Islas Canarias

Pensión Cejas.

/ Setmeravelles / 2 Comments

I’ve stayed in a lot of places over the years, some of them good, some of them bad. I rarely take the time to do a shout out to them, but if they’re super good (or super bad, like a certain albergue in San Vicente de la Barquera), it’s worth the time to spread the word. Durante los años, me he alojado en varios sitios, algunos mejores que otros. No suelo escribir mucho sobre los sitios donde me duermo, pero si están super bien (o super malos, como un cierto albergue en San Vicente de la Barquera), vale la pena pasar el nombre de los sitios buenos.

Pensión Cejas in Santa Cruz de Tenerife welcomed me with the sort of hospitality I thought was gone in today’s world. I arrived to Santa Cruz quite tired from a 6:25 flight, and Carmen, the owner of the inn, was welcoming from the very beginning. She took the time to ask my interests and what attracted me to Tenerife. With her help, we devised a new and improved itinerary for my short visit to the island. Pensión Cejas en Santa Cruz de Tenerife me dieron un bienvenido que pensaba que ya no existía en el mundo de hoy en día. Llegué a Santa Cruz muy cansado después de un vuelo que salió a las 6.25. Carmen, la dueña de la pensión, era muy acogedora desde el principio. Tardó el tiempo para explicarme todo lo que había en Tenerife, escuchar que me interesaba y porque he venido a Tenerife. Con su ayuda, ya tenía un mejor itinerario durante mi visita corta a la isla. 

The guesthouse is simple but nice. It has seven rooms and two showers (and a third toilet). The garden adds live to the patio. The guesthouse opened in the 1940s and was renovated in 2015. La pensión es simple pero bonito. Ofrece siete habitaciónes, dos duchas y otro aseo. El jardín da mucha vida al patio interior. La pensión abrió en los años 1940 y el año pasado lo restauraron. 

It’s located about 5 minutes walking from the incredible Plaza España and 20 minutes from the bus depot. It’s not right quite in the centre of the actions, but very close to anything you ever need. Está ubicado a unos 5 minutos caminando desde la Plaza España increíble y a unos 20 minutos el intercambiador de guaguas (autobuses). No está en el centro de la ciudad pero está a lado y cerca a cualquier cosa que hace falta.

The best part is the hospitality of the owners. It was so nice to see that in 2016, people can still be so welcoming. Lo mejor es la hospitalidad de los dueños. Me alegro mucho ver que en 2016, la gente todavía sea tan acogedora. 

Carmen was the one who recommended Anaga Experience to me, which again, since I’m someone who shies away from guided tours, I have to say was magnificent. Carmen me recomendó Anaga Experience, que, otra vez, como alguien que no le gusta mucho las visitas guiadas, tengo que decir que era genial. 

For anyone travelling to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, be sure to stay at Pensión Cejas, and a guided tour from Anaga Experience is a great way to enhance what is sure to be a fantastic stay. Para cualquier persona que viaja a Santa Cruz de Tenerife, le recomendio alojarse en Pensión Cejas. Un guía de Anaga Experience es otra manera de disfrutar de una estancia fantástica en Tenerife.

No, I am not on their payroll! ¡No! No me pagan decir esas cosas! 

 

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Teide, Spain’s highest peak.

/ Setmeravelles / 12 Comments

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Spain’s highest mountain isn’t located in the Greatest Peninsula in the World. It’s actually located off the coast of Africa, 2000 kilometres from my home in Valencia. Mount Teide is 3718 metres (12,198 feet) tall and is considered an active volcano whose last eruption was in 1909 at the El Chinyero vent. It’s also a decade volcano due to its history of disruptive eruptions and proximity to populations such as Garachico and Puerto de la Cruz. El monte más alto de España no está ubicado en La Mejor Península del Mundo. Está ubicado cerca de la costa de África, a 2000 kilometros de mi casa en Valencia. Monte Teide es 3718 metros de altura y se considera un volcán activo. Su última erupción era en 1909 en El Chinyero. También se considera un “decade volcano” por su historia de erupciones explosivas y proximidad a poblaciones como Garachico y Puerto de la Cruz. 

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The nature park Teide gives its name to was high on my list of priorities for Tenerife, and on Friday, 16 September, I woke up to early to catch the 8:00 direct bus to Puerto de la Cruz so I could catch the 9.15 bus from Puerto de la Cruz to Teide.  La Parque Nacional de Teide era número uno en las cosas que quería ver en Tenerife, y el viernes, 16 de septiembre, me desperté pronto para coger el guagua/autobús directo a Puerto de la Cruz para coger otro guagua/autobús a las 9.15 que me llevó desde Puerto de la Cruz hasta Teide. 

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The second bus ride was rough, going up winding roads on the volcano. I remembered my visits to the Big Island of Hawaii and Kilauea, although the volcanos are different. It took a little over an hour to reach the teleférico (cable car) that goes close to the summit. It costs 27€ return/round trip. Since I was reliant on the bus, I reluctantly paid it instead of hiking. If you look in advance, there are 200 daily permits issued to climb to the very top. Be sure to look more than a week in advance, which is what I did, and I was out of luck. No permit for me! El  viaje en el segundo guagua/autobús era duro porque subió carreteras sinuosas del volcán. Me acordé de mis visitas a la Isla Grande de Hawaii y Kilauea, aunque los volcanes son diferentes. Tardó un poco más de una hora para llegar al teleférico que va casi hasta el cime. Un billete de ida/vuelta cuesta 27€. Como tenía que ir por autobús/guaguau, lo pagué en lugar de ir caminando. Si buscas con antelación, hay 200 permisos cada día para subir hasta el cima. Pero hay que buscar con más de una semana de antelación, como lo hice yo, y no tenía suerte. ¡No permiso para mi! 

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I did buy the ticket online so I would avoid the queues. I still had to wait a bit (my scheduled time was 11:20. I went up in the 11:40 teleférico.) Compré el billete de teleférico por internet para evitar las colas. Todavía tenía que esperar un rato (tenía un billete para las 11.20. Subí en el teleférico de 11.40). 

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There are other trails that lead from the upper part of the cable car. I walked awhile along number 12 and Pico Viejo. I didn’t go far, as the altitude was getting to me. The rest of the island was having a cloudy day, but Teide stopped the clouds. Being close to the equator and being so high meant that despite the wind, despite my Barcelona hoodie, despite my 30 proof sunscreen (50 proof for my face), I was getting red. I was hot and cold at the same time. Hay más senderos a la parte de arriba del teleférico. Caminé por los dos (#12 y Pico Viejo), aunque no caminé muy lejos como el altitud estaba afectándome. El resto de la isla estaba nublado, pero Teide paró los nubes. Estar cerca del ecuador y estar tan alto significa que aunque fui vestido en mi sudadera del Barça, que me puse crema solar de 30 y 50 por la cara, estaba poniéndome rojo. Tenía calor y frío a la misma vez. 

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I did manage an hour walking around these trails and admiring the fantastic views. Todavía caminé sobre una hora por estos senderas y disfrutando de las vistas fantásticas. 

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I grabbed an expensive bocadillo de jamón serrano, thankful my water bottle was still half full (or half empty, but let’s think positive!).  (Be warned. Food is super expensive there. I overheard Brits, who are more used to higher prices  than the Spanish, complaining about the inflated prices.) before heading on a hiking path to the parador, which took about an hour. I was feeling better and more adjusted to the altitude, but it also wasn’t as high, so more oxygen was getting to me. Para comer, me compré un bocadilo de jamón muy caro y estaba agradecido que mi botella de agua sigió medio lleno (o medio vació, pero ¡pensamos en positivo! He de avisaros. Comida en general es super caro allí. He escuchado británicos quejándose de los precios, y ellos están más acostumbrados a precios altos que los españoles. Después, cogí un sendero hasta el parador, que tardó sobre una hora. Ya me sentí mejor y estaba acostumbrándome a la altitud. Tampoco era tan alto, y había más oxigeno. 

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I love going to Paradores, which are old castles/buildings converted into fancy hotels. One day I will stay at one. Here, I just had a relaxing café con leche for 1.95€ (it was 3€ from the machine at the teleférico) and wrote in my travel journal. The bus back to Puerto de la Cruz was a nightmare as fog rolled in and the twists and turns got to me. Me encanta visitar los Paradores, que son castillos o edificios antiguos que se han convertido a hoteles con estilo. Un día me alojaré en uno. Aquí, me tomé un relaxing café con leche por sólo 1,95 (costó 3€ de la máquina del teleférico) y escribí en mi diario de viajes. El autobús/guagua a Puerto de la Cruz era una pesadilla auténtica como había niebla y la carretera sinuosa me afectó. 

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I went straight back to Santa Cruz de Tenerife to rest after an amazing day. Volví a Santa Cruz de Tenerife después de un día genial. 

Hike #23/40 of 2016
Date/Fecha: 16-September-2016
Kilometres hiked:  At least 6. 
Mountain: Teide
Difficulty: Moderate due to altitude

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Tenerife. 100% Life.

/ Setmeravelles / 5 Comments

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I finally made it. And after a long three years, I finally crossed off another Spanish province off my list, meaning I only have Ourense, Lugo, Zamora, Huesca and Albacete left to visit. Once I visit those provinces, I will have visited all 50 provinces in Spain. Por fin, lo he conseguido. Y después de tres años largos, por fin he tachado otra provincia española, que significa que solo me queda Ourense, Lugo, Zamora, Huesca y Albacete para visitar. Después de visitarlas, ya habrá visitado todas las 50 provincias españolas. 

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On Wednesday, Sept. 14, I caught a bus from Valencia to Barcelona. I had gotten a Ryan Air flight from Barcelona so I could cheaply fly to the north part of Tenerife, which interested me much more than the south full of beaches and tourists. It was actually cheaper, even with a night in Barcelona, to do that than fly Valencia to Tenerife North. Gotta love the airlines. Miércoles, el 14 de septiembre. Cogí un autobús de Valencia a Barcelona. He comprado un vuelo de Ryan Air desde Barcelona para poder volar barato a la parte norte de Tenerife, que me interesaba mucho más que la parte sur llena de playas y turistas. Era más barato, incluso con alojamiento en Barcelona, para hacer eso que volar desde Valencia a Tenerife Norte. Las compañías de avión. Que especiales son. 

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A night in Barcelona is always welcome, but too early on Thursday morning I made my way to El Prat to catch a 6: 25 a.m. flight. No incident, and I slept the entire flight. It was cold at Tenerife Norte, but the bus arrived after about 10 minutes to take me to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Una noche en Barcelona siempre está bienvenida, pero demasiado pronto por la madrugada el jueves tenía que ir a Barcelona Prat para coger un vuelo. Salió a las 6.25. Fui sin incidente, y dormí todo el vuelo. Hizo frío en Tenerife Norte, pero el autobús llegó después de unos 10 minutos para llevarme a Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 

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The capital city of Tenerife, Sta. Cruz de Tenerife, has a population of 206, 593 people (as of 2013), and is located at the south of the north coast. It’s most famous for its Carnival, which the government is pushing to make a UNESCO World Heritage site. Only the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is bigger. I had breakfast before heading to my pensión, Pensión Cejas (I am going to write more in depth about it later) to leave off my bags so I could explore easier. La capital de Tenerife, Sta. Cruz de Tenerife, tiene una población de 206.593 personas (2013) y está situado el sur de la costa norte. La ciudad es más conocida por sus Carnivales, que el gobierno quiere hacer Patrimonio de la Humanidad de UNESCO. Sólo los Carnivales de Rio son más grandes. Desayuné antes de ir a la Pensión Cejas, donde iba a dormir. Ya saldrá otra entrada sobre la Pensión Cejas. 

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The city is fantastic and not so touristy in the month of September. My favourite place was Plaza de España, which might be my favourite Plaza de España in the entire country. Another highlight was the Auditorio de Tenerife, designed by Calatrava and resembling the Sydney Opera House. La ciudad es fantástica y no tan turística en el mes de septiembre. Mi sitio preferido era la Plaza de España, que creo que es mi Plaza de España en todo de España. Otro sitio que me encantó era el Auditorio de Tenerife, que fue diseñado por Calatrava y es parecido a la Opera House de Sydney. 

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Thursday afternoon, I went to La Laguna by tram. San Cristóbal de La Laguna, population 150, 661, is considered the cultural capital of Canary Islands and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. I fell in love with the city. The clouds were quite grey, and a few drops of rain fell on me while there, but it didn’t spoil my time there at all. It was a bit chillier due to its higher altitude. Jueves por la tarde, fui a La Laguna por tranvía. San Cristóbal de La Laguna, población 150.661, se considera la capital cultural de las Islas Canarias y ha sido Patrimonio de la Humanidad desde 1999. Me encantó la ciudad. Los nubes eran bastante grises, y unas gotas de lluvia me cayeron cuando estaba allí, pero todavía me lo pasé bien allí. También hizo más fresquito allí por la altitud. 

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Friday was the big day. I visited the highest mountain in Spain, the active volcano Teide. At 3718 metres/12,198 feet, Teide rises high above the rest of the island. The volcano last erupted in 1909 and is a decade volcano and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s Spain’s most visited natural wonder and Europe’s most visited national park with 3 million annual visitors. I will dedicate a full entry to Teide as it so rightly deserves. Viernes era el día. Visité el monte más alta de España, el volcán activo Teide. Con sus 3718 metros, Teide domina la isla. La última erupción fue en 1909 y es un “volcán decada” y Patrimonio de la Humanidad. Es la maravilla natural más visitada de España y el parque nacional de Europa más visitado con 3 millones de visitantes cada año. Ya escribiré una entrada sobre Teide como lo merece. 

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Saturday was another big day (and yes, another full entry to come.)  I bit the bullet and went on a tour to the Anaga Mountains close to Santa Cruz. The Anagas were every bit as impressive as the more famous Teide. The northeast part of Tenerife is the oldest part of the island and a highlight of a trip there, at least to me. Anaga became a Biosphere Reserve in 2015. El sábado era otro día grande (y sí, otra entrada para escribir). Fui con un guía a los montes Anaga cerca de Sta. Cruz. Las Anagas era tan impresionantes como el Teide que es más famoso. El noreste de Tenerife es la parte más vieja de la isla y una de las partes más memorables de mi viaje. Anaga ha sido una reserva biosfera desde 2015. 

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Sunday I slept in a bit and caught a bus to Puerto de la Cruz to transfer to a bus to a small village, Garachico, population 5416, located 52 kilometres west of Santa Cruz (32 miles). The town, although attractive to tourists for its beautiful views and cobblestone streets, is very Spanish. The beaches are more volcanic debris and black sand than actual beaches, although there are a variety of natural pools from the Atlantic and a man-made swimming pool next to the ocean. The grey skies seemed to enhance the beauty and not detract.

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Por fin, el domingo no tenía que madrugar. Cogí un autobús a Puerto de la Cruz para coger otro bus a un pueblo, Garachico, población 5416, ubicado a 52 kilómetros de Santa Cruz. El pueblo, aunque atractivo para los turistas por sus vistas bonitas y calles adoquinadas, es muy español. Las playas son mejor dicho detritos volcánicos que playas reales, aunque hay piscinas naturales desde el Atlántico y una piscina humana a lado del océano. Los nubes han mejorado las vistas en mi opinión. 

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Monday was my last day, and after a long walk by the port, I caught the bus to the airport early to give me time to stop in one last village, Candelaria. Another beautiful village, and this time I was able to read a bit on the black-sand beach. Candelaria has a population of 25,140 (2010 figures) and is located 17 km (10 miles) south of Santa Cruz. The Virgin of Candelaria is the patron saint of the Canary Islands, and the Basilica is quite beautiful. While I was there, the town was experiencing a planned power outage, which meant most things were closed. I made the best of the situation. El lunes fue el último día, y después de un paseo por el puerto, cogí el autobus al aeropuerto pronto para tener tiempo de parar en un último pueblo, Candelaria. Otro pueblo bonito, y esta vez me dio tiempo (de reloj y de clima) leer en una playa de arena negra. Candelaria tiene una población de 25.140 (2010) y está ubicado a 17 kilómetros de Santa Cruz. La Virgen de Candelaria es la patrón de las Islas Canarias, y su Basílica es preciosa. Cuando estaba allí, se cortó la luz, y casi todas las tiendas y los bares estaban cerrados. Hice vodka limones de los limones y disfruté lo que pude. 

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While in the Canaries, I did try some of the typical food like papas arrugadas, which are like small, bite-sized baked potatoes with dipping sauce, arapas, a pita-bread like treat with meat inside and barriquito, a condensed milk, cinnamon, coffee and milk (and sometimes liqueur) treat. I never thought I would find a coffee that I liked better than my precious café con leche, but I did! Cuando estaba en las Canarias, probé la comida típica como papas arrugadas, o pequeñas patatas asadas con salsa, arapas, que son pan pita con carne y barriquito, un café con leche condensada, candela, y leche (y a veces licor). Nunca pensaba que iba a encontrar un café que me gusta más que mi café con leche, pero el barriquito está muy rico! 

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All in all, Tenerife was every bit as amazing as I hoped it would be. I know I need another trip there to see everything I wanted to see, but these five days were quite amazing and I am blessed to have had them. In the coming days, I’ll be writing about the excursions to Teide and Anaga, the amazing pensión I stayed at, and, of course, the SetMeravelles of Tenerife! Stay tuned! Al final, Tenerife fue tan increíble como esperaba. Sé que me hace falta otro viaje allí para ver todo que quiero ver, pero los cinco días que pasaba allí eran geniales y he tenido suerte para poder ir a Tenerife. En los días que viene, ya escribiré sobre las excursiones a Teide y Anaga, la pensión maja donde me alojé, y claro, ¡los SetMeravelles de Tenerife! ¡A continuación! 

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Gran Canaria. 25º Celsius Year Round.

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If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere right now, you’re most likely freezing. I mean, it’s 50ºF/10ºC in Bilbao as I’m writing this. Brrrrrrrr. (I know in Ohio it’s -19ºC which is too cold for me to try to figure out Fahrenheit.)  I figure right now would be the perfect time to write about Spain’s version of Hawaii, the Canary Islands. As I have only been to one of the islands (meaning one of the two provinces of this comunidad autónoma) , I’m going to write about that one…Gran Canaría in the province of Las Palmas.

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Located 100 km/62 miles off the coast of Africa, the Canary Islands (Las Islas Canarías) are indeed the Atlantic’s version of Hawaii as just like the Pacific paradise, these islands were formed by volcanos. They are an hour behind peninsular time and about a two-hour flight from the Greatest Peninsula in the World. The four biggest and most popular islands are Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. I had been dreaming about visiting the Canary Islands ever since my second trip to Hawaii at the age of 19 and learning about the twinned volcanic paradise. When the director of my study abroad program took off to the Canarias after study abroad time was over, I was ready to kick myself for not thinking that hey, the Canaries are part of Spain too. (I’m going to alternate between the English and Spanish spellings here, so I apologise/ze in advance. I’ve also been teaching the differences between American and British English this week, so bear with me if I feel the need to use more than one word/word. Oh, it’s the same!)

In 2010, I had a week between summer camps, so I found a cheap last-minute Ryan Air trip to Gran Canaria. I was only there for three days, and it was perhaps my laziest holiday/vacation ever. Most times, when I travel, I want to cram as much in as humanly possible without collapsing into those few days. This was a “less-is-more”. The camp was killing me, and I just wanted to stroll along the beach.

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I stayed in the capital Las Palmas, unaware that the south of the island was the more touristic place. I did take a day to go to the dunes of Maspalomas. These impressive dunes were formed from the winds of the Sahara, so in case I never make it to the Sahara, I can at least say I’ve been to these Dunes. These were my fave part of the island. I was a bit blah at all the tourism, though, and ended up being quite happy to stay in the less touristy capital. It may not be as impressive as the Playa del inglés, but I feel I had a better experience in Las Palmas than I would have in Maspalomas. The third day I spent just walking along the beach and swimming in the Atlantic. Upon my return, I immediately regretted not going to explore some of the impressive rock formations. But I got to see the sun set over the Atlantic, something many Americans wouldn’t think about (as they would see the sun RISE over the Atlantic and set over the Pacific instead.

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Being so green in my travels and having such a short time in this paradise, I missed out on what are really the Set Meravelles. But you live and learn.

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Maspalomas

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Maspalomas is the most touristy part of the island and the famous Playa del Inglés (Beach of the English man) is one of the most popular resorts in all of Spain. However, the most impressive part of Maspalomas are the dunes, which are a Reserva Natural Especial. The dunes are pretty impressive and were formed by sand blowing over from the Sahara, or so I hear. I can’t find the confirming source that I read in 2010. There is also a famous lighthouse. There are several “guiri gua guaus”, or buses full of tourists, that transport from here to the airport or the capital, Las Palmas.

 Las Palmas

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Las Palmas is the capital of the island and province of Las Palmas, co-capital of the comunidad autónoma, and is also the largest city in the Canary Islands and 9th largest in all of Spain at 383,000 habitants. The metropolitan area is over 700.00 people. The city was a stop on Christopher Columbus’ journeys to the Americas (which remember, he thought were the East Indies). It has four beaches and, at least to me, is more reminiscent of Puerto Rico than some parts of Spain.

Catedral de Santa Ana

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This photo is NOT the Cathedral, but I couldn’t find a good picture. This is the problem of waiting five years to write about a place! Anyway, the Cathedral of Santa Ana is an example of pointed architecture and was built in the 16-century. It’s one of the most famous and recognis/zed monuments of Las Palmas.

Arucas (Yet to be discovered)

Arucas is a small city of 36,000 habitants located on the north of the island. It’s claim to fame is a big botanical garden, La jardín de la Marquesa de Arucas, with over 500 plant species. There’s also San Juan Bautista Church.

El Roque Nublo y otros (Yet to be discovered)

El Roque Nublo is a volcanic rock (formed 4.5 million years ago) and the top is 1813 metres above sea level. There are many unique volcanic formations on the island (the famous Dedo de Dios was destroyed in 2005 in a tropical storm), and el Roque Nublo is one of them. It is one of the most famous natural parks in Spain.

Fuerteventura (Yet to be discovered)

Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Canary Islands but one of the lesser known ones (of the bigger islands). It’s a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve as of 2009. It’s the oldest of the islands and has black sand beaches.

Lanzarote (Yet to be discovered)

Lanzarote is the eastern most island and the fourth largest island. It is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It’s known for its beautiful beaches. It also has the Tunnel of Atlantis, the largest underwater volcanic tunnel in the world.