FOR YEARS WE HAVE HEARD BRITS RAVE about their winter holidays in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. So after Hurricane Ian blew away our Florida plans, we thought we would give it a whirl. We were able to score an entire 4-seat row on the ten-hour overnight flight from Miami to Lisbon, not as comfy as Premium but way cheaper. TAP, Air Portugal, was surprisingly good for a low-cost airline—a new 777 and even wine with the meal. We had time in Lisbon to wash up and stretch our legs before the connecting flight to Tenerife.
Our first view of Mount Teide
Although the archipelago lies off the coast of Morocco, the Canaries are part of Spain, so no visa required. And ,no, the Canary Islands aren’t named after the birds—it’s the other way around. The Latin term for the islands, Insula Canaria, actually means ‘Island of the Dogs,’ probably referring to monk seals or ‘sea dogs’ that used to live here.
Island Canary named for Canary Islands. Got it?
Our AirBnB in the town of Santiago del Teide looks out at the ever-changing Los Gigantes, rocky cliffs that tower 600 meters above the Atlantic. It has everything except parking but so far we’ve been able to snag a spot on the street. There is a good grocery only a kilometer away and tienda across the street for forgotten goodies.
Views of Los Gigantes change with the weather
Tenerife was formed about 8½ million years ago when what is now Mount Teide erupted from the ocean floor. Today Teide soars to more than 12,000 feet in the center of the island. If measured from its base, 20,000 feet underwater, Teide is the third tallest volcano in the world—only Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea in Hawaii are taller. It’s no wonder that Mt. Teide National Park is the most visited national park in Europe. Still an active volcano, Teide hasn’t erupted in over a century.
Rocqes de Garcia, Mount Teide National Park
Lava flows from Teide's last eruption in 1909, Mount Teide National Park
Driving on the island is an adventure. We wouldn’t want anything larger than our tiny Fiat but more power would be appreciated. The six-speed manual transmission is wasted on the steep and winding roads—I seldom get out of third gear and often stay in second! Beep-beep. To make matters worse, dense fog can roll in at any time, reducing visibility to zilch.
