La Caleta and El Duque, Tenerife

When you travel, you are bound to experience changes within yourself. Why? Because you are exposed to so many new experiences, cultures, foods and you have to make decisions in countries you are not familiar with. You feel free from the norm.

I also believe that travel makes everybody a calmer and more likeable person. We end our travels way better off than when we started. I’m not saying this to be arrogant or narcissistic; I’m saying it because I believe that travel is something that not only helps you become a better human being but a way more amiable one too, the kind of person people are attracted to and want to be around. So for that reason alone, I have to practise what I preach and book myself a holiday as frequently as possible.

Each year, always try to travel to a place you’ve never been before. Even if you are going on vacation to a destination you repeatedly visit , you will be surprised to always find a new town or village if you look out for it and ask locals for some genuine recommendations. In winter, I personally enjoy travelling on 4 day breaks to European cities to relish the culture, architecture and different landscape. In summer, I look more for places to chill and enjoy the sun and the sea!

So, that brings me to my latest destination. The fantastic weather, delicious food and convenient travel times have me coming back for more to South Tenerife where we enjoyed a two week family holiday and discovered a couple of new picturesque places and interesting facts I’m sharing with you in this feature!

Agriculture and fishing

Since tourism dictates the Tenerifian economy, the service sector is the largest. Industry and commerce contribute 40 percent of the non-tourist economy. Agriculture contributes less than 10 percent of the island’s annual GDP, but its contribution is vital, as it also generates indirect remunerations, by maintaining the appearance of the countryside, and supports Tenerifian cultural values.

Banana plantation, close to Los Gigantes, South Tenerife.

Bananas are a particularly important crop, as Tenerife grows more bananas than the other Canary Islands, with a current annual production of about 150,000 tons destined for the international market. After the banana the most important crops are tomatoes, grapes, potatoes and flowers. Fishing is also a major contributor to the Tenerifian economy, as the Canaries are Spain’s second most important fishing grounds.

La Caleta

La Caleta is a small and quiet holiday resort in the south-western part of Tenerife, approximately 5 to 6 km north of Playa des Americas. With only 500 inhabitants living here, it includes a small quiet traditional fishing village with a few bars and restaurants and a couple of beaches. During the high season, it is possible to rent sun lounges and sunshades at the beach. Although very popular with tourists, the fishing village looks the same it did hundreds of years ago, and I like that. Their fishing boats are similar to our Maltese luzzu boats but they don’t have the Eye of Osiris painted on the front.

In La Caleta, thanks to tips from locals, I discovered Masia del Mar considered to be one of the best fish restaurants in South Tenerife. Obviously a local fish restaurant favoured by the Spanish people, there is a vast fish menu as well as a delicious looking peppered steak which was carried past our table. For entertainment, we enjoyed a quartet of local canarian folk singers, serenading us at the table. The starters were excellent, especially the mussels cooked canarian style with garlic, bacon and fresh olive oil.

I love this old town of La Caleta! Here we enjoyed many sunsets and pleasant scenic walks along the coast. It is here and in a close town called Adeje that I collaborated with celebrity photographer Mark Thornton to capture some pictures of this beautiful canary yellow dress from Chante Boutique for this feature. Isn’t it just beautiful! It comes in a variety of colours including purple, pink, purple and green but I thought this is just my colour for the Canary Islands!

El Duque

In total contrast, Playa del Duque is a charming premium beach on Costa Adeje in southern Tenerife. It is a holiday destination for beach lovers, people who like to relax, people who love the finer things in life. This area is a high-quality, exclusive resort; the quintessence of chic. The beach and its surroundings with several 5 star hotels including the Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque Resort just look fantastic!

Hotel Dahia El Duque

The playa del Duque is sure to please all who visit especially as it has all the services you would expect from such high quality surroundings. There is a sun lounger and parasol service, as well as parking, restaurants, bars, showers, changing rooms, toilets and telephones.

bahia-del-duque

And less than 50 steps, right next to Hotel Bahia del Duque, and placed under the Hotel Dream Gran Tacande you can find The Corner Shopping Center; a shopper’s paradise with several fantastic fashion and accessory stores with the best brands, a delicious range of gastronomy to choose from and services that met my full expectations. I’m definitely going back for more of this!

So, are you planning your next adventure right now? — whether it’s to an exotic Asian destination or just a weekend break to a popular European city like Paris or Rome, stop prolonging and making excuses and do something awesome for yourself – Book yourself your next holiday today!