Having spent a few days exploring the old streets of La Laguna, which definitely displays the city’s historical past and local Spanish culture, it is time to get out of town and follow the only motorway down to the south of the island. One reason was to find the real Tenerife. The other was to find the sun. The weather is completely different depending on which part of the island you are exploring. Clouds, dense clouds hang over the central spine of hills and mountain like an approaching wildfire, hiding everything of any beauty.

This had been the morning greet from the balcony. The colours and flat roofed buildings remind me of Africa but certainly not the cloud cover. I think all Tenerifians (!!) have to use one of four colours to paint their homes.

Driving 10 minutes south east and the sun puts his hat on and celebrates the day with everyone. Los Christianos is a large resort which seems to have got its time zones muddled up. Crescents of plastic sunbeds each accompanied by a sentinel of a similar coloured parasol map the line of the wide crescent of a beach of dark brown-grey sand. The vessel giving cruises around the bay is a Viking longboat, complete with shields and dragon heads. Apartments and bars and tat shops and burger joints creep down from the klinkered cliffs to the harbour. Not inch of anything old remains to admire.

On another 20 kilometres brings Los Gigantes. It is made up of newly built apartment blocks, an old harbour protecting a marina of glitzy motor boats, a few bars, mostly occupied by Brits watching the Livepool game and the smallest black beach you have ever seen.

It does give a wonderful view of the cliffs down the coast.

Cool using failed to find the real Tenerife today it is back up the motorway. A simple swing off into a small coastal hamlet brings quiet relief from crowds & traffic with glorious views up and down the coast and peaceful solitude beside the volcanic rocks.

This is more like it.