November 2024 - Mauritius - Del II

 The second week we rented an apartment studio on the East Coast, in Trou D'eau Douce. We had the upper floor on one of the buildings, with two bedrooms, a living room/kitchen, a bathroom, and a garden-facing balcony. The complex offered some breakfast option at an additional cost, but we didn't know that when we arrived so we ended up making our own breakfast that week, mainly sandwiches, yoghurt with cereal, and fruit. While we had direct access to the beach, it had a lot of small boats close to the shore since it was one of the drop-off points going to/from Île aux Cerfs, an island just off the coast which was a very popular day trip destination. So we didn't go swimming there, but rather drove just five minutes North to Palmar public beach, a very long, pretty beach with pine trees and few tourists. 

Fried noodles at one of the local restaurants, chili and garlic sauce in the containers

Palmar beach, as well as a big part of the East Coast, has a reef off the coast where the waves break, which makes for calm and child friendly waters near the beach as well as excellent snorkeling opportunities. The size of the beach meant it was rarely crowded, though some parts of the area filled up with locals during the weekends. The locals often go for full days or even weekends by the beach, bringing tables, chairs, tents, barbecues and lots of food - and of course, all of their family and friends and music. It was really nice to see - generally, we found the East Coast to be less touristy, and it was a nice experience to feel like just that - a tourist and a visitor among the local population, rather than the population mainly consisting of tourists.

In our village there was a nice mix of restaurants and local food places, but for some reason many of them were closed on many of the days when we were there. Except for one or two restaurants that had their opening hours online, it seemed to be very random which ones were open on which days, and sometimes we had to go around looking for a long time or even go back to place we didn't really like just to get something to eat for dinner. We did manage to score some excellent ones though, and a lot of fish, fried noodles and boulettes.

This week we also took the opportunity to go on more excursions:

First we went to Sept Cascades also known as Tamarind Falls. This route consisted of a series of waterfalls, and was very popular among tourists who went on tours where they rappelled down. We went for the walking option and had a really nice time, and of course took a swim as well. As you might expect, the view was fantastic. The only lunch restaurant nearby that we could find had only set menus, which we were skeptical to first since it felt a bit much, but we got to try several local foods as well as a really nice dessert of coconut tapioca pudding with peach ice cream. We also went to Alexandra Falls, located in the Black River Gorges National Park where we were almost alone on the hike. We saw some monkeys as well in the forest by the parking lot, which was a fun addition.

The next day we went to Île aux Cerfs, which is the main tourist excursion to make from this area. The boat prices vary a lot even though it just takes 10 minutes; we opted to book from our hotel to ensure that we would be picked up and dropped off at the public beach near our accommodation. Once we arrived at the island, they tried to sell a range of activities, including glass bottom boats, water rings or paragliding, and a boat tour to the GRSE waterfall, all which we opted out of. We were more interested in finding a quiet spot on the beach, but we had to walk quite a bit to get away from the crowds. It was nice, but we found the beaches on mainland to be much prettier. Nothing special, definitely okay to miss. We also brought lunch with us which we bought in the village on mainland, since we had heard the food options on the island were few and expensive. We had roti with curries, where the tomato one was fantastic. We bought this for lunch on several occasions since it was very cheap, the only downside was that the carton packaging somewhat disintegrated during the day from the warm curries, so it was not super easy to eat. Still very good!

Then we visited Bras D'eau national park, a nature area with surprisingly few tourists. A walking trail in the forest, nice an calm and plenty of different landscapes. After a hike, we went to a local village where we saw a hindu temple, had lunch at a local food wagon and accidentally ordered a huge seafood platter (although it was very good). They also served sea urchins which seemed to be very popular among locals, although we didn't try it.

Our next excursion started with a visit to Grand Riviere South Est Falls (GRSE), the waterfall which is most often visited by boat from Île aux Cerfs tour. However, we drove and parked just 200m away, to walk and see it from above which I highly recommend. It was a really nice waterfall, and if we had known we probably would have brought swimwear and stayed a bit longer. There was also a family of monkeys jumping across which was a nice treat to see. We saw several boats below, waiting their turn to go to the front of the waterfall, and try to take their picture in the swaying boat while getting a light shower from the waterfall. And we were quite happy that we weren't one of them! After, we went to La Vallée de Ferney where we did quite a long hike. When we got back we bought some homemade juice drinks - passion fruit, and tamarind, which was a very nice way to cool off and replenish some energy.

The next day we did some more relaxing. We mainly stayed on the nearby beach, and just did a small visit to Mare La Chaux, Flacq, an old sugar mill in a nearby village. It was completely empty, and not much there really but it was a very photogenic space and we saw some pretty flamboyant trees. We also went to a local market, which seemed mostly empty except for a fruit/veg section, and a food section. We picked out some local juice, some roti with curry, and several deep fried snacks with different vegetables in, which was very good! The rest of the day was spent on the beach, and we got a nice treat finding several trees filled with flying foxes.

Our last excursion we saved for the final day of our trip. Our flight wasn't until the evening, so we did an early start and set out for the South West corner and Le Morne Brabant, one of Mauritius main tourist attractions. While we unfortunately couldn't hike to the top of the mountain and have a chance to see the famous underwater falls, we spent some time at the beach, and walked along a long beach filled with resorts to get a nice view of Le Morne. Then we drove onwards to Blue Bay Beach; it's also a quite touristy place but the location very close to the airport was very convenient for us. There are plenty of food options there, but unfortunately not so much shade except for the far corner of the beach, which we sought out to escape the heat. We spent last few hours there, did one last snorkeling and some relaxing before going to the airport and heading home.

Overall the way back went quite smoothly, A slept almost the whole first flight but was a bit restless during the second flight. And of course, a lot of hours to pass at Istanbul.

Generally we had a very nice vacation, I could definitely recommend to go - although as we have now been once, I don't feel it's a place we will return to. And that's all for this time!

Januari 2024 - Teneriffa, Spanien - Del II

 On our transit day, we the spent the few hours in between check-out and check-in at Charco Verde. Our second accomodation was a cute little house in a village called El Palmar. It was much more spacious than the other place, perfect for A to crawl around and play, a very well-equipped kitchen, but then with a less cozy location and yard - not the lush and green of the finca. After having spent the first week in El Tanque and getting a bit familiar with the area, I think it would have been nice to spend the second week somewhere nearby or further east. El Tanque was the starting point for the highway on this side of the island and therefor a kind of gateway to all the beautiful places we had visited and wanted to see more of, like Anaga parque. With that said, we had a great week in El Palmar as well and there were certainly enough hiking trails nearby to keep us busy - including the one which turned out to be one of our favorites of the whole trip.

Our first day in El Palmar we went on a hike that started in the village and took us to another small village called Teno Alto. Once again we had spectacular views and very varying nature along the way. Teno Alto had two small restaurants, both filled with tourists hiking, cycling, or just driving there to look at the view from a bit further down the street. The one we picked turned out to also have some live music, which A loved. We tried escaldón, a chickpea stew with small pieces of meat, fries with fried egg, and the traditional smoked, fried cheese with mojos and blueberry jam. 

escaldón & smoked cheese

The next day was a bit cloudy and windy; we decided to do a hike which started in Teno Alto and ended by Punta de Teno, a rocky beach with a lighthouse, and a popular place to view the great cliffs of Los Gigantes. It is also possible to go there by bus, but you aren't allowed to drive yourself except early morning or late afternoon. I think we agreed that this was the least exciting hike - not at all a bad one, but not as exciting as the others - we were also a bit disappointed that we weren't able to get up close to the lighthouse, as it had been closed off. Perhaps on a less windy day, a swim here could have been nice.

Punta de Teno

Los Gigantes

Our third day, we drove to Buenavista del Norte, the closest larger village, by the coast, with plenty of charcos and beaches to choose from. We spent some time at a sandy beach for once for A to play a bit, but later moved to a rocky beach instead. The afternoon was cloudy as well, so we picked up some snacks before heading back to our house.

The next day we did one of the most, if not THE most, spectacular hikes of this trip. The hiking trail was on a ridge going out to a viewpoint on a mountain called Sima. The view both along the trail and at the viewpoint were indeed fantastic, and though we were very high up, we thought we could spot some dolphins as we saw the whale watching boat tours flock around spots where the water glittered just a bit more than anywhere else. On our way back, it looked like we could take another trail to arrive directly at a café, but the trail turned out to be overgrown and the sun had somehow become scorching, so we had to abandon that idea and get the car. Arriving at the café, Cruz de Hilda - a very popular spot for  tourists to look out over Masca Valley, we cooled off a bit with ice before heading back.

View from Cruz de Hilda

To rest our feet a bit, we took another day by the coast as we drove down to the Los Silos area and walked eastward. We stopped by some charcos for a dip in the water, but soon clouds filled the sky and we walked around the village waiting for a restaurant to open. It turned out to be a bit of a nicer place (although not too expensive), with many tables already reserved, especially the ones looking out over the water). We enjoyed (and A especially) croquettes and seafood paella, and the rain lasted about as long as our dinner.

Our last full day on Tenerife we drove to Cruz de Hilda to hike another ridge to another summit, Risco Verde. The temperature had dropped quite a bit and was around 14C and windy. We didn't mind much, but as we got close to the summit it quickly got very windy and cloudy, and unfortunately we only got a quick glance of the otherwise fantastic view all the way to the south coast. The way down to the car was cold, windy and rainy, so once we got back to the car we drove down to the coast to escape the rain. It was still quite windy, but we enjoyed watching the huge waves crash against the rocks for a while.

On the final day, we stopped for a quick walk in a pine forest before heading to the airport. In the forest, it was around 10C as the temperature had dropped further, but on the south side of the island near the airport it was sunny 25C. We were a bit out of luck as our flight got cancelled and we were crammed in on the plane to Oslo instead, where we had to go out into the snowy -15C to get to our next plane to Copenhagen, only to arrive with the message that the checked in bags had not made it. But, at least we got home only a few hours later than planned and our bag was delivered a few days later, so all in all, it went okay. A was not having a great time on the plane to Oslo (and therefore, neither was I) but we made it. 

And overall, we felt super happy with how the trip turned out. Fantastic nature, beautiful hikes and views, good food, and better weather than we expected on most days.

Januari 2024 - Teneriffa, Spanien - Del I

 In the windy and cold winter, we escaped to Tenerife for two weeks. This destination we hoped to be a good fit for our first time abroad with a little one of 11 months (A), with a not-too-long flight and not-too-warm temperatures, and a not-too-high flight price. With little experience of the Canary Islands, we picked Tenerife because of the plentiful hiking trails and green nature but though we didn't prepare much beforehand researching daytrips or destinations, it turned out to be a fantastic trip that really exceeded our expectations. In this post I'll do my best to summarize our first week which we spent at a guesthouse in El Tanque.

First, I'll have to mention our flight there which went smoother than expected. We were lucky that the plane wasn't fully booked, which meant that we had an extra seat to use. A was sleeping both at the start and end of the flight, and in between she was happy to sit on the empty middle seat and play, not so much with the toys we brought but rather with any non-toy she could find - the safety instructions card, the wifi instructions or a pack of tissues. After we landed we picked up our rental car (which included a child seat) and headed out to a grocery store to pick up some food, since we planned to mostly cook ourselves. However, we didn't take into account that it was Epiphany Day, and most of the stores were actually closed! Luckily we found a smaller store in one of the tourist areas in the south where we could stock up on some things before driving on to El Tanque. We arrived at Finca El Lance, an old winery turned guesthouse which we had booked on AirBnB. It was owned by an older Swiss couple who greeted us with a piece of a Three Kings cake and a bottle of wine. We had our own small cottage fitted with kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and a yard, but the main treat was the common area of the Finca. It was situated on a steep hill and there were several little places with chairs and tables where you could sit and enjoy the view.

Our first full day we did a hike which started in El Tanque and went up to Arenas Negras. Since El Tanque is on the mountain side it was a very steep uphill to start with, but we were soon treated with excellent scenery both in terms of surrounding nature and views. One of the things we loved about Tenerife was that a single hike could take you through so many different types of nature. As was the case with this one, we started in a village, entered a mossy forest, transitioned into a pine forest (with the largest pine cones we've ever seen) and finally reached the volcanic area with black sand and little vegetation. This was probably one of the longest hikes we did, but we were super happy with it. Since A doesn't walk yet, she was happy to be carried in our Ergobaby carrier, with some occasional breaks on the ground to explore. She loves being outdoors and really liked the forests where she could just reach out a hand to touch trees and bushes that we walked past.

The second day, we drove down to the coast for a change of scenery. We started off visiting one of the Charcos, natural pools where you can take a dip in the ocean while somewhat sheltered from the often rough sea and big waves. We walked eastward to a village San Juan de la Rambla with another charco which seemed quite popular to visit (Charco de la Laja). We took a dip in the crystal clear water which was around 22C perhaps, and then went searching for lunch. This small village didn't have many restaurants, but we found a bar serving drinks and smaller dishes tapas style. They didn't really speak any English and hardly surprising, they didn't have many of the dishes that were on the menu. So I did my best with my duolingo-Spanish to order lunch for us and what we ended up with was this: grilled cheese served with honey and blueberry jam - this turned out to be a local specialty that you could find at basically every food place (and very tasty), tuna in tomato sauce - for some reason the woman I ordered from suggested half a portion, I have no idea why, which was unfortunate since it was really delicious, and a huge plate of fries with shredded ham and cheese, and mayo (papas locas). After lunch we went back towards our car, and along the way stopped at yet another pool - Charco Verde. This one was at the end of a steep path, but we were rewarded with a quiet spot were we were almost alone. It also seemed to be a few meters above sea level, which left it mostly untouched by the waves, and also shaded by the surrounding cliffs - a perfect place to go with a little one for a calm afternoon.

Charco Verde

The next day, we went back to Arenas Negras but drove part of the way to park at one of the many camp/grill spots and just do a roundtrip hike. When google maps picked the most direct route, however, it was one that was extremely steep. In general, when driving on Tenerife, nerves of steel are to recommend, but this path I would not wish anyone to drive on ever, as it wasn't really wide enough for two cars and it was steep enough that you could barely see where you were going. Once we arrived though, we enjoyed a nice hike which was quite flat, and sandwiches that we had made for lunch. When we got back in the afternoon, we started a nice tradition of bringing some snacks to one of the areas at our guesthouse with chairs and table to enjoy some spanish cheese and other things while catching the last of the sun before it disappeared behind the hills.

Arenas Negras

Day four was again spent hiking along the coast, an incredibly hilly hike but with such dramatic landscape that left us in awe several times. Always the coastline ahead of us was shrouded in mist from the crashing waves. Our destination this day was Puerto de la Cruz, a popular place to go to watch big waves crash against the rocks and houses by the coast. We found an excellent lunch spot at a restaurant on one of the smaller streets in town where we ate papas arrugadas - another local specialty with potatoes cooked in saltwater (so they become "wrinkled") served with two sauces, mojo rojo and mojo verde. On top of that, grilled mussels and prawns in sauce. On the way back we stopped for a while in the shade on a wooden deck where A could go exploring and we could rest our feet for a bit.

The next day we felt like taking a break from the hiking and enjoy some time at a charco, so we drove to Los Silos, an area with desert like landscape and plenty of cliffs and charcos. We spent most of the days at a small rocky beach that was right next to one of the more popular charcos, Charco Los Chochos. As the charco caught most of the waves and the tourists, we could enjoy a quiet time and A even enjoyed taking a dip in the cool water. We went for a walk along the coast as well, but it was very warm. To finish off the day, we drove to Garachico, a popular visit on the north coast. It's a cute town, and we did a bit of city sightseeing and treated ourselves to some ice cream.

Day six, our last day in El Tanque, we decided to drive up to Parque Rural de Anaga in the north east corner of the island. This was one of the places where, as we found out, you might want to apply for a permit. Several of the places on Tenerife that attract a lot of tourists require a permit, which is often free but you have to apply online weeks or sometimes months in advance. In the case of Anaga, the permit is only required for a specific hiking trail but luckily there are plenty of other fantastic hiking trails to pick from. We were also happy to park a bit away from the main parking lot which seemed to fill up quickly. We picked out a route along PR-TF 10 which led us to a viewpoint Mirador Aguaide (view on AllTrails). Amazing views both along the trail and at the viewpoint, so we were definitely not disappointed and we would actually have liked to spend more time in this area to explore. Just the forest itself is also really nice, as this is a big chunk of mostly untouched nature and the oldest forest on Tenerife.

Here ends or first week on Tenerife, the next post I will write about our second week spent in El Palmar. Cheers!