Making a stand by sitting down, the six strong female crew of Row For Freedom believe in their stamina and determination, but most of all they believe in their cause, to stop child slavery around the world.

Arriving in La Gomera capital San Sebastian I found four of the crew huddled over their boat, The Guardian, fine tuning and adjusting their home for well over a month as they row with just hand power, the 2,900 miles to Barbados. At just seven metres long and two metres wide, the fibre glass and carbon fibre craft has competed over the distance twice before but it’s a steep, cramped learning curve for the ladies.

Andrea Quigley from Colorado squeezed into a bedroom at one end of the boat. Four sleep in one end and two in the other between two hour rowing shifts. Cosy is a generous description. “We have decided not to have mattresses, we can’t afford to carry luxuries, it’s all about speed and safety.”

The Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge sets off at noon on 4^th December, weather willing. The ladies have known each other less than a year and have crammed in RYA (Royal Yacht Association) training courses and brushed up on first aid, navigation and other skills. On deck Julia Immonen from Finland, Helen Leigh from Blackburn, and Katie Pattison-Hart from Dubai were grateful for any help they could get from some of the other 17 crews in the challenge.

“There’s a great spirit here in the marina,” said Julia “Everyone is happy to help each other and the people of San Sebastian have made us very welcome.” Most of the rowers sport a blue bracelet bearing the word Atlantic, a password to discounts from local businesses. Kate Richardson from Portadown and Debbie Beadle from High Wycombe were to join us later after liberating new team t-shirts during afternoon siesta. They may have stopped off for a carbohydrate loaded snack, all six have been bulking up in preparation, but they all looked ship shape to me.

ECPAT UK is the charity fighting to free an estimated 27 million modern day slaves, many of them children. Pre race, the team had raised 180,000 pounds but the ultimate aim is one million. As Julia explained: “As well as direct sponsorship (you can still donate at the website), after the race we will be doing interviews, public appearances and a book to make sure that the money keeps coming.”

There’s also the small matter of those two world records, one for the first six woman team to complete the course, and that means with no outside assistance. The other is the speed record. A rowing pair did 49 days but with luck the ladies aim to beat that. Christmas at sea will be an emotional time to be away from family and friends but Andrea revealed that they will get some encouragement. “Among the packs of powder meals there is a small surprise Christmas present for us and we also have a satellite phone link up with Sky Sports on the big day.”

The calm marina waters, army of passing well wishers and clear blue skies will soon fade as the hard slog of rowing begins but relieving the suffering of others is the goal that will drive them on.

1. Fair weather friend
Well of course the weather’s the number one reason for throwing the bikini and factor 15 into a suitcase, perusing the Net for cheap flights to Tenerife and waving goodbye to the snowman.
Just four or so flying hours from the UK, who wouldn’t want to wiggle their toes in the warm sand, settle down beneath a palm tree with a good book and a long cocktail and exchange that milk bottle look for a healthy olive glow? It’s the single most common reason why millions of people choose  to holiday in Tenerife – and who are we to argue with them?

2. One island, many holidays
Tenerife is such a microcosm of landscapes that it’s like visiting a dozen different holiday resorts in one. From beaches to picturesque villages, theme parks to green parks and sandy shores to mountain highs you can find every type of holiday experience in less than 800 square miles of tropical paradise.

3. Swing into Action
On Tenerife you can pretty much guarantee that there’ll be at least one championship golf course basking in sunshine every single day of the year, and what’s more, there won’t be any earache from the other half. Golf widows can retire to the beaches of Playa de Las Américas, Costa Adeje and Las Galletas or indulge themselves in top notch hotels while their other halves pander to their favourite obsession.

4. A Taste of the Good Life
Eating out on Tenerife is still an affordable luxury and although blackboards advertising All Day British Breakfast still abound in some resorts, those with a more refined palate may be gastronomically surprised. From chic city dining to bijou resort bistros and five star hotel restaurants to gourmet secret gems – Tenerife restaurants are today’s special.

5. Holiday on another planet
There aren’t many places in the world where you can travel from snow topped mountain to sunbathing on the beach in less than two hours but Tenerife is one of them. Not just the icon of the archipelago and pride of  Spain, Teide National Park is also the most amazing landscape you’re likely to encounter this side of a long weekend on the moon.

6. Party Dude
Ask anyone who lives here, one of the things the Tinerfeños do better than most is they know how to have a good time. From bar hopping in your resort to subjecting your senses to an all out assault at Europe’s biggest carnival, for those who enjoy the hedonistic pleasures of life, almost every night is party night on Tenerife.

7. Rural retreats
Tenerife can be many things to many people and while thrill seekers find pleasure in the theme parks and nightlife of the resorts, nature lovers can escape the noise and bustle of the world in Tenerife’s idyllic rural interior. Whether you’re a walker, a tent pitcher or an away-from-it-all junkie, there’s a rustic retreat with your name on it.

8. Sail away
Tenerife is a stepping stone to the Western Canary Islands of La Gomera, La Palma (above) and El Hierro, all of which are just a short sail and a million miles away from the tourism centres of Tenerife. For the price of one flight to Tenerife and a ferry ride, you can experience half an archipelago.

9. Dive in
Centuries of volcanic eruptions have formed a mysterious underwater world of basalt columns and silent caves – all of which are teeming with marine wildlife. Warm, deep waters close to shore provide some of Europe’s best diving for those with a penchant for rubber and air tanks.

10. Thar She Blows (Photo courtesy of Atlantic Whale Foundation)
Personally, I prefer my air supply limitless and am happy to watch the amazing creatures of the deep from the deck of a sailing ship. Bottle nosed dolphins, minke and sperm whale occupy and pass through the warm waters between Tenerife’s west coast and neighbouring La Gomera making Tenerife one of the best places in the world to watch them in their natural habitat.

With seven alternate tropical universes, why confine yourself to just one Canary Island?
There are less than 230 kilometres and an entire universe of difference between La Palma in the west and Fuerteventura in the east and in between, there are five islands as disparate as any in the Greek archipelago.

So why isn’t island hopping in the Canaries more popular?

Tenerife Magazine decided to find out why.

The Booking Experience.
Armed with a calendar, a notebook and web addresses, I set about planning and booking a Canaries island-hopping trip, taking in some of the smaller islands as well as Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
I began with the traditional island hopping mode –
The Ferry.
For the Western Islands, I decided to use The Fred Olsen Express as it’s quicker than Naviera Armas.
It wasn’t long before I was running aground…the online booking site wouldn’t let me buy my tickets if I had the ‘schedules’ window open. Fine if you’re just planning a single crossing, but very frustrating if you’re trying to plan several trips. I had to keep switching views to check out which days ferries operated between the smaller islands and then going back to online sales to check times and prices.
Next I tried Naviera Armas to get around the eastern Islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote as Fred Olsen doesn’t sail to them. At least they have a neat little map which shows exactly where they sail from and to but again, I had to constantly switch between ‘destination times’ and ‘passenger sales’ views making multiple bookings a very convoluted affair.

The Airlines
With some ferry crossings taking a whole day and limited sailings between smaller islands, I decided to check out the inter-island air services. On Binter Airlines’ website the flight schedules were easy to search, there were lots of flights to choose from and they gave me loads of options around my travel dates which made for easy planning. Although the Islas Airways services are restricted to the bigger islands, I actually found their site to be the easiest and most user-friendly of all for online booking.

Costs and journey times
The rule is simple; the faster you get there, the more it costs you; so flying is the fastest and most expensive way to connect the islands.
Ferries are cheaper but then they’re also considerably slower and in the case of Naviera Armas, so slow as to not be a viable option on some journeys, like Tenerife to El Hierro which takes a staggering 8hr and 30 mins and is generally the domain of farmers and their goats – both of whom are better sailors than I am.

Using Tenerife to Gran Canaria (one way) as my example, I discovered substantial differences between prices and journey times:

Naviera Armas     €30.41     2½ hours
Fred Olsen         €47.63    1 hour
Binter Canarias     €60.85     30 mins
Islas Airways     €64.35    30 mins

All the journeys I checked out had similar time/cost differences where all four carriers operate.
But services are restricted between some islands, which incidentally, I only found out by trying to book certain routes and being shown the blank ‘done’ screen.
For example, Fred Olsen doesn’t operate between Gran Canaria and Lanzarote or Fuerteventura.
Binter Airlines don’t fly direct between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura or between La Gomera and La Palma or El Hierro; and Islas Airways only operate between Tenerife, La Palma, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
It’s all very confusing, means endless internet searching and no easy way to hop between islands.

So – Why Isn’t Island Hopping in the Canaries a Popular Option?

None of the carriers, either sea or air, offer discounts for multiple trips. There are special offers running from time to time but they usually only apply to residents who already enjoy substantial discounts on travel. As the bus services on all the islands offer a multiple trip card with substantial discounts, why can’t the ferries and airlines do the same?

For anyone planning to visit several islands, online booking either from home or while on the move is the most sensible option, but I found ferry online booking sites to be cumbersome and definitely not user-friendly for island hoppers. Why can’t the ferries offer multiple trip planning and booking?

Although both Fred Olsen and Naviera Armas operate free ferry buses between capital city and ports on Tenerife, (Fred Olsen also operates ferry buses on Gran Canaria and Lanzarote), the bus doesn’t pick up or drop off at the airports.

The end result is this: As a tourist, the costs of visiting multiple islands is either prohibitively expensive if you choose to do it by air; tiresomely slow if you opt for the more cost-effective ferries or painfully unconnected if you choose to mix and match.

Until the inter-island services wake up to the possibilities of island hopping and offer discounts on multiple trips; better connectivity between ports, bus stations and airports; and online booking services that allow users to plan multiple trips, I guess island hopping in the Canaries will remain about as popular as the norovirus.

The words “shame”, “wasted” and “opportunity” come to mind.

It’s little wonder that so many couples find love in the tropical setting and perpetual sunshine (okay, almost perpetual) of the Canary Islands.

Although cynics may attribute this in part to the size of the spirit measures, clearly the blame lies at the feet of warm sea breezes, gently swaying palm trees and a moon the size of a sci-fi comic cover. But beyond the superficial, the Islands also have a rich history of sorcery, romance and star-cross’d lovers whose ghostly traces weave a spell to snare unsuspecting Valentines.

Long before the Spanish conquistadores (conquerors) invaded and won the Canary Islands in the 15th Century, they were populated by a race known as Guanche; a primitive, superstitious people who dressed in animal skins and inhabited caves. The Guanche had a very sophisticated and rigidly upheld caste system at the top of which were the ruling Menceys (Kings). Sun worshippers, the Guanche obeyed the laws of nature and believed in magic; amidst their legacy are tales of tragedy and romance.

Gara and Jonay
During the harvest festival of Beñesmén on La Gomera, Princess Gara of Agulo met and fell in love with Jonay, the handsome son of the Mencey of Adeje. But the Guanche believed that Princess Gara, coming from Agulo, was a child of water and that Jonay, coming from Tenerife with its fiery mountain which was known as the Island of Hell, was a child of fire. Thus the parents of Gara and Jonay were violently opposed to the union, believing it would bring doom on both islands, and strictly forbade the lovers to meet.

But Jonay was not to be deterred and unknown to his parents, using inflated goat bladders he swam back to La Gomera where the star-cross’d lovers fled to the forest to be together.
On discovering the deception, orders went out for the couple to be found and returned to their homes. Unable to bear the pain of separation, Gara and Jonay placed a cedar wood stake between their two breasts and embraced for one last time, throwing themselves to their death from the peak which today bears their names; Garajonay.

Princess Dacil
The favourite daughter of Bencomo, Mencey of Taoro and the most powerful Mencey on Tenerife, Dacil’s beauty was admired across the island and her future was mapped out for her by her betrothal to Duriman el Montañes.
But events of a far greater magnitude were to play their part in Dacil’s future.
With the Spanish invasion and defeat of the island came the handsome and dashing conquistador Captain Fernán García del Castillo who fell hopelessly in love with Dacil.
Gossip inevitably followed and rumours grew that the Captain and Dacil had met alone; a practice strictly forbidden under Guanche law.
Angry and jealous, the spurned Duriman el Montañes confronted Bencomo and demanded that he take action to punish Dacil’s crime. Not only had she met a man alone, but that man was a mortal enemy of the Guanche; a Spanish conquistador.
Left with no choice but to uphold the law, Bencomo was forced to have Dacil imprisoned where she languished for many months.

But the islanders were unwilling to allow their Princess to suffer an injustice and eventually witnesses were able to convince Bencomo that the lovers had never met alone but had in fact been accompanied.
Dacil was released and married her handsome Captain at the Iglesia de Concepción in Los Realejos, becoming Mencías del Castillo – Queen of the Castle.

There, a happy ending just for Valentine’s Day.