Wine

The wines of Bodega San Miguel have recently obtained the Silver Medal at the “Challenge du Vin”, held in Bordeaux (France), one of the most prestigious wine gatherings in the world. The prize recognises the value of the excellent vineyards that there are not only in this part of the island but all over Tenerife. Five thousand wines from thirty five countries entered the competition.

Driving on Tenerife

New laws regarding driving licences were introduced on the 1^st May to make driving without a licence a criminal offence. It is extraordinary that of 1,014 drivers stopped in routine road checks, 939 had never passed their driving test. 53 were banned by police for various driving offences pending a judicial hearing, another 11 were banned from driving after losing all their points under the new system and 11 more banned for serious offences. Accident statistics emphasise the problem and anyone who has driven on the TF1 motorway will not be surprised.

WALKING IN GRAN CANARIA

Gran Canaria has a claim to be the most versatile of hiking islands. Island lovers, and especially those that love walking, praise it as a miniature continent because of its diversity of landscapes. Expansive golden dunes contrast with luscious subtropical valleys as do deep ravines with palm tree oases and glittering reservoirs.

Then there are extensive pine tree forests and green slopes with grazing sheep and goats. To the north west, cliffs drop down 800 metres deep into the ocean, while in the centre of the island, serrated ridges almost 2000 metres high and bizarre rock monoliths emerge. From here, deep barrancos (gorges and ravines) push out down to the sea. In the post Ice Age period they were wet but the barrancos are now dry and covered with crops such as bananas, sugar cane and papayas.

Due to the increased significance in recent years of hiking tourism, the Cabildo (island government) has been working hard to encourage more rural tourism by investing money into opening up ancient walking paths. Known as Caminos Reales (royal paths) these paths are based on parts of rocks which are more than 500 years old which have been carefully restored in recent years.

These paths stretch across the entire island and are used to link remote mountain villages with the coast. Mainly stone paved hiking paths are therefore also ideal for less experienced hikers. Experienced mountain hikers, who are not afraid of dramatic walks, will also find a rich offering.

The high interior peaks of Gran Canaria often get snow in winter, and the contrast to the arid low lying southern area could not be greater. There are 32 protected natural areas within Gran Canaria and walkers can enjoy excursions to beaches, spectacular cave villages, and hikes through pine forests and atmospheric ridge paths. Signposting on the trails is being improved all the time, and a number of maps with hiking trails are available from the Cabildo and the various information points around the island.

Popular hikes include walks out from Cruz de Tejeda to Santa Maria de Guia and Artenara. There are numerous ancient caves within Gran Canaria's interior, many of them unmarked, to serve as protection such as Cueva Grande and Cuevas del Pina near San Bartolme de Tirajana.

Good bases for walking Gran Canaria's interior include San Bartolme, Artenara, Teror, Arucas, Santa Lucia and Agate on the western side of the island. You can also walk up to the island's highest point, Pico de las Nieves (1949 metres/6395 feet).

Tenerife Food & Drink

Canarian food is essentially Spanish, e.g. paella, gazpacho and a variety of tapas, but there are some some distinctive variations.

As you would expect from Tenerife's situation in the Atlantic Ocean, there is an incredible variety of fish, despite exploitation in recent years. Local favourites such as cherne, sama, dorada and vieja, as well as the more well known varieties, are delicious and very inviting.

When combined with Canarian potatoes the result is a feast. These are small, wrinkly and are boiled in a small amount of sea water in their jackets to produce a salty outer crust. Add mojo or verde, local spicy sauces, and you then have a traditional Canary Island meal.

There is not such a variety of meat but most typical are chicken and rabbit. Rabbit marinated in a sauce of oil, vinegar and herbs, is very tasty. Restaurants offer a variety of pork, lamb and veal but steaks are mostly imported from South America.

300 years ago Tenerife was famous for its wines. That was lost due to competition and a nasty plague of locusts. However, better times are returning with some good organic white wine being grown in the south. There are very good award winning reds being grown in the north in the Tacorante region. One such red is Vino Norte. It is a compelling ruby red wine, clear and very bright with a strong bouquet and aromas of dark fruits. It won an award at the World Wine Contest in Brussels in the face of 626 other Spanish wines and was analysed by 108 expert wine tasters from all over the world. Other gold medals at the recent French Internationale de Vin included Vina Melosa, a dry white from the Guimar Valley, and VinatigoTintillo, a 2006 red.

Look out also for Reina Beer, brewed since 2000 from a state-of-the-art factory in the Guimar Valley. Its mission is to produce all natural and 100% Canarian beer. Reina Beer contains no additives or preservatives which could impair the taste. The water used is filtered through their own land and comes directly from Mount Teide. The natural condition of this beer also means that you are less likely to suffer from a hangover!

Tenerife offers an enormous variety of restaurants, both in the tourist areas and outside. There are plenty that are cheap and poor quality as well as others, which are expensive and overpriced. However, a little research will take you to some gems.

Why climb the mountain? Because it's there!

The Wye Valley cliffs offer some of the highest inland cliffs in the UK. Many mountainous regions hold a certain fascination for numerous people on vacation from around the world and Wye Valley climbing is no exception. But every year, thrill seekers are hurt and sometimes killed from accidents that have happened whilst enjoying the Wye Valley.  Most of the time, if precautions are taken, you can keep you and your friends safe.

If you are going climbing in the Wye Valley, there are a few things to consider to ensure you are safe should a problem arise. First, dress in layers. One of the main difficulties when enjoying the outdoors in the UK is the huge variance in weather conditions you can face in a single day.  In addition to this you will also face varying temperatures as you pass through different altitudes. Remember, should you be stranded in the mountains at night, it can become very cold. To avoid problems that come as a result of the weather, dress warmly but in layers that can be removed if it becomes too warm.

Before leaving, make sure that someone knows where you are heading, and when you expect to be back. This is crucial to your rescue if you should become lost. If there is someone expecting you to be back at a certain day and time and you do not return, a search party can begin. However, if no one knows where you are and when to expect you, then it may be hours or days before they start looking.

Always travel with a hunting knife or pocketknife. If you are heading out on an unmarked trail, mark your path every few feet by gouging out a notch on a tree or rock. This way, if you should become lost, you will be able to retrace your steps to get back to your starting place.

The usual advice for walkers is to always travel with a flashlight and extra batteries. Also, to make sure you take waterproof matches along with you. A space blanket and a small tarp are essential to your survival in the mountain wilderness. A container that can hold water is also a must.

If you do find that you are lost in the mountains and do not know how to return to where you came from, the best thing to do is to stay where you are. If you move around, you will be harder to find when rescue comes. However, if you are near a stream and you feel you must keep moving, head downstream. This will take you towards the bottom of the mountain, which is usually closer to a road or town. If you can find shelter where you are, stay put and get out of the elements. Leave a marker, like a brightly coloured jacket or tarp, so that rescuers might find you.

Finding food shouldn't be too difficult, if you are observant and watch the local wildlife. Sometimes they can lead you to good food sources, such as nuts or berries. More important than food is water. You can survive up to three weeks without food, but you would only last three days without water. Stay hydrated and try to have an available source of water at all times.

Remember, the outdoors is a great place to be and there are few places in the UK better than the Wye Valley.  Whether you are walking, climbing, fishing or camping you are bound to find somewhere that will remain with you for life.  Wye Valley Climbing is some of the best to be found anywhere in the UK.  Enjoy!

El Hierro (278 sq kms / 107 sq miles) is the smallest and most westerly of the Canary Islands but has some wonderful scenery including pine forests and mountains. There are no resorts and very few beaches. The attraction is to be away from it all and at the end of the world, which it was considered to be before Christopher Columbus discovered America. If you add it to the list of places to walk, you will not be disappointed, and it is notable that over the past three years, the number of hiking trails has been increased. A picture book wonderland takes you through moss encrusted laurel forests which could be straight out of a fairytale. You will have a constant choice from a network of pathways and not expect to see meet anyone else.

You will experience something of what Tenerife was like 30 years ago. Life everywhere is relaxed and quiet. There are no large towns, no industry and no major roads, although European Union money has meant that many of the roads are smooth and new. The south of the island is rather bare and rocky but the north has pine clad high plains, gentle rolling countryside and impressive mountains. A large proportion of the population of 10,500 live in and around the remains of El Golfo, a huge volcanic crater. The crater rim is breathtakingly wild and windy, while in what remains of the crater floor way down below, the days are calm and the land fertile. The islanders' livelihoods come mainly from fishing or agriculture (try the delicious mangoes and pineapples). Mass tourism has yet to arrive here. There are only 10 medium sized hotels and last year barely 60,000 tourists arrived. There are no direct flights, not even from the Spanish mainland, and the natives often refer to their homeland as the forgotten island.

This could soon change, though. El Hierro is due to be marketed as a green destination. The scenery may be part of this but it is planning to be one of a small number of the world's islands to generate its entire power from renewable energies. Three windmills and two hydro-electric power plants are all that is needed to achieve this. The island's tourist authorities have been trying to sell El Hierro as an ecologically friendly island for some time so this will now be promoted strongly. They feel they will have a niche market.

Other examples are that pineapple and banana farmers have been encouraged to change to more ecological methods of cultivation and the small number of island buses use hydrogen for fuel. Another interesting fact is that El Hierro produces an annual 2000 litres of water per square metre, more than eight times the amount of rainwater. This is due to condensation on a variety of trees and plants as the trade winds swirl across the island.

El Hierro is also a magnet for divers. The El Bajon is a pinnacle of underwater rock nearly 100 metres tall and this is considered a mecca for divers of varying abilities. It is also in the bay from which Christopher Columbus anchored before setting off for America in 1492. At that time El Hierro marked the end of the western world which is why the island was known as the prime meridian before the British Empire adopted the Greenwich Meridian in 1864.

Until the Spaniards arrived in 1405, life among the ancient settlers had changed little. These were the Bimbaches, who like their cousins, the Guanches in Tenerife, were descendants from the Berbers of North Africa. One difference, though, was that they were the only early Canarians to distil alcoholic liquor, using laurel berries, a tradition continued with mistela, a wine fortified with sugar and spices.

El Hierro is determined to learn from the mistakes of Tenerife. Tourist guidelines for the next eight years include a pledge to allow new hotels in only a limited number of coastal areas and that these should be of at least four or five star category, with the maximum number of beds not exceeding 2000 overall. Most guests will continue to stay in rented holiday cottages.

 

So many contradictory forces are at work on the sun drenched island of Tenerife. The south especially can justifiably claim to be one of the healthiest places in the world to live because the air is so dry and, even in January and February, never gets cold. The question is, will it always remain so?

The traffic in the north east around the capital Santa Cruz can be horrendous while the TF1 motorway linking the capital with the south is not for the nervous driver. Accident rates make the point. Tourist hire cars add to the problem but the main cause is the islanders love of the motor car, and not all of them have the cleanest engines. Even with recent price hikes it still costs only 82 cents for a litre of petrol. Perhaps the planned train link between Santa Cruz and the south will get some cars off the road but Tenerife faces the same problems as almost every country in the world.

The biggest controversy at the moment surrounds the proposed “megaport” at Granadilla in the south. Opinion seems to be split between the environmentalists who oppose it and those who see it as essential to progress and growth of the economy. Not the least of the arguments surrounds future energy needs and for giant tankers to import LNG (liquefied natural gas). It is the cleanest of fossil fuels but what about supply and security? There has been a fierce political fight, with upheaval in the town hall, and local councillors changing sides on this issue. The latest is that it has got the go-ahead for the second time but seems destined for a protracted legal battle.

Another apparent contradiction is the award of World Heritage Status to the Teide National Park, despite the area receiving too many tourists. To be fair the site is now being controlled better by the authorities and obviously UNESCO took this into account in making the award. Walking in Tenerife's wild places is exhilarating, so let's hope we can continue to enjoy it.

Finally, what about solar energy? Doesn't Tenerife have 1600 hours of sunshine every year? At present only 3% of energy is supplied this way. What about some private enterprise and investment, not to mention some general education of the benefits? Too many environmentalists are fond of lecturing but are not so keen on following through.

At 1446 metres (4744 ft), Vilaflor is the highest town on Spanish territory. It also has a small football stadium which is presumably also the highest in Spain. For centuries nothing changed here, as the town lived a world of its own. According to Living Tenerife glossy magazine, “it's a close-knit rural community whose lives above the clouds have changed little over the centuries”, but that cannot be true for some of them, as over a million tourists pass by the town on the way up the mountain. A few kilometres before Vilaflor, there is even a roadside cafe advertising English breakfasts in rather too large writing!

That said, this is a proper Spanish / Canarian town with narrow streets and neat balconies, very clean, and of which the natives must be proud. Formerly known as Charneros back in the 17^th century, it sits amidst the beautiful pine forests which are a feature of this altitude on the island. The town itself has magnificent greenery surrounding it and its economy is based on agriculture, in particular potatoes and vines. Prickly pear trees abound.

Most tourists do not bother to stop but time spent wandering the quaint streets leading to the Plaza San Pedro, with its three dark fir trees and 16^th century church, can be rewarding, as walking in Tenerife's hidden places is anyway. It is also worth seeking out the smaller tapas bars in the town rather than those on the main road. One such is camourflaged by fruit trees and very inviting. Change has brought new hotels and on the higher side of town by the football stadium is the 4 star Hotel VillAlba. Some tourists do stop!

One very pleasant memory is of being invited for coffee by an old lady as we trekked along the town's streets at the end of a long 17 kilometre walk down from the Parador Hotel on the Las Canadas, the national park below Mount Teide. It said a lot about the character of the town. Do stop for a visit.

The village of Masca in Tenerife and the Fire that nearly destroyed it.

Here you will find a very special village, which is currently recovering from a near catastrophe. The forest fires which swept through areas of the north and west of Tenerife at the end of July this year included Masca in its path. As its inhabitants watched the news nervously on television one evening, it looked as if the fire would be contained in the forests well above the village and nearer the north coast. Two hours later this proved to be woefully incorrect, as the fire swooped on the village at a speed beyond imagination.

Fortunately, though, the narrow streaks of fire moving at express speed missed most of the central part of the village, although this was of no consolation to those who had their homes ruined or destroyed. One of those families I met are living in cramped conditions in one of the apartments they normally let to holidaymakers, while they wait for architects and surveyors to complete their work prior to their house being rebuilt with money promised to them by the island government.

It is amazing to see many of the palm trees with their trunks scorched but with the palm leaves still gallantly displaying their greenery. Masca is not quite sure whether it has suffered a disaster or had a miraculous escape. Certainly no one was killed or injured. The general feeling is that the village will be prettier than ever when everything has been restored. The area is still very impressive, though, and can justifiably claim to be the most beautiful place on Tenerife, and the starting point for one of the best known trails for walking in Tenerife.

Until 1973 it could only be reached on foot or by donkey along the Guanche (Tenerife's earliest settlers) trails, and today the road from Santiago del Teide is the result of a brilliant feat of engineering down a succession of hairpin bends. Masca is perched at the end of the longest barranco (gorge) on the island, the Barranco de Masca, and its red roofed stone houses are lodged, seemingly precariously, on various ridges. A holiday in Tenerife would not be complete without a visit to this unique place. You might feel you were in the Andes.

The small town of LOS ABRIGOS and coastal walking in South Tenerife.

Walking in South Tenerife  is one of the most exhilarating activities on the island of eternal spring but it can also be relaxing, and can be combined with the more basic requirements of eating and drinking.

There is a coastal path from Las Gallettas on the Costa del Silencio, which is deceptively interesting considering that a lot of the terrain inland on this southern stretch of the island is rather arid and barren. From the fringe of Las Gallettas the path to Los Abrigos is seven kilometres and will take around one and a half hours at a not too brisk pace. For the more leisurely, towards the end of the walk there are refreshments at a small bar / cafe at the end of the Amarilla Golf development. From there you pass another very popular urbanisation at Golf del Sur (the golf course has hosted a European Tour event) and you then see Los Abrigos beckoning you.

Los Abrigos is a gem and it is the fishing harbour and the seafood restaurants around that make it. As you walk down the promenade you see the colourful fishing boats bobbing up and down, at rest after the early morning catch. Black rocks lie beneath the harbour walls with surf lapping over them. Neatly sculptured into the wall and down some steps is a small very green lawn, which is clearly very carefully tended.

The restaurants vary in size and price. At the top end is Los Roques, which is in the Michelin Guide, but you will be very unlucky to experience a bad meal here, especially if you enjoy fresh fish and seafood. A particular favourite of mine in south Tenerife is Vista del Mar. Most people that visit the restaurants at Los Abrigos return many times.

If your visit is for lunch why not return the way you came, but a taxi will be easily available for no more than about 10 euros. So you can now see for yourself that south Tenerife has plenty to offer.

Puerto de la Cruz is a wonderful place to take a holiday, or even just to visit if you are staying elsewhere on the island of Tenerife.

It has not had the best of press in recent times. A lot of it is due to the time it has taken to renovate  Lago de Martiniez, which is an enormous lido specially designed by the famous architect, Cesar Manrique, a native of Lanzarote, who was responsible for some beautiful designs there.  Now that the complex and, even more important, the surrounding areas along the promenade are complete, it is time for the critics to stand back and survey what Puerto de la Cruz has to offer.

Before this, though, let's see where it all began. In the late 19th century it had built a reputation as a holiday resort for Europe's aristocracy. This was at an age when tourists were called travellers! As a result, it is much more cosmopolitan than the southern resorts, and don't believe people who tell you it is always covered in cloud and probably raining. Clearly it does rain more in the north because there is greenery everywhere, due to precipitation from the trade winds before they pass over Mount Teide, but Puerto grew because it has one of the many micro climates spread over the north of Tenerife.

Often you see low lying cloud and a haze just a short way up the mountain but with Puerto enjoying sunshine under a blue sky. This is being written while experiencing warm sunshine by the harbour in mid November. In fact too hot to sit very long without protection and not untypical of my many visits here. The lovely San Telmo promenade leading to this old fishing harbour captures the cosmopolitan nature of Puerto. You can enjoy a coffee or a drink at the atmospheric Rancho Grande and watch the world go by. The harbour is a great meeting place for locals.

The water laps gently over the black rocks, and sometimes not so gently depending on the mood of the Atlantic. Another place to experience the area is  Restaurante Pomordo, which is built into the rocks of the harbour. At night the multitude of lights twinkling in the hillside and along the Oratava Valley is a comforting sight.

Anyone looking to do some walking in Tenerife should include walking around Puerto de la Cruz because another lovely promenade will not be found so easily. It can be best reached by walking down through the smart district of La Paz. Superlatives can come easily but not in this context. La Paz and the promenade are high over the town with views to Mount Teide beyond. Two restaurants / bars have the best locations. In particular look out for Restaurante Bellamar for the best view in Puerto de la Cruz. The food is pretty good as well!

Puerto does have a McDonalds (unfortunate say many) but it does also have some great traditional restaurants. All in all a place for sophisticated tourists.