Tenerife Magazine’s round up of some of the most interesting news stories of the week in Tenerife.

The theme for La Oratava’s Corpus Christi sand tapestry
The theme for the 2011 sand tapestry in La Orotava on 30th June will be ‘Dios nos entrega a su hijo Jesús` which loosely translated means ‘God gives us his son Jesus’. The incredible tapestry made from soil and sand from Las Cañadas del Teide traditionally features a religious theme but usually includes a contemporary slant which often delivers a surprisingly emotional impact. La Orotava council are applying to UNESCO for World Heritage status which, as anyone who has witnessed this very special celebration, is an accolade that is long overdue.

A busy summer scene for Tenerife
It’s just as well that Tenerife is blessed with numerous beaches of all shapes and sizes as space on them could be at a premium this summer. There are an estimated 400,000 more airline seats heading our way during the sizzling summer months than last year.

Parque Marítimo in Santa Cruz to reopen
Great news at last for the troubled renovation of Parque Marítimo in Santa Cruz. It looks like all systems are go and the swimming pool complex will reopen to the public in all its full glory on the 1st of June. It’s also good news for those sun-seeking cruise passengers arriving at the port who once again will be able to bask in the capital’s sunny weather without having to spend precious time catching a bus or taxi to Playa las Teresitas.

Keeping cosy in La Laguna bus station
La Laguna isn’t exactly the warmest place on Tenerife to begin with and waiting for the guagua at the bus station is like braving the Siberian wastelands in winter wearing shorts and a T-shirt. That might sound like an exaggeration until you know that Manuel Ortega, general co-ordinator of Tenerife’s transport department, suggested that it was easier to catch flu inside the station than outside it and that waiting there could be fatal for children and old people (admittedly he might have meant the Spanish meaning rather than it was likely to kill you…but who knows). Apparently the culprits are the electronic doors which are positioned in such a place that every time they open (every other second) icy blasts of cold air grab the opportunity to rush in and harass travellers. To rectify the problem which has had passengers up in goose-pimpled arms, the offending doors will be replaced by swivel doors to keep the cool winds at bay.

The wrath of Ben Magec
The filming of Wrath of the Titans, the follow up to Clash of the Titans, has come in for criticism from Canarian ecologist group Ben Magec for potentially disrupting the breeding patterns of the endangered fish eagle (aka osprey and guincho). Filming is currently taking place in the Teno region of Tenerife where the island’s few eagles live and breed. Apparently ‘many’ people have asked Tenerife’s Government and the film production company not to go ahead with shooting scenes in that area and an online petition has been set up to call a halt to the titans in Teno. It may be an admirable cause but Ben Magec’s site is missing the sort of detail that helps readers make an informed decision about how real the threat is. For all we know it might come from the fact that Mrs Eagle is too busy watching Sam Worthington in a leather skirt to get involved in a bit of love action with Mr Eagle.

The warmest April since 1950
Spanish Meteorological Agency AEMET have said that April 2011 was the warmest since 1950; a fact that might surprise some visitors to the south of Tenerife during that month. However, although the weather was warmer (by 4C in Spain, but only 1C in the Canary Islands) and rainfall was close to average figures, in actuality rainfall in southern parts was substantially higher than average (up to three times as much in the Canary Islands) whilst in northern areas it was lower.

Santa Cruz Tourist Bus
The Canarian Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs aren’t happy with the route that the city’s new tourist bus follows as it doesn’t stop at enough shopping areas. They want the route to be changed so that it includes more commercial areas. Maybe we’re missing the point here but we thought the idea of the tourist bus was to show visitors the cultural and scenic highlights of Santa Cruz and not the best place to pick up a little black number for the dinner dance on board their cruise.

And finally the TIT (This Is Tenerife) of the week award goes to…Icod de los Vino and environmentally friendly concrete.
Icod de los Vinos claims that it will have the most ecologically friendly avenue in the Canary Islands…by covering Avenida Chincanayros in concrete. However, apparently this is special concrete called Ecogranic which also goes by the name ‘green concrete’ because it possesses ‘special qualities’ that neutralises pollutants and emissions from cars by up to 56%.
Incredibly one of the selling points pushed by the company that created Ecogranic is that if you covered a football ground with this concrete it would eliminate the contaminates produced by 4000 cars over the course of a year. It’s a horrifying thought but Ecogranic sounds as though it really could give politicians licence to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Here’s another suggestion for a green and ecologically friendly avenue – pedestrianise and use more grass and trees.

1. Teide National Park – if the only place you’ve seen Mount Teide is through the window of your aircraft as you arrive and depart the island, then you’re missing one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth.

2. Masca – whatever you’ve read in the brochures or heard from the tour reps, it still won’t prepare you for the wow factor you’ll experience as you enter this lost paradise nestling  amongst colossal peaks on the edge of the world.

3. Garachico – the little town that fought its way out from under a volcanic eruption to provide amazing rock pools where you can swim with tropical fish, the prettiest plaza on Tenerife and more picturesque scenes than you can point a camera at.

4. La Orotava – stretch the thigh muscles on a stroll around Tenerife’s most aristocratic town to uncover stunning island architecture, beautiful parks and gardens and excellent souvenir shopping in the town that gives us streets paved with petals.

5. Candelaria – the spiritual heart of the Canary Islands, pilgrims travel on foot and on their knees to worship at the feet of the Black Madonna. Luckily, buses also run from all over the island to transport you to the bronze icons of a forgotten era.

6. Santa Cruz – When its streets aren’t filled with the semi-naked women, drag queens and Maquinería bands of Carnaval, they’re home to museums, art galleries, splendid architecture and pretty plazas spread around the island’s best shopping and bordering a busy cruise liner port.

7. Santiago del Teide – travel into the rural heartland for a Tenerife a million miles away from its popular travel brochure image. Riding stables, picnics under the eucalyptus trees, a beautifully restored country house and unspoilt beauty await.

8. La Laguna – pack an umbrella and goad the rain gods with a trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tenerife’s former capital city. Beautifully restored mansions and monasteries span five centuries and they have one of the best farmer’s markets on the island.

9. Icod de los Vinos – with a pedestrianised street lined with pavement cafes and boutiques, a splendid church square and a butterfly farm, there’s more to Icod than just dragon trees, volcanic tubes and Jackass antics.

10. Vilaflor – climb up into the pine forest where thermal spas and fir trees create a landscape more akin to an alpine village than Spain’s highest, and try to resist the urge to yodel.

How dark is dark? I was about to find out as I opened my eyes deep below Icod de Los Vinos sitting on a lava ledge that was formed 27,000 years ago when molten lava was spewing from Pico Viejo in north Tenerife. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face let alone the other 15 explorers on this organised tour of Cueva del Viento. A minute into this experiment we switched on our helmet lights and appeared again among the flickering shadows in the Cave of the Wind.

The entrance cave was positively roomy compared to the three layers of volcanic tubes that cover 17 kms making them the longest in Europe. An unfortunate old lady had rediscovered these tunnels 90 years ago when she fell down a chasm and needed rescuing. The lush green undergrowth above gives little indication of the turmoil that has carved out this labyrinth but on our 10 minute walk from the mini bus drop off I saw bizarre rock formations that had bubbled up all those years ago. The pine trees shielded the old volcanic bridle path, the first natural highway for Tenerife.

The tubes were sealed off to the public for 15 years, a closure lengthened by the death of 6 people from volcanic gas in the water filled galleries of Los Silos in February 2007. Safety has been tightened since then and I felt in safe hands as our guide started our voyage of discovery at the visitor’s centre with a brief history of the volcanic process illustrated by recent video footage from Hawaii. It’s pretty staggering to learn that the liquid fast moving lava solidifies and becomes safe to walk on in just an hour, thankfully our party didn’t have to put that to the test.
Approaching the metal entrance grid we descended the stone steps and I could feel a cool chill on my arms and then the rough angular floor pressing into my trusty trainers; hiking boots are a better option. We fanned out into the opening cave as our guide explained in German and English how the lava layers had formed. This was helped by a multi lingual display board, one of several in the 1,200 metre stretch that the public get to see. I was just getting used to shining my helmet light where I needed it when we began our descent into the main tube.

At times I had to duck to avoid scraping the ceiling and picking my way over the rough floor added to the delicate balancing act. Sulphur nodules and solid drops of lava decorated the roof, and although it felt surprisingly dry, there were signs that water had dripped through over the years. I was in one of the first parties to visit in June 2008 when the caves reopened and I noticed a few subtle safety changes. Metal bolts and concrete had been used to secure parts of the roof and rubber matting and metal grids made some of the trickier paths easier to negotiate. What I saw was stunning but the imagination was having a field day at the dark tunnels and fissures feeding off from the main route. At our deepest dip we were facing the 17 metre deep chasm that links the various levels, the sun filtered through a sealed iron gate up on the surface, ensuring no more old ladies have a mishap.

Plans are underway for a more extreme public exploration, 5 hours including a 5 km deep rope descent. A rope already dangles down the tight tunnel but my light couldn’t reveal the bottom, maybe I will try the closer examination, hopefully early next year. There is a bigger more ambitious plan in place, to buy land that sits above the full extent of the tubes. On the approach to the entrance we saw several illegally built houses that are feeding waste into the tunnels and when I walked back down to Icod I noticed the green markings on roads that indicted the route of the caves. Even farming land is a threat as pesticides leak down into the tunnels, it will take 15 years to reverse the damage.
The sun seemed even stronger as we headed back up the stone steps leaving the history behind. It was like crossing the threshold of 2 worlds. The volcanic evolution of Tenerife is still continuing but it’s good to know the past is laid out in lava layers to dip into and learn.

FACT FILE
Cueva del Viento, Icod de Los Vinos
www.cuevadelviento.net
Tel information and advance bookings (0034) 922815339
Informacion@cuevadelviento.net
Open Tues to Sat, Visitors Centre 9 am to 4 pm, Tours 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm
Adults 15 euros, Residents 10 euros, Children 5 to 14 years 5 euros
Tours including talk at centre, 2 hours.

November is the month of the castaña (chestnut) on Tenerife and whereas in Britain chestnut season means epic conker battles and bruised knuckles, on Tenerife activities have more than a hint of a Charles Dickens’ Christmas about them.

Throughout the month, soldierly rows of iron braziers, blackened by years of service, spring up on cobbled streets and town squares across the north of Tenerife. Mini carbon mountains are fired up and chestnuts collected mainly from the Acentejo region are peeled, scored and slowly roasted in heavy pans that become white with the heat. Their locations are impossible to miss as smoky sentinels weave through the streets enticing victims with aromas full of nostalgic promise.

I’d never been much of a fan of eating chestnuts before moving to Tenerife; my one and only experience being chewy when roasted, frozen ones from the supermarket. However, the first time I tried roasted chestnuts beside the harbour at Puerto de la Cruz served in a paper cone, they were a revelation. Soft, savoury sweet and, accompanied by a cup of robust earthy red wine, they were simply heaven in a poke. Now I’m a big fan and look forward to my annual castaña hit.

Although chestnut month on Tenerife mostly consists of the brazier roasted chestnuts adding a touch of seasonal colour, smell and, if you get close enough, heat to plazas across the island, some municipalities really go to town.

La Victoria de Acentejo celebrates the mes de castaña with a series of events including guided walks through the castaña forest, artisan fairs and musical evenings with chestnut themed tapas. Restaurants in La Victoria add chestnut inspired dishes to their menus and at Tasca Garpa (Carretera General, 205) chestnut aficionados can tuck into fillet steak in a chestnut sauce , whilst La Sabina restaurant (TF5 exit 27) has chestnut tempura on a bed of prawns and langoustines in green curry. A seasonal must in the town is to pick up some chestnut bread from Panadería Santo Domingo (Calle Bubaque, 12).

The culmination of chestnut month is the Fiesta of San Andrés (Saint Andrew) on the 29th November. Scotland’s patron saint has an affinity with the island – same flag, towns named after him and a party to honour his existence even if on Tenerife it’s celebrated a day earlier than in Scotland.

29th November is the day when traditionally the island’s wine cellars open their doors and the season’s new wine is ready to be launched on a thirsty world. It’s also another one of those Tenerife days when uninformed tourists in Puerto de la Cruz are completely bemused by what’s going on around them. At first, tasting wines from the Orotava Valley at the kiosks around the harbour makes it seem like a genteel and sophisticated fiesta…until you step onto the cobbled street and are nearly flattened by runaway washing machines. The arrastre los cacharros are an essential part of proceedings and involves making as much noise as possible with any metal object that comes to hand and if you want to know why read our report from last year.

In the hills celebrations take on a slightly different form. Any town with steep streets will have them commandeered by local youths who careen down them on tiny wooden sleds before crashing spectacularly into a mountain of Dunlops. It’s the modern interpretation of transporting wine barrels from the upper parts of town to the lower on wooden carts. The best place to view this loco tradition is in Icod de los Vino which boasts a number of nose-bleed inducing streets. Few visitors or even ex-pat residents travel to see this arrastre de las tablas, but it’s quite an experience. However, the last few times I’ve been it rained and last year it was so heavy that there was not a lot of careening down the hills going on.

With the night temperatures cooling down as the month progresses, standing around a chestnut brazier sipping wine is quite a magical way of keeping warm that seems more in accordance with bygone days. And when you see the glowing braziers I’m willing to bet that one of the first things that enters your head will be the opening line of a classic Nat King Cole song… well it will if you’re over a certain age.

In the run up to San Andrés, Puerto’s harbour is filled with hot braziers roasting the season’s castañas (chestnuts) and serving them up with the new wine produced from local harvests, aniseed bread and succulent, spicy pork kebabs known as pinchos. It’s an aromatic, savoury fiesta and you can start to enjoy it from now until the 30th November.

Just along the road, young lads in Icod de los Vinos celebrate a past Saint Andrew’s day tradition by giving it some Jackass credentials.
In days of yore, wine producers transported their barrels down Icod’s nose-bleed-inducing streets on wooden sleds pulled by oxen and using a long stick which acted as both rudder and brake. Today, Icod’s daredevil teenagers take to greased boards and hurtle at breakneck speed down those same pass-me-my-crampons streets without the aid of brakes at all and plough into huge piles of old tyres, often featuring several feet of airborne anarchy.

If you’d like to witness this madness, head to Icod’s Calle El Plano on the nights of the 29th and the 30th. You’ll know you’re there by the presence of one or more Cruz Roja (ambulance) vehicles, which gives you some idea of the health and safety standards you’re about to NOT witness.
Naturally, the new wines will also be on sale from stalls around the town and should help to steady the nerves… of spectators.

Those of a more nervous disposition may want to stay around the nursery slopes, some of the less steep streets where the juniors learn their trade.