Intensive Tenerife Part 2

A 4-day trip – don’t be a tourist, be a traveller!

By plane, car, boat and the most authentic one: by our own feet

Day 2

Early in the morning we went by car with our personal guide Carlos to Masca – a hidden village in the middle of a superb mountainous location. The journey itself is worth the trip, with its twisty roads that wiggle like snakes around the mountains. When you arrive in Masca it is like being transported back in time; the traditional houses, the tranquility, and the sound of birds chirping provide the perfect sound track to the dramatic landscape. We paused for a moment just to take it all in and enjoy the stunning view.

Masca

We strolled around visiting the old homes, some of which have been converted into restaurants and souvenir shops – it’s a great place to grab a coffee, or even better, try a typical barraquito (coffee with sweet milk).

And those of you that are in good shape and want to leave civilization behind for a few hours, take the hiking trail downhill to the ocean. From the ocean you can take the boat or walk back uphill. Whatever you decide, you’ll be walking for a good few hours and will need plenty of bottled water and a sturdy pair of hiking shoes. Rather than go it alone we recommend signing up with one of the official hiking companies. Even for the fittest of walkers, it’s a 4-hour trail downhill in the sunshine and going with a guide ensures your safety, that you stay on track and they’ll educate you on all the major points of interest as you descend.

Masca

After lunch we went up to Mount Teide and its National Park, which is declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. I was so impressed by the incredible and diverse landscape. From one moment to another it changes completely: first you come across the exotic landscape with its subtropical climate, the blue Atlantic Ocean, beaches, palm trees and cactus and the further we went up, we found ourselves in the middle of a forest, with amazing Canary pine trees that are able to resist fire.

Forest of Canary pine trees

Then we saw the most magical of oceans – and I’m not talking about the Atlantic. I am referring to the “Sea of Clouds” – what a feeling, standing over a bed of thick clouds and seeing them move like real waves!

Teide & the "Sea of Clouds"

And finally, being surrounded by the dramatic volcanic landscape and seeing shapes that only nature could have created. In the distance the magical peak of Mount Teide stands tall. It is Spain’s highest Mountain at 3,718-metres (12,198 ft) and the third largest volcano in the world when measured from its base on the ocean floor!
Being up here is like being in space and walking on the moon.

Teide

We got even closer to space, almost touching the stars that evening. At night we experienced star gazing! The skies of Tenerife are the clearest and brightest in Europe and therefore it is one of the best places in the world to observe the stars.

Star gazing

Wow, this was only our second day and I´m already so impressed: Where else can you have this many experiences in such a short space of time? You don´t have to take a plane or drive around for hours to pack so much in – everything is on one island.
Have a nice week and remember next week I’ll be sharing more on our exciting trip to Tenerife.

Yours, Eileen

2 Comments

  1. Hi, thank you a lot for providing these wonderful sites ! Where did you do the star gazing ? The sky looks very awesome ! I ll be staying there till July ! Is here a best periode to do a particular activity or would you have some tipps to give me ? M boyfriend will visit me in May and I really want to show him the best of the island so any idea is very welcome 🙂

    • Dear Coralie,

      Thank you for contacting with us! In this case we did the stargazing with the company http://www.discoverexperience.com/ and it was last summer. I would recommend you to get in touch directely with the company. They can tell you when the best period for stargazing is. Apart from stargazing there are many other activities. What do you like most? What are you interested in? Animals, nature, sports, water sports, beaches, shopping, culture, traditions??

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