Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

We fly to London, then Madrid, connecting to a flight to Tenerife for a cruise around the Canary Islands.  The Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, the southernmost autonomous community of Spain, located about 100 km (62 miles) off the northwest coast of Africa.  The seven main islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro and, due to their location, they are considered a major link between Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  The Canaries are part of Macronesia the collective name given to the five chains of islands that are situated in the east central area of the North Atlantic:  Azores, Madeira, Selvagens, Cape Verde, and the Canary Islands.

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Island group and is located slightly north of the Tropic of Cancer in the middle of the archipelago.  The island is 786 square miles (2,035 sq. km) and its highest peak is Mount Teide at 12,198 feet (3,718 meters).  The islands were formed by volcanic activity over millions of years and the last eruption on Tenerife was in 1909, lasting three months (on this trip, we'll also visit an island where the last eruption was four years ago).

We arrive in the evening and wander around the old town area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, admiring the sights of this city.

Evening stroll in Santa Cruz

In the morning, we rise and take a longer walk around the town.

Staring our wander in Santa Cruz

We stroll by the port and note that a few big ships (and our small one with 300 or so guests) are dropping off passengers, preparing to load up again in the afternoon.

Large ships (and our small one with sails)

We wander back into the city and head toward the park at Plaza Weyler.

Military museum

Views of the city streets

Plaza Weyler, build in 1893, is a popular meeting place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, located near the pedestrian shopping area Calle del Castillo.  The fountain in the middle and the planting surrounding it  are incredible and we wander.

Plaza Weyler

From the plaza, it's a short walk to Calle del Castillo, the main pedestrian shopping artery in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.  These blocks are packed with shops, cafes, and historic buildings, stretching between Plaza Weyler and Plaza de la Candelaria by the harbor.

Calle del Castillo

It's getting toward afternoon and we head back to our hotel to check out and walk over to the ship.

View from our hotel room

The large cruise ships are still in the harbor and we walk to our [smaller] ship located between them, check in, and watch the activity in the harbor, particularly the ferries which travel between the islands with passengers, cars, trucks, and freight.

Inter-island ferries

Soon, it's our turn to depart and we leave the harbor, looking back at Santa Cruz de Tenerife as the sun sets.

Looking back at the city

We're off for a ten-day exploration of the Canary Islands, with a short stop in Madiera (part of Portugual) in the middle of the cruise.