Let's off road! (Tenerife)

Member Name: buster19761976

Product:	Tenerife
Date:	11/02/02 (576 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hot (all year), Beautiful (all year), People (friendly

Disadvantages: People (hidden, the real ones anyway), Rugged (you'll get scared riving!!), Stereotyped (our fault)

When a friend and I sold a house we'd invested in and made several thousand pounds profit, we decided to head off to Tenerife for 6 months or so to get a feel for living abroad, while still staying close to a tourist area. We felt that this would be helpful as we were 21 years old, and were not too world-wise. We ended up staying for closer to a year, and met dozens of people with all sorts of opinions. I like to listen, and I hope what follows is an objective but enthusiastic version of my feelings about the island.

You can separate Tenerife into all different segments if you want. North to South, with the dramatic scenery differences. Coastal to inland, showing the social split. The hidden society and the brazen tourist front. But I don't think it helps. I'll use them all if that's okay. We lived in Los Cristianos, staying in a few different apartments, but ending up in a little studio called 'Port Royal'. I won't say too much except that it's a nice block of flats on a beatiful hillside with a tiny swimming pool. I worked nearby in a little pub called the Lazy Fox, and had lots of spare time and being a Bill Bryson fan wanted to see a bit more than usual.

I would recommend hiring a car when possible, as the reps in the resorts are on commision and apparently the quality of the trips vary dramatically. We hired a small car and headed of on a few occasions. The main tourist spot to visit is Mount Teide, a volcano which is currently dormant - but is predicted to wake up soon - and has the role of splitting the island into two micro-climates. The Atlantic ocean helps out too, meaning that the South-East side tends to be dry and arid, with dramatic scenery and long stretches of worryingly un-resided in land. Many of the areas are industrial, notably in one industrial park, a dynamite factory!.

Most people don't spend too much time in the less touristy areas, staying in their coastal resort or heading up t
he mountain without passing go, nor collecting $200. If however you want to find out about the island and want to get some great photos too then head off in your car towards Santa Cruz and take a random turn-off from the crazy highway that heads towards La Reina Sofia Airport. You'll need your driving wits about you but it's nice when you learn to drive their way - fast flowing and getting in the gaps when you can - not too much 'stop to give way' or the like. I recommend that you pluck up the courage to head into a little village where the signs are not in English (!) and get a spot of lunch. You can use you new language skills you practiced on the plane (what do you mean you didn't!!) or of course get your phrasebook out. You'll find that in general the locals will be genuinely friendly. Not 'tourist resort enforced' friendly, but in a way that shows that they're both surprised and impressed that you're not just sitting in a bar in Playa de Las Americas (come on - use your imagination!).

Head off in you car on to the same road and head for Santa Cruz. You can find out what's there in a guide, but sufficed to say that parking is very difficult, but if you persevere, you'll disciver a town similar in design and atmosphere as Madrid - but obviously on a smaller scale. A few miles on is Playa de la Terasitas. A beach made of sand from the Sahara, it's tacky but fun and you need to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to get in the public toilets (don't get me started - they almost deserve their own op). We spent 10 minutes hopping arouns, holding our assets cursing and even kicking these ridiculous facilities! In the end a wee in the bush was out only resort. Tell me if you have better luck than me!

I challenge you now to get back in your car, and head around the pointy bit of the island towards Puerto de la Cruz. It's a couple of hours drive and you'll be on the other side of the v
olcano so it's going to get green and lush. The temparature is going to drop off, and you might even put trousers on in places! It's beautiful, and in some areas you will see the result of earthquakes caused by our friend 'Teide the volcano'. Big chunks of hills seem to have fallen away (because they have) and unusual patterns in the grassy inclines on the side of Teide confuse you a bit at first. You'll pass amazing cliff-side roads, and as you near Puerto de la Cruz, you can take the odd diversion (don't ask me where - I was winging it) and head down the cliffs to some beautiful secluded spots.

When you tear yourself away from the little beauty spots, spend a few hours at least in Puerto (you'll have shortened the name by now too) and have a snack. There are some lovely market squares and weird architectural designs so get your camera out and take pics of everything. Down by the sea in Puerto is a little cove, surrounded by restaurants where eben the slightest breeze seems to create huge Melville-esque waves that crash angrily into the old walls. It's quite intimidating but unmissable. If the weather's bad then get down there. There are some stunning churches, and plenty of evidence of the strong religious background of the locals.

Now for the fun bit. Put on your driving gloves and head round the coast, following the signs to Los Cristianos. Stick to the coastal roads and don't be tempted to cut across the mountain - you'll see enough of this if you take a trip up there. You're heading into some remote areas, and will see some gut-churning drops from the side of the road, twinned with corners that you won't be quite sure you car can negotiate. Again, if you have time head off down some little roads and discover breath-taking rocky coasts where the Atlantic lets off steam. There are a few hidden restaurants filled with Canarians (a sure sign that you're out of tourist-ville). Even if you ju
st get a Coke, stop and rest. You've got more cliff roads ahead. This sort of surrounding continues until all of a sudden you appear in a resort again. It's a surprise to see all the lights and English signs (like we can't figure out that the 'Supermercado' is a Supermarket!!). Welcome back.

You'll be a little disappointed to be returning to your multi-storey hotel and might even be able to detect a little cynicism in the smile of the car-rental guy as you drop off your weathered Fiat Brava.
Tenerife is grossly misunderstood. Take a trip out and avoid the places on the front of the tour coach signs. Go to restautrants where you might not know what you are ordering. Go to 'Rodeo' - an Argentinian restaurant that makes no excuses for it's unusual delivery, instead giving you the best food in the locale. Walk the other way along the coast. Ignore Las Americas for 24 hours. When you go up Teide, stop where you like, not at the places with a picture of a camera! When you see a little road and wonder what's down there - drive down it! Tenerife's down there! I get a bit passionate when people report on the island from a tourists point of view, when it is so easy in one day to find a new angle and enjoy your week in the sun that much more. Don't forget to go up the mountain - I haven't expanded on it as everyone will tell you too much about it when you get there, and it's not my intention to give a geology lesson.

I know this isnt the usual structure for an op, but I wanted to give you a little of the feeling I had. When you go (and you should) ignore the travel shows on TV, the travel magazines and the commission-earning reps and go off and find whats really there. Enjoy.

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