International (Europe/Japan/Southern Hemisphere) Anyone been snorkeling in Tenerife?

[Eleeski]

Heading to Madrid in mid September for Senior Waterski Worlds. Afterwards, we wanted to get some snorkeling and diving. Is Tenerife good? Or should we drive to Gibraltar or somewhere on the Mediterranean? I like warm water.

Thanks for any info,

Eric

 

[neonorchid]

Neither! Canary Ils are rocky, Mediterranean essentially more of the same, meh
If you can swing it, Northern Red Sea, Eilat Isreal or East coast of Africa, Malindi Kenya where you may even encounter a whale shark Booth have beautiful coral reefs and reef fish that you'll be able to enjoy simply via snorkeling, the Red Sea more so. I actually prefer freediving to scuba.

 

[Eleeski]

Thanks, it sounds like we should keep to touristing in the Spanish mainland. We do like to snorkel and swim. What's best in Spain? Is Gibraltar worth the drive from Madrid?

Eric

 

[neonorchid]

Idk, have you been to Barcelona? Gaudi, Dali, Picasso! Highly recommended

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao could be interesting too...

 

[Lorenzzo]

If you ask me the best places in Spain are Madrid, Barcelona and Portugal.

 

[Jerez]

Gibraltar is not nice. touristy and kinda dirty.

But Andalusia is beautiful. fishing villages, and lovely small cities and beautiful hill towns. (have family there)

One of my favorite little cities is Cordoba. The Alhambra of course. (Oh, and Jerez). Rhonda, in the mountains is a must. And the Alpujaras region between the coast and near Granada (sort of), another great town. Fascinating history. The Alpujaras was the last remaining area of settlement of Muslims and Jews at the beginning of the inquisition, its super serpentine roads through steep hills seem like a perfect hide-out at the base of the Sierra Nevada. It's now famous for its pigs. (not my favorite thing about it, but if you like jamon...)

All of the region has great fish, great tapas, flamenco and beautiful sea. Hm Yum... Gambas Pil-Pil and Chanquetas (although they may be illegal now).

 

[Lorenzzo]

Speaking of Andalusia, you could always do this. A small group of us is planning on doing this next spring.

http://trektravel.com/trip/andalucia-bike-tour/#overview

 

[cantunamunch]

I feel it appropriate to mention that Tenerife is awsum cycling.

 

[Eleeski]

OK, the trip is facing reality. Madrid, Sesena, and Toledo are set by the tournament. Barcelona is the after trip. Is Andorra fun as a stop on the way back to Madrid?

Eric

 

[Frank Atherton]

Going back to your first post. The snorkeling is actually quite good.. Though I hope you realise Teneriffe isn't actually in Spain, it's in the mid Atlantic. Lorenzo needs to check his maps. Portugal is NOT in Spain but adjacent to it. I second Jerez#s comments re. Rhonda, it is one of the most amazing cities as is the Alhambra. Barcelona is also a brilliant city to visit. I have an apartment in Spain and visit regularly.

 

[neonorchid]

^ ok not too terrrible but -
vs
;-)

 

[Eleeski]

Barcelona seems to be the safe visit. Snorkeling if the weather is good, museums if not. The drivathon from Madrid will let us see and feel lots of Spain. Our visit is short. We are getting good ideas for this - and future trips. Thanks.

Eric

 

[cantunamunch]

Barcelona seems to be the safe visit. Snorkeling if the weather is good, museums if not. The drivathon from Madrid will let us see and feel lots of Spain. Our visit is short. We are getting good ideas for this - and future trips. Thanks.

Eric

Any interest in the coastal route, through Valencia maybe detour Alicante? Sure it's a bit California (beaches, wine, seafood) but there's El Cid interest

 

[Eleeski]

Coastal route there, inland via Andorra back. Lots of driving... Alicante is a big detour. Lunch in Valencia? Best spots? Wine, brandy recommendations?

You all have been really helpful. Except for the Red Sea stuff - now I'll have to plan another trip!

Eric

 

[Jerez]

As it turns out, I'm going to be in Spain then too, but further south. Unplanned. My bro-in-law broke his back and I am going to help out.

Take tons of photos Eleeski, and a TR is def. expected!

 

[skibum4ever]

Thanks, neonorchid.

While skiing is my life, I've been working this summer on learning to swim. OK, I admit it. I've lived on this earth for over 60 years and have never learned to swim - until now. I'm nowhere near proficient yet, but I still have 6 months to work on it ... when I'm not skiing.

My goal is to be able to snorkel in Maui next spring.

I loved all your videos. I would really like to be able to do that, or at least to do something remotely approximating that.

I fear I must join a snorkeling forum.

 

[Swede]

Barcelona! That is such a great city. Drink Cava. Eat tapas. And there's skiing in Spain, though I havent been yet. The Pyrenées is a three hour drive from Barca and in the South, the 'original' Sierra Nevada, near Malaga. Don't now about the snorkeling. Canary Islands might have some good scuba or the Balearic Islands in the Med (Mallorca has a marine park). But I've never tried it and it's not tropical as pointed out. You'd have to go to the Red Sea for that where I have dived many times.

 

[Yo Momma]

Eleeski....Please give us a review..... How was your trip? What cities did you end up visiting? I partially grew up there and was wondering how things have changed. For anyone heading to Spain...........a few off the beaten path nuggets here for the curious and adventurous....... In the 80's I remember being WAAAAY out in the Mediterranean on a Hobie Cat. We launched from Sitges (SuperPollo) ... just south of Barcelona (Las Ramblas weekend @4am, La Boqueria, anything Gaudi and/or Picasso, Casa Jose, Juan Miro museum)....... two teens hanging in the ocean much further out than we should have.......... large swaths of ocean garbage out there even then. It was disturbing.....

...... but contrast that w/ many trips to Fomentera. Baleares... off the coast of Ibiza: what can I say about the new Ibiza overdone and pretentious "Nouveau Rave" party scene now......Formentera was super clean, pristine beaches, few tourists, real hippies, beautiful culture and amazing paella. It's one of the places in Spain that I want to go back and visit again.......... other than Granada (Alhambra, Albaicin, Sacramonte, and one of the best kept secrets in all of Spain: http://abenhumeya.com/ )............ and then of course Tarifa for some of the most amazing kiteboarding in the world......

 

[Eleeski]

@Yo Momma See the Trip report from waterskiing in Spain. I might have gotten carried away and written too much but we had a wonderful experience.

Eric

 

[Daniele Merkov]

My wife and I are excited for the vacation we've booked in Spain and definitely we will go to the Canary. Tenerife is one of our eyeing place for our 1st stop There so many thing we want to do from a page we've read https://www.canaryislandsinfo.co.uk/tenerife/things-to-do/.I wanted to know if you have experience traveling to this wonderful Island. Is there anything you can recommend aside from your past travel in in Spain?