Walks and Music at the Festival of the Canary Islands

Walks & Music at the Festival of the Canary Islands - An Island, a Volcano & an Auditorium

With the building of a remarkable new auditorium, the renowned Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava Valls, has given the subtropical island of Tenerife a cultural icon as striking as his City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia.

The unspoilt interior of the island has good paths and mule trails in dramatic mountain scenery, ideal for a week's walking in winter sunshine. We explore the heritage of well-preserved 17C and 18C Spanish colonial architecture and complete our visit walking in an extraordinary lunar landscape high on the slopes of the volcano, Mt. Teide.

We attend two performances of the Music Festival of the Canaries in the memorable setting of the Auditorio:

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Conductor - Gustavo Dudamel

Beethoven Symphony no. 6

Nielsen Symphony no. 5

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Conductor - Gustavo Dudamel

Piano - Leif Ove Andsnes

Rachmaninov Concerto for Piano no. 4

Sibelius Symphony no. 2

TRIP ITINERARY

DAY 1

D included

After meeting at Tenerife South airport in the early evening we have a road transfer round the coast to the historic village of Garachico, which has some of the best preserved colonial architecture on the island. Our hotel for five nights is a carefully converted 16C mansion, ideally located on the pedestrianised plaza, with very well-equipped rooms, a rooftop terrace with solarium and spa tub, and its own tapas bar.

DAY 2

B, L, D included

This morning’s walk in the hills above Garachico follows an old mule trail created by the Spanish conquerors in the 16C to link two mountain villages by a traverse across a swathe of remnant laurasilva forest - a green tunnel of laurel and myrtle, harbouring the rare endemic laurel pigeons (white tailed and Bolle’s). We see local species of lavender, cystus and marguerites and have views down to the sea before we descend to a tiny village bodega for lunch with the locals.

DAY 3

B, L, D included

A spectacular drive takes us high up onto the western massif of Santiago de Teide. We follow a ridge path with long views down to the sea, looking out for the three endemic bird species of Macaronesia - Berthelot’s pipit, the canary and the plain swift. After lunch we walk on to a viewpoint over a terraced valley and return to our hotel for some free time to relax and read, in the library or the pretty interior courtyard with its fountain and palms. We enjoy a fino sherry as aperitif on the plaza before a fresh fish dinner.

DAY 4

B, L, D included

We travel by road to visit La Orotava, a charming and well-preserved colonial town with a museum of handicrafts from Spain and Latin America and several fine 16th and 17C churches. At the 17C estate of La Baranda we learn about the history of viticulture on the island and taste a selection of special island wines with lunch. In the afternoon we visit the nearby Botanical Gardens - originally laid out in 1788 to acclimatise plants being brought from the New World, they contain an impressive variety of species from around the world as well as the Canary island endemic plants.

DAY 5

B, L, D included

A full morning’s walk takes us down from a low pass to a village with many almond trees in blossom, before gently climbing into a volcanic landscape with views of snow capped Mount Teide. We picnic in an orchard before returning by road via Santiago del Teide. Dinner may feature such typical Canarian dishes as papas arrugadas, delicious ‘wrinkly’ potatoes dipped in mojo (a piquant garlic, chili and coriander sauce) and pork, pumpkin and chickpea stew, accompanied by excellent island red wines.

DAY 6

B, L, D included

We start early to drive up into the National Park surrounding Mt Teide 3,718 m, the great volcano which dominates the island and is the highest point of the Canaries and indeed Spain. Our walk crosses a lunar landscape of subtle orange, black and grey lava fields, enlivened by endemic Teide white broom and Teide bugloss. After lunch in the Parador's good, traditional restaurant we drive down through forests of endemic Canarian pine (home of the Canarian Blue Chaffinch) to the island capital, Santa Cruz. We settle into our elegantly appointed boutique hotel (4 star), then walk to the magnificent auditorio for our first concert by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.

DAY 7

B, L, D included

We take advantage of the brand-new tram system for the scenic ride to San Cristobal de La Laguna, the former colonial capital and World Heritage Site, with some fine Spanish colonial architecture and an interesting museum and cathedral. On our return to Santa Cruz we walk down through the formal gardens and shady plazas of the historic centre and visit a very contemporary museum devoted to volcanoes, flora and fauna and the culture of the original inhabitants of the island, the Guanche. We have an early light dinner (the hotel restaurant is part of the culinary empire of celebrity chef Ferrán Adrià), then return to the auditorio for our second Festival performance.

DAY 8

B included

Following a leisurely start to the morning we drive to Tenerife South airport for flights home.

Price includes:

All accommodation for Days 1 through 8 on a double shared basis

All meals with wine at lunches and dinners, other than those excepted in the daily notation

All land transportation in a private vehicle as described except during free periods

All entrance and sightseeing fees except during free periods

Top category tickets for two performances of the Music Festival of the Canaries

Gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff

Visa and Health Requirements

Visitors from the EU and the US currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Spain. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Spain.

At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Spain. Residents of countries in the EU can claim free (emergency) medical treatment in Spain by presenting their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is issued in the UK by the Department of Health. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the FCO.

Insurance

It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. Follow this link for information on a policy available to UK residents.

If you are already insured, or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.