mandb trips: December 2021

TENERIFE 2021

During this year's moment of Covid Calm, let`s call it the brief window of holiday opportunity, we were able to get away for a week's warmth and sunshine and a little horizon broadening and adventure!

Neither of us had visited the Canary Islands. A package holiday offer came up, so we booked and were able to enjoy our week in November shortly before the possibilities went 'south' ahead of another variant of this wretched virus caused deja vu.

Just after booking this trip, news came through that the 'Cumbre Vieja' volcano on La Palma, an island just 82 miles /133 km west of our destination on Tenerife, had erupted. Would this now play a factor in our getting away? As luck would have it, the island is rarely visible from sea level on Tenerife and during our holiday a wind from east to west meant that cloud and ash from the many eruptions were blown away from us.

Our hotel (Barcelo Santiago) offered a sea view (as multiple and varied sunsets testify) and temperatures of around 23°c everyday so it was a welcome relaxing break. Plus a couple of memorable daytrips. The main attraction being the incredible landscape of Mount Teide which included a day trip on a coach taking us to the northern coast and a return journey via Masca and some more breathtaking scenery. The road leading into Masca was interesting, while the way out involved hairpin bends requiring our driver to make a number of 3 and 5 point turns, much to the alarm of some passengers.

Another great trip was by catamaran around the bay from Los Gigantes towards La Gomera, where we saw dolphins and pilot whales, getting to hear them 'chatter' via a microphone dropped overboard. A swim in the warm waters beneath the cliffs was a great way to end the day.

Here are some photos we took. Margaret getting some great panoramas >