Life

Walking Tenerife to the sounds of Leonard Cohen

The death of a songwriting great was a downer on the day Andrea McKernon headed to Tenerife but sharing a walking holiday with a fabulous group of Northern Ireland women was an uplifting antidote

Flora and fauna, and points of interest were all explained by our guide Javier, including at the dramatic Masca gorge
Flora and fauna, and points of interest were all explained by our guide Javier, including at the dramatic Masca gorge Flora and fauna, and points of interest were all explained by our guide Javier, including at the dramatic Masca gorge

WE jetted off to Tenerife on the day it was announced that Leonard Cohen had died.

So it was the sounds of the great poet on my music library that serenaded my heavy heart as I was transported to the sunshine island of Tenerife in the Canaries.

Many readers will know I run the Belfast Dynamos hillwalking group and occasionally we go international. This winter it was seven – all women – and what a magnificent seven we became...

We booked a villa – a big sister house in this tropical heaven. A stellar cast came on the eight-day break, based near the lovely fishing village of Los Abrigos.

Dynamo veterans of previous trips reentered the stage – steady, serene Sue Smith from Belfast's Ballyskeagh, cultured Gemma Daly from the nursing team at the Royal Victoria Hospital, our gorgeous lithe sea swimmer 'mermaid' Jane Davidson and our class act Margy Washbrook, Causeway Coast guesthouse owner and active, retired true child of the 60s.

New to this melting pot of dynamic dames was the sunshine-breezy duo of Frances Mulholland from Lisburn and Derry lass Christine Baker.

The scene was set for walking the beauty spots of the island, eating authentic Tenerifian food in wonderful, rustic restaurants and relaxing by the pool.

Enter our leading man and guide for the week – Javier Chirivella Costa. Mr Costa is one half of Canarias Nature Guides and leads walking trips and other activities. He is heavily involved in the eco-tourism trade on the archipelago of volcanic islands and knows everything from the ecology, history, culture and geology of the Canaries. He is also a fan of astronomy and takes night excursions to view the stars.

He is a patient, impeccably mannered and steady guide who is painstakingly organised and accommodating. Well-informed and perfect for a group of women, Javier organised everything: We were picked up and returned to the airport, collected each morning for our walking excursions and fed snacks and lovely picnics while on the trail.

Flora and fauna, and points of interest were all explained by Javier. His people carrier brought us to the awe-inspiring Masca Gorge and the heartbreakingly beautiful ridge walk of Santiago del Teide where farming communities would sing folk songs on the threshing floor.

Taxis when logistics required and boat trips to see pilot wales and dolphins with swimming from the boat and lunch onboard, were all laid on. We walked the 'badlands' of Malpaís de Güímar on the coast and smelled 'rosemary from the coast'.

The haunting moonscape of Roques de García on Mount Teide, the highest point in all of Spain, was also on the itinerary. We were whisked away each evening to seafood restaurants in Los Abrigos and Playa Tajao and the mountaintop eatery of Restaurante la Centinela with fabulous views where we had a typical feast of gofio – the main dietary staple of the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the Canary Islands.

Fine tapas-like dining at Tierras del Sur in Granadilla de Abona and a meaty, old-style restaurant called El Corderoa for confirmed carnavores.

A fantastic group, fabulous locations and a leader of distinction. As Leonard Cohen would sing – Hallelujah.

FACT FILE

:: Guide: Javier Chirivella Costa; email javic.tenerife@gmail.com

:: Tour company: Canarias Nature Guides. Contact :: canariasnatureguides@gmail.com

:: Flights: Thomas Cook Airlines and Jet2 from Belfast