the Canary Islands

The Canaries consist of 7 larger and 4 very small volcanic islands. They comprise a politically 'autonomous region' within Spain, belong geographically to Africa (but without dangerous animals, exotic diseases, etc.), and are culturally somewhat South American - linguistically, for example - with many connections in particular to Venezuela. Columbus started his great voyage of discovery from the Canaries. They are a 'bridge between the continents' of Europe, Africa, and South America.

According to legend, the Canaries are the remainder of the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis. The Romans considered the Canaries, the 'Isles of the Blessed', and the famous 19th-century explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt referred to the Canaries as the 'happy islands'.

Tenerife

The same time zone as Great Britain, i.e., 1 hour ahead of the European continent.

Tenerife, the largest and scenically most varied of the Canary Islands - a 'miniature continent', is renowned nowadays as the 'island of eternal spring' - where the beach beckons throughout the year. The climate is very pleasant - mild, warm, seldom hot, occasionally fresh, with little rain. At higher altitudes, however, the temperature is significantly lower, also with less sunshine. 'Here there is no autumn with leaden grey days in November, no wet and cold or even icy winter. Even summer remains, in contrast to the dry and hot countries of the Mediterranean [...] very tolerable and invigorating (DuMont Guide).

Surrounding Area

Lively coastal villages and towns - beautiful beaches with mostly black sand - secluded mountain villages - the capital Santa Cruz with important harbour - bizarre and wildly romantic mountainous regions - gorges, generally covered by vegetation, forged by torrents of water at the end of the last ice age. In the North as well as in the North West are largely bare mountainous regions connected by a chain of mountains, with the imposing high plateau 'Las Cañadas' at the foot of the Teide: the crater of the gigantic original volcano in which one can still see hardened streams of lava Slightly below that as well as further toward the North East, there are large pine forests, still further in the North East, near La Laguna, a forest of laurel trees.

Climate

In March, you can see the snow on top of the Teide from the Finca while people are bathing at the beach. If it is cloudy on the lower part of the island, it is possible to drive up the slope, through the clouds, and enjoy generally blue sky after all.

Due to the great variety of climatic conditions at different altitudes, Tenerife boasts a greater variety of vegetation than anywhere else.

And again and again fascinating views.

'Eternal spring' - that is especially characteristic of the coastal region in the evergreen North West of the island with the Orotava Valley - the largest mountain of Spain, the Teide (3718m), extinct volcano, in the background. The climate of the Orotava Valley is reputed to be particularly beneficial. When Humboldt first saw this valley, its beauty prompted him to fall to his knees and thank God.