This post is my entry in Fly Thomas Cook’s Valentine’s competition. All travel ideas and declarations of love are my own!
I love dreaming up new getaways, and living in Barcelona means nearly all parts of the EU are accessible. In the last four months, I’ve been to Cadaques, Figueres, Sitges and Tossa de Mar in Spain, and I’ve hopped flights to Istanbul and Paris.
Weather-wise, Barcelona has been acting like a petulant teen lately: warm some days, cold (and windy) others, and fairly unpredictable. It’s got me longing for beach days, sundresses and fruity cocktails. And it’s got me plotting an island excursion.
I’ve always dreamed about visiting Tenerife in the Canary Islands. For one thing, there are miles and miles of coastline and beautiful beaches.
photo by Webber264 on flickr
For another, there’s Canarian cuisine like pollo al salmorejo (chicken marinated in garlic, pepper, cumin, paprika and white wine) and papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes).
And there’s Loro Parque, where you can see the world’s biggest collection of parrots.
Above all, it’s home to Pico del Teide, Spain’s tallest peak, an ideal place to hike above the clouds and stargaze. When I saw this timelapse video of Teide by ISO Photography, I was completely sold on Tenerife – and even a little teary-eyed. The beauty is other worldly.
The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.
Fly Thomas Cook is running a Valentine’s-themed travel blogging contest, and I want them to make my beach-combing, cocktail-imbibing, parrot-visiting, star-gazing dreams come true and send me to Tenerife!
picture from youngadventuress.com
I’ve got a travel blogger/friend crush on Liz from Young Adventuress, and she’d be the perfect hypothetical companion for a Valentine’s weekend in Tenerife.
She takes risks, dreams big and is as obsessed with tortilla de patata as I am.
She also knows how to attract some questionable male attention, so I’m sure we’d be able to get ourselves in trouble and pick up local company for a sexy Valentine’s double date. Sunbathing and skinny dipping, anyone? What happens in Tenerife stays in Tenerife … Actually, that’s not entirely true because I’m sure we’d both blog about it!
Where would you go if you won a trip to the Canary Islands? What’s your dream destination?
see molly run (away) 
OMG this is awesome! I would love to go to Tenerife! I’ve only ever been to Lanzarote, and I really want to check out el Teide! I saw that amazeballs timelapse video a while back too, and it was very moving!
I’m sure we would get into lots of trouble together! Sounds like a perfect, alternative Valentine’s Day :D Thanks for picking me xx
Of course! I don’t think tons of people are entering the contest. Hopefully the odds are good!