The Fortunate Isles
Myths and legends speak of ‘The Fortunate Isles’, or ‘Isles of the Blessed’, lying somewhere in the Atlantic, enjoying a wonderful climate and bearing all manner of fruit. The rebel Roman general Sertorius planned to retire there, while Plutarch referred to them many times, though Pliny warned ‘these islands, however, are greatly annoyed by the putrefying bodies of monsters, which are constantly thrown up by the sea’. Maybe these scribes knew of the Canary Islands, or maybe they were drawing on older Phoenician or Carthaginian references. Some would even claim that the islands were the last remnants of Atlantis.
The Gaunches, often described as a ‘stone-age’ civilisation, settled on the Canary Islands well over 2000 years ago, and Cro-Magnon Man was there as early as 3000BC. No-one knows where the Guanches came from, but it seems likely that they arrived from North Africa in fleets of canoes. Although technologically primitive, their society was well-ordered, and they had a special regard for monumental rock-forms in the mountains.
The Guanches fiercely resisted the well-armed Spaniards during the 15th century Conquest of the islands, but one by one each island fell. Tenerife capitulated last of all, with the mighty volcano of El Teide grumbling throughout. Many Guanches were slaughtered or enslaved, but some entered into treaties, converted to Christianity and inter-married. They lost their land and freedom, but their blood flows in the veins of native Canarios.
The Canary Islands were visited by Christopher Columbus on his voyage of discovery in 1492. Subsequently they were used as stepping stones to the Americas, and many Canarios emigrated. The islands were exposed and not always defended with military might; they were subject to pirate raids, endured disputes with the Portuguese, were attacked by the British and suffered wavering economic fortunes.
There was constant rivalry between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, with the entire island group being governed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 1808, before Santa Cruz de Tenerife became the capital in 1822. In 1927 the Canary Islands were divided into two provinces – Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In the early 20th century the military governor of the Canary Islands, General Franco, launched a military coup from Tenerife. His subsequent victory in the infamous Civil War was followed by a long repressive dictatorship. The Canary Islands remained free of the worst strife of the war, but also became something of a backwater. It was largely as a result of Franco’s later policies that the Canary Islands were developed in the 1960s as a major destination for northern Europeans.
Since 1982 the islands have been an autonomous region and there have been calls for complete independence from Spain. The islanders regard themselves as ‘Canarios’ first and ‘Spanish’ second, though they are also fiercely loyal to their own particular islands, towns and villages.
Getting there
The most spectacular walking area on Tenerife, in the national park, has only one expensive hotel
There are plenty of direct flights to Tenerife, scheduled or charter, from a range of British and European airports. The hardest part is checking all the ‘deals’ to find an airport, operator, schedules and prices that suit. Most international flights land at Tenerife Sur, though a few land at Tenerife Norte.
Frequent, fast and cheap TITSA buses link Tenerife Sur with the bustling nearby resorts of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas, and some services also run to the capital city of Santa Cruz. From Tenerife Norte, regular buses run to Santa Cruz and the northern resort of Puerto de la Cruz.
The best time to visit Tenerife and enjoy its wealth of flowers is early in spring
When to go
Most people visit the Canary Islands in summer, but it is usually too hot for walking. Winter weather is often good, but on Tenerife expect some cloud cover and rain on the mid-slopes, as well as snow on the highest parts. Spring weather is sunny and clear; the vegetation is fresh and features an amazing wealth of flowers. Autumn weather is often good, but the vegetation often seems rather scorched after the summer.
Accommodation
Most visitors to the Canary Islands opt for a package deal, so they are tied to a single accommodation base in a faceless resort. This is far from ideal and a base in the ‘wrong’ place can make it difficult to get to and from walking routes. Out of season, walkers would have no problem turning up unannounced on the doorsteps of hotels and pensións and securing accommodation. It is also possible to take short self-catering lets with ease. Simply obtain an up-to-date accommodation list from a tourist information office as soon as you reach the island. Opportunities to camp are very limited; camping is not allowed in the national park, where there is only an expensive hotel. Wild camping is technically illegal, but it does take place.
Health and safety
There are no nasty diseases on the Canary Islands, or, at least, nothing you couldn’t contract at home. Water on Tenerife is either drawn from rainfall, or generated by the laurisilva cloud forests. It soaks into the ground, is filtered through thick beds of volcanic ash and emerges pure and clean, perfectly safe to drink. Desalinated seawater is also produced, which is perfectly safe to drink, though some people dislike the taste. Bottled water is available if you prefer, but buy it cheaply from supermarkets rather than at considerable expense from bars. There are no snakes, no stinging insects worse than honey-bees, and there are always warning signs near hives. Don’t annoy dogs and they won’t annoy you. Dogs that are likely to bite are nearly always tethered, so keep away.
Remember that the highest mountain on Tenerife, El Teide, rises to 3718m (12,198ft). This is higher than anything in mainland Spain, and high enough to cause altitude sickness. Visitors are warned of this when they use the teleférico for the ascent, and some people do react badly. The ‘cure’ is to descend immediately, which can be a problem when the teleférico is busy. Walkers who take the time to complete walks at ever-higher altitudes should have no problem building themselves up for a strenuous climb up El Teide.
In case of a medical emergency, dial 112 for an ambulance. In case of a non-emergency, Tenerife has hospitals, health centres (Centro de Salud) and chemists (Farmacia). If treatment is required, EU citizens should present their European Health Insurance Card, which may help to offset some costs.
Food and drink
Water abstraction and supply is a complicated process on Tenerife
Every town and most of the villages throughout the Canary Islands have bars. Most bars also double as cafés or restaurants, often serving tapas, which are often in glass cabinets, so you can point to the ones you want to eat. There are also shops, selling local and imported foodstuffs. Always make the effort to sample local fare, which is often interesting and very tasty. The availability of refreshments is mentioned on every walking trail, but bear in mind that opening hours are variable. Some shops take a very long lunch break, and not all businesses are open every day of the week. Some shops are closed all weekend, or at least half of Saturday and all of Sunday.
Language
Castilian Spanish is spoken throughout the Canary Islands, though in most resorts and large hotels there are English and German speakers. Those who travel to remote rural parts will need at least a few basic phrases of Spanish. Anyone with any proficiency in Spanish will quickly realise that the Canarios have their own accent and colloquialisms. For instance, the letter ‘s’ often vanishes from the middle or end of words, to be replaced by a gentle ‘h’, or even a completely soundless gap. ‘Los Cristianos’, for example, becomes ‘Loh Cri-tiano’.