Category Archives: Canary Islands

Canary Islands, Spain

Travelogue Canary Islands 7: Gran Canaria

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GRAN CANARIA

19 – 23 March 2025
After 2 very exciting first legs of the Canary Islands tour – the cruise and then a stint in Tenerife – it was time for the 3rd and final piece. Ending off with 5 days in Gran Canaria took the sting out of the epic holiday having to inevitably conclude. Our friends Alex and Luke (from England) joining us there was a bonus that had had us actually looking forward to starting the last stage together.
The ports of Santa Cruz on the east side of Tenerife and Agaete on the west side of Gran Canaria are only about 75km apart so we caught the ferry. We sucked up an early morning start to catch the 8am boat to have us at our destination less than an hour and a half later.
Effortlessly collecting our rental car at the port, we were soon on our way. After a couple of short stops in the seaside town of Agaeta and the historic town of Guia, we headed up the mountain to find our Airbnb house. It was a hair-raising white-knuckled drive along narrow streets with hairpin bends, blind corners and unexpected dead ends (even with GPS and Google offline maps)… but worth it when we got to Ecofinco Selva Dormas.
We had booked a large house for the extended group, but the description on the website had not done justice. Our host welcomed us to the ‘traditional Canarian home’ with its 5 double bedrooms curved around a central pyjama lounge with fireplace. To the right, walking through the modern kitchen (with walk-in pantry) produced the open-plan atrium living space with a 12-seater farmstyle dining table running along the right hand side and a lounge and big-screen TV area occupying the middle and left respectively. Outsized couches invited us to relax and enjoy the panoramic view that the wall-to-wall windows offered of the farm, the gorge beyond and even Las Palmas and the ocean on the horizon.
Sadly, we had no time to waste and it was back in the car to get to the airport to meet our British contingent. Taking a more direct, yet barely less harrowing, route back to the highway saved us some time but we were still almost an hour late. Fortunately, our friends were chill and our make-shift meeting arrangements sound enough to see us all greeting each other with smiling faces and hilarity a short time later.
Using online Google to get back to the farm seemed to make little difference to the return journey routing, but Chris’s recent experience with the new circumstances and terrain made up for it. After a short stop at the mercado to get dinner supplies, he was expertly bobbing and weaving around unmarked roads to get us back to our haven.
Our new guests were as impressed with our house as we were. We had barely finished showing off the impressive barbecue, patio furniture and hot tub, and had moved onto the terrace when our host reappeared to repeat the welcome spiel. Boy, was he surprised with how interested we were. Poor guy ended up taking us for a 2 hour tour around the property, explaining the what, why and how of everything we asked about – and many things we didn’t think to.
It was a good story with our host, Jaime, being a teacher who had acquired the farm 4 years prior with the ideal of playing his part in reforesting where Gran Canaria had lost countless trees to humans needing wood for burning and building. He had the house to rent out for funds, and was using the grounds to supplement income through eco-friendly and community-driven exploits. There was an orchard producing oranges, lemons, avocados and loquats that he told us were tended by his students with special needs. An indigenous garden was dedicated to a generous collection of shrubs and plants uniquely Canarian, which he plucked and plumped so we could taste or smell.
Completing our tour of the top gardens, he offered to show us the lower grounds. Calling his bluff, we descended on the ramps that ran in front of our terrace. With a whiff of this and a waft of that, we slowly inched down the ramps until we were at the chicken run. Jaime introduced us to the ladies – a few personally, with made-up names – and one of the three roosters. We were provided with leaves from the tastier shrubs nearby to feed the hens, who cackled and sqwawked delightedly as they tussled for the leaves and branches we poked through the fence for them.
The tour closed with a visit to the greenhouse, where we were enlightened on some of the more taxing and laborious tasks that it takes to get healthy veggies to market. Learning of the Friday market in Guia, we committed to doing a fresh food shop from the stall that sold the produce from our farm. We were also provided a fresh-from-the-vine cucumber since we hadn’t been able to get one on our grocery shop.
With that we returned home for a sundowner and to prepare our dinner, a fantastic tuna pasta with fresh salad and crusty bread. It had been a long day for all, so we let Ted Lasso see us off to slumber time.
THURSDAY
Celebrating Dorothy’s 84th birthday, we were up bright and early making tea and a fuss. We had wonderful farm fresh oranges for juice and eggs to make scrambles before we hit the road to Las Palmas.
The mothers were deposited at the seaside to meet up with Aunty Pat and Uncle Peter who had timed their holidays to cross-over with ours for a much-needed reunion. We drove across to the old town for our booked walking tour.
We met Luis from Guru Walk at the designated spot and were very impressed with how organised he was. He started with an introduction of himself and his heritage in Gran Canaria as well as the history of Las Palmas, and then invited us into the church for a taste of the island’s religious history.
We spent the next couple of hours following Luis as he led us through the charming cobbled streets, pointing out places of interest. He illustrated his stories with laminated sheets from a plastic envelope under his arm and with images from his iPad. It was a mixed bag of triumph and tragedy that dated back to cave-dwellers, welcomed intrepid explorers, evolved from slave-trading and has kept this little island solidly on the map for millennia. Poor Luis expertly fielded all the random questions our little group threw at him, mixing his academic history and geography education with personal anecdotes that lent depth to the textbook narrative.
When we were done we made our way back to the waterfront to meet up with the others for a late lunch. Luke had found us a well-reviewed restaurant a few doors down from the hotel and they seated us immediately. Navigating the complicated menu, we each found something delicious to order and then shared stories of our respective days while sipping on our drinks. It was great to have such a festive mix at the impromptu birthday party!
Sadly, with a long drive ahead, it was time to go sooner than we would have liked. Our merry group piled into the car and made our way back up the mountain to our fabulous farm. There was still some light left of the day and with no cooking to do, we were able to flop into the hot tub to enjoy the spectacular view, with the clear evening allowing us to see all the way back to Las Palmas.
FRIDAY
Anticipating that we would want to pick at the market, we had a quick start to the day with freshly-squeezed orange juice before heading out. We easily found the indoor market building and Jaime was easy to spot as we arrived, since he was outside and on the phone doing a TV interview about something farm-related. We got shopping and bought a collection of organic items that would enrich our next couple of meals.
Falling short on the immediate food front, we made our way to Agaete to source something to fill the bellies that we’re planning on hiking all day. A waterfront diner did the trick with crusty bocadilla rolls providing the carbs we needed.
The winding drive along the steep ocean-facing cliffs had us sweating almost as much as the hike promised to. With a lot of roadworks, there were a lot of big trucks. Clearly used to the roads, they would hurtle in our direction and we would breathe in as they slid past us. Passing motorists didn’t inspire us with any more faith, often overlapping onto our side of the road as they swung into view from curves up ahead. There were thankfully precious few cyclists, and the intermittent hikers casually ambling up the non-existent pavement with nothing but sheer drop on the other side had us crawling past them so as not to create any cause for alarm.
It was still a beautiful drive and we were excited for what lay ahead. Alex had a hikes and walks app and had selected a path for us to follow. Mostly clear and flat track, we could focus on the view and chatting amongst ourselves, and predicting which muscle groups would have stories to tell the next day from the steeper climbing parts of the route. Great to spend a couple of hours in the sunshine and fresh air, appreciating the best that nature has to offer from the spectacular viewpoints.
Rewarding ourselves for a job well done, lunch was a collection of local delicacies including mushrooms grilled with almagrote cheese paste, pork croquettes, deep fried goat cheese and some calamari rings for good measure.
We lucked out on the return journey, where we discovered that all the roadwork crews were building tunnels through the base of the mountains, which saved all the perilous cross-crossing we’d experienced on the way up the coast. We particularly enjoyed a stunning new 2.4km tunnel that had been open less than a month and offered a slick two-laned shortcut that saved us 20 minutes or more!
Back in civilisation we hunter-gathered for supplies for dinner. Thanks to the joys of island life where seafood is so reasonably priced, we landed two huge pieces of salmon (almost a kilo each) for a fish braai back at the farm. Luke would be preparing his signature dish, Spanish Omelette, to accompany. With that, we returned to the nest to share the stories of our day and sneak a whirl in the hot tub to wash away all the stories our muscles were already telling.
SATURDAY
The last day always comes too soon. We woke up in the clouds, with our mountain home engulfed in a low hanging mist and threatening rain. Temperatures had dropped and it was quite chilly! We wondered how this would bode for our ‘Beach day’ plan…
We set off, back down the mountain and on the ring road highway that ran clockwise three quarters of the way around the island. We would be driving the whole distance, to Mogan at the farthest point, and counting our blessings for the freeway.
While we were amazed to be greeted with bright sunshine on this end of the island, we were a bit disappointed with Mogan. The small slice of beach was packed and promoters outside the crescent of restaurants along the short waterfront promenade were already having little challenge luring tourists in with drinks specials and meal deals. It was clear from the row of apartments and the collection of stores that this town had dedicated itself to in-and-out holidaymakers. Luke did us the honours of testing the waters so that at least we could say we collectively had experienced the ocean.
Retracing our footsteps to Maspalomas, we guided ourselves to the RUI hotel that was described as the gateway to the famous dunes, which were became visible as we walked through the grand entrance.
A signboard gave us options for walks through the dunes and we selected the 2.3km route that would deposit us at the sea. It didn’t sound very far – a fraction of the hike the previous day – but the thick sand made the going a lot slower and tougher. It was worth it though to make our way along the demarcated path to appreciate the vastness of it all.
Then, like an oasis, we were at the sea. Like true wanderers emerging from the desert, we were keen on refreshments. There were lots of restaurants (mostly seafood) and a real party vibe. Succumbing to the spirit of tourism, we had a pint at Paddy’s Irish Bar to log on our Guinness Index.
Canary Islands, Spain

Travelogue Canary Islands 6: Tenerife

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TENERIFE

16-19 March 2025
It was with heavy hearts (and heads, after our party the night before) that we had to bid farewell to the ship that had been our home for the preceding week and toured us around the Canary Islands. We savoured our last breakfast onboard and then wheeled our cases to the car rental agency on the Santa Cruz de Tenerife port to pick up the keys for our new adventure.
With plenty of time before check-in at our Airbnb rental to the south of the port, we took a drive up north to the historic town of La Orotava. Arriving in the old town, it took several circles to find a parkade so we could explore on foot.
Knowing precious little about our new location, it was a relief and a delight to find that there were info boards outside of the places of interest. And there were many! The well-preserved neighbourhood had buildings that dated back more than 500 years and shared examples of architecture spanning across the millennia, where some of the structures had succumbed to some sort of accidental destruction and been rebuilt.
Built on a slope, some of the hills were not for the faint-hearted… but did allow for some creative use of space with terraced gardens, and breath-taking views both up and down the few roads that made up the old town.
Time still in hand, we headed towards our base camp, Tabaiba, just south of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Wanting to get our sight-seeing done before check in, we explored the seaside first with a drive to the next big town, Candelaria for a wander around.
Our Airbnb apartment was mounted on a steep hillside with an impressive panoramic view of the coastline. With our 3 bedrooms upstairs (each with a terrace) and a large living area downstairs, we settled in for a quiet evening at home to find our land legs again.
MONDAY
Our itinerary had us travelling south for the day. The good people of Tenerife had thoughtfully created a ring-road freeway around the circumference of the island, which made it very quick and easy to execute our mission. Our trusty rental car soon deposited us at the very busy coastal resort-town of Los Cristianos.
The struggle for finding a parking spot made sense once we walked down from the road to the promenade. Even for a fresh spring morning, the beach was already full of sunbathers and people playing volleyball or bat-and-ball. The restaurants were busy and the pubs long-since open. Being St Patrick’s Day, there were holiday-makers donning bright green shirts and hats, and posters in several establishment promised that the day would be exceptionally festive. Quite different from anything we’d yet experienced in the Canary Islands.
The visual overload was addictive and before we even realised it, we had covered a couple of kilometres on the promenade, window-shopping and people-watching. We had worked up quite an appetite! It was most certainly time for lunch.
Spoilt for choice, a set menu caught our attention and we settled in at Las Castanuelos for a collection of options from the menu so that we would have stories to tell about the local dishes. Washing it all down with Sangria and soaking in the seaside atmosphere.
Keen to get feet up after our great trek, we eased our way back to homebase for a couple of hours of R&R. Our apartment had a spacious covered front terrace, with lounge furniture arranged to appreciate the spectacular sunset.
After a light supper, we introduced the mothers to the wonder that is Ted Lasso and we all had a good laugh until bedtime beckoned.
TUESDAY
We would be remiss in spending time in Tenerife without an explore of the capital, Santa Cruz, so up the coast we went. With rain forecast for the afternoon, we front-ended the outdoor excursions such that we could have a leisurely lunch to weather any storms, so to speak, when and if the time came.
This meant starting with a visit to the historical town of La Laguna. Similar to La Orotava, it was an enclave of beautifully preserved old town. With cobblestone streets and elegant facades, we could only imagine that this would have been the top-end of the town back then. It also had a very pleasant aroma lingering from the generous selection of coffee shops and bakeries nested into the ground level floor of some of the buildings that had been subtly converted for retail.
A pop into the tourist office revealed which buildings allowed access (and which were free), helping to guide our wandering so that we could poke a nose into the lavish gentry homes where you could access the central courtyard to see their impressive domains. With dark, heavy wood balconies and floorboards, it was incredible to see what great shape these buildings were still in. They promise to be standing long after some of our modern structures have caved!
Long past lunch o’clock, we hit the highway to get to the capital for a bite and an explore. Chris expertly navigated us to a central parkade so we were soon enjoying a pizza Compostelana near the Plaza de España.
Another tourist office produced another valuable map. Santa Cruz de Tenerife had a compact centre of town jam-packed with wonderment. Squares, monuments, artwork, gardens and architecture… all within an easily walkable collection of blocks. Real good bang for sight-seeing buck!
A highlight was concluding with an underground visit to the San Cristóbal castle’s foundations. Constructed in 1575 and having secured the city through several momentous battles, the castle was unfathomably demolished in 1928. The remains were only rediscovered in 2006 during a remodel of Plaza Espana, whereafter the city created a free exhibit accessible from just off the seaward side of the square. Along with a section of the excavated heavy stone wall, you could see the infamous El Tigre canon that legend contends is responsible for taking Lord Nelson’s arm in battle in 1797!
Canary Islands, Spain

Travelogue Canary Islands 5: Lanzerote

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LANZEROTE

15 March 2025

With a slightly later start, the morning trot on the treadmill in the gym on the cruise ship had a spectacular view of the sunrise as we approached the island of Lanzerote on the horizon. A hearty breakfast later and we were there.
The port of Arancife was quite different to those at which we’d arrived on the other islands. The long row of masts on the yacht-lined harbour looked a bit like a palisade fence between us and the white block flat-roofed buildings along the shoreline.
First stop was in the former capital, Teguise, for a walk around the old town to view the Parish of Lanzerote, a building from 1418, as well as the museum that dated from the 1500s. The shops were starting to open up (not a bad life for the locals retailers, considering it was almost 11am on a Saturday) and atmosphere was building in the old town. We reckoned it might get quite festive later in the day.
Using the map we got at the car rental office, we navigated to Lanzerote’s most northernmost point. Amazing how different the landscape was; the feels of a desert with sandy patches and cactuses, but then also a rugged carpet of bright green shrubby foliage. Peculiarly, there were big chunks missing from the sides of several of the koppies; although likely an uninteresting explanation like wind erosion, it was more amusing to imagine that something other-worldly had taken massive bites out of them.
The town of Orzola was a bit of a wash with little going on besides the port to catch the ferry to La Graciosa, an island that offered a change of scenery just a hop across the bay. After a bit of a wander – and some souvenir shopping at the local supermercado for the mothers – we were back in the car.
Twenty minutes and superb scenery later we were in Caleta de Famara. With little to no internet on the trip, we had no idea what to expect. Pulling into the village we found 3 or 4 neat rows of the same white block houses, but this time with wide sandy roads between them instead of the impeccable tarmac we’d seen in all the others before.
It soon became evident that we were in surfers’ paradise. Every shop was something surf related – gear, lessons, branded merch – or a seafood restaurant. The sea itself was dotted with surfers in wetsuits bobbing on their boards, awaiting their wave. A sandy crescent of sunbathers watched the show. There really was little else to do.
After a stroll along the promenade and an amble back through the ‘burbs, we made our way to the west of Lanzarote to see what we could see.
Again, the terrain changed radically and we were soon surrounded by black lava fields that were described in the travel brochures as looking like being on Mars. The typically-Lanzerote white houses in the town of Tinajo seemed even whiter against the stark backdrop. So odd to see the black granules where green lawn should be in the local residents’ front yards.
The last stop for the day was the Parque Nacional de Timanfaya but by the time we got there, we reckoned we’d seen enough of the volcanic landscape to warrant giving the drive through the park a miss to just see more of the same. Some snaps at the gate and we ticked it off as done.
We had by now travelled far enough south that our trip would complete with a 22km slice to the east to get back to Arrecife. Before you could say ‘eating again’, we were on Deck 11 enjoying snacks and drinks to see us through to another fabulous dinner and evening of entertainment to bid farewell to our wonderful week of cruising around the Canary Islands as we arrived back in Tenerife.
Canary Islands, Spain

Travelogue Canary Islands 4: La Palma

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LA PALMA

14 March 2025
Settling into our new life in the serviced restaurant on Deck 5 of the MSC Opera, we started the day with an order of the generous Full English (known in international waters as the MSC Express) to celebrate our arrival in the port of La Palma.
Having made no prior arrangements for this small island we left ourselves in fate’s hands, reckoning that if we could get a car we would drive down south, and if not then we would just have a wander around the town. With a very civilised 11am docking in Santa Cruz de La Palma, it was easy to be fed and ready at the gates when disembarking opened. Joining the queue at the first car rental agency, we were soon the proud new renters of an Alfa Tomeo Tonale, and off we set.
A little free WiFi from trusty McDonald’s (conveniently located on the port, right next to the car park) allowed us to download an offline Google Map to see us to the sights.
On approaching the island, we had appreciated it from our vantage point on the ship as a steep green mound with clusters of brightly coloured block buildings clinging to the base at the shoreline. Now, approaching it on land, we found ourselves winding along the side of the mound, carving and curving slowly upward. It was getting noticeably colder and darker as we climbed, with the mountainside getting greener as we approached the steep bit at the top that disappeared into a soft grey cloud.
The first stop was at San Antonio volcano to take a short trot to the crater. Having last erupted in 1677, the area was well restored with vegetation. The Visitors Centre was a €9 entry fee so we gave that a skip, in favour of driving down to the southern tip.
Winding down the steep hillside, we marvelled at the vast stone walls that had been created to retain the rocks and create functional terraces. Mostly to grow bananas, it would seem. Banana trees as far as the eye could see.
Reaching the coast, we marvelled at Playa de Echentive beach. It had been naturally formed when the Teneguia Volcano erupted in 1971 leaving an abundance of pebbles and gravel. The result was a black hill of granular lava rocks down to the grey beach of lava sand. Parts of the cove were sheltered from the choppy sea and the sign said that these rock pools were calm all year round.
Following the main road around the tip took us to the salt pans at Salinas Fuencalientes. While it had been very cold and slightly wet up at the volcano, it was warm and sunny at the coast; amazing microclimates! We were surprised and delighted with a bonus duet of lighthouses, a self-guided salt pan tour and a restaurant and visitors centre where we could buy some of the freshly harvested salt, flavoured or plain.
Little known (to us anyway), La Palma has a wine route. Ready to whet whistles, we stopped at a winery we had seen recommended twice – in a guide book and on a board at the lighthouses. The host at Bodegas Carballo invited us in and took us through a flight of their reds, white, rose and of course their local sweet wine made with the malvaisa grape. The reds were pretty good so we supported local business by procuring a bottle as a keepsake.
With our itinerary completed, we retraced our footsteps back around the mountain and alongside the steep rock faces with a lot more confidence than on our way there. We were all smiles about our little adventure as we reboarded our cruise ship and celebrated our day, while wondering what Lanzerote would have in store for us the following day.
Canary Islands, Spain

Travelogue Canary Islands 2: Fuerteventura

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FUERTEVENTURA

11 Mar 2025
It was wonderfully convenient going to bed in Gran Canaria and waking up in Fuerteventura! Having experienced the vast buffet on our first morning, we were generous with our time allowance for breakfast on Day 2. Timing it well, we disembarked from the ship at Puerto del Rosario on the islands of Fuerteventura no more than a few minutes later than planned… and almost an hour before we were scheduled to pick up our hire car, conveniently located right on the quayside.
Minor flutters when the car hire kiosk was still closed when we got there. Always one for immediate action, Chris approached the neighbouring car hire kiosk to rent us another car. We’d no sooner started the paperwork when the attendant from original car hire company arrived and we were hooked up with our booked vehicle.
Jumping into our Hyundai i20, we were off on our adventure. We had done our homework, lending from all of the excursions offered by the cruise line to create our own highlights tour route. Thus, we were off to the North of the island to the sand dunes of Correlejo.
The landscape was not at all what we expected. Everything in the Canaries being named Palmas this-and-that conjures images of tropical paradise. Yet, the view on either side of the highway was barren with sand-coloured mounds. The ground was so rocky and granular that it looked like instant coffee that had been poured from the heavens.
Soon enough the horizon started to soften as we approached Correlejo, famed for its beautiful beaches and the dunes in the surrounding Parque (nature reserve). Spotting a tour bus, we reckoned that it must be a recommended photo stop so we pulled over and wandered around the soft sand dunes on the sea side and the gravelly arid desert on the other side of the road.
Now at the northern tip of Fuerteventura with our mission accomplished, it was time for an about-turn to traverse the island through the central route that promised dramatic landscapes and quaint little villages.
We were treated to both sooner than expected, when 10km later we were in La Oliva, self-described “village steeped in history”. We visited the traditional Mercado (market) and sampled banana wine (dreadful) before putting a nose in at the 17th century La Candelaria church, to light a candle in the name of our fathers. The landscape was indeed dramatic and the handful of palmtree-lined streets marked this pinhead of a town as a veritable oasis in the middle of the desert.
Back on the road, we passed the Montana de Tindaya landmark and (not for the first time) wished we had Google to shed light on why this sole koppie was mentioned as a place of interest on many of the excursions. For now it would have to remain a mystery, as would the ongoing debate about what the good people of Fuerteventura do for a living on this meticulously-kept remote little landmass.
The next village, Betancuria, proudly announced itself with a signboard saying it was bestowed the honour of being one of the prettiest villages in Spain. It was also clearly the busiest village on the island with loads of tourists busses and so many cars that the public lot was full, prompting us to move on without stopping.
The drive to the next town was a hair-raising sequence of tight twists and turns on very narrow road cutting across and through the mountains. While we enjoyed spectacular vistaramas, Chris white-knuckled us past a couple of busses and more than a couple of irresponsible and inconsiderate drivers cutting it very fine as they approached us from the opposite direction.
We were deposited in pretty little Pajara, which was exactly what you’d expect of a village described as having a “laid-back sleepy atmosphere” on an island that wasn’t exactly pumping. Lucky us, there was a market in the church square so we could have a wander around while admiring the Aztec-inspired church that was the central draw card. Mother was under the impression that Canaries was famed for basket-making… and there there was not a basket to be had at the craft market; the search would have to continue.
Last stop on the road trip was Antigua, with its famous cheese farm and museum. We made short work of a self-guided tour around the shop, having decided that getting an education on the process of cheese-making (goat or otherwise) was not for us.
With a short hop on open roads to close the loop, we deposited the car back at the rental agency, ensured the mothers were safely re-embarked, and Chris and I took the opportunity for a bit of an explore of the beachfront bit of Puerto del Rosario, where our cruise ship had docked in Fuerteventura.
Clearly a seaside vacation destination, there were many holiday apartments lining the promenade locations with restaurants and shops at street level. We entered the big shiny mall to see what Canarian retail looked like – and were delighted by how many sneaker shops there were! We could have spent all day (and a fortune) there under different circumstances.
After a flit past McDonalds for some free WiFi to download offline Google maps, what we’d missed in civilisation and do a quick Duolingo lesson, we headed back to the ship, fancying ourselves a sundowner beer to close the busy day.
Who should we see there? The mothers. Who had discovered that there was High Tea served on Deck 11 at 4pm! We got the lowdown from their reccie of the cake selection. Although that wasn’t our cup of tea for the moment, we found space for a slice of pizza from the 24 hour cafe that had been calling our names since we boarded.
Barely finished sundowners, it was time to suit up for dinner. Tracksuit, that is.
Tucked into our usual booth we recounted the day’s adventures and all we had seen and done, somehow managing to squeeze in another 3 course meal along the way. We had to chivvy a little since with a Day at Sea (and thus a later start) to follow, we had pre-decided to do the Quiz and the show at the Theatre after dinner.
Scuttling out of our booth with mere minutes to spare, we expertly navigated to the lounge where the Quiz was to be held and found ourselves seats around a low table that would allow for discrete consultation on tricky questions. It was very exciting that we were tied with 3 other teams… and then Chris swept the title with an ace on the sudden death question, winning himself an MSC-branded running hat.
On a bit of a high, we made our way to the theatre where we were treated to spectacle called Voyage, with song-and-dance themed routines from London, Paris and Rome. Fantastic!
Canary Islands, Europe, Madeira, Spain

Travelogue Canary Islands 1: Las Palmas

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LAS PALMAS

09 – 10 March 2025

It was bittersweet to plan our trip to the Canary Islands. As one of the few cruises my folks had not done, it had seemed a fitting family reunion and send-off for Pappy’s ashes. Sadly, passport admin prevented our Irish family from meeting up with us, but we decided to go ahead with the mothers anyway as a something-to-look-forward to holiday after a particularly tough 2024.
We spent the next few months planning and booking and debating and packing. And then we were off! Up in the sky on a Lufthansa flight through Frankfurt to meet the MSC Opera cruise ship in Las Palmas, the capital of Tenerife.
Having made no transfer arrangements, we struck luck spotting an MSC representative as we walked through into the Arrivals Hall. There was a cruise shuttle waiting right outside to take us to the ship. Just short of an hour later, we’d completed our first excursion as the scenic bus route northward along the coastline to Santa Cruz, and were the first of our busload to check in.
Having been in transit for a considerable amount of time and breakfast seeming like a distant memory, first order of business on the ship was to find lunch. Which we did with vigour and purpose at the buffet restaurant. A long horseshoe of delicious things had us loading our over-sized plates with more food than any one person should be allowed at a single sitting!
On conclusion, we located our cabins and realised that the mothers had been erroneously allocated a double cabin with a lifeboat completely obscuring their window, when they should have had a twin with a view. That would not be! With prompt escalation, their amendment was soon in motion – and resulted in an upgrade to a much bigger and nicer cabin.
After a bit of an explore around the lounges, bars, shops, pools and games areas, the labyrinth of a ship started taking shape in our mind-maps, giving natural perspective and orientation to front vs back and the various decks. It was soon time to wander over to the lucky draw at the Spa; we  came up dry, but took the win on how expertly we’d navigated to the correct side of the correct deck first time.
This left us an hour and a bit to rest and recover in time for our dinner in the main restaurant, where we had pre-booked the 18h30 sitting for the duration. Having splashed on the Dine & Drinks drinks package, we were soon doing exactly that. A lot too close to our feast at lunchtime, truth be told! Still, we soldiered through our 3 courses and a mix of white and red wines over our first meal experience in our allocated booth for dinners for the week.
Exhausted from the journey and pleased to be able to be horizontal for the night, we were soon ensconced in our respective cabins, welcoming the clean, smooth white linen and drifting off to the gentle rhythm of the motion of the ocean as our sea hotel moved on to the next port.
MONDAY
Since our itinerary had us spending a few nights on Gran Canaria at the end of the trip, we felt no obligation to splash out on any formal excursions on our first day. We did find a Hop On Hop Off bus for Las Palmas that stopped right outside the cruise port, which would be a wonderful way to get a low-effort lay of the land.
Indulging on an enormous multi-course buffet breakfast – rationalising that we would need to keep up our strength on the bus tour all day – we waddled off the ship to the bus stop.
The route was about an hour and a half in total and we were happy to view most of the spread-out sights in Las Palmas from the bus, with the audio guide filling in details about what we were seeing, as well as the usual factoids about the life and people of the place.
We learned that Las Palmas dates back to Neolithic settlers who lived in caves and was the first port in the Canary Island. It now sees more than a million passengers pass through every year, largely thanks to its reputation as ‘the City of Eternal Spring’ (around 18-26 degrees all year round) and having some of the best urban beaches in the world. Home to 400 000 people, it is the biggest city in the Canaries and the 9th biggest in Spain. It is also the sister city of San Antonio, Texas.
We did hop off the bus at the Las Palmas Old Town, to see the famous St Ana church and the charming square and cobbled streets surrounding it. It was a pleasure to enjoy the moderate early afternoon sunshine while absorbing the scenery.
When the bus returned to the quayside stop, we parted ways with the mothers, who were on the hunt for a bevvy, while we were eager to explore the La Isletta peninsular on foot. We discovered a bustling waterfront area with holiday-makers tanning and swimming in the bluer-than-blue sea, or eating and drinking at the many cafes that lined the promenade.
We decided we would return with the troops during our Gran Canaria stay at the end of our trip. The mothers were very pleased with our discovery and decision, when we found them very settled on Deck 11 and flexing their drinks package to create their own sundowner event. We had all adjusted quite well quite quickly to cruise life.