Blog
Do I need travel insurance for the Canary Islands?
The Canaries are Spain and the European health card works. What it does not cover is where many visitors end up: private clinic, rescue and repatriation.
El Sabinar of El Hierro: the tree the wind bent
The twisted juniper is the symbol of El Hierro and it almost touches the ground. It is not damage, it is a growth strategy. What we know and what we do not.
Dácil: the princess who has been real for four centuries
Dácil's name lives on street signs and birth records in Tenerife. Her story, though, is not oral tradition: it is an epic poem printed in 1604.
Island hopping in the Canaries: itineraries for 7, 10 and 14 days
Day-by-day plans for combining islands without spending the holiday in ports. Which pairs work, and when it is better to fly.
NIE, registration certificate and padrón: the order nobody explains
The NIE is not a residence permit, and that confusion costs wasted trips to the office. What each document is, in what order, and where the bottleneck is.
Do I need a car in Tenerife? The honest answer
The honest answer depends on where you stay and what you want to see. A guide to deciding, and where to pick one up if it turns out you do.
The Pino Gordo of Vilaflor: the tree nobody stops for
Fifteen minutes off the Teide road stands an enormous Canary pine, free to see and almost always empty. How to get there and what to combine it with.
Icod de los Vinos beyond the Drago: a guide to the old town
Almost everyone sees the Drago Milenario and leaves forty minutes later. Icod has two squares, a friary, three caves and a second dragon tree.
The invisible map of Tenerife: nine territories between the sea and the Teide
Tacoronte, Icod, Adeje, Güímar: today they are motorway exits and town halls. They were borders first. Nine territories divided Tenerife, and the centre of the island belonged to none of them. A walk through the map that is still under your feet.