Canadian World Traveller Winter 2018-19 Issue

74
Once on top the air was fresh, as was the
temperature. The views were simply divine.
Many trails in many directions were available
for visitors but the going was rough. First, the
oxygen was thin which made it hard to
breathe, as well as the volcanic terrain that
was extremely uneven and at times quite challenging.
Lunch with a view
Our reward for the strenuous workout was
nothing less than spectacular, as we would
treat ourselves to world class cuisine at the
Parador de las Cañadas del Teide. This
Parador property is part of many delightful
government-owned and run hotels all across
Spain, renowned for their ideal locations, history
of the buildings and for comfortable full
service lodging.
Puerto de la Cruz
For something completely different (again),
we would visit the ever popular Puerto de la
Cruz. There we would find this well-traveled
tourist destination known for a pleasant climate,
amazing surf and the general calm and
peace of a small town atmosphere. In
strolling through this gem, I would find many
historic churches, a wonderful shopping street
and breathtaking ocean vistas. Our night
would bring us to another great meal, this
time a supper at the Restaurante Régulo
where we had local Tenerife cuisine in what is
one of the oldest buildings on the island.
Dragon Tree
One giant stands out in Tenereife. It is not
unique to this island, but the locals are very
proud of their Dragon tree. This is no ordinary
palm tree, but one that grows in a specific
way where the top of the tree pushes out
branches and those branches push out more
branches and so on and where the tree
always looks symmetrical. We had the opportunity
of seeing what is believed to be the oldest
surviving Dragon tree in the world, some
800 years old and looking healthy and
majestic. The best place to experience this
beauty is a La Casa del Drago, where we
would have coffee and samples of exotic fermented
spirits, some of which I have never
heard of, like the liquor of the Dragon tree.
Masca
A highlight of our tour would be to a secluded
and out of the way town of Masca. Close
to the sea and nestled in between mountains,
this small village is authentic and has kept its
charm even when a road was built to help
bring the many tourists who visit there.
Engineering experts have created a route to
one of the most exciting drives I have ever
been on. A true and memorable experience
on its own, the prize was being in a village
most have never heard about until a short
while ago.
Boutique Hotel San Roque
Close by was the beautiful town of Garachico,
with a long history that dates back to colonial
age and was an important stop for ships sailing
to and from the new world, but a deadly
volcano changed this area forever as it
destroyed much of the city. Visiting, we would
find ourselves at the Boutique Hotel San
Roque. This once abandoned hotel fell into
near ruins until a family adopted it, and, in a
short 20 years, brought it back to its days of
glory. Today it is a gem and the pride of the
town.
Monje Winery and Mojo Lesson
Second to last lesson, we would find out that
Tenerife not only grows grapes and produced
wines, it also had some of the most contrasting
grape varieties and wine tastes of any one
small region in the world.
Our trip to the Monje winery was a great
example of this. Owner Felipe Monje would
lead us on a visit through his estate which was
world class on its own and where he had
expanded the wine offerings from the original
four to some 18 different wines.
Loving the atmosphere of being in a winery,
our fun would continue as we would participate
in a contest to produce the best Mojo
(local spicy sauce) all the while sipping wonderful
estate wines. Although we did not win I
did pick up my last Tenerife lesson, I was now
a Mojo man!
www.webtenerife.co.uk
Canadian World Traveller Winter 2018-19