Posts

Showing posts from January, 2012

Almond Blossom Festival, Santiago del Teide

Image
 Bus Routes: 483[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est], 460[Icod] Return: 460[Costa Adeje], 483[El Medano] or 111[Santa Cruz] get off at Las Chafiras or any bus going to Los Cristianos then 470[Granadilla]. View my 'Santiago del Teide' Photo Album This weekend I had two trips up to Santiago Del Teide for the 'Almond Blossom Festival'. I had intended Saturday but my battery ran out and the temperature had dropped to 11*C in my shorts and polo shirt it became rather cool. I can’t say that I objected, the route itself is well worth the effort again catching the 483 to Costa Adeje station then the 460 to Icod which drops off at our destination which is 1000 metres above sea level. We have been along this route before to Garachico and, before too long I'll get back to Icod for a look around there. Masca is up the road from here, another of 'the' places to visit.  I've taken a few more photos from the bus along the route to give a flavour of the area

Adeje

Image
Bus Routes: 483[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est], 473[  ] Return: 473[Costa Adeje], then a choice of 483[El Medano] to Las Abrigos or 111[Santa Cruz] to Las Chafiras or any bus to Los Cristianos then 470[Granadilla] to Los Abrigos. View my 'Adeje' Photo Album Hola – Buenos Tardes Amigos, I was puzzled about the business of Costa Adeje/Las Americas appearing on the timetables and there also being a destination of Adeje (pronounced Adeke)which is in a different place on the other side of the motorway. It turns out that 'Costa Adeje' came about because of the development of the first resort complex of Las Americas. As this was thought to be the major destination the Bus Station was built there and work on the MagMa centre commenced, of course Los Christians expanded the area east and development west to 'La Caleta' makes a virtual continual coastal resort. The whole of this coastline is within the boundary of the Kingdom or Menceyatos of Adeje ruled

La Calleta and San Sebastian

Image
La Caleta, Costa Adeje Bus Route: 843[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est], 416[ ] or 418[ ] Return: 416[ ] or 481[ ], 843[El Medano] or, later, 111[Santa Cruz] to Las Chafiras then taxi. View my 'La Caleta and San Sebastian' Photo Album My ever useful 'Island Connections' newspaper' described a Fiesta at San Sebastian near La Caleta, Cost Adeje, another public holiday. An early 416 bus from Las Americas in the morning to La Calea to avoid the crowds. A look around and a coffee in one of the bar/restaurants along the sea front then a casual walk back to San Sebastian for the fiesta which takes pace on 20th Jan each year. I have shown some alternate bus stops if you do not fancy the walk but you cannot get off near the church as the whole of the village centre is devoid of traffic. The fiesta in honour of Adeje’s patron saint.

The Cave of Saint Hermano Pedro

Image
Bus Route: 470[Granadilla] or 483[El Medano] Return: 470[Los Cristianos] or 483[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est] Cueva del Santo Hno Pedro It was a sunny but windy day in Los Abrigos so I thought that I would have an afternoon at 'La Tajita' beach. I hopped onto the 470 which, generally, runs that way on the 'half hour' and got of at the required stop. Walking along the path I could sea that the sand was blowing and it didn't feel comfortable enough to stay. Rather than waste the journey I decided to go off and hunt for a cave I had found out about when trying to find more information about the origins of El Medano.  The article said that it was somewhere towards the end of the runway opposite Monana Roja and one of the 'secrets' of the area. Can't be that far I thought. Unfortunately the headwind made it feel twice as far as it was and, foolishly, I didn't have any water with me. Although January and windy it is still hot!

Costa Adeje and Las Americas

Image
Bus Route: 843[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est]. Return: 843[El Medano]. Or, depending on timetable, any bus to Las Cristianos then 470[Granadilla] if you do not want to wait and, late at night, the 111[Santa Cruz] to Las Chafiras then taxi. Although I had been over to the 'Estaci õ n' at Costa Adeke (referred to on the front of the bus as 'P Americas Est, on local stops as 'Costa Adeje' and in the printed timetable as either 'Playa Americas' or 'Costa Adeje' - confused well so was I at first), I had not been out of the station as I was connecting to another route. A word of warning here - treat your 'Bonobus' card with respect. I had decided to make the journey as it was a dull day and I had two Bonobus cards containing considerable credit which did not work because I had crumpled the magnetic strips on the card. The Titsa Information office, incidentally the Tourist Information Office is down on the sea front, issued me with new card

El Medano and surrounding area

Image
Bus Routes: 470[Granadilla], 483[El Medano]. Return: 470[Los Cristianos], 483[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est]. View my El Medano and Le Tejita beach photo album Hola, Well the festivities are over, the lights switched off but not yet down which I always think gives a rather forlorn look about the place, at least the sun is shining here! I was creating a calendar on my computer on Sunday (8 th ) and generally pondering where to take you all for my next adventure whilst recovering from the festivities I wasn't feeling too energetic so I didn't come to any particular conclusion. Off round to the shop for an envelope but he had no stamps, try the post office on Monday. So as not to waste the journey I stopped off for a coffee and a chicken and avocado arepas (corn pancake) in the shade on the way back. Such a hard life! Now around here the shops normally open at 10 and close at 2, opening again at 4 or 5 til 8 or 9pm. I bimbled up to the other end of the village to find

'Three Kings' at Los Cristianos

Image
Bus Route: 483[Los Cristanos, P Americas Est). Return: 483[El Medano]. View my 'Three Kings' - Los Cristianos for Christmas photo album In Spain and the Canaries traditionally children are given their presents on the festival of the 'Three Kings' which takes place on the night of the 'Epiphany' on the 5th January. The equivalent of our '12th night' which was the final Christmas feast until banned by the Victorians. The 'Three Kings' arrive on camels and parade through the streets as part of a procession of bands, entertainers and children in costume. They throw sweets to the children as they go and this is a major event in all towns and villages thought the large cities such as Los Cristianos and Santa Cruz (where the 'Kings' arrive by helecopter) draw crowds from the surrounding areas. It is becoming a problem for parents in these austere times as the advent of the global 'village' led by American TV programs and corporate 

Año Nuevo 2012

Image
Bus Route: 483[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est] to Los Critianos. Return: 843[El Medano] View my 'Los Cristianos for Christmas' photo album I noticed that this concert was on when visiting Los Cristianos just before Christmas. I had debated the idea of going but thought that it may be rather expensive however, late Monday afternoon I decided to take a chance. A quick change into 'collar and tie' and off to catch the 843 with moments to spare.  I arrived in Los Cristianos and wandered down to the 'Municipal' centre we had seen before, it is the building with the Christmas lights I used as the 'greetings' card at the end of my 'Los Cristianos for Christmas' blog.  I wandered in to see if there was a chance of getting a ticket and with my illiterate Spanish managed to grasp that I could walk round the building, either way, and purchase a ticket from a cafe. Ah ha! this was going to be interesting, trying to ask in the various cafes who sol

Christmas Festivities 2011-12

Image
Bus Routes: Las Chafiras - 407[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est] get off opposite the 'Mercadonna' supermarket.  Return: 470[Granadilla] or 483[El Medano]. El Medano - 470[Granadilla] or 483[El Medano] town centre. Return: 470[Los Cristianos, P Americas Est] or 483[P Americas Est] I thought that it would be a quiet period between Christmas and the New Year. Invited to have Christmas Dinner by Patrick, his mother created a traditional Christmas dinner with all of the trimmings. As this involved trips to Las Chafiras and to El Medano to find a Canary or two I managed to make it to some new stops. I didn't have the camera with me as I was returning loaded with shopping however it prompted me to decide that El Medano must be worth a visit soon. New Year's Eve turned out to be a quite affair in the Village. Whan, one of the bar proprietors who remained open baked a paella for everyone and several exotic cocktails were consumed. We all watched the firework displays