Today our adventure begins. This afternoon you will meet your local host and settle into your new home. As you will soon discover, we have chosen a comfortable family-run B&B in the heart of Santa Cruz (away from the crowds), as we want you to enjoy the time you spend at home and we want you to be able to move quickly through the city whilst discovering less known quarters. After freshening up, we will go for some drinks at one of our hidden spots,  before heading for an included welcome dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants to indulge ourselves with some Canarian delicacies! Tonight is all about breaking the ice, sharing, having fun and having your first encounter with the local cuisine. Our culinary journey will begin with traditional Canarian food (we hope you are hungry and thirsty). The Canary Islands are well known for their goat’s cheese, as well as the famous “papas arrugadas” (wrinkled potatoes) which are always served with “mojo picon” sauce; spicy or not, yours is the choice. Relax and taste some local beers, and sweet white wines or try the local red wine with its unique hints from grapes grown in volcanic soil. This will be an intro you will not soon forget, but it is only the beginning. Your Spanish lessons start today: Bienvenido a Tenerife!

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation:

• Be Local Style: PA. RI. GI. HOTEL

Our first full day in Tenerife will begin with a nice cup of coffee or tea if you prefer. Remember there will always be coffee and tea at your accommodation for you to begin the day together with your included breakfast. After breakfast, we will head out and start exploring the city of Santa Cruz, where the first Conquistadors landed back in the 15th century. Today we will cover the historical centre, where we will understand the transformation of the capital throughout the centuries. We will start with the obvious and see the main landmarks, so you know where they are (and understand how important they are when it comes to the history of the city) and you can then decide what to visit during your free time. What we really want to show you today are the little alleyways, the different corners of the city, from the oldest quarter, “Concepcion” to the most modern and futuristic building of the Island, the auditorium designed by Calatrava, also known as “the pearl of the Atlantic”. This will not be your typical walk where you get dates and names that you will forget after a couple of hours. This will be a more intimate walk where you will find out what is not in Wikipedia. We want you to understand how the history of the city has shaped its culture and reality. We would love you to join us for lunch at our favourite restaurant, where we will be able to taste and share (like we do in Spain) a fusion of traditional and modern. The afternoon is free for you to further explore - Relax at the beach or visit a museum, or just wander about! Santa Cruz is walkable but you can always use the transport card we have given you and take the tram or a bus. What about tonight? Who knows! We love spontaneity. Remember, travel is an art, not a science!

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Be Local Style: PA. RI. GI. HOTEL

After being picked up from your hotel or accommodation, you will be driven towards the Teide National Park. Enjoy the sunset from one of the best viewpoints in Tenerife that overlook the three islands. Continue into the Teide National Park where you will have the opportunity to see more stars than ever before with an expert laser-guided tour of the constellations in the dark sky, all set against the backdrop of prehistoric rock formations and Teide. This unique experience will be guided by a local astrophysicist, who will not only teach us to interpret the skies but will also tell us stories that link the cosmos with local culture and history. Simply unique!

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Be Local Style: PA. RI. GI. HOTEL

Our destination today is the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Anaga, one of the few remaining “laurisilva” forests in the world. Today we will witness how some parts of the earth looked like 20 million years ago during the Cenozoic Era. Get your senses ready, today we will be using them a lot! This adventure includes a local guide and private transportation that will pick you up from your accommodation. An included lunch is also part of this adventure, as well as a boat ride by the impressive coastline!

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Be Local Style: PA. RI. GI. HOTEL

Today we will have a late morning start, so you can recover from yesterday's hike. Our 11 a.m. kick-off will be soon followed by a tram ride that will take us 1000 metres above sea level to the old city of San Cristobal de La Laguna. This World Heritage Site city (as declared by UNESCO in 1999) was the first capital of the island. Built inland by a natural lagoon considered to be sacred by the aborigines, was chosen by the “Adelantados” (The aristocracy that conquered the island) as the location for their residences, and soon became the most important city in the entire archipelago. Join your host and wander the colonial streets of this university town, get lost in its alleyways and discover convents, churches and squares. 

If you have ever been to any colonial towns in Latin America, you will soon realise how similar they are to La Laguna; well, the reason is simple, this city inspired their designs!

Sit down with your fellow explorers at a traditional “bodega” and enjoy lunch or if you prefer, grab some snacks and sit down in one of the lovely “plazas” - don’t get too full though! La Laguna is also famous for the finest pastry shops and cafes on the island.

The evening will be free for you to enjoy at your own pace. It is up to you if you want to keep strolling the streets of La Laguna, or if you want to go back down to our “base camp”. Ask your local host for suggestions and use the digital maps we have provided you with to choose your next move!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Be Local Style: PA. RI. GI. HOTEL

Time for another adventure! Today we will leave around 10 a.m.  Our bus will take us once again to the north of the island, but this time, we are venturing further away. After 1.5 hours we will reach our destination: The village of Icod de los Vinos, where we will wander around and visit the famous Millennial Drago. This tree is an endemic species from the islands and although experts are not sure how old this specimen is (800 to 3.000 years old), we do know it is the biggest and oldest tree of its kind!

A visit to Icod would not be complete without enjoying some of its traditional food and wines. This part of the island is famous for its “guachinches”. Tenerife's most local eateries are set up in houses garages, patios and lounges. Do not expect anything fancy but do expect tasty food, locally produced wine and a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

After lunch, we will take taxis that will take us closer to Mount Teide to visit the “Cueva del Viento” (Cave of the Wind). This cave actually is one of the longest volcanic tubes in the world. Once inside, we will be provided with all the necessary equipment; helmets with lanterns are particularly important as this cave has no natural or artificial light inside. Do not panic! It is totally safe and we will be with a professional speleologist who will also tell us all about this unique place. The evening will be free but, as usual, yours is the choice to go back to the city with your host or to keep wandering the area!

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Be Local Style: PA. RI. GI. HOTEL

A new day, a new plan. Today is our last full day together and we want to make it a more relaxing one. Take advantage of Tenerife’s eternal spring and jump on a bus to get to Las Teresitas beach (15 min away from the city centre). Relax on this artificial beach with sand brought from the Sahara and surrounded by the Anaga Mountains. You have the option to join your host and enjoy lunch in the picturesque fishing town of San Andres. After lunch,  those that crave more history and views can climb up the mountain to visit the WWII bunkers that were built to protect the island from possible invasions. Late in the afternoon, we will head back to the city to get ready for our farewell night. Tonight we are going to one of our favourite restaurants (we have many) for a superb dinner. There is only one goal: to have the best possible time and thank everyone for sharing this experience. Drinks and music will be waiting after our dinner to keep celebrating life and say goodbye to Tenerife the way it deserves!

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Be Local Style: PA. RI. GI. HOTEL

Today we experience that sour-sweet feeling. It is certainly sad saying bye but it is great knowing we have new friends from different corners of the world. This morning we leave our home for the last week and get ready for our next adventures. Please let us know if we can help you somehow!

Our last Spanish lesson for now: ¡Hasta a próxima y gracias!

Meals: Breakfast