Storm in the Canary Islands (page 1 of 7)

15 days across Gran Canaria, El Hierro, and a dash of Tenerife under the storm Thérèse!

The planned itinerary will be slightly disrupted...

(The version without discussions is here)

My holiday highway isn’t the one of sunshine, but rather the one of winter snows. We’re setting off under the aptly named March showers, the kind that dust the A89’s mountain passes white.



Not enough to stop us from arriving on time at the airport parking lot!

The EasyJet flight to Gran Canaria is now ready for takeoff. We watch Lyon disappear little by little through the clouds.

A few short hours later, the Airbus lands gently on the runway, and passengers soon rush toward freedom.



It’s late afternoon, the sun plays peek-a-boo with the clouds, and we’ve gained about fifteen degrees. Everything went perfectly so far—maybe too perfectly...

Where’s the car rental office?

Well, right there... Just at the end of this massive line...

We’ll have to wait over an hour before filling out our contract.

But we’re not out of the woods yet.

In fact, we only get a voucher to pick up the car at the parking lot. Another 45 minutes will be needed to get the keys to the Ford...

Cicar operates on a tight schedule on Saturdays during peak hours. A car is returned, washed, and rented out again immediately to a new arrival.

I think it’s better to book the cheapest range. In that case, any type of vehicle can be given to the customer. One traveler had been waiting for three hours because he’d requested (and paid for) a specific model...

We leave the airport at night and get a little lost in the area looking for a supermarket. We’ve rented a house in the heart of the island, in a village with no shops, and whose only restaurant will certainly be closed by the time we arrive.

Finally, we load a few groceries into the trunk—let’s drive to our place!

Round and round we go, twisting and turning... The average speed takes a big hit. One hour, 40 kilometers—that’s daily life, or nearly, on the island...

Here’s the village! We need to turn into this alley! Luckily, it’s one-way...

Parking here is a bit like LEGO—don’t worry about the bodywork. No big deal, the car’s rented with no excess, all dents and scratches included.

We enter the house—the outside looks great!



The inside is cozy, but it turns out to be poorly suited to the (relative) rigors of the Canarian winter. We’re at altitude, and the nights are cold!

We crank up the electric heater, have a quick dinner, and retreat under the covers.

See you tomorrow for a little more warmth?

5:57 PM for Agnès, 5:24 PM for Muriel! The travel journal timing is perfect!

Okay, let’s try not to mix up our journals.

By the way, are there any discounts for VF members in the Canary Islands ?

Anyway, Thérèse is here too! Did you see Muriel?

No known discounts for Vfisters in the Canary Islands! (If I had to choose, I'd prefer one for Iceland... )

I arrived a week before Muriel in Gran Canaria. By the time she got there, I was about to fly off to El Hierro.

According to the locals, the winter of 2026 was the worst in 15 years. They’ve never seen anything like it! !

I beat you to it... by very little 😏 Anyway, we were luckier than you with Cicar...

Cicar seems to be a bit of a victim of its own success some days! 🤪

We didn’t have to wait on the other islands.

Their all-inclusive system is really flawless! No stress at all!

Ah, you're back! 🙂

We did indeed rent a house lost in the heart of the island in a village

The village isn’t worth mentioning?

Cicar seems to be a bit of a victim of its own success some days!

I rented from them too. Inexpensive and reliable, but yeah, we also had to wait quite a while to get the car.

Boarding now for the Canary Islands. Oh, right—I was already there with Muriel. For now, you two aren’t exactly selling us the dream. Thanks for your travel journal (and all the others)

For now, you two aren't exactly selling us the dream. Thanks for your travel journal (and all the others)

Seychelles, Mauritius, Canary Islands—the feedback here hasn’t all been glowing 😕 Have the islands lost their appeal? 🙂

This village doesn’t deserve to be mentioned?

It’s just an average village whose main draw is that it’s fairly close to various hikes.

It’s called Cueva Grande.

So far, you two aren’t exactly selling us the dream.

It’s true that trips disrupted by weather rarely do. 🤪

The final verdict will come at the end of the travel journal. 😉

The islands wouldn’t have a coast anymore?

I think climate change has shifted the travel weather game.

Or maybe I’m just unlucky!

Bad weather in the USA (March), in the Canary Islands (March), in southern Spain (March), not great in southern Portugal (March), but sunshine and a t-shirt in Brittany (March...)!

An island without sun is like a meal without cheese—something’s missing!

That said, I loved my two previous trips to the Canary Islands (Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura), which were in November. This destination wasn’t a default choice for me.

Bottom line: don’t go in March anymore!

Not in Brittany! 😄

In Thailand, the weather was pretty nice too.

We reluctantly slip out of the warm cocoon of our bed.

The atmosphere is decidedly chillier in the kitchen, and much damper on the terrace...

So, we have breakfast wrapped up in our fleeces, watching the rain trickle down from a hopelessly grey sky.

A quick check on a weather site reassures us about the next day.

Sunshine!

Should we book our access slots for the Roque Nublo trail? The morning slots are all taken, but there’s still space for the afternoon. Perfect!

In the meantime, what do we do today? It’s Sunday, market day in Teror. How about we head there?

Okay, but I spot a patch of blue sky toward the mountains. Let’s drive that way first before heading to the village!

We grab our K-ways and fleeces and drive toward Cruz de Tejeda. The Parador is shrouded in mist, just like the stunning view it’s famous for...

Still, we decide to climb a little higher and wait a few minutes.

It’s quite windy—maybe we can hope for a break in the clouds?

Luck smiles on us...





We enjoy the sunshine we’ve found as we head to the Pico de la Gorra viewpoint and then the Pinos de Gáldar one.



It’s still not scorching hot, but at least it’s bright now! !

Unfortunately, the clouds are now taking over again, and we arrive in Teror under a leaden sky.

The parking lots closest to the center are full, and the market seems to be quite popular.

We still manage to find a spot in a vacant lot that’s been turned into Sunday parking.

A few hundred steps later, the pedestrian street that forms the heart of the town opens up before us.



We stroll through it under a light Breton drizzle...

The street leads to a square where the village church stands tall.



It’s mass time, and the believers are out in force.



Though not as many as at the concert under the big top happening just behind.

Young and old alike are dancing—it’s a real party in Teror!

The market itself consists of a few stalls selling local products: cheeses, cold cuts, bread, fruits and vegetables, as well as the famous Teror sausage, served in sandwiches at every street corner.



Speaking of food, should we reserve a table at that restaurant with all the rave reviews?

The waiter tells us we’ll have to come back at one o’clock sharp and that the place operates on a first-come, first-served basis!

We take one last stroll through the stalls and return to the restaurant a little before the appointed time.





Luckily, there’s already a line, and we’ll be among the last to be seated for the first sitting!

The white wine isn’t bad, the Canarian potatoes are delicious, and the squid is cooked to perfection.

Only the octopus leaves the foodie in me wanting more.



Not because of the portion—it’s downright gargantuan—but because my taste buds weren’t exactly thrilled by the recipe...

delicious Canarian-style potatoes

The *papas*? Served with a spicy sauce? Damn, that’s good! On the other hand, my culinary memories pretty much stop there… well, it’s Spanish food but less varied.

We then left Teror for Arucas, a town of some importance famous for its neo-Gothic church built from black basalt.



All this reminds me of something...

Doesn’t it you?

While Teror was lively, here it’s a dull plain.





We didn’t linger here and headed straight for the ocean.

Our destination: Los Charcones De Bañaderos, huge natural pools completely deserted on this wintry day.

We were almost in Clermont-Ferrand, and now we’re almost in Saint-Malo...



Waves crash against the coastline, and the sky turns an ominous black.



I don’t mind this end-of-the-world vibe, but there’s no way I’d go swimming in these cold, turbulent waters!



After getting our fill of iodine, we returned to our lodging, where the terrace, jacuzzi, and lounge chairs would be of no use to us.

The radiators, on the other hand...

Maybe we should light the fireplace?

Yes, the wrinkled potatoes! 😉

We ate pretty well in the Canaries, at least in restaurants. In supermarkets, especially on El Hierro, the selection wasn’t great, and locals mostly bought the cheapest stuff. Things that fill you up but would make nutritionists and foodies scream (squared compacted cheese, reconstituted ham in the same shape... ).

Remember my feedback on Hawaii (especially Kauai) last year? I loved those islands so much! 🙂 Hope you remember since there were only a few readers and they’re all here 😏