Tenerife for Christmas?

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DavebytheSea
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Real Name: David Eastburn
Location: Nr Falmouth, Cornwall

Tenerife for Christmas?

Post by DavebytheSea »

We have a timeshare apartment in a small but beautiful and quiet resort on the outskirts of Puerto de la Cruz in the northern (green, scenic and non Brit) part of the island. It is available from 21st December-4th January. Although the Eastburns will be out there for that period, we are, in fact, staying in a different apartment in the same resort (my sister and her husband had planned to come out and stay, but are now prevented by illness), so our own apartment is now available.

The apartment has one bedroom with a view of the snow-capped peak of Mount Teide, but will sleep a further two on a sofa bed in the drawing room. (Now the boys are bigger, we tend to take an air bed so they do not have to share the double) There is a bathroom, kitchen and a balcony over the garden (it was once Rita Heyworth's house and the same gardener is still there).

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Club Ambassador, Tenerife

The garden has a swimming pool and a jacuzzi bath on the lawn. There is little else in the way of entertainment on site other than a battered Pool Table outside the tiny restaurant (alas not, I think in use any more), but there is a wonderful, deserted "Old Garden" formally laid out with tall trees and exotic flowers around a pool where turtles can be glimpsed. However, the bright lights of Puerto are just a ten minute walk away although coming back up takes a little longer (taxis are fortunately very cheap)

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We bought the weeks eleven years ago and go back whenever we can save the airfare. We love the weather - sunshine, shorts and swimming outdoors in the middle of winter - we love the food, the longer daylight hours (the sun rises at 7:00am and does not set until 7:00pm), the fabulous walks to tiny villages which even now can only be reached by forest paths, the stunning scenery where the tallest mountain in Spain plunges dramatically to the sea some 14,000 feet below. In short it is a wonderful place to spend Christmas away from the commercialism of a tinsel Christmas at home.

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That is not to say there is no Christmas in Tenerife, but it is a spiritual and family occasion - no presents until the night of "Los Reyes", 12th Night, when the three kings process through the old streets of Puerto on their camels to the harbour. On Christmas day we go to the Anglican Church of "All Saints" in the grounds of the Casino Taoro, followed by a glass of wine and mince pies on the vicarage lawn and in the evening we try to attend the open-air concert in Santa Cruz which is laid on by the port authority (Santa Cruz is now Spain's major port). This concert is performed by the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra (one of Spains most distinguished) with international soloists. With an audience of approximately 8,000, this concert is televised throughout the Spanish speaking world.

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New year is quite spectacular, with amazing firework displays which can be watched from the balcony or roof of the apartment, or one can walk down to the festive buzz of Charco Square in the town.

We hope to recover our maintenance fee (£200 per week) - after that, food is cheaper and better than at home and you will have to find flights at approximately £165 per person return including all taxes and charges - I struggled to find flights this cheap, but I have and at the time of writing are still available. Travel on the island is by bus (very cheap with a Bono card and they go everywhere), taxi or hire car.

Oliver (aged 14) is desperately hoping a family will come with at least one child of approximately his age as Jonathan already has a CH friend coming for the duration.

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A street in Garachico

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Swimming in rock Pools in Garachico

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The main street in Masca

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