DISCOVER THE CANARY ISLANDS

The Canary Islands. A multi-faceted, enriching, diverse, surprising and stimulating reality. A world full of things to do, all of them accessible, for old and young as well as for families. Take the plunge and rediscover the Islands through original environmental and cultural activities and even community engagement initiatives to care for our land, sea and air.

Through its holdings, collections, exhibitions and activities, the museum sets out to offer a broader and richer vision of the history and culture of the island of Tenerife. It actually consists of two museums: one in the old part of La Laguna –Lercaro House– and the other in the town of Valle de Guerra –Carta House–, as well as the Castillo de San Cristóbal Interpretation Centre in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Together, they offer an attractive range of exhibitions and a coordinated programme featuring an extensive variety of cultural and educational activities.

The museum also offers a general overview of the institutional, social, cultural and economic development of Tenerife from the 15th to the 20th centuries.

The Dehesa is the name given to the grasslands used by herds of livestock for grazing on El Hierro. This area is home to the island’s iconic Canarian juniper trees (sabinas) and is the proud home also of its patron saint: the Virgin of Los Reyes. Her shrine, the spiritual centre of the youngest of the Canary Islands, marks the end point of this month’s walk.

The walk starts at a height of around 300 metres in Sabinosa, which features in the record books as Spain’s most wester- ly town. From here we head up along the centuries-old Dehesa trail that takes us towards the peaks and into green woodland. After approximately one kilometre, at the foot of El Gurugú, we have already climbed to over 600 metres above sea level and at this point our path, which was taking us south until now, heads west through Las Casillas and the Clotario and Viento valleys towards the spot known as the La Entrada de Sabinosa. You simply must do this trail if you visit the Island of the Meridian, as El Hierro is popularly known.

Situated next to a spectacular cliff in the La Palma municipality of Puntallana, Los Nogales has more than enough going for it to feature on a list of obligatory trips to the island’s surprising coastline. It offers a near perfect symbiosis of rugged nature, caves, a long but attractive promenade, extensive views of the north coast, enticing sea inlets (when waves permit) and -to cap it all off- fine sand, a large beach at low tide, a nudist zone and delicious swimming albeit with the required caution.

This is one of the flagship dishes in the Canary Islands recipe book. Canarian salmorejo sauce is made with garlic, hot paprika, peppers, water, oil and salt. Used as a marinade and adobo for a range of meats, it helps produce a truly delicious rabbit dish. Rabbit with salmorejo from the Canaries is usually served with small ‘wrinkled’ potatoes (another typical Canarian dish) and a spicy mojo sauce, which can be either green or red. A good chunk of bread is also customary to help soak up the delicious sauce.