3 posts tagged with "spain"

Rural Park of Anaga view near the ocean.

There's also a Starbies on the promenade, perfect to sip on a Cold Brew while watching surfers just getting destroyed by the waves. Oh, bliss.

Surf's up! It was time for a much more longer trip, and the place we chose was Paradise. Tenerife does have a reputation. It's a go-to place for many Europeans, as it's not very far from home, it's warm, it's beautiful, and there's so much to do, from lying on the beach to hiking next to a volcano. Our hopes were higher than the volcano, honestly, and we were not prepared to be disappointed.

Las Americas & Los Cristianos​

We initially decided to book an airbnb in the Las Americas surfing and slow lifing part of Adeje, but unfortunately, the place turned out to be quite bad, and we moved out the next day. Not a very good start, but we eventually were over it, as we moved to a better apartment in the town next to Adeje, Los Cristianos. As a rule of thumb, make sure the accomodation has great and many reviews, otherwise there may be surprises, and, frankly, you don't want to stay in a dump while in Paradise.

Buenavista del Norte	Pine Forest on the road to Teide

Los Cristianos is a nice place to stay while in Tenerife. The weather is great, it has a few beaches, albeit quite standard city beaches. The more exotic ones are further away, we'll get to those in a minute. We found a nice Romanian owned coffee shop in town, Norio, which was great, even though there was no speciality coffee option. Too bad. However, for food options, well, oh my Lord. Just a few: Palmera for brunch, El Cine for fish and Sal Fina for Italian. What I liked a lot was the promenade along the beach, that stretches from Los Cristianos all the way to Las Americas. It's a great place to have a run during the morning, or a relaxing walk at dusk. There's also a Starbies on the promenade, perfect to sip a on Cold Brew while watching surfers just getting destroyed by the waves. Oh, bliss. Oh, probably important. Rent a car.

Now, I get it. The place is 100% for tourists, no doubt. Half of the UK was there, especially in the Las Americas part. But for good reason. When you just sit on the beach, or on the balcony, and just look into the distance at the landscape filled with picturesque mountains and cliffs, you realise that the place is really special, and you're suddenly happy you're there. I was for sure, and was terribly excited to discover some nature, which brings me to ...

Mount Guajara​

Was it a great idea to choose the Mount Guajara trail for a hiking session? Definitely. Was it so poorly planned that everything turned out to be on the edge? Also yes. At the end of the trip, I was exhausted, sunburned, out of water, the sun was setting and it became quite windy and cold. All worth it, and lessons were learned.

The Teide National Park is probably the number one spot in Tenerife, with a scenery so incredible you'd probably mistake it for Mars. It's really special. Right across the famous Teide volcano, there's another peak, not as high as the former, but definitely imposing: Mount Guajara. And, surprise, surprise, it has a hiking trail that starts from the Cañada Blanca, just off the main road. The trail itself is not easy. There's a lot of walking at the start, then the climbing begins steadily. The difficulty itself is not the climbing itself, but the steady pace you need to have in order to reach the peak in time, as well as come down the other part of the trail, that's more abrupt. It may be a better idea to do it the other way around, climb like hell and then steadily come down to the summit.

Mount Guajara Trail landscape	Teide Volcano

And there's the sun. Look, the landscape does look like you're on Mars, and there are no trees on Mars. No shade. Zero. Consequently, it would have been a great idea to pack enough sunspray, more water, and a cap. Apart from these minor inconveniences, the trail offers incredible views and it's enough challenging such that, when coming back to the car, you're filled with a refreshing sense of accomplishment and happiness. AllTrails was my hero and helped me not get lost, even though the trail itself is quite well marked physically.

And there's the main view, at the top. There are a couple of reasons to climb on top of Mount Guajara. Firstly, you can see Mount Teide very well from the top, and, well, everything else around you. It helped me trully appreciate the beauty of the Teide National Park. And secondly, Mount Guajara served as an astronomical observatory. I would assume that it's a great place to spend the evening and see the stars. All in all, even though the trail really makes you work for the views, I would say it's a must do if you're a hiking fan and plan to go to Tenerife. Just, pack accordingly, please.

Mirador Aguaide​

Chaning gears, but not the car, I chose as my next hike to be in the Anaga Natural Park, also a must see if you're spending time in Tenerife. It's on the opposite side of the island, and it takes a bit more than an hour to get there from Los Cristianos. Once I got there, the scenery changed abruptly yet again. No more Los Cristianos beach vibes, or mountain volcanoes on Mars. This time, I was deep into the Jumanji jungle, and it was just staggering! We parked the car at the Cruz del Carmen, a parking spot that served as the start of the trail, which was supposed to be a downhill hike all the way to Punta del Hidalgo. The parking place is convenient, although it lacks any security cameras, so don't forget to lock your car.

Since the trail was supposed to be quite long all the way to the end, I've decided to cut it short, at least to the Mirado Aguaide, especially because getting back was supposed to be much harder. Starting the trail, your usual vine forest trails, all dark, humid and full of mud. However, after about half an hour downhill into the forest, the trail cleared up, and the really beautiful scenery started to show itself. We were walking on the edge of the cliffs, with a deep valley to our left, and the cliffs were filled with trees, aloe vera as tall as trees and some picturesque houses scattered around. This view, combined with the gorgeous sun rays we cought, made the view so good that it was nothing short of perfection.

Cruz del Carmen Trail Landscape	Masca Landscape

We walked next to ravines, then some people's homes, then through a sheepfold, and eventually we reached the village of Chinamada. There, we took a 2 minutes break, before doing the last part of the hike, a 10 minute uphilll to the scenic spot, Mirador Aguaide, our destination. From here, we could just admire the jagged peaks of the Anaga, like a fortress against the vastness of the ocean. It was quite late and we had to get back, but the view was just intoxicating, and it made me feel so happy to be alive and be part of this beautfiul world. I'm lost for words, but really, if you're in Tenerife, I would definitely recommend going there, either from Carmen, or from Hidalgo, or just by car all the way to Chinamada, although I do believe the feeling is more potent after a few hours of breaking a sweat and enjoying the Anaga hilly landscape.

Life's a Beach​

Enough hiking (for now), let me tell you a thing or two about the beaches in Tenerife. Yes, the ones in the South are quite good to just relax, grab a coffee from Starbies, or two, go for surfing and whatnot. Los Cristianos or Duque ar really good, but it's not setting them apart in any way. Just your regular golden sand beach, close to the shopping center, a few palm trees here and there. Las Teresitas is probably more impressive, due to its size, so if you're planning to stay or take a trip to Santa Cruz, definitely check that out. I especially liked the fact that the water was quite warm, warm enough to go for a quick swim.

Bollullo Santa Ursula Trail Landscape	Benijo Black Sand Beach

On the other hand, I believe that Tenerife is actually more about natural beaches, and there are quite a few of them, especially those with black sand. Those are, indeed, quite special. We went to Bollullo, right next to Puerto de la Cruz, and it was a blast! Great scenery, perfect sand, beach bar up the coast, and a great sunset mix of colors that were perfect for taking pictures. Other great beaches we went to were Playa del Roque de las Bodegas and Playa de Benijo, but these are more up to the north, in the Anaga Park region. However, picture this. You just came back fron a hiking trip in Anaga, it's the afternoon, and you just throw your hiking shoes, crash on a beach with black sand and enjoy the calming sound of the waves.

More Trips and Hikes​

One nice hike we did was around the Plaja del Bollullo, in the Santa Ursula area, which was more like a walk overlooking the beaches. Until the walking stopped, and a full climbing session started, until we reached the Mirador a Santa Ana, with a great view over the area. Afterwards, it was time to enjoy the rest of the day on the Bollullo beach, which you probably guessed by now, it's my favorite. Another good hike we did is in Anaga, starting from Benijo and climbing to the Mirador Cabezo del Tejo. The landscape on that part of the Anaga is not as impressive as the one around Aguaide, but it was still worth to enjoy the Anaga cliffs embracing the ocean. All from an altitude of 900m.

Cabezo del Tejo Trail Landscape	Garachico

Last hike I will mention, which is more of a walk, is on the road to the Teide national park, as you're going from the South. This area is covered with pine trees, which, again is different from other areas of the island. And this is probably the most incredible part of Tenerife. It's not a big island, but there are so many different areas in terms of vegetaion and landscape, that you can easily forget that you're on the same island. Anyway, this walk is through a pine forest, which is split into 2 by a swathe of basalt, a kind reminder that the volcano is still active.

You probably think that all I did during the trip was hiking, but that's not really the case. We also went for day trips to different areas of the island, all of which I really recommend. Some worth mentioning are:

• Mount Teide by cable cart, it's really cool to be on top of the volcano.
• Masca Village, just make sure the driver is not the emotional kind, as the road is really challenging.
• El Rayo Buenavista Del Norte, perfect for a walk close to the ocean and taking pictures with unique landscapes.
• Garachico, which has a great restaurant, Silogia.
• Puerto de la Cruz, where I was introduced to the Zaperoco.

That's a Wrap​

Tenerife is probably one of my favorite places so far, along with the Algarve in Portugal, or New York. There's so much to do, and so much to see, and the weather is almost always great. Consequently, I've went there a second time last year, during the Christmas break, and I would still go there tomorrow if possible. I love it, it deserves the hype, I can't find much against it. As long as you rent a car, book an accomodation that has many good reviews and a great rating, and you make sure to keep your bags secure, the place is really nothing short of Paradise on Earth.

Mount Guajara Trail	Cruz del Carmen - Punta del Hidalgo Trail

Bollullo - Santa Ursula Trail	Benijo - Draguillo Trail

View over the lake in Parco del Rotiro.

If you think you know already the meaning of tasteful luxury, visit this place and reset your standards.

Today, damas y caballeros, we stay in beautiful Spain, but this time we leave the sunny South for Mardrid, the capital of football, culture and, well, Spain. It was a long time coming, and I was super excited to start 2024 travelling season with this one. I had high expectations, given the reviews I received from my friends, and, honestly, I was still amazed by what the city had to offer.

Royal Palace and Surroundings​

If you like your trips cultural, you're in the right place. We started the trip with the Royal Palace of Madrid, and, Dios mio, what a start. I've seen palaces and museum, and quite plenty, until that point, but the Royal Palace of Madrid exceeded my expectation by far. If you think you know already the meaning of tasteful luxury, visit this place and reset your standards. Every single piece of furniture, tapestry, design and artwork was exactly where it was supposed to be, and the level of detail for every single one of them was incredible, from engravings to finishing touches. They don't let you take pictures inside, and it's really a shame, as it's probably one of the most exquisite places you could feast your eyes upon.

Catedral de la Almueda	Room inside Royal Palace of Madrid

We left the palace exactly when it was closing time, so there was no more time left to visit the Almueda Cathedral unfortunately, but we did enjoy a very nice walk around Plaza de la Almeria, and took some pictures with Campo del Moro in the background. Quite close to the palace there's the Mercado de San Miguel, which is quite a great place to stop by for an hour or two and enjoy some empanadas and cervejas. Back to the hotel and ready for another day. We stayed at the Room Mate Alba Hotel, which is located in the city center, but in a very quiet area, and the hotel itself is quite nice. Between the Mercado and the hotel we passed through Plaza Mayor, which is another landmark worth checking out, given its surrounding buildings, coffee shops and vibrant atmosphere.

Prado Museum, El Rotiro Park, Food and Coffee​

Prado Museum is probably a must go if you're going to Madrid, and for good reason, since it boasts such a vast collection of art pieces from artists such as Francisco Goya and Diego Velazquez. You could spend a few days here without a doubt, but we also had some other places in mind so we were happy to be done in just a few hours. Outside, there's the beautiful park El Retiro, with its signature pond decorated with the colonnades of the Alfonso XII monument. It was a great walk to bask in the sun and forget that it's the middle of January for a few hours. Right next to the park there's also the botanical garden, which would have been a better pick in any other season, but we still enjoyed the impressive collection of bonsai trees.

Monument of Alfonso XII	Madrid Street at Dusk

After leaving the botanical garden we went for a stroll through the upscale Goya neighbourhood. It's nice over here. All buildings are very, very well maintained, and they are simply beautiful and elegant. The city is just amazing, I don't think I encountered anything that was either bad or at least "could be better". Maybe the coffee was not as great as in other places, but there were some coffee shops that were quite good, for instance the Norah Coffee & Brunch in Goya. Don't forget to try the sweets. Another great option is Pascal Specialty Coffee & Brunch, which was closer to the hotel, and features a brunch selection more on the healthy side. If the coffee could have been better, the food was actually amazing. Spain has great food, without a doubt, and other places we could recommend in Madrid are Los Porfiados, for a cozy dinner, or Fiaschetteria La Saletta, if you crave Italian. Other coffee options worth mentioning are Alchemy and Dale.

Santiago Bernabeu, Sorolla Museum and Gran Via​

I'm not much into football, but when I watch it's most probably a Real Madrid game, either in La Liga or Champions League. Visiting the Santiago Bernabeu was something I really wanted to do, especially now with the updates it received. From the outside it's quite a piece of art, I love the facade with its gray shiny blades. On the inside, well, it's huge there are lots of big screens everywhere and a retractable roof, letting you know that it's proudly representing the 21st century. We could not enter the locker rooms, which was quite a shame, but at least we saw the hall of trophies, and there are a lot of them. This team knows what winning is about.

Santiago Bernabeu Stadium	Gran Via

After we left the stadium we went back towards the city center by foot and we stopped at the Sorolla Museum on the way. It's actually the former house and studio of Joaquin Sorolla, who travelled throughout Spain in order to create a considerable collection of paintings. The art pieces inside the museum are organised in a timeline manner, so we could follow along his interests and favorite places as he aged, from his home city of Valencia, to the Spanish countryside and the capital of Madrid, where he was very passionate about his garden. The garden itself is a great place to relax on a bench, looking at the pond and enjoying the shade of the trees.

Sorolla Museum Garden	Sorolla Museum Interior

The last but not least landmark I would like to mention is the Gran Via, and I would not miss it especially during the night, when I believe it really shines. Both the buildings, the landmarks and the street itself are spoiled by huge amount of light and it's a great way to end the day with a stroll to the shops and just enjyoing the vibrant heart of this otherwise amazing city. It's trully a great city, and probably one of my favorites so far. It's amazingly beautiful, it does not seem to be that crowded, the people are friendly, the food is great, the weather is pleasant and there are so many things to do. I would definitely come back here one day, definitely on a Real Madrid match day. Looking forward, hasta luego!

View of Malaga from the Mirador de Gibralfaro.

Truth be told, I don't mind palm trees with Christmas lights. I could live with that.

Finally, the South of Spain. It took a while to get here, but here we are. It's December, sure, but not in Malaga though. Good thing I brought a couple of T-shirts, otherwise it would have been a tough time. Christmas decorations while the weather's so good is just out of this world. Truth be told, I don't mind palm trees with Christmas lights. I could live with that.

So far so good. It turned out that going to Malaga at the beginning of December is a great idea. That was the good part. The bad part was that also half of Spain thought it was a good idea, and the place was packed with visitors. I believe they also had a day off during the week we chose to visit, and everyone took advantage of it. Our apartment was in the center (Be Mate Malaga Centro, great place, check it out) and we had to park somewhere, but, really, there was absolutely no place to park a bicycle, yet alone a car. We finally found a payed multi level car park nearby, barely. Inside it, we found an empty spot on the last floor. Lucky us.

Malaga by Day​

I believed that using a rental car was the way to go, since we planned to visit at least some other town besides Malaga, but we did not leave the city eventually. However, the car was cheap to hire, and since I used it only to drive from the airport and back, I did not even bother to refuel. Anyway, we got to our apartment, super nice, way above what we got in Naples or Catania. Yes, it was a touch more expensive, but we got a lot for our money. Totally recommend the place, it was spacious, modernly furnished, right in the city center, but in a very quiet area.

Now the city itself. The historical city center is, I would say, a pretty standard Spanish city, and that's a very good thing. It's clean, it's very well maintained, the buildings are superb, and the amount of restaurants and coffee shops is insane. Spain does not offer the best coffee in the world, not even in the specialty coffee shops. It's not bad, by any means, but certainly not the best. On the other hand, the food, well, that's something else. From the standard brunch toasts, Benedicts and avocados to the seafood, meats and deserts, the food in Spain is just glorious. I think Portugal still tops it up, but Spain is definitely top 3 in my book. Definitely check out Next Level Specialty coffee, and you must, absolutely must, get the French Toast: toasted bread with cream, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and honey. Combined: magic.

Walkway to Alcazaba	Catedral de la Encarnacion

Obviously, there are some sights to absolutely deserve a visit. But just walking through the city center is pleasant enough, while going to the stores, getting ice cream, the usual stuff. As we strolled around, we got to the Catedral de la Encarnacion, which is Malaga's main church, and it's imposing both on the outside and on the inside. Definitely worth paying for the entrance. From there, the Alcazaba is just at "a stick throw" distance, and it's the main atraction of the city. For good reason, to be sure. The castle itself is very well preserved, and they are obviously very proud of their monument. And walking through the courtyards is a great experience, especially because of the many beautiful gardens and beautiful architecture. And, of course, the views over Malaga are simply gorgeous.

Right next to the Alcazaba there's the Gibralfaro Castle, and since we visited Alcazaba, we might as well do both simultaneously. Gibralfaro is not as special as the Alcazaba, but it has better views, especially from the Mirador de Gibralfaro. We could not see the Malagueta from there, due to the buildings around the Plaza de Toros. But we did, of course, enjoyed a great view over the stadium for the bullfighting shows.

Gibralfaro view to Malagueta	Alcazaba view to Malagueta

Another point of interest is the Malaga Museum, which definitely has a lot to offer. I found the painints from Moreno Villa particularly interesting, and there should be enough art for everybody. Actually, I think the Spanish museums are the best I visited so far, so if art is your thing, make Spain your priority. I enjoyed museums not only in Malaga, but also Barcelona, Madrid and Zaragoza. One thing that's actually a bit not so great is the fact that, when it's 15 minutes to closing time, they smiply kick you out, without any sign of politeness. It happened to us in Malaga and also in Madrid, and the fact that they insist for you to leave is just, well, not great. On the bright side though, once you exit the Malaga museum, there's a very nice terrace with palm trees that screams Instagram and Vice City, so we definitely took a few pics with the palm trees at dusk.

Malaga by night​

Remember the part when I mentioned half of Spain was in Malaga for the weekend? That was not immediately obvious by day, save for the parking situation. However, by night, it was a completely different story. The whole city center, from the Plaza del Constitution, all the way down the Marques de Larios and towards Malaga park, including it, was so crowded it was just impossible to move. It was quite scary at times since I was not used to these kinds of crowds, but apparently, in Spain, it's completely normal. Nobody was even remotely mad about the whole thing.

Every person in the crowd was happy, everyone was singing, there was a smile on each and everybody's face, and I realised just how happy people are over there. In lived in Bucharest and Prague all my life, and I am mostly used to seeing gloomy faces that were quick to snap and constantly one small second away from getting angry. And it felt good to see happiness, just randomly manifesting itself on the street.

Marques de Larios with Christmas Decorations	Historical Center Building

Probably the holiday also helped to create all this joie de vivre, and we were lucky enough to be in the city center when they blasted music through the speakers, along with a light show using the Christmas decorations. Everyone, obviously, knew the songs, so they were singing along. It was absolutely amazing, probably one of the best feelings I had for a moment, and I will always remember Malaga for that show and for how it made me feel.

One evening we also met with a couple of friends who happened to be around Malaga at that time, and we went for a walk towards the Malagueta and then back to the city center, where we went to a ramen place. I'm not a fan of the soup, but luckily they also served sushi, so it worked out well for me as well.

Since I am also watching games in La Liga from time to time, I know that Malaga has a very famous football team. Consequently, I could not leave before going for a walk to the La Rosaleda stadium. Sadly, it was already dark outside, and could not see much of the stadium, and since it was already evening, visiting it on the outside was not possible either. It did not seem to be as grand as the Bernabeu or the New Camp, but I was happy to see it anyway, as I'm also a fan of its name, La Rosaleda.

Wrapping up​

It was a very short trip, and I'm quite OK with the fact that we did not go other places we planned to, like the Caminito del Rey or Granada, but this leaves us with the opportunity to go back and make up for it. And, most probably, I will be back in Spain multiple times from now on, given its rich history, great Western architecture and Moorish influences, incredible museums, incredible food and good enough coffee. Next on the list was, obviously, Madrid, for a strong 2024 start in the travelling department.