Vacation Vibes in Costa Adeje

I live on Tenerife, which is the biggest island in the Canary Islands. Big is a relevant term, because you can drive from the northern part of the island to the summer part in 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on where you're going. I live in the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, which is on the north eastern side of the island. Santa Cruz does get some tourists and cruise ships, but it is nothing compared to the amount of tourists that the south of the island gets.

I was not really prepared for the culture shift that would happen when I took the hour bus ride down to the south for the weekend. I used my Tenerife public transport card to take the bus, and it cost me 6.50 euros (about $7) each way. I went on a Thursday afternoon after work, getting to/from the south is very easy with public transport, with the direct bus leaving every half hour. When I got to the south it was like I was on a completely different island in a completely different place. I have never been somewhere that is so dedicated to tourists.

Swimming/Snorkeling

I booked this trip originally because I wanted to start to enjoy everything that island life has to offer. I decided I really wanted to do some sort of boat tour, so that I could enjoy the water and hopefully see some wildlife. The only place there was to do something like this was in the south. I ended up finding a company called Roulette Charters. They offer many different tours and I ended up choosing a three hour whale and dolphin sight seeing tour, which also included snorkeling with turtles near the end of the tour. I was very skeptical of the tour because it was the cheapest tour of its kind that I could find at just 45 euros (about $50) per person. Disclaimer before I tell you about the tour and the rest of my trip, right before I left I got a HORRIBLE ear infection. So I really tried my best to make the most of my trip but I did not get to do everything that I wanted to do.

I wish I had more pictures from the boat,
even though pictures don't do it justice

The boat trip was absolutely breathtaking and incredible. My only regret is that I did not prepare myself for the possibility of motion sickness. I was absolutely fine until about 40 minutes in. We had just seen some dolphins and all of a sudden I realized I wanted to puke. I did puke on the boat (twice in fact) but the staff could not have been more friendly or compassionate. They had me sit on the back of the boat near the steering wheel, splashed water on my forehead, neck, etc. After the second time of my blowing chunks (I don't recommend eating candy and chips before boarding the boat like I did) the man (who I think his name was Jon) told me that when he was a kid he would get really sick on the boats too, until he started driving them. Yes, you guessed it. He showed me how to steer the boat and he let me take the wheel until we got close to where we were going to go swimming. I drove for about 20 minutes and it actually really helped my sea sickness. With my ear plugs and the supplied snorkel gear I was able to swim with wild fish (no turtles unfortunately). After swimming they fed us lunch (a sandwich- I saved mine for later) and cake! The lunch and all the drinks were included in the prices. I saw numerous dolphins, 4-5 different whales (of two different species), and a wild turtle! Beyond the wildlife, the views of the shores and the knowledge I gained from the staff was incredible. It was definitely worth every penny of the 45 euros. This price even included them picking me up from my hostel driving me to the port, and the return ship. The trip also ended up being about 4 hours rather than 3. All in all I 100% recommend this company and this trip!

Other than the boat trip, I kept a pretty low profile because I was feeling under the weather. I stayed at Endless Summer Hostel for about 20 euros a night ($25). It was the perfect place to recuperate while I wasn't feeling well. I stayed in the 5 bed mixed dorm, but there was only 4 beds. It was easy to sleep, the bed was very comfortable. They also provided free breakfast (which is a luxury in the hostel world). They had the most awesome patio to hangout on. The location of this hostel is very close to the tourist area, and about a 15-30 minute walk to plenty of beaches in the south of the island. I also walked to the very touristy strip (which includes things like malls and the hard rock cafe) which was about a 25 minute walk. It is admittedly an uphill walk when you are returning to the hostel, but still very worth it.

Something I did not plan, but decided to do was to go to Happy Feet Fish Spa. I've always wanted to do the thing where you put your feet in the fish tank and let those special fish nibble all your dead skin off. I don't think I have ever encountered another place where I was able to do this, and if I had, I would've been too scared to try. At first, I was scared and I wasn't going to do it, but I took the leap. I'm glad that I did because it was very cool, and relaxing. I paid 8 euros (about $9) for 20 minutes. I have trouble describing what it even felt like. It felt very weird at first and it made me ticklish, but over time I became accustomed to it and I didn't want it to end. I was lucky that they seated me at the front of the spa and I was able to enjoy the view of the sea during my spa treatment. I highly recommend this place! I just happened upon it while I was walking back from dinner one night, but there are other places in the south that have similar services.

On my last day, I spent the morning on the beach. I found a beach called Playa Honda, which was a small beach in the "Playa de las Americas" area. I rented an umbrella and a lounge chair for 6 euros (about $7). Normally I would forgo the umbrella to save money, but I was a little burnt from the boat ride (it is hard to care about sunscreen when you are trying not to puke). They also had an option of two chairs and an umbrella for 9 euros (about $10). What I was not prepared for was the structure of the beach. The beach near Santa Cruz, when you rent a chair, you usually can pay 20 euros (about $25) but then you can put that money towards food and drinks from the restaurant/beach bar. Here, there was no beach bar. If you plan to spend time at any beach in the Playa de las Americas area, I recommend packing a lunch, snacks and plenty of drinks so that you can really get the most out of your chair rental (if you choose to rent one, of course you can go and pick a spot in the sand for free). It was a beautiful day. I got very tan even while using 30 spf sunscreen multiple times during my few hours there, and the views were beautiful. While I did not swim, there were some areas where you could sit in small puddles that had collected by rock formations. This water was warm, and I saw many people lounging around the larger puddles. You can also climb over the rocks to get to the waves, which where quite strong that week. I saw quite a few people surfing.

There were plenty of things that I did not get to do on this trip just due to time constraints and being sick, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Almost all the places had English speaking staff and the other things that you expect from a high traffic tourist area. If you ever find yourself on Tenerife, I recommend spending a few days in this area. It is worth it, though if you are looking for a more authentic experience there are other places to see on the island, though that is a post for a different day.