Key details
What makes this morning different
The wine of southern Tenerife is the surprise. Vines here grow on volcanic soil, with very little rain and at altitudes where almost nobody would expect them, and that gives wines unlike those from the mainland. These are small wineries with short runs: most of what they make is drunk on the island and never reaches beyond the Canaries.
The banana farm explains something almost nobody knows: the Canarian banana is not the same fruit as the supermarket banana. It is left to ripen on the plant, takes considerably longer and that is why it tastes different and is smaller. Seeing it in the field, with the people who grow it, is one of those things you end up telling others.
In between, the Centinela viewpoint. A five-minute stop with the whole volcanic south at your feet: cinder cones, terraces and the sea beyond. It is where you suddenly grasp how this part of the island is built, and the only real photo of the morning.
Included
- Air-conditioned coach with pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation
- A guide with you
- Visit to a banana plantation with a tasting of local produce
- Stop at the Centinela viewpoint
- Visit to a winery with a tasting of five wines
Not included
- Meals
- Purchases at the winery and the plantation
- Tips
Frequently asked questions
Isn't five wines a lot for mid-morning?
They are tastings, not glasses: a small pour of each. Even so, if you would rather not drink you can still do the visit and enjoy the winery and the local produce; this is not the kind of excursion where that feels awkward.
Is it like visiting a mainland winery?
Not really. These are small wineries, with vines on volcanic soil and very little rain, in a landscape unlike any familiar wine region. If you expect one of the big estates, with an industrial tour and a huge shop, this is not that.
When would we not recommend it?
If you do not drink wine and farming says little to you, it will come down to a coach ride with three stops. And if you are after spectacular scenery, other excursions on this island give far more for the same money: this one is about produce and the people who make it, not views.
Why Tuesdays only?
Because the operator runs it on one fixed day, like the rest of their programme. If Tuesday does not suit you, tell us: there is another agritourism excursion, with a dairy and an aloe farm, that runs on Fridays.