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Situated in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa, Tenerife – the largest and most beautiful island in the Canary archipelago (Spain) boasts mountainous terrains that seem otherworldly.
Discovering the majestic pathways on Tenerife Island
Exhausted, exhilarated, and utterly spellbound! That's how we felt after two days of motorcycling across Tenerife. We thought hitting the bed would guarantee a good night's sleep, yet none of us managed to even blink. The roads were just too breathtaking, too surreal, and too... stunning during the day, sending travelers' nerves into overdrive like they've had an extra strong espresso.
A land of stark contrasts
On our first day, we wandered around Playa de las Americas – a town tailored for tourists. It's filled with upscale resorts. The streets are sophisticated, modern, pristine, and equipped with every convenience imaginable. Despite having just a few hundred thousand residents, Tenerife welcomes tens of millions of Northern and Western European holidaymakers every year.
The 'eternal spring' island is the poetic name bestowed upon Tenerife by its affluent visitors. While the Spanish-style ancient cities on the island are undeniably beautiful, it's the rural areas and rugged mountains that truly stand out. Renting a car here is relatively cheap compared to European cities, perhaps because the roads are quite challenging to navigate.
Tenerife's terrain is steep, with narrow and winding roads. Moreover, parking spaces are scarce, and parking in the wrong spot can get your car towed away immediately. Motorcycling here is even more perilous. But it's only by touring the island by vehicle that we witnessed the ever-changing landscape.
Tenerife Island is dubbed the land of contrasts. In May, the northern mountain slopes are awash with blossoms. Nature seems more generous here, and creation couldn't have conjured up more colors. One feels as though they're melting into nature, tranquil yet exhilarated, serene yet vibrant.
Perhaps every fifteen minutes of driving reveals a new botanical world here. Tenerife hosts a variety of vegetation from three climate zones. At the lowest level, up to 50 meters above sea level, tropical plants such as bananas, papayas, mangoes, sugar cane, and cacti thrive. The second tier, from 50 to 1,600 meters above sea level, is dominated by Mediterranean climate vegetation like grapes, olives, and laurel. The uppermost tier, from 1,600 to 2,000 meters, is home to temperate climate vegetation, with the emblematic canary pine being the most representative.
Early in the morning, we set off to visit a mountain farm in Lalaguna. The ascent up the steep slopes had our hearts racing. However, this route boasts the extremely rare echium wildpretii flowers. These flowers bloom for a short period at the end of spring and beginning of summer.
Amidst narrow valleys filled with boulders, echium wildpretii plants proudly stand tall like mighty swords. Their trunks are adorned with clusters of vibrant red flowers. Some reach up to three meters in height, a vivid red from root to tip. From afar, under the intensifying sunlight, these flowering plants resemble prominent gemstone crystals amidst a barren mountainous landscape. After passing through the flower grove, the group continued onwards to rural areas with lush green farms.
A distinctive feature of Tenerife Island is the houses built on rocky mountains while flat lands are used for farming and animal husbandry. The local fruits here are incredibly enticing. Oranges and grapes are exceptionally sweet. Bananas are especially fragrant and delicious. The tradition of making cheese from cow and sheep milk has been around for a long time, resulting in a diverse range of products. Tenerife is also a place for cultivating pearls. Travelers knowledgeable about this product can easily purchase high-quality and beautiful pearls at various stores.
Conquering Mount Teide Volcano
The next day, feeling somewhat confident in our driving skills, we continued our journey to conquer the summit of Teide, the symbol of the Canary Islands archipelago (Spain). It is a volcano towering 3,718 meters above sea level and is also the highest mountain in Spain. In the ancient language of the island's natives, Teide means 'hell'. The most recent major eruption of Teide was in 1798, with a smaller one occurring in 1909.
Currently, Teide is still active. The scenery on the way up to the summit resembles that of Mars. Barren hillsides, desolate and dark. We felt like we were on a different planet. Winding roads, endless, no one knows what strange rock formations await around the next bend. Surreal space, with the sky seemingly within reach. At an altitude of 1,800 meters, we could already see rolling clouds beneath us. At 3,550 meters, everyone shivered from the cold wind amidst the vast sky. It was quite a hardship to reach this final point, but the team members didn't want to linger. Below the mountain lies picturesque towns waiting to be explored.
On the way to the city of La Orotava, we were once again able to admire a rare type of tree that only exists in a few places on earth. It is the Dracaena draco, also known as the Dragon Blood tree, a type of evergreen tree with characteristic umbrella-shaped foliage. The resin of this tree turns red like blood upon exposure to air. The Dragon Blood tree has been extinct on a large scale for twenty million years, surviving only in small numbers on the Canary Islands, Azores, and Cape Verde. A Dragon Blood tree over a thousand years old has become one of the symbols of Tenerife, considered a magnificent living museum of nature.
Feeling too exhausted to continue conquering steep mountain roads, we rested by visiting the ancient towns on the island. Tenerife has a rich cultural heritage. Those passionate about architecture will surely be captivated by La Orotava. This city has a unique appearance with beautiful balconies made of Canary pine.
Spanish and European architecture made its way to the island early on, with prominent castles and squares. The transportation system and urban infrastructure are impeccable. As we traverse the streets, we encounter numerous sculptures and art installations. Pedestrian streets are meticulously adorned with flowers and neatly trimmed. Sidewalk cafes overflow with patrons. City entrances feature information booths and offer free maps to tourists.
In contrast to treacherous mountain roads, the coastal route circling the island is easy to navigate and leads travelers to a plethora of remarkable human-made structures. At the Santa Cruz port, there's a large white sail-like structure poised to set sail. That's the magnificent Tenerife Auditorium. Viewed from above, this auditorium resembles a giant eye blinking over the vast ocean.
Tourists often linger at Loro Parque, where they can witness grand performances by dolphins, whales, seals, and even giant shark tanks. As for us, we practically stayed up all night in Garachio, a charming town nestled along a crescent-shaped bay. How could one sleep early when the finest flamenco performances gather here, accompanied by the most modern sound and lighting systems, featuring the most graceful and passionate dancers...
By Le Dung/ Saigon Entrepreneur
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourNovember 2, 2017
