Two-faced island
Tenerife is more commonly known as an "island with two faces." The mountain range to which Teide belongs - the highest peak of Spanish territory, clearly divides the island into two parts: green and fertile northern and drier southern, painted in ocher colors. Mount Teide has left its mark in the name of the island. According to researchers, the name Tenerife comes, according to one hypothesis, from the Berber words “tener” (snow) and “fe” (mountain).
Being volcanic in origin, like all Canary Islands, Tenerife is striking in its diverse landscape: there is the magnificent peak of Teide, and the unforgettable Cañadas (volcano crater in the territory of the National Park), and the golden beaches in the south of the island, stretching through the picturesque valley of La Fotava , and rocky basalt shores with such talking names as the Giants, and the unusual laurel forests of the Anaga mountains, which will not deceive the expectations of nature and sea lovers. At the same time, wonderful cities such as La Laguna are located in Tenerife, with a huge selection of cultural attractions and great opportunities for leisure activities. The birth of the island is associated with magical legends, such as, for example, the legend of Atlantis, but its first mention in history dates back to the 1st century. n e., when Pliny the Elder indicated it in his work "Natural History".
Tenerife was the last island conquered by the Spaniards in the 15th century. Soon, Tenerife turned into a strategic point of trade with America, being an important center on the Atlantic route and home to many sailors. The law on port zones in the Canaries led to the unification of the archipelago within the free trade zone. At the beginning of the 20th century, foreign investment began to play a huge role in the economic development of the island. Around the same time, tourism flourished here. With the advent of Democrats and the proclamation of state autonomy, the Canary Islands became one of the provinces that retained their identity.
In the valleys and on the hills
Our acquaintance with the island began in the Orotava Valley. “I admit that nowhere and never have I seen a more delightful, peaceful and enchanting look,” exclaimed the scientist Alexander Humboldt in 1799, standing at the place where the observation deck, named in his honor, is now located. And he was not mistaken. Natural gardens of over 60 square meters. km form the fertile Orotava Valley, located on one of the slopes of Teide and stretching southward from an altitude of 3718 meters above sea level. Most of the valley is covered with banana trees. This is not surprising, because it is Orotava that acts as the main center for the production of these beautiful fruits. Since the end of the 19th century, bananas and tomatoes were exported here. It is worth saying that bananas from the Canary Islands are famous for their exquisite taste.
The key place, as you can easily guess by the name of the valley, is the city of Orotava, whose history is connected with the lands bestowed by the Catholic kings to the participants of the military campaigns of Fernandez de Lugo and the freed slaves who began to grow sugarcane here, and a little later, the grapes from which they were made wine, for example, “Canary Sack” (whose fame has crossed borders and is even mentioned in the texts of William Shakespeare) and malvasia.
Undoubtedly, one of the symbols of Tenerife is the Teide National Park. This is confirmed by the appearance of an imprint of one of its types, Teide-con-en-Roque-Singido, on banknotes of a thousand pesetas. And this is not an exaggeration, since it is almost impossible to find a place more spectacular in beauty. The current territory of the park is the result of many years of volcanic activity, which led to the formation of the top of the volcano 3718 meters high, and its satellite Pico Viejo (3100 meters), due to the flow of lava, basalt and dyke rocks, salic vaults and the formation of channels from magma. On 19 thousand hectares, most of which are located above sea level at an altitude of 2000 meters, there is a magnificent National Park, whose rich flora was able to adapt to the truly harsh climatic conditions of the island, characterized by sharp temperature changes (in some areas during the day + 36 ° C, at night - + 16 ° C) and the meager amount of fertile land. In general, shrub type plants with rapid flowering in spring are represented here. All these plants paint these wild lands in bright colors. Teide is the highest mountain in Spain. Moreover, she is so beautiful that the local inhabitants of the Canary Islands - the Guanches - believed in the existence within her of an evil spirit, a kind of devil of Guyot. The mountain is visited by thousands of tourists by car or by hiking. Whichever route you choose on the map of the park’s trails, you won’t be disappointed.
northern capital
A tour of Puerto de la Cruz began with the Paz observation deck, which offers a magnificent view of the coastal part of the city, which is the tourist capital of the north of the island. Going down the stairs, we pass onto Colon street, where the unusual Lago Martianes complex is located, designed by the brilliant Lanzarote artist Cesar Manrique. It is an artificial lake with an area of 30 thousand square meters, surrounded by restaurants, gardens and pools. In this wonderful place, like in others inspired by Manrique, man and nature merge together. This is a unique corner, which certainly makes you linger here.
A great place to relax, especially with children, is Loro Park - a huge zoo that, in addition to a collection of 300 parrot species, has an unusual aquarium in the form of an arch with floating sharks, an excellent gallery of orchids, a garden with cacti and other Canary plants, a cinema showing films about nature. This zoo hosts performances of parrots, dolphins, catfish and killer whales. A Thai village has been recreated on the territory of the park, there is a children's park and animals such as gorillas, chimpanzees, crocodiles, jaguars, tigers, turtles, flamingos are found, and all this is surrounded by lush vegetation.
Another place worth visiting is the Botanical Garden, located in the Pas district. The history of its foundation is connected with the decree of King Charles III Marques de Villanueva del Prado in 1788, according to which it was necessary to grow tropical species of plants, since the peninsula had unfavorable climatic conditions. The garden was called the Orotava Acclimatization Garden. Now it is the center of fascinating scientific programs for the study of local flora, which has more than 4000 representatives of the plant world, as well as a collection of Canarian herbs on 20 thousand square meters, which also includes about 4000 varieties.
Dragon Tree and Black Sand Beach
Leaving Puerto de la Cruz, we set off on the northwest coast of the island in search of new experiences and landscapes. In the historical center of the city is the first church built on the island - Santiago (1496) and various small churches. We follow the highway among greenery, most of which are bananas, to Icod de los Vinos, an excellent architectural ensemble with straight cobbled streets, the symbol of which is a thousand-year-old dragon tree. We are talking about a very old tree, which is several thousand years old, as evidenced by its size: the trunk is 20 meters in diameter, and the crown reaches 16 meters in height. The tree is located in a beautiful park with native plants. However, the thousand-year-old dragon tree is not the only specimen of this species that is so popular among the inhabitants of Icod. Very close, in a small area of Cabrera Mejias, stands his brother - a small dragon tree or the Dragon Tree of St. Antonio. I must say that the dragon tree is a truly legendary plant; Juice from its trunk, as the Guanches believed, can be used to treat various diseases. Its shape is so enchanting that it captivates and captivates people at all times. Among them was the artist Bosch, depicting a tree on his immortal canvas, “Garden of Delights”.
Fans of beach vacations visit Teresitas, the closest beach to the city with golden sand, specially brought in from the Sahara desert in 1973. Once in Puerto de Santiago, you can spend some very pleasant days on a wide black sand beach, such as Arena, or go in for water sports. Abama Golf Course is also located here for the most discerning traveler.
On the road south
Visiting the south coast and the coast of Adeje, we found ourselves in the center of the most modern hotel infrastructure. Here you can engage in sailing and scuba diving, having a chance to see a whale pilot and cute dolphins. Leisure activities are complemented by water parks, casinos, spa centers and many concert halls.
One of the most visited places on the island by the sun and pure water lovers is the beach of De las Americas, where in the past years the harsh landscape almost didn’t allow the locals to cultivate land in this part of the island, today there are fashionable hotel complexes surrounded by gardens famous for the whole world. Near the beach of Americas is the superb center of Cristianos, connected to it by a lively boulevard, where the port is located, and from where ships sailing to the other islands of the Canary archipelago set sail. Tourists from the coldest countries come to the beach de las Americas in search of warm water and sand.
There is also an exhibition hall with works by local artists, a church where services are held that meet the spiritual searches of all visitors. You can visit the Canary village - a number of folk-type buildings, under the roofs of which are hacking craft workshops characteristic of this region.
On Tenerife, most tourists enjoy snorkeling. There are unique and unique places for diving with various underwater landscapes: thickets of algae, caves, clay bottom ... Adding to this the diversity of fauna, we get what makes the island fantastically uninhabited and attractive.
Everybody is dancing!
The island of Tenerife is famous for its holidays in the style of religious Catholic Spanish traditions. The celebration of the Body of Christ takes place in June, when the celebration begins with a competition to create the best carpet of flowers, sand and volcanic ash to decorate the streets of the city. Another important date is All Saints Day, which is celebrated on November 1. On this day, cheerful and colorful pilgrimage processions take place all over the island, which go to the chapel, where the worship of the saint or the Virgin Mary takes place. But, of course, the most famous holiday is the Carnival, which is in no way inferior to its counterpart in Riode-Janeiro. The townspeople actively participate in it, without hesitation putting on costumes and masks and going for walks and dancing in the streets until dawn.
And to reinforce your strength after entertainment, there is nothing better than excellent delicacies of the Canarian cuisine, which distinguishes dishes from local fish, such as Vieha, Mero, Black or Cabrilla, grilled with delicious gravy or broth such as sancho. Potatoes are the queen of most local dishes, but the most typical dish that cannot be tasted is papas arrugas, small potatoes boiled in their skins with a special moho sauce. Although there are more than twenty varieties of this sauce, the most popular is “moho colorado” (colored) or “moho verde” (green), whose main ingredient is coriander. Gofu, dressing made from corn flour or flour from other cereals, is an indispensable part of Tenerife’s cuisine and dishes such as legumes stew, mashed zucchini soup and salad from the core of palm sprouts, tomatoes and avocados. Among the desserts, in addition to delicious bananas, one can note such a sweet dish as uevos moles, a local variety of ogogol-mogul. In Tenerife, wine production with exquisite taste, suitable for true gourmets, is excellently developed.
Goodbye bow
Leaving the island, we visited Candelaria, a place of pilgrimage to the patroness of the island, Virgo Candelaria. Historians say that when the conquistadors arrived here in 1492, they discovered that the Guanches worship the image of the Dark Wood Virgin, which, according to legend, was discovered 100 years earlier by Mensei Guimara on the coast of Chimisai, where the statue was nailed in waves. At first, the statue was worshiped in the cave of Achbiniko, and today - in the grotto of St. Blas. In 1526, a chapel was erected for him, but the image disappeared in 1826 during a storm. Today, in that place stands the basilica, completed in 1958, in which a copy of the figure, made by the sculptor Fernando Estevez, is stored. Candelaria has thousands of admirers who come to bow to her on August 15, although the feast of the Virgin falls on February 2. In the ancient house of the Landmark is the Source of Pilgrims, from where people take holy water. Opposite the basilica, the bronze statues of nine Mesesians who ruled the island before the arrival of the Spaniards remind of the past of the Guanches.
This was the end of our journey through the most attractive places of the island of Tenerife, a true paradise, possessing, as we could see, an incredible variety of landscape: valleys with a riot of greenery and ocher tones of wild stones, fantastic moonlit landscapes and golden sandy beaches, a magnificent peak Teide, as well as offering excellent leisure opportunities for every taste - swimming in the sea, water sports, walking, visiting museums, zoos, shopping and much more.
The excellent climate throughout the year, the hospitality and friendliness of the locals are additional factors that guarantee that you will definitely want to repeat this vacation again.
