After the storms that hit the Canary Islands and Tenerife at the end of last week disappeared over the horizon, the weather did a complete U turn with the storm clouds clearing and the temperatures shooting up.
With Andy waiting for the paperwork for her driving licence to clear, I’m on all driving duties at the moment and had to ferry her into town for a meeting with a travel writer who’s exploring Tenerife.
As it was such a beautiful evening I decided to go on walkabout with my camera. I’ve got a zillion shots of Puerto de la Cruz, so I set myself the task of trying to look at it slightly differently.
The Fishers of Men
Although parts of the harbour are still taped off due to wild seas throwing huge waves at the coastal defences, the local fishermen don’t take a lot of notice even though there are still a few lively waves about.
The Egret
Also taking advantage of the sea’s bounty was this lone egret patrolling the calm rock pools between the concrete block sea defences and the old fort wall at Plaza Europa. The wall was a good vantage point to snap away at this guy without freaking him into flying away.
Ermita San Telmo
The low evening sun illuminated the entrance to the tiny Ermita de San Telmo; a sunny spot for enjoying views along Puerto’s promenade and the last resting place of the victims of a storm that was much, much more ferocious than the one we’ve just experienced.
Avenida Colón
A recent local council announcement stated that Puerto’s restaurants and cafés were going to have to spruce up their terrace furniture. As Puerto’s forward thinking former mayor had already instigated such an initiative during her all too short reign in office a couple of years ago, pedestrianised areas like Avenida Colón have been looking smart and sophisticated for quite some time.
Playa Martiánez
Playa Martiánez gets quite a bit of stick locally, I’ve never been able to figure out why. It’s got a rough and ready appeal that suits it being the local surf scene. The seating and fountain behind the beach is quite arty and contemporary. Maybe that’s the problem. Personally I like its youthful vigour.
La Jibia, Lago Martiánez
Backing the beach is the Lago Martiánez, a watery haven for anyone who isn’t keen on battling Atlantic rollers, and Cesár Manrique’s sculpture La Jibia, aka the squid. At this time of year, six o’clock is the perfect time to capture the squid as the low sun brings out its golden hues.
Los Alisios
It’s also a good time to photograph Los Alisios, another of Cesár Manrique’s works. Thanks to the visionary Lanzarote architect, Lago Martiánez is much more than a swimming pool complex; it’s an open air interactive art gallery as well.
Simply Puerto de la Cruz
This one scene, taken in the back streets, includes much of what Puerto de la Cruz is all about; a sunny cobbled street, lush foliage, trees with delicate flowers, colonial architecture, pavement cafés, abstract art, family life and a thick, black cable.
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Jack is co-owner, writer and photographer for BuzzTrips and the Real Tenerife series of travel websites plus lots of other things. Follow Jack on Google+
I had a laugh out loud moment at your punchline…..I can so identify with it ? I know it’s an old piece, but I’ve only just read it whilst doing some research for PDLC, but once again hats off for your photos Jack
Thanks Colleen 🙂 I remember having a lovely time that late March afternoon just strolling around looking for things to photograph, and the visiting travel writer ended up becoming a very good friend.