Landscaped promenade in southern Tenerife, with colourful buildings and the silhouette of Mount Teide in the distance

Canary Islands

Between the Atlantic and the volcanic slopes

Tenerife · Spain · Route 09

Tenerife unfolds between the Atlantic and a landscape shaped by its volcanic origins. The south of the island brings together towns open to the sea, subtropical vegetation and mountains that remain on the horizon. This expedition traces those contrasts from arrival to return, preserving landscapes, encounters and small details that transform the territory into travel memories.

Cartography

Map of the journey from Paris towards Barcelona, Madrid and Santa Cruz de TenerifeOriginal maps retain Spanish labels, as well as embedded flight times and fares.

Physical maps of the Canary Islands and Tenerife showing the places visitedOriginal maps retain Spanish labels, as well as embedded flight times and fares.

I — Arrival

Airliner connected to a jet bridge, with hills in the background — The start of the journeyDocumentarchive

Reception area decorated with a Valentine’s Day sign, an information screen and plants — Arrival and reception in TenerifeDocumentarchive

Subtropical garden at the accommodation, with palm trees, steps and a swimming pool — First encounter with the subtropical surroundingsLandscapearchive

II — Southern Tenerife

Tree-lined avenue in southern Tenerife, with palm trees, shops and white buildings — The open avenues of the southLandscapearchive

Fountain and a monumental guitar in a shopping complex in southern Tenerife — Everyday life among squares and shopsPersonal presencearchive

White architecture in southern Tenerife, with tall cacti and clouds — Cacti and white architectureLandscapearchive

Promenade with palm trees, shops and flags before a steep mountain beneath dark clouds — The mountain, ever present at the end of the streetLandscapearchive

Interlude — Tenerife 144

Detail of a Tenerife ceramic plaque beside the number 144 — Details along the wayDocumentarchive

III — Between the Mountain and the Atlantic

Rocky volcanic coastline with Atlantic surf, palm trees and a blue sky — Volcanic rock against the AtlanticLandscapearchive

Beach and seafront promenade in Tenerife seen through palm trees, with buildings, parasols and the bay — The open bay: the great pause of the journeyLandscapearchive

IV — The Traveller

Ricardo Adrián Pena with two companions outside a venue in southern Tenerife — The journey, lived and documentedPersonal presencearchive

Ricardo Adrián Pena with two companions at the accommodation, among palm trees and the pool — Days spent in the south of the islandCompanionsarchive

V — Tenerife After the Sun

Shopping plaza at night, with illuminated palm trees, shops and white architecture — Tenerife after the sunLandscapearchive

VI — The Return

Road between palm trees and flowers, with a speed-limit sign and mountains beneath clouds — The road backLandscapearchive

Motorway signs in Tenerife towards Aeropuerto Sur, Santa Cruz, Los Cristianos and El Teide — Aeropuerto Sur · Santa Cruz · Los Cristianos · El TeideDocumentarchive

Departure screens at Tenerife South Airport, with a busy terminal — Tenerife South Airport: the returnDocumentarchive

Next expedition

Atlantic Corridor

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · Route 00

Read the journey