Forget Brits abroad and sunset strip...

10 January 2007

BEAUTIFUL: Dolphin show at Loro Parque

TENERIFE is well known to us Brits as the Spanish isle with the African temperament and the party atmosphere of, well, Blackpool.

So few of us know much about the island outside of the 'Brit abroad' capitals of Los Cristianos and Playa de Las Americas. But it doesn't take much effort to find out more about this beautiful Canary Isle, and it is well worth it, writes Kate Mead.

Pico del Teide

I had a rather blurred memory of Tenerife after a fantastic girly holiday three years ago. We had our own villa, a pool to ourselves, lots of sun and the tourist strip and a nearby beach where we could party the night away.

It was in Tenerife that I was seduced by the 'Ashley Cole song' and the crazy dance move of 'feed the pigeons'.

So I can't knock it, but it hardly gave me an insight into what the rest of the island had to offer.

Now I am that little bit older, I ought to at least pretend to be more sophisticated, so a re-evaluation of Tenerife was a welcome invitation.

The island, that sits on the west coast of Africa, is just over four hours' flight from Gatwick.

And as the little island measures just 56km by 86km, you can do much of the exploring in short day trips.

Monarch Airlines flies three times a week to and from Tenerife, offering tourists the chance to enjoy a few days away, even if just to get away from the freezing British winter.

The airline offers a more affordable alternative to the other pay-as-you-go type planes, offering extra leg room, decent food and in-flight entertainment.

On arrival we zoomed straight to the grand Gran Hotel Anthlia in Costa Adeje, a short drive from Tenerife South airport and literally ON the beach.

This hotel is the size of a village - with nearly 400 rooms and six buildings, you need a map to find your way around.

Although massive, the hotel was very comfortable and big enough to have some peace and quiet. And the facilities ensured you could relax in style with one large seawater pool, two smaller pools for the kids, an elegant lounge bar, a la carte and buffet restaurants, an internet café, hairdressers, spa, conference rooms and five star service.

Oh, and there are two beaches to choose from - the hotel is in between the Playa del Duque and Playa de Fañabe.

It would have been easy to kick back and relax on a sun lounger by the pool sipping a cocktail for most of the visit, but there was so much more to explore.

An hour-long drive took us north to the Teide National Park, a conservation area surrounding the dormant volcano Pico del Teide, the highest point in Spain at 3,718 metres.

Used as the set for Star Wars and other movies, the park and its peak are stunning, offering incredible clear views of the island on the way up. And for keen walkers, the park is ideal to explore with its pine forests and striking rocky landscapes - but be warned, the walk may take longer than you think! Looks can be deceiving so take plenty of water and sunscreen.

Many hiking routes are accessible just by foot and parking is available at the starting point, although a bus picks up from the coastal resorts three times a day.

To walk up and down the volcano would take 10 hours in total so the majority opt for the cable car. I, however, was content just to look at it.

From Teide, there is a short drive to the town of La Oratava - the densely populated 'Garden of Tenerife' which offers stunning architecture and cobbled streets.

The Calle de San Francisco boasts 17th and 18th century mansions, former residencies of prominent families now housing tourist attractions and shops selling traditional handmade lace and other souvenirs.

The grandest is Casa de los Balcones, known for its ornate pine balconies. It is also home to a linen centre with some of the rooms displaying 18th century furnishings.

But if you are looking for more spills and thrills than romantic ambles, one of the best tourist attractions is Loro Parque.

Based in the northern coast of Puerto de la Cruz, the nature enclosure provides spectacular entertainment with seals, dolphin and whale shows as well as the fantastic Penguin World, which takes the equivalent of 2,000 fridges to keep the birds in Antarctic bliss.

German Wolfgang Kiessling founded the site in 1972 with only 150 parrots and it has since evolved into a massive enclosure that is home to 4,000 birds as well as other animals including tigers and gorillas.

The park is designed beautifully, a Thai village at the main entrance with gardens boasting exotic plants from five continents.

Those who have trepidations about such an animal enclosure should rest assured that these animals are better cared for than the average human. Plenty of research, breeding programmes and training go into this place to ensure the survival and well-being of the animals.

Much of the research is in collaboration with universities overseas and visitors will learn about the responsibilities that we humans have to conserve nature.

We watched the dolphins first and I was struck by the affectionate partnership between the trainers and the creatures, making the experience oddly emotional.

A truly spectacular show, with one signal from the trainers, the dolphins propel their human partners into the air in synchronised stunts.

All such good fun, and enough for you to decide to have a career change to become a dolphin trainer.

Next was the sealions, a more humourous show with lots of audience participation and lots of splashing for those in the front row.

And much fuss is being made of the new residents, the Orcas, as part of a project that began this year in partnership with SeaWorld in the USA.

Shows at the 'OrcaOcean' are projected against a massive screen and with the help of six cameras, you won't miss a thing. Information about the Orcas and their habitat are projected throughout the show making it both an entertaining and educational presentation.

You can never get too much of dolphins and whales in Tenerife, with plenty of opportunities to spot them in their natural habitat.

Boats set off from Puerto Colón twice daily for three-hour trips out to sea with the potential to see dolphins and whales splashing about.

We were lucky, basking in the 28 degree heat spotting our finned friends. A family of dolphins was showing off - or were they flirting? - leaping out in front of us and at times even chasing the boat doing backstroke.

This unforgettable experience thankfully overshadowed the rowdiness of the other 'Brits abroad' also aboard.

The free bar, food and a pit stop for a splash in the sea, made the squeeze easier to bear but VIP trips are available for those wanting a bit more space to breathe.

kate.mead@archant.co.uk



PLANNING A TRIP

TO TENERIFE

For information on Tenerife

www.webtenerife.com

For Monarch Airlines

www.flymonarch.com

For the Gran Hotel Anthelia www.iberostar.com

For Loro Parque

www.loroparque.com

For boat trips

www.freebirdsailing.com