Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands. They are controlled by Spain but each has its own government (much like the US states). The island's main port is Santa Cruz and it is the commercial center of Tenerife. The island is mostly volcanic with the highest peak, Mt Teide, at 12,198 ft.

We took a morning tour up to Taganana Village in the Anaga Mountains mountains. The road was windy and very narrow - 1 ½ lanes at most. This was quite a drive in a big bus. At one point the bus had to back up so another bus coming the other way could get by. Taganana is one of Tenerif's oldest villages. Hidden away in a small valley by the sea, remote Taganana has preserved its traditions, architecture and way of life over the centuries. The houses of the village are built into the cliffs, with terraces for their crops. We visited a beautiful old church, Our Lady of the Snows and then went to a local restaurant for a taste of the local wine and some bread and goat cheese appetizers.

After eating, we continued up the mountain to 4500 feet to a viewpoint but it was socked in with fog so we couldn't see anything. A little further down the fog cleared and we stopped at an overlook of the city of La Laguna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.We then drove thru the city whose streets in the city center have hardly changed since the 16th century. It served as the island's capital until 1723. Hundreds of historic buildings have been preserved.

On the way back to the ship we stopped at the opera house for photos. It was designed by the same man who did the Arts and Science complex in Valencia and the Olympic stadium in Greece. It is patterned after the Sydney Opera House.

After lunch on the ship, we walked into the Santa Cruz city center and the downtown shopping promenade. But most of the shops were closed for lunch.

To view more photos from Tenerife, please go to Canary Islands Photo Gallery. To read about the next location visited, go to Dakar, Senegal.

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