A warm-weather getaway to the island of eternal spring

Gloomy weather, the fog lurking around the Ljubljana Basin, and low temperatures in winter can prove to be an excellent incentive to go somewhere warm and visit one of the seven Canary Islands. My choice of the island of Tenerife was no coincidence, since I’d been hearing good things about it from several people. During winter, you can find affordable direct flights from Venice to their northern and southern airport. More than 40 years ago, the Tenerife North airport was the site of the worst accident in aviation history, killing 583 people. Due to an unfortunate turn of events, two passenger jets collided on the runway.

 

The island is located west of the coast of Morocco which is only about 300 km away; politically speaking, however, it forms an integral part of Spain and belongs to the European Union. For us, this is extremely convenient since we don't need to exchange currency or pay more to use a mobile phone. At the same time, the island is significantly closer to the equator, meaning that the days are warmer, longer and, above all, sunnier. When I visited the island this winter, we were pleasantly surprised by outside temperatures reaching over 25°C. If you're lucky like we were, the water will also be warm enough for you to take a swim.

 

 

 

 

The island is of volcanic origin, which is obvious at every step. An interesting activity is to climb the Teide volcano in the central part of the island: at 3,718 metres, it is also the highest peak of the Canary Islands and in all of Spain. It is located in the eponymous natural park which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The road will take you from the sea to the altitude of 2,356 metres; from there, a cable car will take you under the top of the volcano. The view of the picturesque landscape is quite fascinating for visitors. By strolling through it, you can admire the furrowed rock formations, patterns made by cooled lava, and other unusual forms and colours of igneous rocks. 

 

 

 

 

 

The landscape along this 80-kilometre-long island is extremely diverse: from the hilly hinterlands and the northern part covered with woods all the way through to southern semi-desert plains covered in drought-resistant plants. Tourists are often surprised by the extremely steep, yet well-maintained roads leading towards the centre of the island.

 

 

 

 

The southern part of the island is a low rainfall area with a lot of sunny days, visited by most tourists. In February, its beaches covered in black volcanic sand were an extremely pleasant spot for relaxing and spending days by the seashore. Much to my surprise, the beach in the capital city of Santa Cruz in the north of the island is covered in white sand, brought from the region of Western Sahara in 1973. 

 

 

 

 

 

So, where to go in the winter for a little warmth? The island of Tenerife is the correct answer. It will enchant you with wonderful nature excursions, excellent local cuisine offering mostly seafood, and evening strolls on long beaches. The Canary Islands prove that we don’t need to travel halfway around the world to visit a beautiful beach off-season.