TENERIFE / CANARY ISLANDS

TENERIFE / CANARY ISLANDS
Two weeks in July 1999

Travel log from the ZSOLDOS family (Gábor, Klári, Ádi). Pictures are scanned photos.

The group of Canary Island is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the coast of Africa
450 km from Morocco, just above the Tropic of Cancer.

There are seven islands:

Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, El Hierro, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote

We spent two weeks on Tenerife, and could have the chance to take a one-day trip on La Gomera.

The landscape shows astonishing diversity:

Sandy beaches; lush tropical vegetation (hibiscus, jasmine, honeysuckle, cyclamen, orange and date trees...);
desert; craggy volcanic rocks and craters; rocky coves;
... and the majestic volcanic peak of Teide (3718m = 12.000 foot)

The entertainment possibilities are nearly unlimited (excursions, parks, sea safaries, waterland, zoo, shows, ...)

MAPS: CANARY ISLANDS TENERIFE

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OUR HOTEL: REGENCY CLUB, PLAYA LAS AMERICAS


Our hotel was in the holiday village of Playa Las Americas, on Tenerife. This was our hotel (Regency Club). There was a bar in the middle of the swimming pool.	Another nice swimming-pool along the road going down to the beach. The water was very clean and refreshing.	The beach was also very nice. The golden sand is regularly 'refreshed' (new sand deliveries arrive from Sahara). Gábor is parashooting in the distance.	Here... he is coming !!!

EXCURSION TO THE TEIDE


This was our small rented car. In the background the magnificent peak of Teide.	The volcanic Lunar landscapes are wild and abandoned.	Las Cañadas is a huge oval-shaped crater-plain. Its size is: 15 km wide and 45 km long. We stopped several times to amaze the special volcanic formats.	Another special rock: a ROSE.


This interesting rock was close to the Teide Funicular.	Driving on the islands is a real experience. At certain points the panorama is breathtaking: a majestic harmony of the sky, the sea, the 'foamy' clouds, mountains, rocks .... islands in the distance.

TEIDE. The highest peak of Spain (3718 m = 12.000 feet).
Peak Teide rises to the sky at the west side of the huge oval-shaped crater 'Las Cañadas'.
We had to queue up to Teide Funicular for about an hour. Make sure to have a sun-hat and enough water with you.
It was worth to wait for it !!! The peak is 3718 m high, and the funicular took us to 3550 m. It is windy there, and difficult to take breath as the air is very 'thin'.
What a MAGNIFICENT PANORAMA ! (the quality of these scanned photos is not the best :( )
With the help of the map it was easy to identify the distant islands: the two peaks of LA PALMA (on the right), the 'round cake' of LA GOMERA (on the left), the outlines of EL HIERRO (left in the background).
Once you get off the funicular, you can walk around the peak on a footpath. Certain 'peak conquerors' try to climb up to the peak, but it is really dangerous (maybe also forbidden?), as the rocks are very crumbly..)

MEDIEVAL TOURNAMENTS IN CASTLE A SAN MIGUEL


Hotels are organizing evening entertaiments. A shuttle took us to Castle San Miguel (it is 'medeival-looking', but recently built). We were 'supporting' the Yellow Knight (as we had yellow shirt) While cheering and encouraging our knight, a medeival dinner was served (fried chicken and plenty of good wine) We did our job in an excellent way, as the winner was the Yellow Knight ... while fried chickens were fying there... and wine was flowing there... - It was a great fun!

ZOO AND OTHER BOTANICAL PARKS


LORO PARK, in Puerto de la Cruz Thsi wonderful botanical garden gives home for exotic animals. Sea aquarium, dolphin and sea gull shows, parrot shows, .... a number of magical attractions...	PARK EXOTIC. This botanic garden has lot of cacti and other exotic plants. A separateed part of the garden is a huge covered area, called Amazonia Tropical Bird Reserve. Walking among the lush plants, meeting colorful birds was a great experience. This big parrot was a bit scary, when he was following us, loudly screeching.

ONE-DAY TRIP TO ISLAND 'LA GOMERA'


La Gomera is another volcanic island. It is round like a cake, and deep, narrow gorges are splitting it into 'slices'. While Tenerife's biggest area is a volcanic desert (except of the north part), Gomera is lush, as the air is always filled by fresh sprinkling water drops, arriving from the ocean. The trip was a guided tour on a 4x4 car. First we took the ferry. The journey was quite dangerous, as the sea was very stormy and windy. Lunch was also included in a village restaurant, where a local farmer presented the special whistling language, called "EL SILBO". This special language was used for communication between the locals through the gorges, as there was no other way through the centuries. The highest point of the island is 1300 m high (= 5000 feet), and from there the panorama is really beutiful, to LA PALMA island.

DOLPHIN AND WHALE SAFARY


DOLPHIN SAFARY We were taken by boat to a certain point of the sea, where lot of dolphins surrounded us.	WHALE SAFARY This was another boat excursion, on a glass-bottom, so we could see the whales also under the water.	LOS GIGANTES (The Giants). Huge cliff walls along the western coast, close to village of San Juan.

ROUNDTRIP ON TENERIFE (by car)


CANDELARIA. A small town on the eastern coast. On the main square the imposing bronze statues of the guancho tribe leaders can be seen. The guanchos were the native inhabitants of the island (tall, fair, white skin people with blue eyes). The Basilica di 'Nuestra Senora' is on the right of this photo.	SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE. The capital of Tenerife is of 250.000 inhabitants. On the Main Square there is a modern church. The huge cross was erected as a Memorial of the many victims of the Spanish Civil War.	GUIMAR. A copy of RA-II papyrus boat can be seen in this village. (The original is displaye in Oslo/Norway in Museum Kon-Tiki ) This was the boat of the Norway discoverer, Thor Heyerdahl when he crossed the ocean in 1970. His sponzor was another Norway, Fred Olsen (who is today the owner of the biggest ferry company in the Canaries) In the background you can see the mysterious "step-pyramids".	OROTAVA. A charming little town on the western coast. Narrow, cobbled streets, Baroque buildings, typical Canary-balcons... give a romantic atmosphere.

OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS


ICOD DE LOS VINOS This is the famous, 1000-years old dragon terr. ("Dargonario"). The village is famous of its good wines.	Jet-ski and water-bananas on the beach...	WATERLAND OCTOPUS. This was in the next street to our hotel.	CAMEL PARK This was our first (and last?) experince of camel riding. It was quit boring to be fried in the sun...

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