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CANARY ISLAND PARADORES
On my recent visit to
the CANARY ISLANDS I visited 5 Paradores on 5 islands,
including Cruz de Tejeda, the new one in the centre of Gran Canaria.
This has been beautifully designed so that bedrooms and public rooms have views across the mountains. Like most of the recently opened Paradores it has a spa, gym and heated pool.
View from the Parador at Cruz de Tejeda
In complete contrast we stayed at a simple Parador on the smallest and most westerly island of El Hierro. Almost sitting on a beach of black volcanic sand this is a hotel for peace and quiet, as the only activities in the area are trekking and diving, and the closest shops are fifteen kilometres away in the island's capital Valverde. For anyone wanting to "get away from it all" this would be paradise, but not to be recommended to those looking for a lively resort!
In complete contrast we stayed at a simple Parador on the smallest and most westerly island of El Hierro. Almost sitting on a beach of black volcanic sand this is a hotel for peace and quiet, as the only activities in the area are trekking and diving, and the closest shops are fifteen kilometres away in the island's capital Valverde. For anyone wanting to "get away from it all" this would be paradise, but not to be recommended to those looking for a lively resort!
Parador on El Hierro
We continued to the island of La Palma (not to be confused with Las Palmas the capital of Gran Canaria, and seventh largest Spanish city). The Parador is high above Santa Cruz, the island's capital, mid-way between the port and the airport so easy to reach by air or sea. The landscaped gardens, swimming pool and sea views make this a most relaxing place to stay and the restaurant is to be highly recommended. The island is intensely cultivated with every corner being covered with terraces growing bananas, pineapples, avocados and tomatoes and the varied scenery offers plenty of scope for those who like to rent a car and explore, the highlight being the international observatories surrounded by volcanic rocks at the Roque de los Muchachos at 2462 metres (over 8000').
Gardens at the Parador on La Palma
The island of La Gomera is the most accessible of the lesser known islands as it is only a forty minute ferry journey from Los Cristianos on Tenerife. The Parador can be seen standing on a cliff above the port in San Sebastian, the island's capital. It is, perhaps the one that would have the most general appeal, as it would be a perfect base for a relaxing holiday, but for the more active the spectacular coastal scenery, small fishing villages, lush vegetation, and the many walking routes in the central National Park are all within easy reach of San Sebastian. Car hire is inexpensive and roads are uncrowded, and there is an efficient local bus service reaching all corners of the island.
Parador on La Gomera - above the harbour at San Sebastian
Last, but by no means least, on the island of Tenerife is the unpretentious 2* Parador at Canadas del
Teide, surrounded by volcanic rocks at the foot of Mt Teide, which at 3713 metres (over 12000') is Spain's highest mountain. The Parador is the only building in the Park so consequently is unspoilt by pollution and we were fortunate to be staying there on a Friday night when a local astronomer comes to explain the wonders of the night sky.
Parador at Canadas del Teide on Tenerife
We had stayed at five very different Paradores on five islands. We found that the people were especially friendly, the food good and accompanied by excellent local wines, the roads uncrowded and the landscapes amazingly varied. This was such a different world from the resorts of the Canaries seen in travel brochures.
On the North Coast of La Gomera
Mt Teide, Tenerife
A more detailed version of this journey through the five islands can be found in the revised edition of "Discover Real Spain & The Paradores" - a personal collection of routes in Spain. Details in "Lorna's books" section on this website.
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NEWS
