MARCH 1 - 7 - TENERIFE, VALLEYS AND VOLCANOES

Backabush is heading back to the Canary Islands to visit Tenerife!

Tenerife is the biggest island in the Canaries and has a wealth of amazing hikes to explore. Although the island is more famous for its resort holidays, Tenerife actually has some of the best hikes in the Canary Islands. These islands sit just off the coast of Africa and enjoy mild weather and sunshine throughout the winter months making them ideal for a hiking escape in March.

We will be staying in the vibrant town of Puerto de la Cruz in a fabulous 4 star hotel which overlooks the ocean and is just 50m from the black sand beach. We can enjoy the hotel's 2 outdoor pools, terrace bar and sea-view restaurant - all evening meals are included. In the evenings we can also check out some of the popular bars in the local town. We have the following room options:

Shared Twin Room - £669
Private Single Occupancy Room - £829

From our base on the north coast we will be well placed to reach the best of the island's hikes and can easily travel to many of the unmissable highlights of the island. Here are some hikes that we hope to include:

• An ascent of Guajara (2718m) with the best views of Mt Teide
• The Anaga mountain circuit to the remote village of Taganana and Playa de Tamadite
• The Risco Trail and Teno Alto Mountains
• Pine forests of the Orotava Valley
• Barranco del Rio and the Laurisilva forest

Tenerife is dominated by the towering Pico del Teide, a dormant volcano that sits at 3715m high (the highest peak in Spain!) The surrounding Parque National del Teide is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is formed of a vast crater with ancient lava flows and forests of Canary Pine.

As well as the striking national park and its moonscape volcanic features the island is also characterised by its plunging ravines, wild coastline and its unique 'laurisilva' or cloud-forest which has the largest number of endemic species in Europe and forms a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

DIFFICULTY
This trip does not involve scrambling but the hikes on the island can be quite challenging. Our hikes will include up to 900m of ascent and descent and up to 10 miles each day. The trails will often be loose gravel underfoot so boots with a deep tread to prevent slips are important. A head for heights is also necessary in the mountainous terrain.

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

• 6 nights accommodation in a 4-star hotel.
• All breakfasts and evening meals.
• An itinerary of organised hikes for our 5 full hiking days.
• Two trip leaders.
• Financial protection in accordance with the Package Travel Law 1992.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:

• Packed lunches.
• Transport on the island. Cars can be hired cheaply and costs can be shared between passengers, we will help organise this. It has previously cost roughly £75 each for a car share.
• Flights.

GETTING TO TENERIFE
The meeting point is at Tenerife South Airport on Sunday 1 March at 16:30. We will return to the airport on Saturday 7 March at 12:45. Our airport transfer will be timed to meet the following flights:

There are many flights to Tenerife everyday, feel free to book alternative travel and either meet us at TFS airport at 16:30 or make your own way to the hotel (approx 1hr drive). Please do not book a return flight departing before 14:45.

• OUTBOUND - Sunday 1 March
easyJet flight EZY 8035
Departs - 11:35 London Gatwick
Arrives - 16:10 Tenerife South

• RETURN - Saturday 7 March
easyJet flight - EZY 8036
Departs - 14:45 Tenerife South
Arrives - 19:10 London Gatwick

HOW TO BOOK
To confirm your place on this trip use internet banking. The account details are:

Account Name: BACKABUSH XPLORERS
Sort Code: 090127
Account Number: 22440622

The following "terms and conditions" apply to all trip reservations:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ngc5A61k76qb6HGMeTK96AVaXn0565yPS9p42IPzIy8/

Only payment secures your place. Your RSVP is not sufficient for us to hold a place for you. Please email nathancapay@googlemail.com as soon as you send payment so that we can confirm everything with you. Thanks. :)