IMPRESSIONS OF TENERIFE

Today we are in the Canary Islands!  

I have heard many wonderful things about the Canary Islands and I can see why.  They are beautiful!  

Here’s a little history courtesy of the Viking Daily:

For centuries, the Canary Islands - Spain’s lush, volcanic archipelago off the southern coast of Morocco - have been thought of as a bridge between Europe, Africa and North America.  The source of this notion is uncertain, though it may have emerged because Spanish galleons sailed south here in order to reach the New World on northeasterly trade winds.  The islands, then, provided explorers a final glimpse of Europe; their serene-sounding name seemed as fitting as the birdsong that might have seen brave sailors off to an uncertain crossing.  However, it turns out that the bird is named after the islands, not the other way around.

Fertile and green, Spain’s Canary Islands overflow with exotic flora spilling down mountainsides to coastal pueblos.  The archipelago’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, exudes equal parts Spanish flair and island tranquillity, brimming with lushly painted buildings of all colors, cosmopolitan shops and a city park where birdsong and the trickle of fountains echo the soothing sounds of Tenerife’s rural beaches.  The volcanic Mt. Teide, Spain’s highest point, watches over much of the island.  Its rich and luxuriant hills harbor fruit plantations and vineyards that produce some of the nation’s finest wines.  The Orotava Valley gently slopes down from Teide to the Atlantic Puerto de la Cruz; the former fishing village transformed into a spa town for the 19th-century Victorian set and today welcomes endless strolls amid its fine boardwalks, leafy squares and seaside charms.

Sounds idyllic?  It was! Our ship docked very early in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The port was very nice and we were able to view the cityscape and mountains from our ship.  We also had a perfect view of the Auditorium de Tenerife (Opera House) that many say resembles the famous Opera House in Sydney.  It does, but on a much smaller scale! I selected the photo above of the cross for my opening pic because our guide explained that the word “Cruz”, which happens to be in many of the city names, actually means “Cross” and as we toured we noticed a lot of crosses scattered around the city, mostly adorning buildings.

Views of Santa Cruz and the Opera House taken from our balcony.

The excursion that we had selected was a visit to nearby Puerto de la Cruz.  It was the included tour.  Here’s the description of our tour:

Visit the popular Puerto de la Cruz and enjoy the exotic plants, flowers and trees of the botanical gardens.  You will enjoy a panoramic island drive through the lush green landscape and tropical fruit plantations of the Orotava Valley region to reach Puerto de la Cruz.  Both Spanish and island traditions are evident in the former fishing village, which is now one of Tenerife’s top resorts, lined with narrow cobblestone streets, traditional colonial-style cafes and bars, charming plazas and a quaint harbor.  Enjoy free time to stroll around the seaside resort at your leisure.  Continue on to the city’s world-class botanical gardens (JarDin de Aclimatacion de la Orotava, JAO) - home to a plethora of exotic tropical and subtropical plants, including the South American Coussapoa deal at a, or Liana tree, with a mass of intertwining trunks.  Finally, stop for photos overlooking the Orotava Valley before returning to your ship.

We were in the Canary Islands for just the day and our tour took all morning.  Viking had a shuttle that ran into Santa Cruz all afternoon, but following our tour and lunch we decided to take a nap instead!  So, we didn’t see anything in Santa Cruz other than what we saw as we were passing through on our way to Puerto de la Cruz.  On the way to Puerto de la Cruz, we stopped at an overlook that offered stunning views of the mountains, ocean and the charming town of Puerto de la Cruz.  

One of few photos of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.  We are on the highway leaving the city center.

We made a quick photo stop to view Puerto de la Cruz from above.  Also is a photo showing the ocean and homes on the mountainsides.  Here’s me and my friend, Cathy, also from South Carolina!

We arrived in Puerto de la Cruz early in the day so very few shops were open.  We only had a little over an hour to view the city on our own.  We were dropped off at “McDonalds” (every town seems to have one) and were told that we could go left into Old Town or right into the new resort and shopping area.  We selected “the road less traveled” left and wandered the streets of old town!  We were amazed at all the beauty that we saw!

Charming paved streets and walkways.  Church of San Telmo. Named after San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo who is the patron saint of sailors.

Church of Our Lady of the Rock of France

Inside of the church.

Plenty to see in Old Town!  Charming!

We passed through Old Town fairly quickly which was easy since very few shops were open.  We did find a cute gift shop and I bought a couple of postcards.  We had extra time so did a quick tour of the resort area.  It was equally as beautiful!  More modern and lush.

Here I am with one of the resorts in the background.  I’m with Mark’s bridge partner and her daughter who we happened to run into on our stroll.

Next we drove to another part of Puerto de la Cruz and toured the lovely Botanical Garden.

This is the building across the street from the  Botanical Garden.  Shopping and restaurants and definitely photo worthy.

The Botanical Garden wasn’t very big, but sure had a lot of unusual trees and plants.  I was amazed at how many plants and flowers that I recognized - many I grow in our garden at home!

And finally, Doors of Course!  Found some charming ones!