Tenerife: Santa Cruz (4/8)

My Tenerife adventure continues with this short post about the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz. It's also the joint capital of the Canary Islands. I was unaware joint capitals were even a thing until I researched Santa Cruz.

This city is home to 500k people and has a mix of culture that is not entirely Spanish or African. It's Canarian, loosely described as mostly Spanish with some Guanches influence. The Guanches are the first known human inhabitants of the Canary Islands, around 1000 years ago.

The issue with busy itineraries like the one I was adhering to in Tenerife, is the lack of time to observe and absorb the culture. I only had a week and change on the island and was more focused on capturing 360 video than exploring local customs. Some might think of this as a shame, but I love filming!

I love the process of exploring and finding the shots that I want to share. I love editing the clips together and then taking Katie on a virtual adventure, as we narrate the videos for others to enjoy. I also know that this will paint a picture of Tenerife that my future self will appreciate as well! Hopefully others appreciate what we're trying to do with our 360 vlogs as well!

That's not to say I wouldn’t have loved to learn more about the culture. But as we say, always leave something undone so you have a reason to return. And in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger… I'll be back.

The shopping and museums in Santa Cruz are a big reason tourists and islanders visit the capital. Neither enticed me there. I was going to see the architecture, principally the "Auditorio de Tenerife". This beautiful structure was built by Santiago Calatrava, the same man responsible for the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, as well as the Oculus World Trade Center in New York.

As you can see, this building is a work of art. It was simply incredible to walk around the auditorium and see the paintings on the rocks nearby of famous and mostly dead musicians. A stark reminder that even the greatest humans can't escape the ultimate fate.

The city didn't do too much for me but it was very much a flying visit. As I said earlier, I hope to return with my partner in crime and eat all the local delicacies. I barely ate out at all, favouring pack lunches. Part of the reason is cost, but also not having the excited and knowledgeable Katie whispering the culinary delights we have to try meant I missed out on the food. I'LL BE BACK.

Next week I'll tell you about a seaside town that impressed me with rock pools and grand plazas. For now, go watch our 360 video on Santa Cruz. We'll see you next week!

   

Tenerife: La Orotava (3/8)

I'm continuing my tales from Tenerife with a little bit about the town of La Orotava.

I remember getting back to my Uncle’s place after a long day of exploring and waxing lyrical about this town. There was something distinctive and prestigious about the feel of this town that seemed to permeate my time there.

Perhaps it was something to do with the history of writers and artists that have set up shop in La Orotava to create and explore their art in this island haven.

Perhaps it was the clash of this cultural epicentre with Tenerife’s extreme natural beauty.

Perhaps I just happened to be in a good mood due to a good night's sleep or having some food drugged by a friendly spiker…

Perhaps the town just emanates prestige… Who knows?

The big sights in this small town are the church, the main square, and some historic buildings. They were all beautiful in their own right and it was a welcome change to see some man-made beauty after already exploring Teide National Park and the mountainous region around Masca.

The architecture was fantastic to marvel at, especially against the backdrop of the non-man-made, natural beauty of Tenerife! I especially enjoyed my encounters with Dragon trees, which are huge and plentiful in this town.

If you’re close by, I’d take a few hours to check La Orotava out and explore the quaint streets.

As night fell on this town, I realised I was several hours from where I was staying and already worn out from a day of exploring. It was one of those realisations that makes you wonder why you ever leave your house… Or why they haven’t got round to inventing teleportation yet?

I kept myself awake by listening to obscene podcasts with fresh air blowing in my face while concentrating on the curvy mountain roads that made this such a driving challenge. It was a tough slog and I took refuge in the wise words of the many motivational speakers that I listen to on YouTube. This encouragement got me through, despite arriving back in a manic and unintelligible state.

Perhaps it was this mental state that had me singing La Orotava’s praises from the hilltops. The joy of being alive had transferred to the joy of seeing La Orotava.

Well that makes a bit more sense…

So enjoy the photos of the town and don’t forget to watch our 360 VR experience as well, to fully immerse yourself in this town. Ciao for now!

  

Tenerife: Masca and Punta de Teno (2/8)

Tenerife is a large island with a huge array of places to visit and things to see. Top of nearly every list though, is Masca -  a village nestled in a mountainous region. If you have a VR headset, you can explore Masca with Katie and me in our new style of 360 vlog.

Although Masca is delightful, the real sights to behold are on the drive to the village. There are countless miradors (viewpoints) and hairpin bends that get your blood pumping. The roads were pretty decent and I didn't understand all the internet rage about how scary they were. But maybe I just got lucky! Or maybe I am just used to narrow, winding roads now, after some of the crazy trips we've done in the last few years (Romania in particular springs to mind!)

That being said, I was in complete agreement with the internet about the views available on this drive. They are breathtaking.

It's an incredible feeling being in a car with a full tank of fuel and mountains to explore, with spectacular views being revealed around each corner.

Sometimes I forget that this isn't how the whole world lives. I forget how lucky I am to have engineered a lifestyle that means I am super accustomed to travelling regularly. But if you’re not careful, going on lots of holidays could easily become routine or even mundane… That's one reason why I love writing these blogs. It forces me to look at the world with fresh eyes and with the sense of wonder that a traveller ought to have. I also get to sit down and be grateful for everything that I have, and will experience.

I'm very grateful for Masca because this town and surrounding area was simply stunning and is a must see when you're exploring Tenerife in real life (or in VR!)

If you have a full day, then after seeing Masca, I recommend you drive to the western-most point of the island - Punta Teno.

You'll find a lighthouse along the beautiful, unspoilt coastline - home to a variety of trees and birds. The route to the lighthouse is closed on certain days so make sure you plan accordingly. I did not, but got lucky with my timings!

I don’t have too much else to say about this part of Tenerife so I'll leave you with photos and once again, a plug for our 360 VR experience.

Until next time.

Tenerife: Volcanoes and Teide National Park (1/8)

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, and I was lucky enough to visit in January and do a driving tour around the island. What made me even luckier was that I did it alone, away from the old “trouble and strife”.

You probably know by now how much I value alone time and solo travelling. Of course, and it should go without saying, I love travelling with my favourite travel buddy Katie, but there's something extra freeing and tranquil about a solo trip.

I love waking up and having only my own needs and desires to think about. I can truly do what I feel like doing. It's ultimate self-expression.

Note: I was staying at my uncle's apartment and my parents were also visiting, so I wasn’t alone the whole time…

Anyway, during this trip to Tenerife, I was on a mission! A mission that my family, who wanted a relaxing holiday, were not after.

I'd had a fun, relaxing, family Christmas and now wanted an island adventure with me and my car. I planned on pushing the rental vehicle to its limits, while capturing 360 video of all the wonderful sights I would be exploring.

As I'm sure you know, we're releasing weekly videos for virtual reality headsets, and we're tying these blog posts in with our releases. For our readers this means you can get closer than ever to our travels by using a headset (or watching on a phone/desktop) - all from the comfort of your pyjamas.

The first video in this new series, and this corresponding blog post are about volcanoes and Teide National Park, the premium sight on Tenerife.

There are over 300 volcanoes on the island, some of which have erupted in living memory, so there's a lot of cool things to see in this national park. The highlight (and highest point) is Mount Teide itself, at 3718m high. Getting there involves a cable car, and you need a permit to reach the very peak.

I did NOT have the permit so had to weasel my way in using an "alternative" rock climbing method to escape the wrath of the guards. Nothing and no-one could stop this adventurous SOB.

At the top, there was a distinct smell of sulphur (and not from my packed lunch, which of course included boiled eggs!) as well as a phenomenal panoramic view.

I did a lot of walking and got out of breath a few times, but didn't succumb to any altitude sickness like others have in the past.

Down from the peak, you can find all types of interesting terrain in the national park. The minerals from volcanic eruptions have left the soil incredibly fertile and I saw forests, lush green areas, and a host of hardened lava.

Lava has two distinctive types: Pahoehoe and Aa - these are Hawaiian names, as the majority of volcano research has been done there. I learnt a lot about volcanoes at an amazing tourist spot called Cueva del Viento - the cave of the wind.

An amazing Dutch tour guide took us on a three-hour adventure into caves that were formed by lava. These long tubes were created during an eruption many years ago and now there is a cave complex that is over 21km long. It's a remarkable place to visit, made all the better by the well trained staff and informative museum / waiting area.

And that's about it for today. Please watch, like, subscribe to our 360 video series - available on YouTube and a host of other places.

I'll leave you with the series trailer and a load of other photos I took of my breath-taking first stop on Tenerife. Ciao for now.

Pahoehoe Lava Rocks

Eggs

The poisonous spiders that ate the children in the 360 video.