Erasmus+ activities are not only about learning and self-development, but they are also about providing great opportunities to travel and have fun in a different country. Kathrina, Adriana, and Emanuela described the second weekend of the EuroAkademie group in Tenerife. Let’s see how they rocked it!
Tenerife and the Canarias offer a lot of amazing things you can do, we took advantage of different kinds of activities, e.g. some of us went to the small island of La Gomera. However, others visited the South of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, Las Teresitas, and Teide. The groups in which we did the activities were always different because some of us preferred to go in pairs or groups of up to seven people. Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun.
The South of Tenerife – Exploring Exciting Places
The south of Tenerife has beautiful landscapes, mountains, banana plantations, and beaches with fine sand in abundance. Playa de las Américas is an especially nice beach with clear water where you want to relax and enjoy your free time. While traveling to the South, we also saw Los Gigantes, which is a formation of huge rocks which stick out of the sea. You should not miss this site because they are really impressive, particularly, as you are able to see La Gomera, too.
Santa Cruz – A City with Fascinating Architecture
The capital of Tenerife is a city worth visiting. We went there by bus and one of the first things we did was to buy some souvenirs in El Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África, which is a huge building in which you can find traditional Canarian food, handmade jewelry, and flowers. We then went shopping in the city center and were able to enjoy the scenic views of the old houses as well as the beautiful architecture of Santa Cruz. We got the impression that Santa Cruz is quite similar to cities on the Spanish mainland. We also saw El Auditorio de Tenerife which is located next to the big port and, you could say, it welcomed us when we arrived at the bus station.
Las Teresitas – The Caribbean Place on Tenerife
Las Teresitas is an artificially-created beach with natural white sand from the Sahara. It was quiet when we visited but windy. The water was turquoise, and two piers protected this wonderful beach to prevent waves. There are many changing rooms at the location as well as trees to protect you from the sun, and restaurants and bars so that you feel comfortable. Moreover, you will feel safe because of the police presence. In the evenings, you can see how the beach is slowly covered by the shadow of the rocks. For this reason, it is recommended that you go there early in order to have enough time to enjoy the sun and the beauty of the beach.
Teide – Discovering the Highest Mountain in Spain
Some of us went to visit the Teide and La Orotava. The bus picked us up in front of the hotel in the early morning, and, during the tour, we were told the most important facts about Teide and La Orotava.
Our first stop was in La Orotava, a small town rich in history. A special building there is the La Casa de Los Balcones. Entry is free of charge, and you only have to pay if you would like to visit the museum. When you are in the inner yard, you see a lot of balconies, flowers, and birds. There are also some small shops where you can buy souvenirs like postcards, honey, traditional costumes, and wine, among other things. The atmosphere is fairly calm and the temperature is comfortable due to the house walls surrounding the inner yard.
We then went on to Teide. It is important to note that you are not allowed to go to the top of the mountain unless you have special permission. Nevertheless, we were able to stand at a height of up to 2400 meters. Since the bus driver wanted to give us the opportunity to take a lot of different pictures in various places, we paused at different heights of the mountain because the panorama and the landscape differs from place to place.
On the mountain, the scenery is quite similar to that of the lower part of the island, whereas, in the mid-part of the mountain, you will see conifers. The clouds were centered around there, thus, it was very cold. When we were able to move above the clouds though, the sun was shining brightly. The higher you go, the drier the landscape gets and you will notice a lot of rocks and bushes. We also had the chance to climb up some rocks and onto a ledge in order to have pretty awesome photos.
After a one-hour break, we slowly went back to Puerto de La Cruz. The bus driver chose another traveling route, so we were, therefore, able to see La Palma and the peak of the mountain of Gran Canaria. We then made one more stop to have a special photo break above the clouds. In the photos taken, you can see us standing on a platform with Pico del Teide and the clouds in the background. Afterward, we went back to the hotel.
In conclusion, we can say that every activity was worth it. Indeed, these were different but fascinating in their own way. Guided tours are great because you receive interesting information that you have never heard before. The cost-benefit ratio is satisfactory. However, should you be inclined, it would be great for to discover Tenerife on your own by renting a car. You are also able to go anywhere by bus.
written by Kathrina Goldbach, Adriana Ciobanu, Emanuela Pyrka.
