TENERIFE: Coastal cliff walk on TENERIFE.

Tuesday 24 March.

Moira found a walk on the web on the coast just north of Las Americas. It was a short cliff path from a little village of El Puertito to La Calleta and from there we planned to pick up the esplanade than ran along the Costa Adeje to Las Americas and from there catch the bus back.

As it wasn't a long walk so we didn't rush to get away getting up at our normal time for breakfast. Looking out from the veranda the sky was blue, there wasn't any wind and it was warm. We caught the bus just after 9 am at the corner. It was the slow bus as this was the one that called at all the coastal resorts. Unfortunately the driver said he didn't go to Playa Paraiso from where we had to follow the road to the start at El Puertito. We got off the bus at Callao Salvaje as we knew from previous trips on the bus that it went inland from there to the town of Adeje.

When we got off the bus we thought that we would have to walk on the road all the way to the start but we spotted a path that seemed to run along the coast. It was a nice path that ran around a cove then over the cliff to another cove beside a large hotel but there wasn't any way to the other side. We could see a lovely esplanade over the deep gorge and assumed this was the resort of Playa Paraiso. We turned and headed back and on the way met a couple coming towards us. I think they were Scots from there accent and they said we would have to go all the way round the cove by the road. We did this and it was a long hill up then down the other side to Playa Paraiso. It was a lovely looking resort with plenty of large hotels and at the end of waterfront we came to another cove. We thought we would have to follow the road round the top again but then saw some people taking a path to the bottom and up the other side. We followed this route and reached another esplanade.

At the next shallow cove we took a path that seemed to be going away for the town and over the deserted cliffs. We were a bit worried that we hadn't seen El Puertito but continued regardless. There was a multitude of paths we could take but as long as we were going parallel to the sea we assumed we wouldn't go wrong. Suddenly another cove appeared and built around the beach and bay was the village of El Puertito. It was a steep rocky path down to the road that ran into the village. Now we could follow the directions that Moira got on the web which were to take the path at the pub which went out to the cliffs. Unfortunately there were workmen concreting the walkway outside the pub and we were directed to take the road behind. This took us up a narrow rocky path away from the coast and to a junction with another host of trails. We picked the one that took us down the side of another cove to the beach. We met a couple coming the other way and asked where they had come from, they said Las Calleta, where we were hoping to reach.

After that it was a good well trodden path and we met a number of other people coming towards us on the trail. The area here was littered in small tents and lots of huts and wigwams made out of branches and covered in the fronds from palm trees. It seemed to be sort of hippy encampment and along the trail there were people selling the products of their arts and crafts. It was a typical coastal cliff walk with more coves where we had to drop down and climb up the other side. Below from where the tents were pitched was a lovely beach sheltered by the cliffs and we got a good view as we climbed, there were a number of people there and some in swimming.

Soon the houses and hotels of La Calleta appeared and we were on to a road that dropped down to the esplanade. We found a bench overlooking the sea where we had our lunch of sandwiches and coffee. When we started off again it was on the esplanade along the Costa Adeje. It had now become quite busy with lots of people out strolling along the prom. Now it was an easy walk on the flat tiled walkway that went past some lovely beachs. First it was the Playa del Doque then the Playa Fanabe before reaching the harbour. The harbour was where we walked to the first time we took the bus to Las Americas and things were starting to look familiar. Before reaching the turning up to the bus station we found a bench and finished off the flask of coffee with a Magdalena cake.

When we reached the bus station Moira checked at the office about her iPad. The woman said she still had the note she had made when Moira reported the loss last week but there hadn't been any comeback concerning it. We had just missed a bus at 2 pm and the next one, an express, was due in 15 minutes. It didn't appear until 2:30 pm then took another 15 minutes before it left, I think the driver was having his break. The bus was fairly full and at first we thought there wouldn't be a seat but we got two together near the back. It was 3:30 pm when we arrived back in Puerto Santiago.

As soon as we got in I made a cup of coffee then began putting the photographs I had taken on to the computer. They looked very good and after connecting to the Internet I uploaded them to Google+. I had my coffee and worked on a crossword until it was time for the TV quizzes. Later after dinner there wasn't anything on TV worth watching so I set up the Freeview recorder. I wanted to watch a detective mystery but we had seen all the 'Lewis' and 'Frost' that were still on the machine. There was one that we hadn't seen before an 'Inspector Allyn Mystery'. It was a bit like Agatha Christie but quite good and it made a change.

We got to bed at 10 pm and I was very tired after not much sleep last night and our walk. I slept a lot better after nodding off fairly quickly.

COASTAL VIEWS ON OUR WALK.