(This is a trip report flying British Airways first class using a “travel together” ticket, paying with miles and fees, flying into London).

Where in the world are the Canary Islands anyway? They are about 60 miles off the southern coast of Morocco. The islands are part of Spain, and there are seven islands – we visited two. We had to get separate flights to the Canaries, flying economy through Madrid. We flew first to Tenerife and got some great views on the bus as we made our way around the island to our timeshare in Puerto de la Cruz. That first day we went to the charming little village of La Orotava (with a beautiful park), then to Santa Cruz, and enjoyed tapas that night.

The next day, we rented a car and drove on VERY curvy roads to Masca, where we went on a boat to see Los Gigantes – the best way to see them! And we ended the evening with dinner at Thai Botanico restaurant and a show. “Malizia” featured a blend of flamenco, opera and dance, and is an adapted version of the opera “Rigoletto,” by Verdi. The venue is the Pirámide de Arona, one of the largest auditoriums in Europe with a capacity for over 1800 people, and across from a great shopping district in Playa de Las Americas!

 One day we drove to El Teide (another curvy road) and saw Los Roques, which is exactly how you picture Mars! These pictures don’t show the redness of it all…

 We came home and ate near the timeshare that night.

And our last day, we saw Las Montanas on the other side of the island…it was lots of driving, but we really saw the island.

 And our last evening, we walked around Puerto de la Cruz.

And some photos of our timeshare pool – we didn’t get in, it was too cold for us! And I’ll end with our view from the balcony the next morning.

Next up, Gran Canaria…