Our home base for this section of our trip is in the resort town of Puerto de la Cruz - located mid island on the west side. Five of us carried on to Tenerife after the holiday in Lanzarote - nice to have some continuity.
The north-central area of Tenerife is dominated by El Teide the highest mountain in Spain (12,195 ft). The photo to the right shows a telephoto taken from our hotel room showing Teide behind an apartment building just up the street.
The last major eruption involving the Teide peak area was in 1706. Since then it has been relatively quiet except for some swelling of the flank which might indicate rising magma.....the island is geologically young. Perhaps Teide will resume its active state? Info from hf holidays brochure and Wikipedia
(above) The view from the Mirador: a fertile valley with housing rises towards the mountains.
(right) Having just arrived from Lanzarote we were taken by the differences: straight sided valleys (water erosion ?), small rivers with reservoirs and plants everywhere
We climbed a small hill to look around - still marvelling at the plants.
On our journey down the valley to San Cristobal de la Lguna we find a well tended grove of Olive trees
In the de la Laguna old square we find a very fine specimen of a Dragon Blood Tree - perhaps a couple of hundred years old?
( a monocot- no growth rings, botanists classify Dracaena draco in the Asperagus family)
When the tree is injured it produces a red resin rumoured to have many medical benefits (and all of which are resistant to serious testing.... at least so far).
