Day 11: Friday and our last day

We had to leave our room by midday and be ready in Reception for the transfer coach to pick us up at 4.55pm.

We had a swim in the freshwater pool, did our final packing and then left the room.  We were able to deposit our bags in a lockable luggage store and we then existed around the hotel, having lunch on the pool terrace, listened to TMS in the lounge and took part in the afternoon quiz - again we came second to a much larger team!

As always we did wonder if the locals ever get sick of the weather.  Every day was the same - wall to wall sunshine, except for one morning when it started off cloudy for a short time!

The other thing we wonder about is the clock time in the Canaries. They run on the same time as us, so an hour behind mainland Spain and yet they are so far west on the end of Europe that there's justification for the Canaries to be an hour behind the time in Spain and two hours behind the UK.

When we were there it got light by about 7.30am and was dark around 9pm.  They've always geared themselves to the tourist trade and they clearly think that the visitors get up late and also stay up late in the evening!

Can you see Elizabeth hiding away in the distance?

Day 10: Thursday

Today has been a quieter day.  We had a slightly later breakfast, followed by a swim and a dry off on the sun beds and we then retreated to the safety of our room while the heat of the day passed.

We did a little shopping locally and also called by the Bamboo cake shop.  Although the opening hours said it should be open then it clearly wasn't.

Our elevenses was a beer for Graeme and a limón for Elizabeth and then it was time for lunch.

Lunch was another case of cava and crisps, followed by a first packing session while the cricket was on.

We think we have to leave the room by midday tomorrow, so it'll be lunch on the pool terrace and then we have to be in Reception by 4.40pm ready for the coach to collect us at 4.55pm.

Day 9: The Pop-Up Restaurant

Day 9: The Meal Itself

We had a 5-course meal - no choices - and it was excellent.  The menu and a photo of each course follow -

Day 9: Wednesday - Evening Meal

Guests are allowed one free meal per stay in the hotel's 'pop-up' restaurant.  This runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in an outdoor area on the first floor.

We already knew that they have a viewing platform there and went early for our 7.30pm meal to get some photos before the sun set.

Another dining couple saw us and asked us to take their photo and then they kindly reciprocated and took ours - 

Day 9: Wednesday - Lunch

Lunch was some salt and vinegar crisps (the best we've ever found in Spain), some medium cava (€3 a bottle) and, in Elizabeth's case, some olives.

We soon had a couple of ring dove visitors who were clearly expecting to be fed!

Day 9: Wednesday

The hotel runs an outdoor pop-up restaurant on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and that means that the area is unlocked and access is possible.

We went up there after breakfast to have a look round and the views, as we expected, were superb - 

View towards Puerto Santiago

The Piscinas Oasis public swimming pool - which causes mayhem with parking round here as day visitors descend on the place

Poblado Marinero - our first ever place on the Canaries is the set of buildings bottom right

This person keeps getting in the photographer's way!

Very cheap 'supplies' shop where the man is leaving

Hotel front entrance

More later ....

Day 8: Tuesday

This was the second and last day of our two-day car hire.  It was Assumption Day, for us a missable small note in a desk diary, but for the Spanish it's yet another public holiday when offices and most shops are closed.  Apparently it marks the day when the Virgin Mary ascended into heaven.

We realised that El Corte Ingles in Santa Cruz would nevertheless be open and we did fancy another trip up the volcano, so off we set.

We ran along the southern motorway and arrived to a largely dead island capital city where, by accident, we didn't end up in the car park we planned to park in but in one nearby at a nearby shopping centre that had free parking!

We had a look round that shopping centre, particularly Primark, and found this tribute to Catherine and Andrew -

We then set off towards El Corte Ingles where we browsed the floors and had a snack lunch in the restaurant - 

Heineken's Zero Alcohol beer is OK but dearer than one with alcohol - how's that with no alcohol duty to be paid?!

There was a good view over the port from the cafeteria, although the glass was tinted which didn't help.  We could see P&O's Aurora docked there in its new livery with blue funnel - not sure about that!

We ended up with mixed feelings about El Corte Ingles.  It's gone the way of Debenhams with designer brands everywhere and prices to match!  They had a lot of sale items and I saw a nice pair of moleskin jeans at half price - they were €135 and were now only €67.50 and they had pairs of men's shorts for €59.50!

If you went to the upper floors you could find some cheaper items but the overall impression was that, with the pound now lower against the Euro and all the designer labels everywhere, you felt that you burned your fingers each time you touched a price label!

We knew there was an M&S in Santa Cruz so we set off on our 5-minute walk to find it.  It came as a disappointment as it was a tiny shop and was closed for Assumption Day!

It was around 4.30pm by now and time to go.  We set off up the dorsal past Tenerife's old airport and it didn't disappoint.  The climb up the mountain on this route was as stunning as ever and an easy drive with few bends and some beautiful viewing points.

We had the usual obligatory stop at Las Raices where Franco plotted with other military figures to overthrow Spain's government which precipitated the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939.  All traces of any record of that at the site have now been removed.

Can you see the two faint humps of La Palma in the far distance?

We started back for Los Gigantes.  As turned right to leave the top plateau and where you enter the lava fields before starting the descent, we would see a car coming towards us going very slowly with an animal walking alongside.  As the largest indigenous creature in the Canaries is like a rat, we knew that it wasn't a wild animal.  It turned out to be a medium to large emaciated dog, short-haired and of an indefinable breed walking along with his/her tongue hanging out.  It had a chain collar on and the other car's occupants were clearly concerned about its chances of long-term survival in such an unforgivingly hot and arid environment.  I was also concerned it could be rabid, although it looked well apart from its thin state and we had no water or any sort of bowl with us.  The nearest habitation would be the Parador on the plateau, so what happened after we had moved on, we don't know.  And how it could have come to be there, we can't imagine.  I certainly got the impression that the middle-aged couple in the other car were looking to act in some way rather than pass by on the other side as we ended up doing.

The crest of La Gomera with the tiniest bit (El) Hierro visible beyond and to the  left.  For many years Hierro was regarded as the last place on the (then) flat earth and longitudes were measured as being east from that point.

Los Gigantes from the viewing point on the road above the town

The Los Gigantes Hotel with the sea water pool visible to the left

The cafe and souvenir shop at the viewing point - I think I might prefer to sit in a bit!

Day 7: Monday

This was the first of our 2-day car hire period.

First stops were for shopping and we hit Costa Adeje to start with.  Then we moved on to Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos.

Well, one thing's for sure and that is that Things Ain't What They Used To Be.  There are lots more cars than when we first came, car hire is no longer cheap and petrol is more expensive than it used to be in relation to the price we pay at home.

The other thing is that both at Playa de las Americas and at Los Cristianos, access to the beach fronts have been fully closed off and parking is a nightmare.  There are lots of parking spaces on the streets but not a space to be seen.

We finally found a space outside the Arona Gran Hotel and walked down to the sea front from there.

Lots of the shop units at Costa Adeje have furniture outside them!

Looking at how much development there has been in Los Cristianos since we were there many years ago, I realised I wouldn't have a hope of finding the Chipeque apartments where we stayed in 1993 or so.  And, even though the sea front seemed to have changed little since those days, I had no way of telling where Spot had celebrated his birthday.

I also confidently felt that the Africans accosting tourists who were daring to walk along the prom or eating a meal with their fake Rolex watches would have gone, but no.  Suddenly they seemed to be all around and possibly in greater numbers than before - although it was by now probably their children rather than they themselves who were selling watches and fake Rayban sunglasses!

Ferries to the other islands

Then we responded to the magnetic attraction that is Mount Teide.  This time it was a route up the mountain we've never used before.  The last time we had used a neighbouring route was over Easter and there were those lovely orange poppies everywhere. Not this time, unfortunately.  It's high summer and the environment is even more arid than normally.

Views on the way up

And then we got to the Cañadas plateau.  It's hard to believe that we're 7000 feet up at this point ....

It's hard to believe that people actually go hiking round these parts!  It's just such an unforgiving environment

Spain's highest peak at 3718 metres / 12198 feet

A kind person called Selfie Stick offered to take this photo for us - did quite a good job, methinks

After this we want past the cable car base station and then turned left to go down the Orotavo Valley towards Puerto de la Cruz ....

It was very windy

Puerto de la Cruz is submerged under a sea of cloud

Evening entertainment is described in the brochure as 'low-key', but it has generally been very good. Seats to watch are at a premium, but we can enjoy it pretty well from our balcony.