Adventures In The South Goes To Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

  On January 9th, we escaped (barely) the Chicago winter. It was snowing at O’Hare Airport and I wondered if our flight would be canceled. It was not, but many were in the days to follow. After a somewhat turbulent flight, we arrived safely in Madrid the next morning. We checked into The Radisson Blu Hotel near The Prado. Manuel at the front desk served us coffee while we waited for our room, recommended Los Gatos for a light lunch, made us a dinner reservation at El Barril de las Letras, and arranged a taxi back to the airport for our flight to Tenerife the next morning. The weather in Madrid was cool, but pleasant and we spent an enjoyable afternoon strolling the area. After a shower and a rest, we were on Spanish time and headed out for an 8:30 dinner; late for us, early by Madrid standards. We stopped for a drink in the cocktail lounge at The Westin Palace Hotel. It is an iconic landmark, built for the wedding reception of King Alfonso XII in 1912. Since then it has been frequented by a number of celebrities, including Ernest Hemingway. The bartenders were professional and friendly and the manager was happy to answer our questions and let us take a look around. Then we enjoyed a delicious dinner at El Barril. We have been to Madrid multiple times and it always feels like an old friend while offering opportunities for new experiences.

  

  The next morning, we flew to Santa Cruz, Tenerife for a four night stay in the island’s capital. Many tourists skip Santa Cruz in their rush to get to the resorts on the other side of the island; for others it is a port of call on their cruise itinerary. We are retired, and therefore have the luxury of time. We enjoyed leisurely strolls in the very walkable historic section, great meals at reasonable prices, and excursions to nearby towns. We stayed at The AC Santa Cruz. The location was perfect and the room was small, but comfortable. The rooftop bar and pool area offers a great view of the city, good drinks and tapas. The party on the roof goes until 1:00 am, so some nights our room was noisy.

  On our first night in Santa Cruz, we were fortunate enough to walk in and get a table at La Hierbita. Built in 1893, it was the first restaurant in the city. The front room is a bar with a few tables and the back area, once the brothel, is now an additional dining room. The menu features fresh seafood and other local options. Canarian cuisine is a fusion of traditional Spanish, Moroccan, tropical island produce and international influences. We shared a salad, roasted octopus ( the specialty of the house), and a bottle of Canarian red wine. We enjoyed chatting with the three young French gentlemen pictured above. The one in the center reminded me of a young Johnny Depp.

  The next morning, we discovered La Escala, a corner coffee shop in the back streets of the historic district. The setting retains its old world charm, while offering an array of tempting coffee drinks and healthy, delicious breakfast options. Next, we headed to the market to have a look around. The bridge which leads to that side of the city was crowded with people walking in both directions. The market itself was bustling. I love the atmosphere of foreign markets! Too bad we just had breakfast, because there are always good eating options.

  After strolling the market, we headed across the street to sit in the shady square and observe the locals and the tourists. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the great weather and the slower pace of life. We chatted with a friendly German couple who were there on a cruise of the islands.

  On our walk back from the market, we stopped at the Museum of Fine Arts. The building was once part of the adjoining church and later was the public library until the new one was built. Admission was free and there were only a few visitors. We enjoyed their collection of paintings and sculpture.

  After a full day and of strolling through Santa Cruz, we took an evening walk to see the lights of the city. We passed the site where British Admiral Horatio Nelson led an attack on the city in 1797. Nelson lost his right arm and Tenerife remained under Spanish control. We had dinner at La Concepción, the restaurant nearest the church. In Spanish towns, we have always found a good local restaurant next to the church. At La Concepción, we enjoyed Canarian food and wine and the company of the friendly locals at the next table.

  On Saturday, our third day in town, we took the tram to La Laguna, a historic town 40 minutes away. It was originally the capital of Tenerife and was the home of many wealthy merchants. It’s grid of streets was the model for Spanish colonial cities in the Americas. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The colorful buildings and beautiful balconies create a charming backdrop to the many sidewalk cafés. We had a delightful lunch at a small Lebanese café.

  

  We visited the Museum of Tenerife History, housed in a 16th century mansion. There we were able to gain some historical context for our trip. The Canary Islands were vital to Spain’s conquest of the New World, because they were the last port before the Atlantic crossing to Cuba. They were vital to the trade in goods and later in slaves. Slaves from mainland Africa were brought to Tenerife to be loaded onto ships bound for the colonies. The museum also explained the various industries in Tenerife: sugar cane, tobacco, winemaking, blacksmithing, carpentry, textiles, and agriculture. Today the island’s economy is mainly banana production and tourism.

  On Sunday morning we attended mass at La Iglesia de la Concepción in Santa Cruz. It was sparsely attended. Then we took the bus to Playa de las Teresitas, about 30 minutes outside the city. The route is not very scenic; we passed a number of oil storage tanks. The beach itself is manmade with golden sand brought in from the Sahara. It is a beautiful setting with the mountains protecting the cove from strong winds. The water was calm and we saw open water swimmers, paddleboarders, and a sport that looked to be beach pickleball. After a couple of delightful hours on the beach, we walked to the nearby fishing village and enjoyed some delicious grilled fish at a local restaurant. Then we got back on the bus for the trip back to the city.

  The next morning we packed up to taxi to our next destination on the other side of the island. I’ll leave you with some final shots of Santa Cruz.

Next stop : Los Gigantes