Volcanoes and Wine - Canary Islands

Part 4 - Adventures along the West African Coast

I've dreamed about visiting the Canary Islands for so long. This archipelago located in the Atlantic, forged by volcanoes and erosion. but steeped in mystery. Berbers arrived around 1000 BC. Archeological evidence shows that Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans all colonized the islands. A Spanish territory since the 15th century yet closer to mainland Africa. A year-round temperate, subtropical arid, climate makes these seven main islands ideal for vacationing. Trade winds influence the terrain, ranging in forested landscape to barren desert.

The first port stop was at Tenerife, the largest of the seven islands. With just under a million inhabitants, it is also the most populous. The capital where we docked is Santa Cruz de Tenerife. At 12, 188 feet, Mt Teide is the highest peak in Spain. In 1977, two jumbo jet airlines collided at the Tenerife airport, killing 583 people. To this day, it is considered the worst air disaster in aviation history.

It was so nice to just dock, walk off the ship and be in town. I spent the morning on a walking tour of the downtown area. We stopped at several churches, a really nice park where the high schoolers were practicing traditional dance. May 30th is Canary Islands Day, commemorating the first session of Canary Is. Parliament in 1983. A day to honor culture and spirit.

The ship was scheduled to depart at midnight; a night of wine, pineapples and chaos was about to begin. A Tapas dinner, followed by a rooftop bar was just the beginning. The Canary Island Day festivities included a free outdoor concert and street vendors selling wine.

The second port stop was on the island of Gran Canaria in the capital of Las Palmas. With around 850,000 inhabitants Gran Canaria is the second most populous island in the archipelago. A third of the island is a national biosphere. The last known volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands happened in 2021 when Cumbra Vieja on Gran Canaria erupted.

During my time on the island, I took a shore excursion to the Agaete Valley to visit a winery and the seaside village of Puerto de las Nieves. The views of the diverse landscape were stunning.

The last port stop in the Canary Islands was on Lanzarote, the easternmost island with around 150,000 inhabitants. Only 325 square miles, this small island definitely makes up for it with the stunning volcanic landscape. I tagged along with my friend Sherry and her mom as they rented a car to explore the island.

Timanfaya National Park. Awe-inspiring, breathtaking, surreal. Just some words to describe this volcanic landscape. We arrived in time to take the first shuttle from the visitor center to explore the other worldly view.

El Golfo - A small bay at the southern end of Timanfaya. But walk a little way away from the sea and you will come to a crater that was formed in the 1700's from a volcanic eruption. The crater filled with seawater, mixed with algae and black volcanic rock turned green.

We ended the day at the La Geria Winery where we tasted some local red wines formed from grapes only found on the island.

Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, every day can end beautifully.