Tenerife

Location: Tenerife, Atlantic Ocean.

Summary: A full island tour of Tenerife, exploring La Orotava, the Botanical Gardens, Puerto de la Cruz, and the island’s dramatic landscapes during a memorable day ashore.

Tenerife Island Tour from Santa Cruz.

Morning Arrival and a Change of Plans.

I woke up in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, ready for a full‑day excursion I had booked weeks earlier. The original 7½‑hour tour to Teide National Park was cancelled, as was the replacement I tried to book. Fortunately, Rosa and I managed to join another island tour, and despite the reshuffle, it turned into a fantastic day.

As usual, I was early. I grabbed a coffee at the Palatino Grand Bar before heading to the coach, where I sat for a good twenty minutes wondering if Rosa had changed her mind. Rosa eventually appeared, walking briskly from the ship, and we settled into the front seats with an excellent view as we set off toward Puerto de la Cruz.

Our guide was superb, full of knowledge about Tenerife’s history, culture, and landscapes, and our first stop was only a short drive from Santa Cruz.

La Orotava and the House of Balconies.

We began with a walk through La Orotava, a beautiful town with steep streets and traditional Canarian architecture. At the Town Hall, preparations for the Christmas Nativity Scene were already underway. From there, we continued uphill to the House of Balconies, built in 1632.

Inside, Rosa climbed the narrow spiral staircase while I explored the courtyard. As I admired the wooden balconies, I realised the soundtrack from Pirates of the Caribbean was playing, fitting, given the building looked like it belonged in the film.

After leaving the house, we walked a little further uphill to catch a view of Mount Teide rising in the distance. I then wandered around to the viewpoint behind the House of Eladia Machado, where the sea stretched out below and Teide towered above the horizon. Once everyone had finished exploring, we returned to the coach for our next stop.

La Orotava Botanical Gardens.

We were given only forty minutes to explore the Botanical Gardens, which wasn’t nearly enough for such a beautiful place. Rosa and I walked through the paths, surprised by how many of the plants weren’t native to Tenerife. Many had been brought from around the world decades ago, and I couldn’t help wondering what the original gardeners would think of the place now.

As we left, I turned to speak to Rosa and nearly jumped out of my skin when a “snake” appeared at head height from the undergrowth. After a moment of panic, I realised it was a stick. Thankfully, Rosa didn’t see my reaction, and if you ever meet her, please don’t mention it.

Puerto de la Cruz.

The coach dropped us near the beach in Puerto de la Cruz, giving us an hour to explore. We walked toward the saltwater pools, which looked inviting but were packed with people waiting to get in. Instead, we continued to the beach, where the black volcanic sand and crashing waves made for brilliant photos. Surfers rode the waves toward the pebble shore, and we stood watching them for a while.

We stopped for a drink at Cafetería La Coronela opposite Playa de Martiánez. Rosa ordered water, but the waiter misunderstood her Spanish and brought me a mint Mai Tai instead. With no time to correct the mistake, I drank it, and after a final look at the beach, we returned to the coach.

Before leaving, the guide realised we had one extra passenger, a man who had boarded the wrong coach entirely. He was politely removed, hopefully reunited with his actual group and his ship.

On the drive back, our guide continued sharing facts about the island. One highlight: banana plants only produce fruit once before dying, but new stalks grow each year, giving the illusion that the same plant keeps producing. As he put it, the “children, nieces, and nephews” of the original plant are the ones making the bananas.

Returning to the Costa Favolosa.

Back at the port, I tipped the guide and returned to my cabin for a shower and a short rest before dinner. That evening, I had a seafood salad, potato soup, and veal osso buco with mushroom sauce, saffron rice, gremolata, and lemon, a fancy name for veal, but an excellent dish. After walking so much during the day, I treated myself to all three desserts: hazelnut mousse, chocolate mousse with coffee cream and Grand Marnier ganache, and a milk chocolate mousse cake.

After dinner, I joined Rosa and Ann in the theatre, watching the dance show from the fifth floor. I didn’t like the higher viewpoint and will probably return to the lower levels with Gail, Mal, Dwight, and Tessa next time. We later met Gail in the Molière Bar, where the DJ started well but soon ruined 90s classics with unnecessary remixes.

Rosa left early, and after the show, Ann and I moved to the small bar next door for a drink before ending the night in the piano bar. When it closed, we finally headed back to our cabins.