august-2010

COMPASS DESTINATION GUIDES
TO-DO LIST
LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK
Take a walk (or ride or paddle) on the wild side with Patea
Tus Montes (pateatusmontes.com). Kayak around the
island’s splendid coastline, the best way of ensuring you get
a beach (almost) to yourself. Pothole through the island’s
petrifying volcanic tubes. Or throw yourself off a cliff or
bridge on a canyoning or bungee-jumping tour – a good way
to fill your postcards and, just possibly, your pants.
TRY LAVA, LAVA, LAVA SHOUTING
Forget the cable car up Mount Teide, the world’s third
largest volcano, and walk instead (five hours one way).
You’ll need a permit for the last 200m, but it’s well worth
it. On a clear day you can see the islands of Gran Canaria,
La Palma and La Gomera in the distance, plus when was
the last time you climbed something visible from space?
STEP BACK IN TIME
Built in the 19th century, the pyramids of Guimar
(piramidesdeguimar.net) are six stone terraces said to
mark the winter and summer solstices. Over the years
they’ve been attributed to everything from Freemasons to
cowboy builders, but the plot thickens when you learn that
a lava cave containing artefacts from the Guanche people
(1,000BC) lies beneath. Investigate for yourself at the
site’s fascinating Ethnographic Museum.
88JetAway
Tenerife
OUT AND ABOUT
DINE
Set amid acres of beautiful orchards on a cliff top in Costa
Adeje, El Patio (jardin-tropical.com) is a swish, satisfying
venue serving superior Canarian cuisine alfresco.
DANCE
For a more upmarket clubbing experience than Playa de
las Americas usually offers, try Liquid (liquidtenerife.com),
designed by modish club maestro Tomas Alia. It’s not
cheap, but then who’s counting?
AN HOUR AWAY
It’s just a 40-minute flight to the volcanic isle of El Hierro
(immortalised in Gabe Ibáñez’s recent horror film), but
it feels like a different world. The most distant island in
the archipelago, El Hierro is a haven for ecotourists, with
crystal-clear natural pools and craggy cliffside walks
replacing the more familiar attractions of the Canaries.
Just whatever you do, don’t watch the film first.
Fly to Tenerife from Belfast, Blackpool, East Midlands,
Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle from £49.99
EARN 410 POINTS TO REDEEM ON FUTURE FLIGHTS
ISLAND FACTS
POPULATION
900,000
FAMOUS EXPORT
Believe it or not, cheese.
Tenerife exports 3,400
tonnes of the stuff
per year, most of it
goat. The nutty Queso
Arico was voted the
Supreme Champion in
the prestigious World
Cheese Awards 2008.
SPEAK THE
LANGUAGE
I love you – Te amo
I love cheese – Me
encanta el queso
PRICE OF BEER
£1.70