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  • TravelerTenerife
    1
    Day 8

    Heading back home

    February 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. Luckily for us, not right away when we wake up on our last day.
    Our flight back is only at 5PM, so we still have time to enjoy a nice breakfast and spend a couple of hours near the swimming pool.

    After lunch we pack our suitcases and slowly head out to the airport again. We say our goodbyes to Ann's parents who will be staying a little longer before returning to Belgium.

    We've truly had an amazing time in Tenerife and we will surely be returning! There are still some hikes on our bucket list, together with that stargazing.

    Thanks for reading and catch you on our next adventure.    Read more

  • TravelerTenerife
    Day 7

    Benijo

    February 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Our last full day on the island was going to be another amazing, but busy, day.
    We were still to discover Tenerife's vast and steep northern coast. A hike near the tiny village of Benijo was going to give us a perfect impression of this. The trail we had foreseen was about 6,5km long but could be extended to 15km which would also double the height difference for the hike.
    Today we've got the car for ourselves as Ann's parents decided to take a day rest and go for a Pétanque session.

    After breakfast we head out in the direction of the island's capital: Santa Cruz. We have to pass this city anyway, but are making a quick intermediate stop to schedule maintenance for the car. Turns out the only certified Volvo garage is in Santa Cruz. With the appointment set, we can continue our route towards the Anaga National Park. As soon as we enter the park, the hills and green surroundings pop-out. It's another windy road to the other side of the mountain range followed by a steep and curly descent to Benijo that lies just off the shoreline. The trail reviews are clear: parking area is limited and this is becoming a popular hike. We quickly discovered so ourselves as the little village is fully parked. The small roads barely leave enough room for two cars to pass and everyone is driving in, looking for a parking spot.
    We decide to drive back down to the beach 800m back on the road where we saw available parking spots. Only downside: that's 800m of twisting roads going up/down that's added to the hike.

    Shortly after noon we start our adventure and plan for the 6,5km hike. With an expected duration of about 2h, we will be back in time to go to the restaurant we booked the day before.
    Even from the car we were already blown away by the landscapes around us. The beginning of the hike was more amazement and provided some great photo opportunities for surfers on the rough sea.
    It's not too long into our journey that we reach the even smaller village of El Draguillo. Just a couple of houses make up this village and is almost completely cut off from the outside world. It's here where our trail takes its climb to the top. The path leads us up the mountain and for every stop we make to catch our breath, we're rewarded by a great view of the ocean. The village of El Draguillo is getting smaller and smaller.

    Glad we've reached the top. From now on, the trail follows along the mountain ridge and goes gradually back down. The scenery is baffling with pointy and steep mountains next to the powerful sea.
    We started the hike in the sun but towards the end of our hike rainclouds came looming over the mountain range. In front of us we see it raining and soon after we have to put on our rain jackets as well. Not too bad, we've enjoyed almost the entire hike in the sun.

    The ride back home was completely in the rain. The streets are soaked, and some parts slightly flooded. We quickly stop by the grocery store to not leave our hosts without anything to eat when we leave. When we arrive home there's just enough time to take a shower and go out for our last dinner: another Belgian restaurant. However, this time owned by a couple from Wallonia and specialised in the French kitchen. We've had another delicious meal.    Read more

  • TravelerTenerife
    Day 6

    Roques de garcia

    February 9, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    Today we want to take another shot at Mount Teide. The weather forecast has been monitored closely for the past days, but unfortunately the predictions change almost every day. In the morning the night sky will be clear, towards the evening things don't look so good anymore. We decide to just have a go and see. After all, it's very hard to judge the exact altitude of the cloud base. Anything below 2300m is fine, but anything above will block our view from the base camp.

    As we only plan our hiking trip towards the evening, we spend our morning at the pétanque fields. It's our time to shine and show what we're made of without too many bystanders. The pétanque fields are located next to the sea and provide therefore a very relaxing and beautiful environment.
    After a couple of games, we pack up and stop by another Belgian bistro in town. On the menu today: stoofvlees met frietjes, another typical Belgian dish. It's almost easier to find Belgian food here than typical Spanish ones.

    After a good meal and some groceries to make sandwiches in the evening we pack the car with warm clothes and set off.
    On the road we decide to add a quick stop to the viewpoint of Los Gigantes where we have an amazing view on the steep cliffs. One of the cliffs where we hiked on a few days ago. On the way up the Teide we pass through the tiny town of Tamaimo again. The windy road takes us quickly higher up and the temperature drops to about 4 degrees. Brrr!

    Unfortunately, the cloud layer seems to be just around 2300m where the start of our hike is. No sunny weather and a perfect scenario for sunset photos. With our jackets and sweaters, we start the loop hike of Roques de Garcia, a famous hike in the Teide National Park. The huge rocks are impressive and the desolate landscape brings a sense of serenity. Because it's almost evening we're almost alone on the trail. When we stop to catch our breath the complete silence is golden. Every now and then the clouds disperse and we get a clear view on the Teide crater.

    The rocky formations are in fact congealed magma underneath the surface of the volcano. Many years ago, the ground was much higher here, but due to erosion the soil washed away and the magma structures became visible.

    We finish our hike in daylight and take a warm cup of tea in the nearby Parador hotel. We take our time and enjoy the warmth before it quickly gets dark. Very dark. In the meantime we pray for the wind to blow away the last thin layer of clouds that remains above us.

    We head back to the car to eat our sandwiches and decide whether or not to stay any longer for the clouds to disappear. In the end we're down on our luck and drive back down without any star. We'll have to come back to this place one day!    Read more

  • TravelerTenerife
    Day 5

    Los Cristianos

    February 8, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Wednesday is pétanque day for Ann’s parents so we decided to sleep long and spend a the day with a relaxing hike to Los Cristianos which meant going over a little hill residing in between Palm Mar and Los Cristianos. The top of the hill provided a great view of Los Cristianos and we gently walked from the nature reserve into the crowded walkway near the beach. It didn’t take long to notice that this city has a much older population. After a while we left the avenue for another little hill: a small crater providing another nice view of Los Cristianos, but also Playa de las Americas.
    We finished our hike in the shopping street of Playa de las Americas but went home empty handed. Ann’s parents came by car to enjoy an evening stroll along the coastal avenue and to drive us back home. A welcome taxi after a trip of about 10km.
    In the evening we ate the leftovers from the gourmet, and just as before, it tasted magnificent.    Read more

  • TravelerTenerife
    Day 4

    Tamaimo

    February 7, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today we had ambitious plans: after a relaxing morning at home, we bought something to eat in the store across the road and headed to the west coast of the island: Tamaimo.
    The idea was to do a loop hike at Tamaimo and in the evening, just before sunset, drive up mount Teide to do a shorter hike and stay after sunset to watch the stars.

    The hike in Tamaimo turned out to be a lot heavier than anticipated. The trail starts with a hefty climb to the top of a mountain ridge. Near the top we had some slight rain showers which quickly turned the trail in muddy condition with slippery stones. Nevertheless, we saw amazing sights along the way and the view down to Los Gigantes is impressive.

    After the exhausting walk we decided to head back home instead of going up the mountain.
    A small Italian restaurant down the street proved to serve amazing pizzas! Mount Teide with its planned hike will be moved up in our schedule later this week.    Read more

  • TravelerTenerife
    Day 3

    Barranco del Infierno

    February 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    A morning with an alarm clock today as we booked a trip to the Barranco del Infierno.
    Not too far from Palm Mar, the town we call our home for this week, is Adeje where the trail starts. The Barranco del Infierno is one of Tenerife’s most popular hikes. A 6km out-and-back-trail takes you deep in a gorge. It’s only open up until 2PM and you have to make a reservation.
    We park the car and make our way to the trailhead. It’s a steep climb up the streets of the old Adeje town. We sign some papers and get a helmet. Due to the risk of falling stones a helmet is mandatory and towards the last part of the trail you are not allowed to make stops longer than 5 minutes. At the end of the gorge is a waterfall.
    We set off with a bunch of people who booked at the same time slot as us, but the group quickly splits up due to the different fitness levels. There are a lot of beautiful views and the further we go in, the steeper and more impressive it all gets. The waterfall at the end turned out to be more of a water stream than a true waterfall. Nevertheless, it's always nice to walk towards something.

    After this nice experience, we went to the general store to buy some meat and vegetables for a nice gourmet at home. To kick off the cosy evening we tested out Ann’s parents second favourite beach bar: Bahaia beach. It’s a fancier bar with again an amazing sunset view yet the cocktails and service is “more normal”. Less liberty with the alcohol proportions.
    After a tasty meal on the terrace we go satisfied to bed.    Read more

  • TravelerTenerife
    Day 2

    Candelaria and Abades

    February 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    The following morning we get a first taste of the “Belgian Invasion” of Tenerife. Upon waking up we’re welcomed by “pistolets” from a Belgian bakery in town. After the tasty breakfast we head out to Candelaria, a city a bit south of Santa Cruz known for its basilica and statues near the coast. Moreover, we’ve read that there would be an artisanal labour market on Sundays. Perfect!

    We stroll through the cosy city and admire the impressive statues and basilica at the coastline. Near the parking area we spot a huge miniature artwork of the city of Candelaria and the birth of Jesus Christ. It has an impressive amount of detail and some of the figures are even moving.
    Having no sight of the market yet, we look for more details online. Apparently, it should take place on the other side of the parking lot… alas, not today.

    On the way back to Palm Mar, we stop at Abades, nowadays a little white town home for many Germans. Just next to the new town are ruins from an older era when Tenerife was suffering from a high number of lepra infections. In order to prevent a further spread of the disease, an entire town was being constructed to quarantine the infected patients. Construction never finished as a cure was developed before. The unfinished buildings held up well against the test of time. It’s a very nice place for urban photography as there are also a lot of graffiti paintings on the walls. We walk through this desolate landscape and are impressed by the scale of it all. They really planned things big here. A good thing it never had to be put in use.
    Today, the whole area is owned by an Italian so nobody really knows how long it will last. Maybe one day all will have to make room for new hotels and apartments.

    In the evening we take the car to the neighbouring city of Los Cristianos for dinner at The Mongolian. An all-you-can-eat-restaurant where you select all you meat and vegetables in a bowl and hand them to a chef who cooks everything on one very big circular stove. Quite a show sometimes as they add flames every now and then.    Read more

  • TravelerTenerife
    Day 1

    Sunset beach bar

    February 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    It’s around noon when we take the bus to the airport for our flight to TFS.
    After a smooth flight we touchdown in the early evening at Tenerife. Ann’s parents are waiting for us at the arrivals terminal.
    We quickly drop off our bags at their apartment in Palm Mar, and decide to walk down to the beach to enjoy the sunset. Here we quickly get acquainted with one of their favourite beach bars. A tiny hut near a rocky beach, but with cool music and above all: an amazing view on the sunset. We enjoy a cocktail in which the bar keeper wasn’t very strict in alcohol proportions (in a good way) to celebrate our arrival and start of our holidays.
    In an attempt to slowly get accustomed to another culture, Ann’s parents cooked Vol au Vent for the evening. A quick stop at - what turned out the be a Belgian frituur - for French fries made the meal complete.
    The abundance of Belgian culture would prove very existent over the next few days.
    Nevertheless, a perfect way to start a vacation!    Read more

  • TravelerIJsland
    Day 19

    The travel itinerary

    September 22, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ ❄️ 0 °C

    Welcome,

    In September 2021 I traveled together with my girlfriend, Ann, to Iceland for a two week road trip across the country. In this blog I would like to take you along for the ride and share our experience. May it inspire you to one day visit this magnificent country.

    Travel planning

    After all the misery that COVID-19 brought into our lives, we dared to speak of holidays abroad in late spring 2021. The vaccination campaign was fully under way in Belgium and if all went according to plan, our government deemed international travel possible for the summer holidays. A bit precautious we decided to plan our trip in September. Firstly because we were a bit sceptical about the government's planning, secondly because travelling outside the touristic season is always a benefit. Not only financially, but especially when travelling to a country where you want to see nature... not tourists.
    On the downside does September brings more uncertainty for the weather and temperature. The latter in mind, we contacted various travel agencies to see if traveling to Iceland in September was still a good idea. Luckily all replies were very reassuring and we sat down at the drawing board to plan our trip.
    Normally I don't rely on travel agencies for planning trips, but because September is autumn in Iceland and winter is usually not far behind. This brought up some questions that needed answers from experts. For example: we really wanted to visit the highlands with a 4 wheel drive, but most of these routes close around this time. Whale watching tours are also one of Iceland's favorite tourist attractions. When registering for a tour we wanted to check if there was still a high chance of seeing them in September. Google is your friend, but sometimes it's better to not take too many risks.

    After a couple of weeks we finished our travel itinerary. It looked like this:

    Day 1: Keflavik airport to Reykjavik
    Pick up rental car + grocery shopping
    Day 2: Reykjavik to Vík
    Geyser Grýla, Gluggafoss, Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrafoss, Skógafoss, DC3 plane wreck, Dyrhólaey
    Day 3: Vík to Skaftafell National Park
    Hjörleifshöfði, Fjaðrárgljúfur, Svartifoss, Sjónarnýpa
    Day 4: Skaftafell to Kirkjubæjarklaustur
    Svínafellsjökull, Hangandifoss, Fjallsárlón, Jökulsárlón, Systrafoss, Kirkjugólf
    Day 5: Kirkjubæjarklaustur to Hrauneyjar (highlands)
    Landmannalaugar, Lakí, Eldgjá, Ófærufoss
    Day 6: Hrauneyjar to Mývatn
    Sprengisandur (F26), Aldeyjarfoss, Goðafoss, Mývatn Nature Baths
    Day 7: Mývatn area
    Dettifoss, Selfoss, Hafragilsfoss, Ásbyrgi, Hverir, Krafla (Víti), Hverfell, Dimmuborgir
    Day 8: Mývatn to Dalvik
    Vindbelgjarfjall, Akureyri
    Day 9: Dalvik to Sauðárkrókur
    Whale watching tour, Siglufjörður, Hofsós, Grettislaug
    Day 10: Sauðárkrókur to Laugarvatn (highlands)
    Kjölur (F35), Hveravellir, Kerlingarfjöll, Gullfoss, Geysir/Strokkur, Brúarfoss
    Day 11: Laugarvatn to Reykholt (highlands)
    Thingvellir, Kaldidalur (F550), Hraunfossar & Barnafoss, Deildartunguhver
    Day 12: Snaefellsnes peninsula
    Grábrók, Kirkjufell, Bæjarfoss, Skarðsvík, Djúpalónssandur, Hellnar, Búðir, Ytri-Tunga
    Day 13: Borgarnes to Reykjavik
    Glymur waterfall
    Day 14: Reykjavik

    As you may notice from the itinerary we planned for a pretty busy trip. After all, we didn't go to Iceland to sit in the sun on the beach. The overall route was obtained from the travel agency based on our requests (certain landmarks we wanted to visit). The final plan, as shown above, took quite some preparation and research to find out what was possible to do within a single day.

    Now that you're all prepped up about the journey we're going to take: let's go!    Read more

  • TravelerIJsland
    Day 15

    All fairy tales come to an end

    September 18, 2021 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    It’s still night when our alarm goes off. The reception desk of the hotel is open 24/7 and we can easily check-out. They don’t serve breakfast this early, but they’ve prepared a bag with about 8 little croissants for us and a cup of orange juice. Amazing! Because this is the only night where there’s a reasonable chance to see the northern lights, we check the website/forecast again when we leave. It should still be possible to see them, but the sky is partly clouded and in the city there’s definitely too much light pollution. Maybe once we’re on our way to the airport and we’re in the middle of nowhere.

    Once we’re on the highway the artificial light gets less, but unfortunately for us, this seems to be the only highway where they’ve placed street lighting on the entire highway. With the partly clouded sky we quickly give up any hope to see the northern lights and wonder how the volcano would look at night. It must simply be amazing to have that extra bit of glow and contrast of the lava in the pitch black dark. Not much later we get an impression of how amazing this must be: the sky in the distance has a red glow. Just like the sun is about to rise! How cool is this?! Even from the highway we’re still stunned by this volcano and mother nature.

    There’s no one at the car rental office at this time of day (or night) and we have to leave the keys in a box. Curious if we’ll hear anything from them about our beloved car we go to the airport. Fingers crossed they don’t find anything seriously wrong, or the sounds start coming back during a test drive.
    Spoiler alert: we didn’t hear from them, yet.
    When it’s time to board the aircraft the first daylight reaches the island. As dawn breaks, we leave this magnificent country behind us. We’re both sad it’s over, but truly grateful we look back on a trip full of amazing experiences and breath-taking views.

    I hope this blog may inspire you to one day visit Iceland. The title of this last blog post is not only a good music band, for me it’s also fitting for the country. The earth with all its contrast in colours and mountains. The elements of the weather of which wind is especially something to be prepared for. And last but not least, fire, of a never-ending looming danger beneath this island.

    Thank you for reading!    Read more

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