Storm in the Canary Islands

Some folks are gonna be happy because at least you take photos when it rains 😏!

That said, the weather—even without Thérèse—wasn’t exactly great either 🏴‍☠️

There are trips where if you don’t take photos in the rain, you almost never do! 😏 (Iceland, for example...)

Thérèse was already around during my first week, but at first, she was pretty quiet. She started getting violent during my last night at Cueva Grande.

Some folks are gonna be happy because at least you take photos when it rains 😏!

That said, the weather—even without Thérèse—wasn’t exactly great either 🏴‍☠️

Yeah, Muriel, for landscape photos, you need some drama in the sky so it doesn’t look like a "postcard" shot. I went to Iceland twice with a pro photographer friend... the second time, for two days, the sky was blue—he was so disappointed 😞

Here are some photos from Scotland where you’re pretty much guaranteed bad weather for your shots: https://www.antoniogaudenciophoto.com/Voyages-et-lumi%C3%A8res-%C3%A9cosse

Absolutely, the volcanic landscapes are stunning—I personally love them. Feels like the end of the world! 😄

A stormy sky is indeed magnificent, just like a distant shower. 😛

Beautiful cumulus clouds too!

The problem is when the rain shows up like a downpour...

Barely is the camera out before it becomes unusable, the lens looking like a windshield without wipers...

That’s when the smartphone saves the day.

Well, gray or overcast days still rarely produce good results...

I like to include some realistic photos in my travel journal. It helps put the Instagram effect of some places into perspective.

A bright blue sky—one that really pops—is great too! Especially with white or bold colors. Anyway, I think so. [;]

I was expecting a less ordinary city center, I'm a little disappointed.

As I wrote in Muriel’s travel journal, I really liked Las Palmas (we’re repeating ourselves a lot lately ) I especially loved the atmosphere—that slightly old-fashioned, even outdated vibe (cheesy shops, bars from another era), but still lively, typical of some big, old Spanish cities. All the terraces were packed, with people enjoying tapas, vino blanco, and sangria in a great atmosphere... Once again, it’s always nicer in the sunshine with 25°C.

I found La Laguna in Tenerife way nicer.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of Spain's 10 most populated metropolitan areas. Yet, its historic center is really small, and the rest of the city seemed chaotically built to me.

If the weather had been nice, I definitely would’ve enjoyed lunch on a terrace watching people go by. 🙂

What a wild night! Strong gusts, relentless rain—the sky felt like it was falling on our heads.

The shortest route to our first stop takes us through the mountains, so we take it in the rain.

When we reach the forest, the pavement turns into a carpet of pine needles and branches.

We’re lucky—no trees have fallen yet!

A bit stunned by the grim scene, we cautiously continue toward Agaete.

Suddenly, the sky clears to blue.

Just a few kilometers from the damage, everything here seems so peaceful.



We now pass through Agaete to take the small road winding through the valley of the same name.

The place is truly enchanting, with these immaculate white hamlets contrasting against the green hills.



Coffee plantations have settled in this tropical paradise, and some can be visited.

An old thermal establishment, the Hotel Princesa Guayarmina—a ruin in the process of being restored—marks the end of the "main" road.

From here, there’s only a narrow path winding like a dead end toward El Sao.

I love this kind of road trip as long as we don’t run into anyone...





The parking lot at El Sao is tiny, but travelers are warmly welcomed.

That said, over-tourism isn’t without its downsides—rising prices and all sorts of nuisances...



After all, who sold land to developers, who turned their family home into an Airbnb, if not some of the locals...

We walk a little on the steep trail leading to El Hornillo.

Just enough time to climb a bit higher and enjoy this breathtaking panorama.



We would’ve loved to extend the hike, but time is short.

So we head back down on foot, then by car, to Agaete.

The village is completely asleep despite preparations for a festival.

If you’re looking for peace and quiet, you should find it here.

The nearby seaside resort of Puerto de Las Nieves is livelier.









We find a spot on a terrace (sheltered from the wind...) for a really pleasant lunch.



The ocean is raging, local authorities have blocked access to some viewpoints and seaside walks.





This isn’t the place where we’ll be swimming just yet...

The legendary GC 200 road that runs along the east coast of the island starts just outside the city.

Today, it’s often replaced by a series of tunnels, which are much more efficient for speed and safety but far less ideal for taking in the scenery...







The old route has fallen victim to landslides, and no repairs seem to be on the agenda.

The sections that were spared are normally open but not during stormy weather.

Access to the various viewpoints is therefore closed.

At least to vehicles...

Like other travelers, we park our car near the barrier and walk to the Mirador del Balcón—a 5-kilometer round-trip hike.



Since the afternoon is well underway, the other hikers are already on their way back.

So we get to enjoy this beautiful viewpoint all to ourselves.







The rain starts pouring down on us, and we just make it back to the Ford in time to avoid getting soaked.





One last stop at La Aldea beach, and we take shelter from the bad weather in our hotel room.



A quick note on prices:

I found that they’ve really gone up compared to our last trips.

Not so much for meals, and even less for car rentals—which had already skyrocketed right after COVID—but for accommodations.

The hotel room, for example, cost 141 € with a mediocre breakfast included, even though it was pretty ordinary and located in a not-so-touristy area.

A few years earlier, I’d paid almost half that for a charming room in Tenerife...

A break in the clouds arrives just in time for dinner.

The town doesn’t offer much choice. We end up in an Italian-Spanish restaurant.

After a pizza and a steak, it’s time to wait for the sandman to pass by...

you need some texture in the sky

I completely agree, but also some contrast—so a source of light (even a small one) somewhere. If it's uniformly gray... And I couldn’t have said it better than Agnès 😉

The problem is when the rain shows up like a shower...

Barely is the camera out before it becomes unusable, the lens looking like a windshield without wipers...

The smartphone then saves the day.

Well, gray or overcast days still rarely give good results...

You discovered Puerto de Las Nieves under a kinder sky than we did 😉



I think I still prefer the all-blue sky 😎

Since you were able to access the Mirador del Balcón, I gather it was closed during our visit because of the storm 🏴‍☠️ I might find out if we also missed something at the Laguna de Playa de la Aldea, which was flooded and inaccessible after Thérèse...

I agree with you about the accommodation prices. We paid more (for accommodation) on this trip than in the Seychelles, which are known for being an expensive destination, and that was for places similar in size and comfort, or even a little better 😕. It was much cheaper in Tenerife in 2022—I wonder if prices there have gone up the same way.

Yes, the weather was really mild around Agaete. 🙂

For the viewpoint, the road was closed like for you, but since there were no police, those who wanted to get there just walked.

The last photo is the only one I have of La Aldea beach. We didn’t go back the next day, and I wasn’t impressed at all...

Prices were gentler in El Hierro. 😛

Will we find a patch of blue sky along our way today?

I doubt it...

The sky is heavy, the clouds bursting into torrents.

We’re hitting the road again anyway for our final leg, Tufia, a tiny village near the airport.

The GC 200 winds through stunning landscapes.

This part of Gran Canaria is almost uninhabited, and we finally feel like we’re far from everything.

The population density on this island is actually quite high: 561 inhabitants per km² (France: 121 – Puy de Dôme: 84...), and most towns and villages lie along an arc from the south to the northeast.

On the eastern side, one village ends only to give way to the next—it’s a bit overwhelming!

Here, it’s nothing like that.

Mountains, greenery, a ribbon of asphalt twisting up and down.





We take a detour to take the GC 204.

This road starts on a balcony before plunging toward the sea.

Gorgeous despite the rain and the low clouds on the heights!







A U-turn at Tasartico, and soon we’re near the Azulejos de Veneguera.

The light doesn’t really bring out the color of the rocks, but it’s the waterfalls that amaze us.











If there were no one around, we could almost imagine we’re in the Faroe Islands! !

All good things must come to an end, and we’re back to the overcrowded Gran Canaria in Puerto Mogán.

We park at the first lot we find, right at the entrance of town near the Radisson Blu.

It’s free, and it’s only a kilometer walk to the beach.



We wander through the little streets, then grab lunch on a terrace.

It takes a pretty wild imagination to compare this place to Venice...





That said, it’s the cutest option on the coast.

What comes next looks more like a run-down housing project left to its sad fate than a tropical paradise...



Who dared allow such eyesores to be built???

The concrete buildings are eating away at the cliffs, completely disfiguring the coast from Puerto Mogán to the airport.



And where there aren’t buildings, there are plastic greenhouses and factories...

Avoid this area!

We still make a stop in Maspalomas to check out the dunes.

The lighthouse is closed, the beach is ugly, the restaurants reek of grease, and their bills are a total rip-off...





The famous dunes don’t look like much under the gray skies and are surrounded by hotels with questionable taste.





A tip: if you want to see beautiful dunes, head to the Atlantic on the Côte Sauvage in the Landes instead...

I’m not sure we made the right call ending our visit to Gran Canaria with the worst the island has to offer!

Luckily, our evening stop has a lot more charm.

Tufia is a hamlet of a few fishermen’s houses.





It’s got soul, something the various beach resorts along the coast are missing.

Unfortunately, it’s right at the end of the airport runway, and we can count the landings...

The comings and goings stop for the night, but we’ll still sleep soundly.

What a difference from our day in the south: the colors of Veneguera, the amount of water in the waterfalls... and the population density in Puerto Mogán 😲 How important the weather is 😏

Yeah, this time, you were the lucky one! ;)

I really liked the west side of Gran Canaria.

You’ve probably gathered that the south, on the other hand, isn’t my cup of tea...

$168 for a mediocre room in the off-season—yeah, that’s not exactly a steal either! Muriel’s made up her mind: better to head to the Seychelles 😄

I also prefer the (relative) chill of the center to the crowds in the south, even in the sun 😉... but for just one day, it’s fine!

I really liked the west side of Gran Canaria.

Same here. I didn’t quite get what you meant when you mentioned rampant urbanization all along the coasts because, honestly, the west coast is pretty well preserved in that regard. On the other hand, the beaches are far from paradise. Plus, it was a (very) relatively untouched area in terms of rain during the first two days of our trip 😎

Muriel decided: better to go to the Seychelles

Plus, when it rains, we dry off faster! But still, in terms of flight duration and cost, the Canary Islands definitely have the edge...

Rentals were still more affordable though! !😉

I didn’t quite get what you meant when you talked about rampant urbanization all along the coasts

I probably didn’t explain myself well.

What I meant was that pretty much all the easily accessible land below 500–600 meters in the southern, southeast, eastern, and early northeast parts is heavily urbanized.

For example, there was hardly any countryside between the airport and our first rental.

Wake up in there, the plane to El Hierro won’t wait for us!

We grab a quick breakfast, rush to Cicar, and drop off our suitcases at the Binter counter.

All in barely sixty minutes, timed to the second...

Could we have woken up an hour later, though?

We pace around the airport, killing time, until our boarding is announced.

The flight will be on a propeller plane—luckily, Thérèse won’t act up this time!



Now we’re in sight of El Hierro—we shouldn’t be long now.

The ATR touches down gently on the runway, and passengers soon pour into the terminal where their luggage is already waiting.

The Cicar employee has everything ready—just sign the contract, pay, and pick up the keys to the Fiat parked right outside.

Twenty minutes from landing to getting our car—record time!

Okay, it’s way too early to pick up the house keys.

What do we do? I suggest checking out the HI 30 and the Roque de la Bonanza! Let’s go, we’re off.

El Hierro is the opposite of Gran Canaria.

A sparsely populated island whose capital has only 1,677 inhabitants.

What’s more, its tourism industry is limited, and there are no all-inclusive resorts.

In other words, the roads aren’t crowded, and no village is disfigured by soulless concrete blocks!

We’re in our element here!

The weather isn’t cooperating when we reach the famous arch.

Maybe we’ll have better luck on the way back?

The road ends in a dead end at the Parador.

If you’ve got the budget and enjoy solitude, this hotel seems like a great option for exploring El Hierro, even if it’s a bit far from the main sites.



The gray skies aren’t lifting.

Maybe it’ll clear up after a good lunch?







Bingo—the sun’s making some big appearances now.

Oh wow, but you didn’t say we had to take a plane to get there! 🤪

So I Googlemapped the Canary Islands to understand the deal—it’s true that El Hierro isn’t very big!

I really like ATRs, planes where you still feel like you’re flying… …

We return to Roque de la Bonanza and decide to take a short walk beyond the viewpoint.



We walk along the old road, which has been abandoned since the construction of a single-lane tunnel.









Nature doesn’t take long to reclaim the island!

We then receive a message via WhatsApp—everything’s ready for our arrival.

Off to meet our host!

The house is charming and very bright.



We should be comfortable here.

The proximity to the airport isn’t an issue since there are barely a handful of flights per day.

And no A380s...

We get settled, then head to park at the starting point of the hike our host recommended in the nearby village of Tamaduste.

The well-maintained trail crosses lava fields and follows the coastline.

It’s so wild and remote!









We’ll fall asleep happy after this first day on El Hierro.

You can get there by ferry or by plane.

By ferry from Tenerife, or non-stop by plane from Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

It’s not actually very big, but because the terrain is so rugged, it still takes a while to get from one place to another.

I really like ATRs—planes where you still feel like you’re flying...

Yeah, I think they’re pretty cool too. 😉

The only downside is that when it gets bumpy, you feel it more...

This first day on El Hierro was pretty nice. If there aren’t too many people around either... 🙂

In 2023, El Hierro only welcomed 20,300 visitors, while Tenerife had 6.57 million...

That says it all, I think! !😉

The sky is pretty blue this morning, and the temperatures are much more pleasant than in Gran Canaria.

Even if it's not quite warm enough to enjoy this lovely pool...



I have to say, this time our accommodation is almost at sea level, and that makes all the difference!

We plan our route for the day and then set off on a road trip.

Hey, isn’t that La Gomera over there?



Look, you can even see Tenerife in the background!



Teide looks snow-capped—I hope it stays that way for the next few days.

Darn, my camera isn’t working! I forgot to charge it. Oh well, I still have my smartphone.

The Fiat takes us first to Charco Manso, a natural pool being battered by the storm today.







Over time, the force of the elements has carved arches and caves into the basalt lava flows.

It’s pretty mesmerizing to watch the waves attack the rocks, rush into every crevice, and cascade over the lava.





Next, we head to Pozo de las Calcosas, a village of traditional houses with volcanic stone walls and rye-thatched roofs.

Access to the village is via a trail currently under repair.

So we’ll only see this hamlet from the modern village built much higher up.



Too bad—it looked really nice! !

We finally turn back and take various narrow little roads up to the viewpoint located above Guarazoca.

The village is worth more than the aforementioned view with its well-restored houses.

The panorama over the El Golfo plain from the La Peña viewpoint, on the other hand, is breathtaking!





Like in Lanzarote, César Manrique left his mark here, and the viewpoint isn’t just a paved spot.

Unlike Lanzarote, access to the facilities is free...

I would’ve loved to eat at the restaurant on-site, but it’s way too early!







Not far from the La Peña viewpoint stands a hermitage, the Ermita Virgen de la Peña.

A drivable road leads there, but parking spots are scarce.

We manage to find a small space to squeeze our vehicle in and go for a short walk.







Hikers looking for a challenge will find plenty of trails on El Hierro to satisfy them.

Well, when they’re not closed...

For our part, we’ll settle for a few steps on the reasonably accessible (even if forbidden...) section of the La Peña path, which descends all the way to the ocean.

Hunger starts to kick in, and we head back to the Fiat.

I spot a restaurant in the area, and we don’t waste time taking a seat.





The view is stunning, the dishes hearty—we won’t leave here hungry...

After that, I had the idea of visiting the Garoé Interpretation Center, the sacred tree of the Bimbaches, the first inhabitants of El Hierro.

Not by road, but on foot.

The hike wasn’t unpleasant, but the site turned out to be closed.





Maybe we should’ve gone somewhere else on such a beautiful day?

We headed back to the house through landscapes worthy of the Aubrac.

Maybe not the most exotic scenery in the Canary Islands or even on El Hierro, but what tranquility!

A quick stop in Valverde, the tiny capital of the island,





And we ended the day at the surprising seawater pools of La Caleta.





Access to the site is free, but it was a bit too chilly to enjoy an aperitif here with our feet in the water while watching the sunset...

The hike isn't unpleasant, but the site turns out to be closed.

Hmm, that rings a bell

The landscapes look pretty nice, and with a bit of blue sky, it’s still better

Hi Agnes,

I started your travel journal on My Atlas and I’ll continue here. 🙂

I then thought about visiting the Garoé interpretation center, the sacred tree of the Bimbaches, the first inhabitants of El Hierro.

This little island seems nice. At least, it’s more appealing than Gran Canaria.

Did you go to La Gomera? Apparently, it’s great for hiking.

Hi Carment,

This little island looks nice

Yeah, it’s a great island for those who love landscapes and peaceful hiking. 😛

Have you been to La Gomera?

No, I still have La Gomera and La Palma left to visit in the Canaries.

Like every morning since the start of this trip, I check a weather site.

Like every day since Thérèse has been wreaking havoc on the infrastructure, I check the road-info site for the island I'm on to see which routes are closed.

The entire uninhabited center of El Hierro is still inaccessible.

No big deal, the weather there is awful anyway...

The forecasts aren’t much more encouraging elsewhere, but at least it should stay mostly dry!

After this thorough assessment of the situation, we decide to head toward El Golfo, the plain we looked down on yesterday from 800 meters up at the Mirador de la Peña.

This fifteen-kilometer-wide depression, with a maximum depth of 1,500 meters, was formed by the prehistoric collapse of part of the island.



(Satellite photo found online)

This catastrophic landslide triggered a tsunami about a hundred meters high that swept over the American coasts.

Yikes, let’s hope that doesn’t happen again today...

A new access road has been built to easily reach Las Puntas.

No more hairpin turns—just a modern tunnel!

We soon take the path that runs along the ocean for a kilometer or two.



The green against the black rock is stunning!



And what about that hotel with its incredible location!







I wonder if it’s just as impressive in the sunlight?

The Fiat then drops us off near the natural pools of La Maceta.







A brave swimmer starts his laps—we won’t be joining him! !

Gorgeous colors for such strange landscapes—so close to home! You can really see how each of the Canary Islands has its own unique character. I hadn’t heard of El Hierro before—your photos remind me of Lanzarote!

El Hierro is pretty green, except for the basalt on the coasts. There are even forests. Lanzarote seemed more desert-like to me.

Both are really nice! !😉

Lanzarote has more villages and beaches. El Hierro has more relief and fewer people.

Either way, it’s a far cry from Gran Canaria...

Next stop?

Charco Azul, other natural pools—today, poorly named...

No pain, no gain.







No blue skies, no tropical-colored ocean...

A bar-restaurant in La Frontera will welcome us for lunch.

Here, no fuss—we eat simply, choosing from the day’s specials or the straightforward options on the menu.

The widowed and lonely middle-aged men seem to have adopted the place as their regular spot.

More sociable than staying in front of the TV, nothing to prepare, and great prices!

My paella will cost me less than 10 €. Who can beat that?

A coffee, a quick check on road conditions (no change since this morning...), and we head toward Pozo de la Salud via the scenic cliffside road passing through the village of Sabinosa.





We were lucky—this same road was closed the next day due to a landslide...

The HI 500 is, as expected, blocked after the village of Pozo de la Salud.

So we won’t be able to reach the El Sabinar site or the sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de los Reyes, whether by the inland route or the coast!



We leave the car and decide to walk a little past the barrier.

A trail does indeed start from the road 1.5 kilometers away, leading to Arenas Blancas beach, the Punta de la Sal viewpoint, and the Puntas de Gutiérrez viewpoint.

The road runs along a crumbling cliff where the fence has proven effective.

Rocky blocks are wedged in the mesh, but how long will it hold?

(During the following night, a small piece of the cliff actually ended up on the road...)

We’re only half-reassured and walk as far away from the danger as possible.

Once past the bottleneck, the landscape combines wildness and beauty.











The force of the elements has once again sculpted the basalt.

Arches and caves line the ocean side—I’ve never seen so many in such a short distance!

The background isn’t bad either...



Alright, time to turn back now! The car’s still nearly 4 kilometers away!

Rain is crashing on our windshield—we made it back just in time!

But it kindly pauses to let us climb up to the bell tower built behind the church of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria.







At this point in the trip, you might be wondering how we came up with the idea to go to El Hierro.

Well, the answer is simple: this series!



A great ad for this island.

I hope this crime drama hasn’t been bought by Chinese TV networks—it’s the island’s seclusion that gives it all its charm...

...

It was that same Spanish TV series "Hierro" that got me interested in this island. For me, it's still a platonic dream for now!! I’m *very* interested in your story—thanks so much.

...

Yes, this place is super photogenic! 😉

We’d been keeping the idea of going there in the back of our minds, and now that desire is partly fulfilled.

The inland roads are still closed, so we’re opting for a “discovering the southern part of the island” day.

Just before arriving at La Restinga, we make a little detour to the natural pools of Tacorón.



Driving beyond the viewpoint is prohibited, so we have to leave the car and finish on foot.



It’s only a kilometer, sure, but it’s quite a descent!

And what goes down must come up—tiring climb ahead...

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and enjoy the view!



We’re almost at sea level when a trail on the right catches my eye.



Despite a sign telling walkers to move along, we venture down...

The cliff seems to have collapsed—the red beach marked on MapsMe no longer exists.



We wisely turn back!

The pools of Tacorón haven’t suffered the same fate but look pretty gloomy in this rather dreary weather.









That climb worked up my appetite—shall we grab lunch in La Restinga?

This fishing village is the southernmost village in Spain. It's famous for its marine life, which attracts divers from all over the world.



Today, the village is sleepy, and the restaurant owner is waiting for customers.

We try the local specialty, limpets—*lapas* in the original language.



I’m not sure if the cook messed up the recipe or if it’s just not our thing, but I don’t really feel like giving it another try...

After finishing our coffee, we leave La Restinga without any regrets!

On the way back, the village of Taibique turns out to be much cuter.









That said, if you're into lively vibes, you won’t find what you're looking for here...

A few kilometers later, we stop at the Las Playas viewpoint.

The Parador looks tiny from this incredible vantage point!



Then we make a fatal mistake. Instead of hiking in the area, we decide to take our chances inland.



Who knows—maybe the HI400 is finally open?

Miles flying by, no barriers!



Yes!!!

But why is that municipal worker waving at us?

Trees have fallen a little further ahead and haven’t been cleared yet...

Goodbye El Sabinar, damn Thérèse!

A good hour lost, a bit of frustration in the vehicle, but serenity regained at the Mirador de Isora, located 800 meters above sea level.

Once again, what a breathtaking view!





While the sun is now shining here, the next viewpoint, Mirador de Jinama, is completely fogged in...

We’re on the other side of the island—explains it all...





We’re heading back now to pack our bags before dinner at a restaurant in Valverde.





Bon appétit! !

From what I understand, you guys couldn’t explore the center of the island at all (thanks a lot, Thérèse! 😠). Guess we’ll just have to go back 😉

In the end, it wasn’t so bad in Gran Canaria—the center was accessible, sometimes with long detours, but still doable 😏

The closed road serves quite a few spots on the island. It’s not necessarily in the heart of things, but you have to go through there to reach them.

So, we were really only able to explore the coastal areas of this island.

The difference with Gran Canaria is that there’s still quite a bit to see outside of what was closed.😛

Gran Canaria without the center doesn’t leave much...🤪

This trip will be a taste of El Hierro. We’ll definitely go back at the same time as we visit La Palma and La Gomera.🙂

(It’s not just in Gran Canaria and El Hierro that roads have been closed, preventing access to "must-see" sites. But we’ll get into that later...)

We chose the boat to leave El Hierro.

The crossing is scheduled for 2:00 PM, we have to return the car around noon, so we’ve got a few hours left for one last spin around the island.

I notice that all the roads seem to be open today.

Too late for El Sabinar, but why not head to Malpaso Peak, the highest point on El Hierro at 1,501 meters?

Good idea on paper, but that didn’t account for the weather...

Sunshine at sea level, fog in the mountains!

The road turns into a drivable track.



Despite the awful weather, we head up there.

It’d be wiser to park here—there’s a huge puddle ahead, and the summit isn’t far!



We soon walk up to the viewpoint.

The wind’s howling, it’s cold, and we can’t see a thing...





With a bit of luck, we would’ve admired this:

We still wait for long minutes, hoping for a very hypothetical break in the clouds.

No such luck...

Alright, let’s head back down!



The sun’s mocking us at La Escata port.

It’s even warm enough to have a picnic outside while waiting for the ferry to depart.



Fred Olsen’s catamaran is now docked.

It unloads its stream of vehicles and passengers, then it’s our turn to board.

There’s no shortage of seats—this crossing is almost empty.



We decide to sit in the front row.

Here we go!

Uhhh, it’s moving quite a bit, isn’t it?

A hostess advises us to move to the back and hands out paper bags to anyone who wants them...

Faces are pale, no one’s moving—take some motion sickness pills if you’re doing this crossing in rough seas!

La Gomera acts as a windbreak, and the sea calms down.

The coast of Tenerife and then the town of Los Cristianos come into view.

We’re happy to disembark and stretch our legs to the nearest bus stop for the airport.

For a few euros, the bus takes us there in just half an hour.

Since I’m the cautious type, we didn’t book a flight right after the ferry.

If we’re here, it’s to pick up a new rental car!

The key handover is quick, and we soon head toward the rented house.

Our base for the last two nights of this trip is up in the hills, a few kilometers from Granadilla de Abona.

Far from the hustle of beach resorts but close enough to one of the access roads to Teide!

It’s super cute, the owners are friendly—a great spot to recommend for those who like secluded places.



But, like in Gran Canaria, the nights turn out to be quite chilly.

Thérèse again, Thérèse always...

We settle in quickly and plan the next day.

The weather’s great, but the roads to Teide are still closed after the storm!

Well, we’re still thinking of hiking in Teide, and we’ll see tomorrow if it’s not possible!

Just a quick look at the sky—it’s all blue as expected!

A quick check on Tenerife’s road-info site, and all the access routes to Teide are red...

Maybe the info hasn’t updated yet?

We have a relaxed breakfast and get ready for the day.

Picnic in the bag? Sunscreen?

Okay, one last look at that cursed road-info site!

Phew! It’s green!

We rush toward the caldera for a volcanic day.

Teide is still dressed in white—what a contrast to our last visit at its base!

Just one more kilometer, and we should reach the Parador, where the hike I’d scoped out begins.



The Parador hasn’t moved, but there’s construction all over the area.

Half the parking spots are unusable.

The problem? We’re not the only ones who noticed the roads reopening after days of being blocked.

Everyone on the island—tourists and locals alike—must’ve been waiting for the moment they could finally see the snow-covered giant, and now it’s a free-for-all to park...

We soon have to face the facts: parking here is impossible.

We passed a parking lot about a kilometer back—it seemed way less crowded!

We won’t be able to do the hike we planned since it adds too much elevation and distance to an already long route, but we can consider a new option!

No sooner said than done—we find a small spot at the Mirador del Llano de Ucanca parking lot.

Good thing we rented a Fiat 500 and not a limo...

From here, we can easily access the hike around Los Roques de Garcia.

We’d already done this walk on our last trip, but when you can’t have thrushes...

I also remember we struggled a bit on the way back. How about we do it in the opposite direction this time? It’ll climb more gently!

Now I’ll let the photos do the talking...















As we get closer to Roque Cinchado, the crowd gets noticeably bigger.