Tenerife Canary Islands

Contributed by B.D.L.

 

I’m a person that loves islands. I have traveled to Corsica, Mallorca, Sardinia, Cyprus, islands in Southeast Asia and a few others around the world. All islands are not created equally! There is something special and something different that I love about every island I have visited.

My most recent quest for “the best island ever” led me to Tenerife. This is the largest island of the Canary Islands; a Spanish island chain that is just off the coast of North Africa. Like most islands, the temperature in Tenerife is utterly fantastic. The northern part of the island does receive its fair amount of rain, but this creates a lush green terrain. This is in contrast with the southern part of the island which was very sunny during my stay. There is something intriguing about being on a tropical island and seeing snowcapped mountains; another added jewel of Tenerife!

Tenerife offers many cheap reasonably priced deals. With a group of friends, we found it extremely affordable to rent a house. It was very easy to find cheap food on Tenerife. Everywhere we went there was Happy Hour and discounted prices. Ask the locals for the best restaurants to go to. They led us to an excellent all-you-can eat meat buffet! The food was succulently divine, begging us to come and eat there again. Every day we ate at restaurants where we saw other locals and we were not disappointed: gambas, pizza, sardines, Canary Island spicy chicken, homemade garlic bread, and papas arrugadas with green Mojo sauce.

One of the best things about Tenerife is the beach. While others spent their time exploring all the hidden gems of Tenerife, I bathed in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Tenerife hosts all the things you love about the beach: quiet alone time, warm water, exquisite sunsets, and they are FREE! The beaches of Tenerife are truly splendid and cannot be compared with any others.

I know my journey to find “the best island ever” will continue. North and South America is glittered with tropical paradises. The South Pacific is world renowned. Yet, the splendor of Tenerife is something that I’ll never forget and its beauty will hold a special place in my heart.   

 

 

Weekend Getaways & Pictures of Tunisia

I strongly believe in weekend getaways! Sometimes you need two or three days to do absolutely nothing and enjoy being somewhere else. These are not to be confused with vacations. A vacation is designed around the idea of three things: rest, exploring and having fun. A weekend getaway is designed around: doing nothing, rest and doing nothing!

Weekend getaways should be taken at least once every two to three months. These help to recharge your batteries and they give you something to look forward to in between your vacations.

If planned out in advance, weekend getaways can be relatively cheap. You can even find Last Minute cheap prices for the weekend. You don’t have to go far away or necessarily to a place you’ve never been before. Sometimes going to a place you already know is even more relaxing because you don’t have the temptation to spend your weekend exploring the area. Instead, you’ll take the time to stay by the pool and do nothing!

My most recent weekend getaway led me to Tunis Tunisia. Tunis is a very vibrant city in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. Normally when I go away, I try to plan out all the exciting things I want to see while I’m there. This weekend, I didn’t… Upon an early morning arrival in my hotel, I dropped off my bags and took a nice leisure walk around the city. At the Tourism office, I was informed of a number of great things to see in the city. However, after a little over an hour of walking around the city, I remembered why I came here. It wasn’t to sightsee, it was to rest! A great massage in a local hamam, a walk through the medina and a delicious lunch in a cozy restaurant was the extent of my visit to Tunis. My next major decision over the following two days was: should I stay at the pool or go to the beach?   

 

Barcelona

Barcelona is another major European city that you must visit. If you're looking for great weather, lively ambiance, wonderful food, cheap to reasonable prices, the beach, all mixed with chilled and laid back people, then look no further!

Some pictures contributed by SKO