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SPAIN / Canary Islands, Tenerife, the island of extravaganza
SPAIN / Canary Islands, Tenerife, the island of extravaganza
According to a persistent legend, Tenerife and the Canary Islands are believed to be the visible part of the lost continent of Atlantis… In any case, you will have the
impression of landing on another planet as you set foot on this pocket-sized island, 2,036 km2, situated off the coast of Morocco, right in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
impression of landing on another planet as you set foot on this pocket-sized island, 2,036 km2, situated off the coast of Morocco, right in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.
Tenerife puts on a show with the lunar landscapes of Pico del Teide (3,718m), its
volcano often crowned by snow and the vertiginous roads that plunge down steep and winding routes. Another fascinating aspect are the dragon trees, umbrella-like trees that can live for a thousand years. (Nonetheless, the island's oldest is “only” 800 years old).
Cities such as San Cristóbal de La Laguna, listed as a world heritage site by Unesco, present a décor suited to an operetta with their white churches hemmed in black and their immensely colorful colonial houses. But in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Auditorium designed by Santiago Calatreva projects you into a true space opera. In February, the island also has its carnival, the biggest carnival in the world after Rio…
And there, everyone is on stage!
Photos: Stéphane Gautier
Text: Annie Crouzet
volcano often crowned by snow and the vertiginous roads that plunge down steep and winding routes. Another fascinating aspect are the dragon trees, umbrella-like trees that can live for a thousand years. (Nonetheless, the island's oldest is “only” 800 years old).
Cities such as San Cristóbal de La Laguna, listed as a world heritage site by Unesco, present a décor suited to an operetta with their white churches hemmed in black and their immensely colorful colonial houses. But in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Auditorium designed by Santiago Calatreva projects you into a true space opera. In February, the island also has its carnival, the biggest carnival in the world after Rio…
And there, everyone is on stage!
Photos: Stéphane Gautier
Text: Annie Crouzet