ESCAPE TRAVEL WITH

RYAN AND NICOLAAS

Whether you're only able to mental travel or you're one of the lucky ones out there, or even if you just need to add another place to that growing list, this might just be for you. Our friends Ryan and Nick went to Tenerife earlier this year to visit Nick's parents who live there. They filed this Escape Travel story for us.

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LOCAL TIPS

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The drive from the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife through the national park Parque Rural de Anaga pass the Taganana town towards the beach Playa de Benijo is crazy beautiful. You have about three different landscapes within a 40 minute drive from the city through the forest above the clouds to a volcanic beach with two little restaurants.

La Caleta de los Hippies : a secret local spot where people still live in caves right next to the beach in a hippie commune. It's a small nudie beach close to Costa Adeje, locals will know where you can find it.

El Medano : beach famous for the international wind and kite surfing world cup as the wind always blows hardcore. Check out Playa Rajita and Playa Escondida, which means "hidden beach" - most likely you'll be there alone.

Parque Nacional del Teide: the National Park of the volcano on the island is a must see. It looks like you are on planet Mars about 2100 meters above sea level surrounded by craters, sulfer hills, mountains and dryness. Tip of the volcano is at 3,718 meters above sea level, being the highest active volcano in Spain.

Garachico: OId town where Christopher Columbus stocked up on supplies before his journey to India / now USA. The town still has canons and typical Canarian houses with lava stones in the wall, bright colourful houses and wooden balconies.

Icod de los Vinos (Casa del Drago - San Marcos) : town where my mom is from and where I've spent most of my childhood summers. There is a tourist attraction, which is a tree - Drago Milenario - the largest living specimen of its kind in the world and the legend goes that it is about a thousand years old

Punta de Teno

La Orotava: One of the most well kept towns with cathedrals, botanical gardens, local markets, galleries, Casa de los Balcones museum and where you can still get a take away coffee for €1,20 on the island and not see any tourists.

Playa el Bollullo: One of my favourite hidden beaches in the north driving from Icod towards Puerto de la Cruz. You will find it on a map, but once you're there, make sure you go when it’s low tide and walk towards the end of el Bollullo and climb over the rocks towards Cueva de Nuestra Señora del Carmen. This is a cave where you can camp if you're planning on staying on the beach.

Barranco de Masca: I think it's obliged to go with a guide nowadays in case something happens. It's a 4 hour hike through the valley of Masca, which is one of the oldest mountain towns in Tenerife where the indigenous Guanches used to live, towards Los Gigantes (the Giants). Here you'll see 800 meter high rock formations jetting out of the ocean.

La Laguna: Student city right next to the capital.

WHERE TO EAT

Bar Playa - Lugar Playa, El Roque, 4, 38130 Taganana, Spain
Amazing small restaurant with fresh fish right next to the volcanic black beach "Playa de Benijo" and the ocean.

Tasca La Lata Del Gofio - Plaza Roja, s/n Local 8, 38612 El Médano, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Typical Canarian food mixed with Spanish tapas right next to the beach El Medano

Bar Playa - Lugar Playa, El Roque, 4, 38130 Taganana, Spain
Delish

WHERE TO DANCE

We didn't go out clubbing or bar hopping. Puerto de la Cruz, Puerto Santiago and Santa Cruz is where you want to go out.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed in my cousin's apartment right next to the beach Playa de la Caleta in the north of the island, where we met my parents at a small little restaurant right next to the ocean called Mundial 82 - Calle la Marina, 18, 38460 La Caleta de Interián, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. Amazing typical Canarian food, shit interior.

Other places to stay: