We rolled right into week three! At this point, our routines were down and we truly enjoyed everything about life for one month in Tenerife. We absolutely loved going to our CrossFit each morning and the whole family felt super welcomed there. We also had a great morning routine with a stop at a coffee shop for some cafe and pastries: Spanish life was looking good on us! We were the tannest we have all been in our lives without a doubt. This was also the turning point when I realized I had been making a huge mistake with the language barrier – I was washing our dishes, for the last three weeks, in LAUNDRY DETERGENT. I felt sick (mostly mentally) for a day but after a call to a doctor friend and Poison Control (ha) I was back on my feet. I spent a few days being sensitive to the smells of laundry detergent because all I could taste in my mouth was now eating it! It was a really funny joke for our family but I’ve only recently begun to laugh.

Our Favorite Piscina Naturale

We had discovered several piscinas naturales but it wasn’t until we discovered the one, Los Abrigos, that our search for our favorite had ended. This amazing natural pool located close to the airport was a hidden gem and one you needed to do a little walking to in order to reach it. Once there, some of the brightest blues of water we’ve seen were visible. It soon became our family’s favorite place to visit and we’d sneak in several weekday morning trips for Logan to get some sea and sun before his work day.

G’s Swimming and Snorkeling

When we came to Tenerife and day one of swimming, Griffin was shy around the water and hesitant to get in. After living in Florida for a bit as babies and having them take an infant survival swimming class, we quickly learned that it worked oppositely for G: he was not scared of the water! Well as the days and weeks passed, G became the fish we knew he could be. He hung with his water-loving brother and got more and more adventurous until we officially signed him off as a swimmer. Way to go, G!

We spent our mornings and sometimes the afternoons visiting the local beaches and snorkeling. We discovered that Palm Mar had a very good beach, Playa de Arenita, just a few minutes from our condo so we frequented the water there. We saw schools of beautiful fish and had some of the best snorkeling we’ve ever experienced. All four of us got in and experienced these beautiful fish!

Down Days

While many days were busy, there was also plenty of room for quiet, down days. Just like back at the farm, the bros would ask what we were doing that day and some of the days we’d reply and say “it’s a down day”. On these days, we’d hang by the condo pool, walk the streets of Palm Mar to get a snack, order take out pizza and just simply relax a little more. Watching a movie or iPad or having time to play cards was sometimes just what we needed.

Vilaflor: Round One

I thought our favorites in Tenerife the whole moth would be the towns of Tajao and La Caleta, but man, we were smitten with Vilaflor!!! Located about thirty minutes from Palm Mar as you headed up the mountain, Vilaflor was a mountain town full of lots of charm with ringing church bells, precious little homes and great restaurants. Due to the elevation, Vilaflor was high and we finally saw green trees! So much of Tenerife is desert-like and lacks color so it was great to see more trees.

Our landlords said we should try a restaurant in Vilaflor called Los Cipreses so we went for it. I don’t know what we were expecting but it was my favorite restaurant I’ve ever been to in my whole life! Family-owned and operated and formed during the pandemic year, this husband and wife team turned an animal out house into one of the most beautiful restaurant spaces I’ve ever seen.

With sprawling views of Tenerife to the sound of a Spanish wedding happening below us, the place was pure magic. The house Tinto wine was the best I’ve tasted and it cost 1 euro and 70 cents. The food, made by one woman in their kitchen, was fresh with organic ingredients and super reasonable. We were super impressed and knew we had to return!

Another Weekend Day in Tenerife Norte

It was time for another weekend in Tenerife Norte, this time to the quaint town of Garachico. This town was full of lots of shopping and restaurants, but my favorite part was discovering a local dress boutique called Merakichic Tenerife. This sweet Peruvian-owned boutique had some of the highest-quality dresses I’ve seen and the bros helped me pick two new pieces for my Spanish staple wardrobe 😉 I twirled around in that dress in Garachio feeling like a million bucks!

We were sad to only have one week left in Tenerife, but we knew in reality, our adventure with Spain was just beginning.