The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
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cheeses, a raw juice station as well as omelettes cooked to order, you could graze for hours.
A trip to Tenerife calls for an excursion to the mighty Mount Teide, Spain’s highest peak at 12,190ft and also a volcano. It last erupted in 1909.
The best time to go is late afternoon once most of the tourists have left, then stick around for a prime spot to watch the sunset. We were above the clouds for a clear view as the sun began its descent in all its glory of reds, yellows and oranges – mesmerising.
As darkness started to settle, there were more stunning views in store as we arrived at Mount Teide’s own stargazing experience.
The astronomer guide had an amazing knowledge of the night sky – recounting the stories made up by the Ancient Greeks for the constellations and pointing out the Andromeda galaxy 2.5 million light years from Earth but still visible to the naked eye.
His telescope gave us views of moon craters, Jupiter and an amazing look at Saturn and its rings. For anyone who looks up at the stars with wonder, this is a mind-blowing experience.
The evening was topped off with the gastronomic delights of La Vendimia restaurant in Vilaflor, which at 4,539 ft is the highest town on the island.
The restaurant prides itself on using produce from its own garden and paired dishes perfectly with local wines.
Another memorable excursion on Tenerife is whale watching, and we headed down to Puerto Colon for a trip out to sea with Big Smile luxury charters. There were high hopes of spotting resident pilot whales or bottlenose dolphins from the luxury sailing boat.
And before long there were gasps of excitement when a fin was seen breaching waves not far off the bow. Then there was total silence on board as we witnessed a pod of whales playfully circling the boat.
Back on shore Besame Mucho fish restaurant by Troya beach, Playa de las Americas, is gorgeous if you like fresh seafood. To start we sampled squid rings, organic ripe tomatoes with a Canarian vinaigrette and black potato, followed by grilled sea bream and cheesecake to finish.
So step away from the crowds and try taking a path less travelled to discover the true wonders of Tenerife. You won’t regret it.
■ Flights to Tenerife are available from airports across the UK with British Airways, easyjet, Jet2, Ryanair, TUI and Vueling.
■ Rooms at the Hotel Laguna Nivaria in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, start at around £106 a night,
B&B. For details see lagunanivaria.com
■ Rooms at the Hotel GF Victoria in Costa Adeje, Tenerife, start at around £310 a night, B&B. See gfvictoria.com
■ For more information see webtenerife.co.uk