Two nights in Tenerife to warm up before the Canadian winter kicks in

Before I left for my last trip to Europe the weather was starting to get colder and I was starting to dread my 27^th Canadian winter. I knew for sure that I would be going to London. The rest of my trip was yet to be planned but I hoped that it could involve going somewhere warm for a few days.

I thought about going to Greece but knew that Candice would kill me if I went without her. I checked with a friend who lived in the south of Spain to see if she would be home to host me but sadly she would be away in Germany. I thought about Portugal but then from the help of suggestions on Facebook and Twitter I decided upon the Canary Islands. Tenerife to be exact.

I planned to fly there cheaply from London’s Gatwick airport with EasyJet and afterwards fly to Berlin. To make it all work with my schedule I was only going to be able to stay two nights but I was determined to make the most of it.

While visiting Tenerife I had two of the tastiest meals ever at La Laja Restaurant at the Costa Adeje Gran Hotel and at the Restaurant Masía del Mar in La Caleta and even the buffet at my hotel, Hotel Paradise Park was delightful.

I went whale watching on the Eden Catamaran and saw dolphins and pilot whales. When I was told that the whale watching tours were 100% guaranteed I was immediately sold on doing one. Home in Canada and in other parts of the world where I have gone on whale watching tours they are never guaranteed, but apparently on the south coast of Tenerife there are pods of the dolphins and pilot whales that live there year round. I might of gotten a little bit too excited to say the least…

I visited two UNESCO World heritage sites (Teide National Park and the city of La Laguna) in one day, even within an hour of each other. You can’t say its possible to do that just anywhere. Look out Gary Ardnt I’m on your trail! (haha hardly…).

I got lost a few times, me + a rental car in a new place = entertainment. Oh and the traffic signs all in Spanish with arrows that don’t point exactly the right way can lead to some confusion… yes I’m blaming my navigation skills on the signs. However my tour guide Patsy that I had for my full day there seemed to get lost just as easily on one occasion, but I didn’t mind because it allowed me to see even more.

As luck would have it of course the day I decided to lay by the pool it was slightly cloudy, but I did squeeze in some sun, an unintentional nap and got some work done. I was sad to leave my extremely large hotel room with complimentary champagne.

Although my trip was short and sweet it was definitely that little boost of warmth and sunshine that I was craving. Now why did I decide to fly to Berlin in the middle of November, so cold I can see my breath after this trip? I’ll never know. I also won’t know why the first snow storm at home waited to happen until a day after I got home, almost as if it waited for me.

 

Thanks to Tenerife Tourism for sponsoring my trip and to GF Hoteles for inviting me to dinner at Restaurante La Laja.

 

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