howard's End instead.

Garachico

Today we visited the town of Garachico on the north side of the island. We went clockwise round which took us up and down some outcrops and through the lava flows of the most recent eruption in Tenerife, Mount Chinyero near Santiago del Teide which erupted in 1909. The road down to Garachico from El Tanque was quite narrow, winding with steep slopes. (But nowhere as bad as some of the roads which we travelled on in Chile (Pisagua) and Peru (Majes).

Garachico was the main port on Tenerife until the Montana Volcan Negro erupted in 1709, taking most of the town with it, and filling up the harbour with lava flows. It is now a small place, with a few seafront restaurants. We passed the opportunity to walk back uphill for 250m to the Mirador and instead wandered around the quiet streets. There was a nativity scene in the lava flows at the waters'edge. A small castle was closed for the day. Outside it had gardens with poinsetias, red and cream.

There was also a walk amongst volcanic rock pools which was officially closed for the winter months and what looked like a newly constructed outdoor pool.

Back from the seafront was the main square with two churches and a statue of South American freedom fighter, Simon Bolivar. His mother came from here and the town still has strong links with Venezuela.

We ate lunch at a pavement cafe overlooking the sea and bought some local wine to take back to Finca Paloma.

We decided to take the motorway back, which was longer but quicker than winding up and down again.

Back at the villa it is a cooler evening (16.6 c) and a little windy.

El puertito de Guimar to Montana Grande

Today was another hot day - a pattern is emerging. However up on the mountain there were clouds. We decided to take a walk furhter up the coast at Guimar. It is a short run up the motorway, and then we turned down to Puertito (little port) of Guimar.

Having left the car, it became clear that the village was built on a lava flow. Indeed the flows stopped artificially at the roadside. Further on they ran directly in to the sea, where small shanty type houses had been built directly where the flows hit the waves. The paths so far have been well marked with a lot of interpretation boards. This route was across the Malpais (badlands) of Guimar. This was a lava flow created when the nearby Montana Grande exploded 10,000 years ago. Now the landscape is being overtaken by candelabra cacti and other bushes that love this inhospitable territory.

The path initially skirted the water, as it crossed the lava field. There were some salt pans where locals used to pour in salt water, leave it to evaporate and then harvest the salt. Further on there were some small lava caves at the edge of the water. We met a few other walkers, including a man in flipflops who decided to go back as the way was so rocky. On the horizon we could see a freight ship.

The path then climbed to a promentory before turning inland towards the volcanic cone. We saw several lizards. At the foot of the volcano we ate lunch before heading seewards again, near a water channel ("levada"). It was still cloudy inland but started to clear as we drove home.

As shops close early for Xmas tomorrow, we stocked up with supplies both for Xmas day itself but also for our party on New Year's Day.

Dinner was eaten on the verandah - a tomato and mozzarella tart with the local speciality of papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes) with a mojo verde (green sauce).

El Medano

The WiFi in the villa has not been working. David, the owner, had explained that the house was being transfered on to a new system, but they went out before we could mention the fault.

Today we drove down to the nearest bit of sea at Medano. We can see it from our villa. It is a resort but not as developed as Los Christianos and Playa de las Americas.

We walked along an alley past restaurants, mainly offering seafood dishes. Then we came to a beach with black sand and out on the water there were plenty of windsurfers and people on surf boards with parachutes. The breeze was strong and lifted some of them in to the air.

We walked to Montana Roja, a volcanic cone at the end of the resort and climbed up it. From the summit we had a fine view of the runway at Tenerife South Airport which was constantly busy. We could also see large swaithes of netted area which they grow something beneath.

On the way back we called in for more provisons and ate a dinner of goat's cheese and quince jelly tart with salad and fried potato.

David came roound to look at the WiFi router but couldn't fix it immediately.

Played cards on the terrace once it was dark.

Finca Paloma, El Salto

Today we had a restful day at the villa. There is a heated pool which overlooks the "barranco" (gorge) and plenty of gardens to wander in.

We took the car down to San Isidro to the supermarket and stocked up. Ww decided to have an early BBQ. We'd bought some vegi burgers which when opened were bright red, and when cooked not too pleasant. The very green spinach sausages were somehwat better!

Quite clooudy and a stiff breeze.

Tenerife:18 December 2011

On Saturday night we stayed at the Crowne Plaza at Manchester Airort, after visiting Lytham. It was very slippery underfoot when we arrived.
Next morning was an early start from T1. It was chaotic with the queue for Easyjet out the door. In the end we and many others were so long waiting that we had to be rushed through security to make the plane.

In Tenerife it was 25 celcius but with a high wind. We picked up our hire car, a Fiesta, and made our way to El Salto which was only ten minutes from the airport. Rosemary and David, the owners, welcomed us with a bottle of fizz.

We decided just to have a rest, read the information pack at the villa and splashed around in the pool.

Dinner was eaten on the verandah: pasta, tomato sauce and bread.

Beautiful,clear, starry skies.