Two+ Weeks on Tenerife: Impressions and Specifics

What I ate, saw, did, and thought of it all during my stay on Tenerife

Black sand beaches were a definite highlight

My broad impressions of Tenerife over the past two weeks or so are thus: It is surprisingly dry. The neighborhood I was staying in is very small, and if I wanted to go to a specific village or to a specific beach or on a specific hike, I needed to take the bus. The bus, or guagua, however, is incredibly easy to navigate, but it can be a hurdle nonetheless.

Where to Stay

Strolling by the waterside in Las Americas

If someone were to ask me for advice before a trip to the island, I would probably steer them away from Los Cristianos or Las Americas. These are the main tourist towns on this side of the island, and they just strike me as a bit inauthentic. Out of the two, I prefer Los Cristianos a bit, as my impressions of Las Americas were that it is similar to the Vegas strip or Disney World. A fake pop-up town, if you will, with the main goal being the collection of money from its visitors. Let’s just say that what I read of pink, British tourists eating fish and chips was actually pretty spot on. At least in these areas. Of course, some people are looking for this, but it’s not what I would recommend.  

Though, there was a REALLY beautiful mini-golf course in Las Americas that I would have loved to play if I had a friend. 

La Laguna, the historic university town

In general, if I were to return, I feel like I might prefer to stay in the villages to the north or the inland villages. They seem to be where people actually live and have a bit more character. My time here probably would have been very different if I were located in a different neighborhood. But again, the free time and tranquil location were perfect for my writing ambitions.

Visitors and tourists looking for a beach vacation but wanting to avoid the tourist traps should look into staying in the area near Los Gigantes. The scenery was much more beautiful, it seemed like a bit more of a real town, and it’s closer to some of the lovely wilderness. This area also has access to a lot of the tourist activities that Los Cristianos and Las Americas have (ferries, water sports, scuba diving and snorkeling, hiking, etc.) without the insanity.  

Los Gigantes

That being said, I’ve only been here for about two weeks and wasn’t out hoofing it every day. I really have only scratched the surface of Tenerife. These are my assumptions based on my limited experience. I was fortunate enough to meet some incredibly kind and generous people without whom I would have seen much less of the island. 

Food

I’ve been eating at home more than I do in the States (pat me on the back, please, I love eating out). This is despite the fact that fresh produce was either hard to come by or very expensive on the island. My home-cooked meals were modest, to say the least.

A majority of the meals I have had out have been pretty damn tasty and just what I was looking for. Most are served with mojo, two colors of sauces that you apply to your bread, meat, potatoes, and whatever else you’d like. A very welcome addition that reminded me a little bit of Peruvian cuisine.

Restaurants of note:

Meat Mountain @ Casa Odon

• Restaurante Casa Odon:
  • We stopped at this spot on our way back from Puerto de la Cruz. Legend says they specialize in mushrooms and meat, and boy do they! We got the ½ portion of mixed mushrooms (delicious) and a ½ portion of mixed meat. I don’t want to know what the full portion of meat looks like because what they brought us was meat mountain. Everything was super tasty, though (and I had meat for a week!).

Restaurante Otelo – Delicious Fried Chicken!

• Restaurante Otelo:
  • This restaurant sits at the foot of El Barranco del Infierno, and would be the perfect reward for a hike well done. Even if you don’t do the hike, they have an extensive patio with amazing views of both the sea and the gorge. They specialize in Pollo al ajillo (delicious, seasoned fried chicken). We accompanied this with roasted potatoes, salad, and of course, wine. Everything was so tasty, and the salad was the first serving of fresh veggies I had in some time.

This view was a short walk from Restaurante Manolo II

• Restaurante Manolo II:
  • I didn’t take any pictures here because I was too busy meeting new friends and eating delicious, freshly caught seafood. This restaurant is in the little fishing village of Tajao, which means everything is fresh, fresh, fresh. Essentially, you go up to the counter, pick which specimens you would like to devour, and they cook them up for you right away. We ate everything tapas style with plates coming out at different times that we all shared. Treats such as: chipirones (fried baby squid that you pop in your mouth whole), calamari, a couple of whole fish, roasted potatoes, and lapas (limpets). All washed down with wine, of course.

Delicious birthday cake from Panadería Croquant

• Panadería Croquant:  
  • I arrived on Tenerife the day before my birthday, and my hosts being as sweet and generous as they were, insisted on buying me a birthday cake to celebrate. She took me to this bakery and had me choose my flavor. I chose the banana, rum, and caramel flavored cake pictured here. They were both a little skeptical of my flavor choice, but it turned out to be one of the best cakes I can remember having and everyone had multiple servings. 

My hosts also took me out for a birthday dinner in Costa de Adeje. We had tapas and paella and they were quite delicious. There are many restaurants in this little area, and the sea views were beautiful. Since there are so many there, and it was my first day, I don’t remember which restaurant we went to, but just a walk in the area should help you find one that suits your tastes. 

Activities

As I predicted, nature has been the great highlight of my time on Tenerife. I know I haven’t seen nearly enough. Most of the beautiful sites I’ve seen, I probably wouldn’t have without the wonderful generosity of new friends. I do not have access to a car or bike here, and sometimes getting motivated to take a bus ride to a far away place proved challenging and time-consuming.

Getting thirsty just landing at Tenerife Sur

In general, I was surprised how dry and brown everything was. I was expecting a volcanic island paradise and must have forgotten that the Sahara desert is right across the water.

Thanks to the help of friends, I was able to see black sand beaches, rocky shorelines, and the relative lushness of the north, which has a totally different climate from the south. I was also shown some of the striking beauty of the south that I wouldn’t have even known to look for on my own (Los Gigantes, La Tejita, El Médano).

Masca

I had really wanted to do the Masca hike, but was unable to because it was closed for repairs of their jetty. I guess not too long ago some young hikers got stuck out there overnight due to the broken jetty. The hike, if open, apparently goes from the little mountain town of Masca, down through the gorge to a little secluded beach, and is said to be incredibly lovely.

El Barranco del Infierno

The start of the hike to El Barranco del Infierno

Not sure this would have stood up against a falling boulder, but its worth a shot

Instead, I was able to hike El Barranco del Infierno (hell’s gorge). This one can allegedly be quite dangerous. They make you wear a helmet, as a woman died last year from a rock falling on her. In fact, as I arrived, the man at the gate was on his walkie-talkie discussing a woman who had gotten injured in there and needed a helicopter out. We saw her in there before the end and it appears she either broke or sprained her ankle. Either way, as we rounded the corner to the waterfall, we were greeted by her shrieks of pain as the rescuers attempted to stabilize her ankle. Fun!

Despite these horror stories, I did not find it to be an incredibly challenging hike. You just need to make sure to keep your footing. Also keep in mind that on a sunny afternoon, there is NO shade for most of the hike, so bring sunscreen and plenty of water. 

The waterfall at the end of the gorge

El Teide

Majestic El Teide – my first volcano!

Originally, I was hoping to do the hike up El Teide, stay overnight at the hut, and hike up to the crater. Once arriving and seeing how dry the landscape was and short and scrubby the brush, I was glad I had a ride up the mountain. Still seems like a cool experience though and apparently, the star view from up there is unparalleled.

Instead, my hosts drove me up the volcano, and I’m so glad I got to see it. I’ve never been on a volcano before and it was beyond cool to see how the different colors (read: ages) of lava flows stacked upon one another. A must-see if on Tenerife.

Saying Goodbye

As always for me, it’s weird to be leaving a place. Especially a place you got used to living for a short while. How quickly you internalize your every day. Yet, I will never see that place again. Never sleep in that bed, brush my teeth in that sink, see any of those cats. I know this is normal and not out of the ordinary, but it feels strange to me. I can be so sentimental.

Adios, Tenerife!

Things I am glad to leave behind:

The water. The water is desalinated sea water. It is incredibly hard and my hair and skin have been staging quite a revolt.

Things I will miss:

Perfect weather every day. Regular sea vistas. New friends.