Is this the Best Place to Live on Tenerife?

It’s funny how it’s so easy to take where you live for granted…and to forget what treasures exist on your doorstep.

Yesterday we made an impulsive trip (the sun was shining, inspiration wasn’t) to the ‘new’ Humboldt’s Mirador which is only a few minute’s drive away. The ‘new’ is an ironic ‘new’…you’ll see what I mean when you read Andy’s article in Tenerife Magazine.

As we sat in the better-than-a-good-British-summer warm February sunshine overlooking the La Orotava Valley and a snow clad Mount Teide we first tried to spot our house (somewhere in the middle of the picture). Then we sought out some of the special places surrounding us. Places that are quite unique in their own way and yet many remain unseen, or unvisited by most visitors to Tenerife.

Places like…

Abaco: A wine bar and live music venue in a Canarian mansion where visitors are welcomed by artistically arranged displays of more fruit than you’d find in the average supermarket.

Playa Bollullo: My favourite beach on Tenerife and a bit of a trek to get to which keeps it from being manicured and mainstream.

Lucas Maes: Simply one of the best restaurants on Tenerife where both the food and the décor is mouthwateringly delicious.

Los Rechazos, Pico Viejo & Bar Canario: Three excellent bar/cafes that are positively buzzing in the morning as everyone and their dog stops off at one of the trio for a morning coffee and snack before heading into work. One of the bars is also one of the few official outlets for buying CD Tenerife tickets – an added bonus.

And finally, the spot where the photo was taken; Humboldt’s Mirador. Possibly the best vista on Tenerife and that’s not just my opinion. Mr Humboldt and the Indiana Jones of his time, Richard Francis Burton both agree.

It’s pretty special to live in a location that has those on the doorstep.

p.s. Please, please, please ignore the typo in the picture…even if the best worker on Tenerife does actually own the cafes.

Win a Holiday in Lanzarote

Since Tenerife Magazine was launched, we’ve been lucky enough to be able to offer some great holidays as competition prizes. Not that the competition is in any way difficult to enter, all anyone has to do is to become a fan of Tenerife Magazine on Facebook.

Our competition this month is a beauty, a week’s holiday at the lovely Sands Beach Resort in Costa Teguise. Unfortunately I haven’t been to the resort myself and being involved with Tenerife Magazine, and therefore not eligible to enter the competition, that’s not likely to change in the near future.

Lanzarote is obviously a popular holiday destination – just check out the pictures of Sands Beach and tell me that the idea of cooling down in that lagoon doesn’t appeal – but something I learned recently was that it’s also a popular destination for athletes. I wasn’t surprised to learn that it was a favourite with surfers, kiteboarders and divers, but I had no idea that it was a top hot spot with professional runners as well.

It might seem odd that a Tenerife Magazine has a holiday in Lanzarote as a prize, but many people who live in the Canary Islands actually take holidays on other Canary Islands. Initially I thought that was a bit odd; almost like staying over at a neighbour’s house. However, the Canary Islands all have very different personalities and scenery, so a visit to another island can be like a visit to another country.

All of which means that it won’t just be Northern Europeans who are hoping to win Tenerife Magazine’s latest competition which closes on 2nd September, there will be a load of Canary Islanders with fingers crossed as well.

Whatever your nationality, good luck to all who enter.

Pirates Invade Tenerife – To Launch a New Radio Station

After a hectic day which involved photographing restaurants in the south of Tenerife and a Tenerife Magazine meeting with a whopping 20 point agenda which left us all a bit glassy eyed by the end of it, the road north looked very tempting.

But instead of heading away from the sunset, we headed into it and toward a lighthouse, overlooking the beach, which had been invaded by pirates. In this case it was the pirates of Tenerife’s newest radio station, Pirate FM who were holding their launch party at El Faro Chill Art Bar in San Eugenio.

Andy and Clare Harper from Pirate FM

We hooked up with Colin Kirby at Los Cristianos bus station and headed to the pirates’ lair. Like Andy, Colin had read the bit on the web which advised that black and white attire was the pirates’ order of the day (he was in black pants and white shirt – Andy had opted for the slightly less camarera look of white pants/black T-shirt).

The second you walk through El Faro’s doors, it’s easy to see why Pirate FM would want to invade it for the evening. El Faro (the lighthouse) occupies a commanding position overlooking Fañabe beach on one side and Puerto Colón’s marina the other. At around 8pm, the setting sun cast an exquisite light over the bar’s mock lighthouse and über stylish décor making it what must be one of the sexiest spots to enjoy a sunset glass of cava on Tenerife.

As Andy chatted to Paul Lennox from Crossley, Morfitt and Lennox (who are working in association with the station) and Colin sought out Clare Harper (head of marketing), I took the opportunity to wander round snapping a few shots before the sun pulled the bed covers completely over its head, whilst a mix of smooth blues and soft classic rock (Pirate FM’s key sound) added to a pleasantly chilled ambience.

Unfortunately some of the key people involved with the new radio station had fallen foul of the fickle whimsies of  the volcanic ash cloud and were stuck back in Blighty, so interviewing options were curtailed somewhat.

Still every ash cloud has a silver lining and all that, so instead Andy quizzed the DJ about his music and then we did

Super Cool Seating Area in El Faro

what the sign for El Faro suggests, we chilled-out and shot the pleasant May breeze with Joe Cawley and John Beckley for a while.

By 10-ish we decided to head for home, stopping for a few moments to listen to note-perfect guitar riffs from Soundchaser in the bar below (Note for diary – a return visit definitely on the cards)

I’ve got to say, I was quite seduced by that little spot between Fañabe and Puerto Colón, musically speaking. By the DJ in El Faro who set the sunset scene perfectly; the band doing a sound check for a reggae tribute taking place in the downstairs bar later and then by Soundchaser rocking the beach. All good professional stuff and not quite matching a lot of folks’ views of the south of Tenerife.

On our way home we dropped Colin off in Los Cristianos. As we waited at a traffic light we were exposed to another face of Tenerife south’s nightlife. In front of us about 15, let’s say ‘mature’, visitors were line dancing to the strains of Dolly Parton. Not my scene and a million miles away from the cool vibes in El Faro, but they were enjoying themselves.

You can say what you like about Tenerife, but you can’t deny that musically, and in numerous other ways as well, what it has to offer is about as diverse as you’ll find anywhere.

Golf On Tenerife – An Offer Golfers Can’t Refuse from Isla de Golf & Tenerife Magazine

Being Scottish I’m only too aware where the game of golf originated. Forget all that nonsense about the Romans or the Chinese hitting balls with sticks, we Scots were the ones who first took to trying to knock a ball down rabbit holes. Like so many of the other world-changing inventions we came up with, it was inspired.

Not only did you get to pass the time watching over the sheep with a diverting new game, if you got lucky you whacked a rabbit and sorted out the question of what to cook for dinner at the same time.

Despite spending many bored Saturday afternoons on the Rothesay putting greens, I never took to the game myself . I’ve never played a round of golf even though I was once invited to do so by the manager of the club where the Manchester United players spend some of their leisure time. Ironically I’ve ended up on Tenerife living almost on a golf course, albeit a nine hole one…and still I haven’t been tempted to pick up a club.

However, my former neighbour, Jesús, did give it a go and after that I hardly saw him again. He spent all his free time treading the fairways, or whatever the golfing term is, consumed by his new found passion for the game.

Anyway, when I heard what the latest competition prize for Tenerife Magazine was, I immediately thought of Jesús.

The chance to win three free rounds of golf on three different Isla de Golf courses (Buenavista Golf, Golf Costa Adeje, Golf las Americas, Golf del Sur and Tecina Golf) would have had him as excited as a kid let loose in a sweet shop.

It’s a damned good prize and someone’s going to get to see some of the most stunning views on Tenerife and even La Gomera (Tecina Golf) as well as getting to play their favourite sport for free.

And all anyone wanting to put themselves in the running to enjoy three rounds on some of the best golf course on Tenerife has to do, is become a fan of Tenerife Magazine on Facebook. It’s as simple as knocking a ball down a rabbit hole.

Competition closes 2nd June 2010

Who’d Like the Chance to Win a Free Holiday in Tenerife?

Los Gigantes Marina as the Sun starts to Set

Hit a button and you may be on your way to a sun-drenched holiday.  It really is as simple at that.

Over at Tenerife Magazine, WimPen leisure have very generously offered a week’s accommodation at their lovely El Marques resort in Los Gigantes as this month’s great prize.

All you have to do to enter the draw which takes place on the 2nd of April 2010 is to become a fan of Tenerife Magazine on Facebook.

So let’s just weigh this up for a moment before you go ahead and do something rash.

You can either become a fan of Tenerife Magazine and:

• Get to read original, interesting and up to the minute articles about Tenerife.
• Be automatically entered into a draw which might just end up with you prone on a sun-bed sipping a cocktail in the sunniest spot on Tenerife in the El Marques resort underneath the gaze of the stunning Los Gigantes cliffs as the sun sets behind La Gomera on the horizon.
• And then be automatically entered for other great prizes.

Or you could do nothing…and have none of the above.

It’s a simple choice really.

A Day in the Life of an Ex-Pat on Tenerife

Firstly, this might not be a typical day on Tenerife – there isn’t really such a thing for us – but neither is it untypical.

7.00am
It’s still dark when we drag ourselves out of bed. A shot of black coffee gives the brain cells a jolt and I turn from an unintelligible caveman into something resembling a human being. Whiskas purrs happily – he’s had his breakfast nearly two hours earlier than normal.

8.00am
We hit gridlock just outside Tacoronte. It’s like driving to work in Manchester. The traffic crawls all the way until the motorway opens into three lanes just past the north airport. A 20 minute journey takes 50 minutes.

An open air gymn at Las Caletillas

9.00am
We reach Las Caletillas in Candelaria and the smell of fresh bread from little bakeries is intoxicating. The sun is out and the only people about are Canarios of all ages running, power-walking or strolling gently listening to their iPods whilst kidding themselves they’re doing exercise. It’s got a nice atmosphere.

10.00am
We’ve got about 30 minutes in Los Abrigos to take photos and to check that restaurants haven’t changed etc. It’s only a small fishing village with good fish restaurants, so not a lot of ground to cover. I don’t find it particularly picturesque, although it’s got quite a nice harbour area. Still the sun’s shining and there’s one old guy mending fishing nets whilst five more watch – this is a typical Tenerife work scenario.

Los Abrigos - tranquil in the morning sun

11.00am
We meet Nikki from Tenerife Dogs in Los Cristianos and head to the Mestizo bar for a meeting with Colin Kirby and John Beckley to discuss how we’re going to continue our mission to make Tenerife Magazine the most interesting, original and best looking magazine on the island. This takes three hours and more black coffee than is good for us.

2.00pm
We haven’t eaten so we stop off at a little café where the music is jazzy cool and the lomo in the bocadillos chunky. A plan to also visit stockists of Island Drives is disappearing out of the window.

3.00pm
We’re in Chayofa, a residential area above Los Cristianos. Some parts are very green and picturesque and the area around the Finca del Arte is charming. But the cloud has descended over the whole area, draining colour from the scene – it isn’t looking at its best, but photos are required pronto.

5pm
Some more work in Playa de la Arena and a short meet up with another friend. By the time we head up the hill towards Santiago del Teide we’re flagging badly.

5.30pm
The Erjos Pools are bathed in late afternoon sunshine revealing that the pools, which were desert-dry after the fires a couple of years ago, aren’t actually pools anymore…but small lakes. Unfortunately we don’t have time to stop to take any piccies.

6.37pm
Reach home, have a quick check of email, jump in the shower, get changed, feed the cat and go out again.

7.30pm
Pick up Bob, a friend who spends three months in Puerto de la Cruz every year. It’s his last night before returning to the UK and we’d arranged to go to a restaurant where the garlic chicken was supposed to rival Adeje’s. All Bob knows is that it’s up a steep street and has big chimneys.

8pm
Thanks to some inspired navigation we find the restaurant Casa Francisco above La Victoria first time. We’re the only non-Canarios in the place.

Casa Francisco - By this point just about everyone else had left

8.15pm
The waiter is a mind reader – he tells us we want vino tinto before we ask and also that we want garlic chicken. We order a salad, morcilla and some croquetas de pescado as well. The mind reader bit turns out not to be so impressive – everyone is eating big plates of garlic chicken. It’s so good that Bob orders a second portion. The waiter fills up the carafe of wine without being asked.

1030pm
We’ve managed to munch our way through the mountain of food and ask for the bill, the waiter brings it – €39. As he hands over the bill, he brings another small carafe of wine on the house. It looks like we’re never going to get out of this place.

11.30pm
Shattered, we drop Bob off to party away his last night in Puerto and head home. We reach the car park at the same time as our taxi driver neighbour who, despite having lived for 6 months in the little casita which we pass daily, we’ve never actually said hello to. In the pitch darkness we introduce ourselves – he’s called Pierro and seems like a really nice bloke.

11.40pm
Stretch out on the sofa, ignore the cat at the window who has got a face like he’s sucked a lemon and turn on the telly to catch the last 20 minutes of ER before collapsing into bed hoping to sleep the sleep of the dead – which doesn’t actually happen because of the super strength coffee earlier.

Tenerife’s New Magazine is Free, Forest Friendly & has a Fantastic Competition

The competition accompanying the launch of Tenerife’s first online magazine,  Tenerife Magazine, is so good that a friend’s 20 year old nephew didn’t tell any of his friends, or even his family, about it in the hope that the fewer people who enter it, the better his chances of winning.

Anyone who becomes a fan of Tenerife Magazine on Facebook between now and the end of November automatically is entered into a draw to win a week’s accommodation for up to 4 people at the sun drenched Sands Beach Resort in Lanzarote.

Have a look at the picture and tell me that you don’t fancy the idea of reclining on those golden sands beside that crystal mini lagoon. Every time I imagine myself stretching out on the third sun lounger from the left I have to remind myself that as I’m involved with TM, I can’t enter the competition… damn.

We’ve been really excited by the launch of Tenerife Magazine for a number of reasons. One, we’re working alongside other people we’ve admired for a long time like author and travel writer Joe Cawley, freelance writer Colin Kirby, SEO expert and blogger Julie Hume and the man that anyone on Tenerife with a business should be breaking down his door to get advice from, John Beckley, director of Sorted Sites.

The other thing that excites us about Tenerife Magazine is that it’s Tenerife’s first English language online magazine and it’s completely independent. This means that opinions will be honest and no punches will be pulled when it comes to views, reviews or anything else for that matter. And all the articles will be 100% original with a strong experiential element; not something that can be taken for granted these days.

It’s also ecologically friendly. No squirrels’ houses were demolished, or trees hacked down to make paper for Tenerife Magazine, so that’s a nice little bonus.

Anyway, back to the competition. This is so ridiculously easy to enter that only someone with a mission to deny themselves pleasure in life wouldn’t bother.

Simply become a fan on Facebook and you could be on your way. Click here to find out more, check out the mag and enter the competition.