Get a Freebird eye view of Tenerife
Hugging the hills on narrow roads above a sheer drop, this really is getting close to nature. It’s worth it though as I look out on the panoramic views of banana plantations, old volcanic lava flows and the rugged coastline beyond. In the comfort of a Freebird jeep, the ground might rise and fall but the suspension has got it covered.
Like many holiday makers, I always thought that the beaches and nightlife were the start and end of Tenerife, but this trip opened my eyes to the history and true nature of the island. Our convoy of six jeeps, set off from the built up areas of Las Americas and Los Cristianos, but we were soon climbing through villages forgotten by time.
I’d heard of the hidden village of Masca but wasn’t prepared for the sight of it nestling in the folds of the towering mountains, almost looking like a model from afar. Onward to Garachico, and the legacy of past volcanic eruptions was all around, the large rock just out to sea was, i’m told, spat out there when the island roared with a fierce explosion many years ago. Down in the fishing village below, the rock loomed even larger and rugged outcrops made natural enticing pools.
Filling up my camera at each viewing stop, the contrasts kept coming, up to Chinyero, the site of the last eruption in 1909, blimey that’s a bit too recent, the low cloud cooled the air but we were all cosy in the jeeps. A typical Canarian dinner at a restaurant, fuelled us up for the next stage, and the locl wine gave us a taste for the vineyard shop in the village of Santiago del Teide. The local produce had to be sampled, well it would have been rude not to.
It left ample time for a stop above Los Gigantes to take in the towering cliffs that inspired the name, before closing the full day with a leisurely drive back to our pick up points.