Explore the west coast of Tenerife, a gorgeous landscape of remote villages and banana plantations. Have privilege views over the fertile Orotava valley from the Humbold viewpoint. Over time, sugarcane, grapes and bananas became the dominant crops, and they are still harvested using traditional techniques. To completely understand how the crops are cultivated and packaged for export, you will tour a private banana plantation. The workers will describe the process before serving you a sampling of locally grown bananas and banana liqueur. On the way back to pier, stop at La Garañona Viewpoint, local´s favorite spot to take in the beauty of the sea and surrounding.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Gain an understanding of how crops are harvested using traditional methods.
• Watch bananas being cultivated for export at a plantation.
• Visit an ancient garden hosting the largest orchid collection on the Island .
• Sample several varieties of bananas and banana liqueur, which attest to the fruit’s diversity.

Enjoy the amazing scenery of Teide National Park and ride a cable car up Mount Teide, the world’s third highest volcano and a sacred site for Tenerife’s aboriginal people.

After departing from the pier, you will drive inland along an immensely picturesque, circuitous route and on into Teide National Park. The largest of the Canary Island national parks, Teide features a colossal stratovolcano that contains Mount Teide, the highest peak on Spanish soil. Its stunning geological formations are so important to understanding how volcanic islands are created that the park has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The now dormant volcano last erupted in 1798. It also erupted in 1492, supposedly as Christopher Columbus was sailing past on his voyage of discovery. Your approach to Mount Teide will be through a volcanic crater 30 miles in circumference.

The closer you come to Mount Teide, the more surreal and lunar the landscape will appear. The terrain is a jumble of bizarre natural rock formations, petrified lava rivers and endemic vegetation. One of the most spectacular plants is the red bugloss, a species with 6-foot, cone-shaped stems covered in pinkish-purple blossoms.

More phenomenal sights await you while ascending Mount Teide via cable car. From this unique perspective, you will enjoy sweeping views of the volcanic landscape and the ancient crater rimmed with red, brown and yellow walls. Upon reaching the summit, you may explore further during free time before retracing your route back to the pier in Tenerife.

Lovely towns, colonial mansions and breathtaking landscapes are some of the highlights of this tour. Start your day with a scenic drive to the north of the island passing quaint towns, vineyards and banana plantations. Drive up to the Alexander von Humboldt viewpoint for a wonderful view of the fertile Orotava Valley and it banana plantations. Continue your drive through the village of La Orotava to the historic quarter where you’ll start a walking tour of the old city. Walk along the cobblestone streets lined with Colonial mansions and their typical wood-carved balconies.

Visit La Casa de los Balcones (The House of the Balconies), formerly an aristocrat's residence, that shows a permanent exhibition of Canarian and mainland Spanish handicrafts. After free time for lunch on your own, it’s off to Las Canadas del Teide National Park, dominated by an impressive volcanic crater. Enjoy breathtaking views of the lava plains of Ucanca and admire the wind-eroded stone formations. After a break for refreshments, your tour continues through La Esperanza forest from where you can see Mount Teide, surrounded by lush vegetation.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy a spectacularly panoramic drive through Santa Cruz de Tenerife before settling in at the House of Wine for a wine tasting and food pairing. While traveling through the city – which is the co-capital of the Canary Islands, along with Las Palmas – you will likely pass attractions such as the Concepción Church, the Castle of St. John the Baptist and the seaside Plaza de España. The drive will leave you with a historical perspective of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which was founded in 1494. The House of Wine will offer a literal taste of the island, as you will indulge in several glasses of local wine, artisan cheeses with toasted bread, chocolate-covered almonds and exclusive honeys that were awarded Protected Designations of Origin. To enhance the experience, you might browse the on-site wine museum and meander through the garden of plants indigenous to the Canary Islands.

HIGHLIGHTS

• See historical and modern landmarks while driving through Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
• Sample local wines thoughtfully paired with artisan foods at the House of Wine.
• Browse the on-site wine museum, gardens and Agrobiodiversity Interpretation Center.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Sample an inspiring selection of characteristic Canarian cheeses and local specialties paired with wines that complement their flavors. The venue for the tasting will be the English-style gardens of an 18th-century house in the Guimar Valley with a magnificent 200-year-old Canary Island date palm as its botanical centerpiece. In this serene leafy setting, you will be served a variety of cheeses, some made with sheep’s milk, others with goat’s milk. They may include a creamy Flor de Guía, whose name refers to the dried flowers that are used to curdle the milk. Almonds, dates and fresh-baked breads will also be offered, as well as traditional specialties such as fried donuts known as rosquetes, sweet Canarian bananas and almogrote, a peppery hard-cheese pâté that is typically spread on toast. The tasting also includes a variety of representative red and white wines produced on the island.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sample a selection of Canarian cheeses and accompaniments that reflect the local cuisine.
• Taste more unusual Canarian specialties such as fried donuts and almogrote cheese pâté.
• Enjoy wines from native grapes that thrive in the island’s many microclimates.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Learn to prepare the traditional Canarian sauce mojo picón and discover how well it pairs with certain wines. Before arriving at the Bodegas Monje for the culinary workshop, you will enjoy an introductory drive around Santa Cruz de Tenerife that will present many of the iconic attractions. Enlightening commentary will give you an even deeper understanding of the city with an emphasis on its culture and culinary traditions. As you will discover during the hands-on workshop, mojo picón is served as a garnish for all sorts of Canarian dishes, especially wrinkled potatoes, fresh-baked bread and goat cheese. Ingredients for the red sauce vary from island to island and even city to city, but typically include medium-hot picón peppers and spices such as paprika and cumin. The tasting will include local wines that may include a fruity white made entirely from Listán Blanco grapes and a red blend made mostly with Tintilla Castellana grapes.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Learn to make the iconic Canarian red sauce mojo picón in a hands-on workshop.
• Sample the freshly made sauce on traditional dishes with complementary wines.
• Hear about the local culture and cuisine while driving around Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

The highest peak in Spain, the highest point in the Atlantic Ocean, the third highest volcano on a volcanic ocean island, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An absolute must see when you visit Tenerife. Drive past the university town of La Laguna, a charming, beautiful, monumental city in which historic buildings of great value abound, situated in the Aguere Valley. Continue along the spine of the island, straight to the Esperanza Forest, a great example of the endemic flora and fauna of the volcanic island with its pines and eucalyptus trees. While traveling up through the Esperanza Forest to Cañadas del Teide you’ll certainly be impressed by the chromatic changes of the landscape. The green backdrops turn gradually into grey, ochre, red or even blue, common colors from volcanic areas, always crowned by the stunning Mount Teide in its midst. On your way uphill, stop briefly to capture breathtaking volcanic landscapes and sights in pictures.

Prior to entering the National Park, stop for coffee at a local restaurant surrounded by natural wealth and lava stone formations. Journey then to Los Roques de Garcia at Mount Teide National Park, a protected territory declared as such in 1954, covering an area of approximately 7,688 acres (18,990 hectares). The park is in fact the interior of the Teide’s crater and houses an extensive unique endemic flora and fauna. Stop for pictures at the lava fields of Mount Teide, where you’ll discover one of the most pictured and famous icons from Tenerife, "El Roque Cinchado", also known as God’s Finger, a curious lava stone formation that looks like a finger pointing up.

This leisurely tour combines a scenic drive around the picturesque north of the island with some photo stops, a tasting of sweet local specialties and some free time at one of the top resort destinations in the Canary Islands, Puerto de la Cruz. From the pier of Santa Cruz, head north passing by the Orotava Valley offering great views over the green banana plantations of La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz, the main tourist resort of the north of the Island.

Enjoy a photo stop at Humboldt's panoramic view point, over the valley, at San Pedro on the north coast and at the Meson el Monasterio, situated on a hill in the middle of the Orotava Valley. Here you'll have a fantastic view over the green valley and the blue coastline while enjoying homemade local pastry. Visit Puerto de la Cruz for sightseeing through the city with some short stops, passing by its famous Plaza del Charco, the picturesque fishing harbor and Garden Beach. After some free time at its bustling waterfront, enjoy a scenic drive back to your ship.

Known as the island of eternal spring, Tenerife offers fantastic weather conditions to enjoy sea activities year round. This tour offers you the rare opportunity of watching whales and dolphins in their natural environment. You'll be taken to the yacht harbor of Puerto Colon, where the boats are located. Sailing across the blue waters, you’ll arrive to an area where a colony of pilot whales and nearly 500 dolphins are very commonly seen. The dolphins are known to swim at incredible speeds, jumping right in front of and on the sides of the boat.

Though the pilot whales tend to not get too close, the boat will get as close as possible. You might even hear them puff! The catamaran will anchor at a secluded bay. Here, you'll have some time to relax and refresh in the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In this area, the dolphins frequently make their appearance as well. Soft drinks, beer, water and snacks will be served on board.

Discover the highlights of Tenerife´s capital by foot, joining your guide, you’ll see places that many visitors miss. Not far from the harbor, you’ll find a fusion of modernity and tradition in the Plaza de España. Head towards the Guimera Theater, built in 1849 in classical romantic style. Nearby is Noria Street with its many pubs and restaurants, where locals enjoy nightlife and where you’ll learn about the ‘murgas’, the satiric singing groups which perform during the carnival. You’ll visit the popular market ‘Nuestra Señora de Africa’ where you’ll find traditional foods, local fruits and vegetables and everything else the locals shop for here.

Continue over the Serrador Bridge towards Castle Street where most of the shops are located. Your walk will lead you to Weyler Square, where you’ll see the beautiful Carrara marble fountain and the palace of the Captaincy General. Head to Garcia Sanabria Park; an idyllic park in the heart of the city and to Pilar Street, lined with shops. Before heading back to the port, you’ll have an opportunity to admire Principe Square and the San Francisco church. You may opt to stay in town a little longer to shop or explore more of this lovely city on your own or instead follow your guide back to the ship.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, San Cristobal de la Laguna ranks as the first non-fortified Spanish colonial town. Today, you’ll have the opportunity to visit this beautiful city and taste the island’s wines.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, San Cristobal de la Laguna ranks as the first non-fortified Spanish colonial town. Today, you’ll have the opportunity to visit this beautiful city, considered the cultural capital of the Canary Islands and taste their wines. The city has conserved and maintained its highly valued historic center. In addition to monuments and historic buildings, there is an important center of commercial activity offering fashion, local wines, craftwork and local gastronomic products.

During free time after your guided tour, you might want to do some shopping and take home something to remember your visit. To honor the legacy of the wines of the island, you’ll visit one of its leading wineries. Learn about the art of wine making, passed on generation through generation. End your visit with a wine tasting and some free time to browse the shop.

Visit two of the island’s historic and significant cities and discover their riches as you walk their elegant streets. In San Cristobal de la Laguna you’ll find buildings of enormous historical value as it was the first capital of the Canary Islands, its where the original military, religious and civic institutions were located. Many homes and other impressive structures were built with the wealth gained by the island's growing trade with the New World. Your guide will accompany you on a walking tour through the old town, explaining the most interesting facts about it. In 1999, the city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The town of La Orotava is surrounded by banana plantations of the rich and fertile valley of the same name and Mount Teide provides a stunning background. This was home to many of the island’s wealthiest and noble families who originally settled here. The old historic center – declared monument of artistic national interest – invites you for a walking tour. Discover its many architectural treasures and ancestral homes. The Concepcion Church is also a national monument and La Casa de los Balcones (The House of the Balconies) is a masterpiece that was completed in 1632.