Today, I am going to write about where we went on our second day in Tenerife. Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, which belong to Spain and are located off the northwestern coast of Africa. The total land area of this island is about 2,034 square kilometers. As I mentioned in the "Trip to the moon " article, the highest point on the island is Mount Teide, which stands at about 3,715 meters high. This is the highest peak in Spain. Furthermore, this mountain splits the island into two distinct climate and geographical zones: North and South.
The northern region of the island has higher humidity and more natural beauty. Due to strong winds, the north side experiences cool, humid weather. You can see lush pine forests, banana plantations, and volcanic black sand beaches here. The northern side is also home to traditional architecture and historical towns such as La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz.
The hotel where we stayed was located in the sunnier southern region, in a main tourist resort in the town of Playa de las Américas. Before the arrival of Europeans, an indigenous group called the 'Guanches' lived here. They lived in caves, and the island was divided into nine tribal kingdoms that they ruled over. The Spanish conquest took place between 1494 and 1496. Tenerife was the last Canary Island to fall to the Crown of Castile. The Guanches fought fiercely, but they ultimately had to surrender to Spain.
Due to its location along Atlantic sea routes, Tenerife eventually became a major port for exporting wine and sugar. Consequently, it was frequently targeted by pirates and foreign naval fleets. In 1797, British Admiral Horatio Nelson lost his arm in a battle against Tenerife.
We went to visit the Anaga Rural Park located in the cold northern region. The main thing is that it doesn’t rain vertical rain in Tenerife. As far as anyone knows, it has never rained like that. So where does the water come from? Well, you'll have to find the answer to that question on this journey.
Our tour guide was Ukrainian. He was an engineer in Ukraine, but after the war started, his whole family moved here. He started the trip with a critique of the war. I didn't take to him much at first because he was quite tall and started making a couple of jokes about my height. However, during the main hike, once he saw the way I kept pace, I realized he changed his mind about targeting me 😆. Why we chose him will become clear in the next article.
First, we went to see the Magic Forest (Bosque Encantado / El Pijaral). This forest is millions of years old and is a mystical type of cloud forest known as "Laurisilva." That means this forest contains fossils formed before the Ice Age, roughly 20 million years ago. What makes it special is the constantly moist and nutrient-rich environment created by the water vapor and fog coming from the ocean. The forest is almost always covered in a blanket of damp clouds.
The phenomenon known as horizontal precipitation occurs here due to the fog created by ocean winds and vapor. Droplets of water trickle through the trees, but instead of the normal vertical rain we usually see, it is a horizontal rain—water droplets carried by the wind that condense on the trees. Because of this, there are no rivers or streams on this island. Walking through it—with the massive ferns, moss clinging to the trees, and the thick mist—makes you feel as if you are standing inside an enchanted forest straight out of a magical scene or a movie. This is a natural water-harvesting process. You can see the moss-covered trees in the pictures.
It is strictly forbidden to cut down these trees. If you cause any damage, the fines range from 3,000 to 300,000 Euros. Even in a private garden, cutting down a tree is banned without special permission.
However, I felt a strange shock. Since Tenerife is usually warm, I hadn't worn a jacket. I stood there shivering, feeling as if I were taking a bath in an ice-cold stream
From there, we went to a place called the "Englishman's Lookout Point," known in Spanish as Mirador Pico del Inglés. Located over 960 meters above sea level, it is a truly spectacular vantage point. The name Pico del Inglés translates to "Englishman's Peak." According to our guide, the name originated from a legend that an English sailor was once held captive on this peak, leading to an arrival of English pirates who came to rescue him. From here, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire Anaga mountain range, both the northern and southern coastlines, and even Mount Teide on clear days.
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Since this is getting too long, I will include the next part of the trip in the next article.
We visited Tenerife in December 2025.
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