Itinerary: Tenerife, Canary Islands

Day 1 - Tuesday, October 14, 2014

• After we arrive at Tenerife's Los Rodeos (North) Airport, our group will take a private motorcoach tour to the mysterious Pyramids of Guimar on the island's east coast. We'll be accompanied by an English speaking guide who will explain the background of this complex of rectangular pyramids; built with unmortared volcanic stones, whose function and origin are still uncertain, and a cause of controversy among scientists and historians. The site has been an ethnographic park since the 1990s, due to the work of famous Norwegian ethnographer/explorer Thor Heyerdahl, who spent his final years in Tenerife and studied the pyramids.

• Following the tour, we will enjoy a country lunch at Finca Salamanca.

• Our motorcoach brings us to the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque, our 5-star hotel in trendy Adeje on Tenerife's southwest coast. We'll have the afternoon free to enjoy the hotel and the gorgeous botanical gardens that surround it.

• The Welcome Evening will be really delightful after our day of travel and exploration, and begins with a cocktail reception on the Asia Terrace, with canapés, and selected Canarian cheeses. Then we'll move to the El Bernegal Terrace to enjoy the evening view across the bay to Gomera Island, and a lavish buffet dinner with live musical accompaniment.

Day 2 - Wednesday, October 15, 2014

• After full buffet breakfast, we set off on a half-day Jeep Tour to Las Canadas del Teide, the National Park surrounding the volcano El Teide. This is the center of Tenerife and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We'll be taken in open jeeps by professional drivers into the awe-inspiring park, passing from green country roads overhung by laurels and forest trees to the astonishing scenery of the higher elevations on the volcano's knees, with weird and twisted lava formations, sudden light and color changes, and plant and animal species that can be found nowhere else. El Teide is the third highest volcano in the world!

• Returning from these wild and wonderful sights, we have the afternoon free, for a leisurely lunch on our own and time to enjoy the hotel's amenities. An optional treatment at the luxurious Spa? An optional round of golf? Watersports? Shopping in the nearby mall? Or maybe a stroll on the beach.

• Dine Around Evening at one of the resort's many fabulous restaurants.

Day 3 - Thursday, October 16, 2014

• Full breakfast at the hotel will prepare us for either lazing around and enjoying the gardens, beach, or amenities surrounding us -- or taking a fascinating optional full-day tour of the Island, which will include lunch.

• The tour will be extremely scenic, taking the coast road first to Los Gigantes (The Giants), the range of fantastic volcanic cliffs rearing up out of the ocean. Another volcanic site is the site of Garachico, a village swept away in the late 1700s by an eruption, which offers spectacular panoramas; after which comes a visit to the Dragon Tree in the picturesque winery town of Icod de Los Vinos. This is an enormous dracaena tree (known only as a common house plant in the US!) which is over 50 feet tall and hundreds of years old.

We'll proceed to the fascinating town of La Orotava in the valley of the same name, an elegantly preserved center of native Canarian building styles, long home to the island's wealthy. Particularly lovely are the shaded patios, the botanical gardens, and the Casa de los Balcones, with its unique range of balconies and courts oriented to view the valley.

We drive back to the coast to our midday destination, the Monasterio Restaurant for a traditional 3-course Canarian lunch. The restaurant is housed in an old monastery on a hillside above the northern coast town of Puerto de la Cruz which was originally built in 1646. It's a beautiful, peaceful place, and a stroll in the gardens is recommended. Then on to Puerto de la Cruz itself, a charming browsing town for travelers, with an excellent promenade, boutiques and cafes. We'll take our time here for some strolling.

Our final tour stop will be a visit to the Basilica de Candelaria in the village of Candelaria, a handsome 20th century church in an eclectic Canarian style, which houses a statue of the legendary Black Virgin (Madonna) of Candalaria, a major pilgrimage site.

• Farewell Evening in Tenerife. Our last evening on this beautiful island will begin with a cocktail reception in Adeje, beside the Pool of the luxe Cleopatra Hotel. This will be the prelude to a really wonderful Dinner and Entertainment at the adjoining Spanish Restaurant -- a lavish 3 course feast with live musical accompaniment, followed by the Spanish Ballet of Carmen Mota at the Piramide de Arona. This renowned artist and her troupe are famous exponents of a unique, passionate fusion of modern and traditional Spanish dance. This will be a stirring finale to our stay!

Day 4 - Friday, October 17, 2014

Depart the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque. After a Buffet Breakfast at the Gran Hotel Bahia, we check out, board our motor coach, and travel to the airport to board flights for home, taking with us cherished memories.