Last year in December, I had a chance to travel to Tenerife for about a week. It’s my 3rd visit to this place, and I still find this place fascinating. I had no particular plans for this trip, so I just went with the flow and explored the island.
It was a great escape from the cold winter in Europe. The weather was perfect, I could enjoy the sunny days, travel around the island, take some photos and videos.
Montaña Amarilla
Montana Amarilla is a small mountain located south of Tenerife, near the Costa del Silencio. It’s a great place to visit if you want to see the exciting landscapes and admire the panoramic view of the ocean.
I got up early to arrive there before sunrise. The mountain is low, so it’s easy to climb it. The walk to the top took at most 10 minutes from the parking lot, and I managed to get there just in time for the sunrise.
The views were stunning. The sun rose from the ocean, and the sky was painted in a beautiful yellow haze. These unique colours were caused by “Calima” - a weather phenomenon that brings dust from the Sahara desert to the Canary Islands.
Everything was calm and peaceful. I’ve spent quite some time there, just sitting and admiring the view.
The inland scenery was also impressive, with lots of brown and yellow colours formed by ashes and volcanic formations.
For the trip, I’ve also got my DJI drone with me, and I’ve managed to capture some aerial shots from this place. The views from above were even more impressive, but making videos is not my strong side, so I’ll just stick to the photos for now.
The view of the ocean from above was stunning. The water was crystal clear, and the waves gently broke on the shore.
I walked a bit to the other side of the mountain and then down the beach, where I found some interesting rock formations with smooth, curved shapes and interesting textures.
Apparently, this place is also a nudist beach, so be aware of that if you’re planning to visit.
Mirador de Cherfe and Mirador de Masca
Both viewpoints are located on the road leading from Santiago del Teide to the village of Masca. The narrow and winding road is definitely not for the faint-hearted, but the views are worth it.
I arrived there in the early evening, planning to capture the sunset. Again, the views were stunning, and the light was fantastic. There was still a lot of Calima in the air, so the golden colours of the sky were even more intense.
I left my car at the parking and walked a bit up the hill, where I found a nice spot to set up my camera and tripod. The views were breathtaking, and I captured some unique shots.
On the back, I had an impressive view of El Teide, the island’s highest point. It was beautifully illuminated by the setting sun.
The haze removed details from the landscape, but the lines of each individual mountain were clearly visible. And everything was painted with the gold, yellow light of the setting sun.
It was quite a unique experience. I stayed there until the sun went down, admiring the view and taking photos. Flying the drone revealed another unique perspective of the place.
Mirador de la Centinela
I also started early the next day, trying to catch the sunrise at Mirador de la Centinela. The place is located south of the island, at the road TF-28, leading from Valle de San Lorenz to San Miguel.
There is a parking lot, an unfinished restaurant building, and a small hill with a 360-degree view of the area. The place felt abandoned and didn’t have a good vibe, so I only stayed there for a short time.
Unfortunately, I got there too late, and I missed the sunrise. The Calima was even more intense, and the sky was almost completely covered with the dust from the Sahara desert.
Mirador de Juan Evora
Following the roads towards the centre of the island, I climbed onto the caldera of el Teide and stopped at Mirador de Juan Evora. The place offers a great view of the volcano and the surrounding area.
From there, I went for a hike, following the trail along the edge of old lava flows. The landscape was unique, with a path leading through various volcanic formations and exposing fantastic views of the caldera’s walls.
My timing was perfect. The sun started to set behind the tall walls of the caldera, and the light was fantastic, highlighting the textures and colors of the rocks.
And for most of the time, I was the only person there. It was chill and peaceful, and I enjoyed walking there slowly, taking photos and admiring the views.
I was lucky enough to capture the sunset more than once during that day. First, the sun was just hiding behind the edges of the caldera.
Later, when I returned to the car I’ve got a second chance… and it was even better.
Golden sunset
This was the best sunset I’ve ever seen. The lights, the colours, everything was just perfect and unique. First, I almost rushed down because the sun was already behind the ridge, and only the lower part of the sky was still illuminated.
But then, a few minutes later, I stopped and took a moment to admire the views. The colours were changing, and the sky was painted with beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red, getting darker and darker every minute.
I’ve shot a few HDR photos and liked how they turned out. It was indeed a unique experience.
That evening, I also stayed until the night to try some of the astrophotography. The sky was clear, and the stars were shining bright. I’ve managed to capture some great shots of the night sky.
This is only one of the photos, but I’ve got a lot more, and I plan to write a separate story about the night sky in Tenerife.
Masca again
The next day, I decided to visit Masca again with the plan to hike down its famous gorge. Unfortunately, when I arrived there, I learned that the trail was closed and it’s only available on certain days, after booking a ticket in advance.
It was a bit disappointing, but since I was already there, I decided to continue along the road and explore other viewpoints that gave a great view of the gorge and the serpentine road leading to the village.
Mirador La Cruz de Hilda
Once I left the village of Masca and climbed up the road to the highest point, I reached the Mirador La Cruz de Hilda. The place offers a great view of the surroundings.
From there, I took a detour towards Morro de la Galera. The trail leads through some sharp but vertigo-inducing ridges and offers some gorgeous views on both sides.
I’ve got some great drone footage from this place, hopefully, I’ll be able to share it.
Mirador Altos de Baracán
After the hike, I continued along the road and stopped at Mirador Altos de Baracán. This was the last point separating the west side of the mountains. After that, the road descends towards the ocean on the island’s north side.
It was close to the sunset, so I decided to stay there and watch the sun go down. Unfortunately, it was a bit cloudy and looked like it would rain, so I didn’t get the best views.
On the way back, I decided to take a longer road through El Palmar and the northern side of the island to avoid driving back through the twists and turns of the Masca road. However, the other side was also challenging, and it took me until late in the night to get back to my stay.
The east coast
The next day, I decided to explore the island’s east coast. Travelling from south to north along the TF-1 highway, I’ve stopped at a few viewpoints and beaches, admiring the views of the ocean.
I’ve really enjoyed finding some hidden spots and small beaches along the way, like this rocky swimming spot at Punda del Poris in El Tablado.
One really unique find was this natural swimming pool at Punta Prieta. Since I came there off-season, no one was there, and I had the whole place for myself. The big waves were crashing on the rocks, flooding the pool with the fresh water from the ocean.
I jumped in there for a quick swim, and it was really refreshing.
Playa de las Teresitas
By the end of the day, I’d arrived at the Playa de las Teresitas beach. The beach was beautiful, with golden sand and clear blue water. Although the sand is not natural but imported from the Sahara desert, it’s still a great place to visit.
I even went for a swim, and the water wasn’t cold (it was December). After that, I stayed there until sunset, capturing some shots from the Mirador Playa de las Teresitas viewpoint.
In the background, you can see colourful houses of the San Andres village nestled on the side of the mountain.
After the sunset, I decided to drive back through the middle of the island and do more night sky photography. It was one of the best nights for that, and the photos turned out great.
I’ll share more photos from that night in my next photo story.
Playa de las Américas
I had a few hours to kill on the last day before my flight, so I visited the Playa de las Américas. The city was a bit too crowded for my taste, with many tourists and visitors. However, I still enjoyed the stroll along the beach and the promenade.
Past the main tourist area, I’ve found a nice spot to watch the windsurfers and kitesurfers. The wind was strong, and the waves were high, so it was a great show.
Summary
Overall, I had a great time in Tenerife. I highly recommend visiting it off-season, when the weather is still great, and the island has less tourist traffic. In the winter, the weather is still great, and it’s a fantastic escape from the gloomy weather in Europe.
