Tenerife roadtrip
My friend Honza and I wanted a few days of warmth and sea. Tenerife it was. We landed in the south and rented a Toyota Proace City, small enough to drive, big enough to sleep in.
The South
From Los Cristianos we drove the whole south: the cliffs of Los Gigantes, Costa Adeje, all the way to Masca. No plan, lots of stops.
The North
By evening we were on the other side of the island, in Puerto de la Cruz. A pretty town and home to Loro Parque. We skipped the zoo this time; I saw it later, when I came back for three weeks of remote work.
On the north coast we found fishermen at sunset. The next day: the modern lighthouse at Punta del Hidalgo, then up into Anaga, where warm coastal air turned into fog and cold within minutes.
Playa de Las Teresitas looks like a postcard: golden sand, calm bay. In reality the wind was howling and we were freezing.
Santa Cruz, the capital, has a tram. On an island. A couple of beers, then up towards Teide.
Teide
We slept in the van at the car park closest to the trail, not entirely legally. In the morning a ranger knocked on the window. She only wanted to know if the bike behind the van was ours. It wasn't.
For a sunrise ascent you're supposed to go with a guide. We went at 2 a.m. anyway: about 9 km and over 1,000 m of climbing. At 3,718 m, the highest point in Spain, the first light came up over the clouds. From sea level to 3,700 m in less than a day, my head was pounding. Worth it.
Then back down to Los Cristianos, return the van, fly home.
A small island with many worlds: beaches, laurel forest, a volcano. Not every trip needs a plan.