BOOKING INFORMATION
February 18 - March 01, 2027
BOOK TOURDOWNLOAD PDF OF ITINERARY
*If the tour is SOLD OUT, please contact us to be added to the waitlist.
12 Days: Thursday, February 18 to Monday, March 1, 2027
A wonderful winter break on an archipelago blessed with a subtropical but dry climate, outstanding natural beauty, including exuberant vegetation as well as superb coastal, mountain, and desert landscapes, a rich history and culture, and excellent Spanish and Canarian food and wine! We stay in sea-view rooms in a fine 4-star/first-class hotel on Tenerife, the largest of the seven Canary Islands and one of Spain's most visited destinations, known for its diverse landscapes, ranging from volcanic peaks and pine forests to gentle green valleys and even spectacular coastal cliffs, but we will also explore another island, historic Gomera on a daytrip by fast ferry. Daily breakfast and buffet dinner, including wine! The tour is escorted by Jacques Pauwels, PhD, author of Beneath the Dust of Time (London, 2009), who will lecture on the history of the islands, their aboriginal inhabitants, the Guanches, and the role of the Canaries in the voyages of discoverers like Columbus.
Tour cost, based on double occupancy, from Toronto: $5,895. “Land only”: $4,350. Single room supplement: $$895 (limited availability).
February 18 - March 01, 2027
BOOK TOURDOWNLOAD PDF OF ITINERARY
*If the tour is SOLD OUT, please contact us to be added to the waitlist.
Evening departure from Toronto
International Airport to Tenerife on a non-stop flight with Air Canada. Dinner
and a light breakfast will be served on board.
Late-morning arrival at Tenerife
South Airport and transfer by private coach to Puerto de La Cruz, a historic coastal
town as well as popular resort, situated not in the overly touristy southern
part of the island but in the middle of the “banana belt” of the lush northern
shore of the island; Puerto de la Cruz is Tenerife’s original tourist
destination, a unique blend of traditional Canarian charm with modern seaside
amenities. En route, we will briefly visit the historically important seaside
town of Candelaria,
associated with the Guanches, the indigenous inhabitants of the Canary Islands
and featuring the archipelago’s most famous Catholic centre of pilgrimage,
devoted to the Virgin Mary. Arriving in Puerto de la Cruz, we check into the four-star/first-class
Hotel
H10 Tenerife Playa, magnificently located on the
waterfront and within walking distance of the old town; we will stay in rooms
with sea view and a buffet-style dinner will be included daily and will
include wine and other beverages. Free time to settle in, followed by our
first delicious buffet dinner. For overwhelmingly favourable customer reviews
of the hotel and its location, rooms, restaurant, swimming room and other
facilities, etc., see Tripadvisor.
Morning walking tour, focusing on the old town of Puerto
de la Cruz. Frequent stops will be made at lookout points along the
seafront promenade to view and photograph the rugged rocky coast and the
snow-capped Pico del Teide, a huge volcano, with 3,718 m the highest point in
the archipelago and indeed in all of Spain. Local attractions include Martianez Lake, a
complex of a man-made seawater lake and seven swimming pools surrounded by
vegetation and volcanic and open-air contemporary art designed by Canarian
architect César Manrique; Playa Jardin, “Garden Beach,” a black sandy beach;
the quaint old town and harbour district featuring 17th- and 18th-century
houses as well as street murals; historic San Telmo Chapel; and Castillo San
Felipe Fortress. The afternoon is free to explore the town on your own.
This morning is free to explore the local flea market, known as the Rastro,
featuring over 400 stalls selling antiques, clothes, books, crafts, and all
kinds of curiosities, and/or the Museum of Nature and Archaeology. In the
afternoon, leisurely visit to the Orotava
Acclimatization Garden, a lush botanical garden founded in 1788, boasting
over 4,000 species of exotic tropical and subtropical plants, and/or the Sitio Litre Orchid Gardens.
Full-day tour of scenic northern and northwestern Tenerife. Our
program will include frequent stops at for photo opportunities at viewpoints along
the coast and visits to the quaint town of Icod
de Los Vinos, famous for its particularly impressive (and very old)
specimen of the dragon tree, the only survivor of the archipelago’s original
flora, and Garachico,
Tenerife’s first seaport, dating back to the 14th century, featuring
the historic Castle of San Miguel as well as volcanic landscapes. Return to the hotel in time for dinner.
Morning excursion to Teide National Park, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most visited National Park in the Canary
Islands and all of Spain; with around 3 million visitors annually, it is second
only to Mt. Fuji in Japan! Teide was a sacred mountain to the aboriginal
inhabitants of the Canary Islands, like Mt Olympus was to the ancient Greeks.
(For more information, see the Wikipedia
info on Teide.) We will approach the mountain via La
Esperanza, with stops at Chipeque
viewpoint and the strange rock formations of Tarta del Teide,
and return via the picturesque mountain village of Aguamansa
and the historic town La
Orotava.
Full-day excursion to Tenerife’s historically most important towns: Santa Cruz,
the capital, where a highlight will be our visit to the Museum
of Archeology, featuring the famous Guanche
mummies, and La
laguna, a picturesque 15th-century town featuring fine churches and
monasteries, classified as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
Day at leisure in Puerto de la Cruz. An optional full-day
excursion (by fast ferry) will be offered to Gran Canaria, second largest island of the
archipelago, where our visit will focus on Las Palmas, the
island’s capital, with as highlights the impressive Cathedral and the historic House
of Columbus. This evening, opportunity to enjoy an optional Flamenco
show!
Full-day excursion (by ferry boat) to La Gomera, one of the smallest islands of the
Canary group, situated 35 km south-west of Tenerife, a distance covered by fast
ferry in about one hour. Our local sightseeing of the “magical island” will
include a drive through Garajonay
National Park, a rare example of “laurisilva,” the humid kind of subtropical
forest that covered almost all of Europe in the Tertiary Era, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, with stops at spectacular viewpoints and in quaint villages, a
demonstration of traditional
whistle-blowing, and lunch in a typical country restaurant. Afterwards
there will be some time to explore the island’s capital, San
Sebastian, with its memories of Columbus, who, having arrived from Spain,
took on supplies here before sailing on his 1492 voyage of discovery to the New
World, propelled by the prevailing northeast trade winds. Return to Puerto de la Cruz and our hotel.
Day at leisure. If you
like zoos, you may want to visit Loro Park, the self-proclaimed “best
modern zoo in the world,” a subtropical garden with an impressive collection of
animals, including parrots, monkeys, penguins, dolphins, and crocodiles!
Our final day in
Tenerife is entirely at leisure. However, an optional dolphin and whale watching
boat tour will be available, including transportation to/from the port of
Playa de las Americas, on the SW coast of Tenerife. The Atlantic waters between
western Tenerife and the island of La Gomera are home to giant sperm, minke,
white and blue whales as well as common, spotted, and bottlenose dolphins.
After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport and non-stop
return flight to Toronto, with Air Canada. Departure at 11:00AM, and arrival in
Toronto at 1:30 PM.
- Return airfare from Toronto to Tenerife, including all airport taxes, fuel surcharges, and security fees; - Accommodation, based on double occupancy, in a first-class/4-star hotel; the single room surcharge is $895; - Transfers and all visits and sightseeing as described in the itinerary; - Breakfast and dinner (both buffet-style) daily, with wine/water included, in the hotel in Tenerife as well as lunch on Day 9.
- All items of a personal nature; - Meals not indicated; - Travel Insurance, available upon request.
