Tenerife - January 2009

Once again we took a winter holiday in Tenerife, this time staying at the Hotel Fanabe Costa Sur in Costa Adeje which is just a few miles north of Los Cristianos where we had stayed before. A good day out was to walk to Los Cristianos for lunch and then back again

A cactus with an interesting fruit

A cactus with an interesting fruit

Brightly coloured flowers were everywhere

Brightly coloured flowers were everywhere

A tree with roots hanging from its branches

A tree with roots hanging from its branches

The Swans Neck Agave flowers progressively up its stem ...

The Swans Neck Agave flowers progressively up its stem ...

... like this

... like this

Pink Bougainvillea

Pink Bougainvillea

Purple Bougainvillea

Purple Bougainvillea

A bank of Bougainvillea showing some colour variants

A bank of Bougainvillea showing some colour variants

Another large cactus (about 2 metres high)

Another large cactus (about 2 metres high)

Undercover banana plantation (this is a small one!)

Undercover banana plantation (this is a small one!)

El Mirador shopping centre - traditional style ...

El Mirador shopping centre - traditional style ...

... very arts and crafts

... very arts and crafts

Hotels and mountains

Hotels and mountains

More hotels

More hotels

And more hotels

And more hotels

Parascending from Playa de Torviscas

Parascending from Playa de Torviscas

Parascending from Playa de Torviscas

Parascending from Playa de Torviscas

Undercut rocks in Playa del Duque

Undercut rocks in Playa del Duque

Fishing at Playa de Fanabe

Fishing at Playa de Fanabe

Now that's what I call a balcony!

Now that's what I call a balcony!

A view of the Costa Adeje coastline

A view of the Costa Adeje coastline

Shops, hotels and mountains

Shops, hotels and mountains

Coming out of a dry dock in Los Cristianos harbour

Coming out of a dry dock in Los Cristianos harbour

Surfers waiting for a wave

Surfers waiting for a wave

This shot of surfers was taken almost into the sun

This shot of surfers was taken almost into the sun

Surfers on a wave

Surfers on a wave

Another surfer

Another surfer

Our hotel at night

Our hotel at night

A nearby shopping centre viewed from the hotel roof

A nearby shopping centre viewed from the hotel roof

Another shopping centre viewed from the hotel roof

Another shopping centre viewed from the hotel roof

A view of the bay taken into the sun

A view of the bay taken into the sun

A view of the Casa del Duque

A view of the Casa del Duque

When the waves were high this blow-hole was really spectacular

When the waves were high this blow-hole was really spectacular

A banana plant

A banana plant

We did the whale watching trip again, this was a dolphin

We did the whale watching trip again, this was a dolphin

Sea bass farming in the bay

Sea bass farming in the bay

A pilot whale

A pilot whale

This pretty mural with inlaid mother-of-pearl was on the boat

This pretty mural with inlaid mother-of-pearl was on the boat

A pilot whale

A pilot whale

Another pilot whale

Another pilot whale

A very clear view of La Gomera

A very clear view of La Gomera

Female kestrel on a ledge

Female kestrel on a ledge

A Whimbrel

A Whimbrel

Turnstones

Turnstones

A group of Turnstones

A group of Turnstones

The flower of a succulant

The flower of a succulant

Another very bright flower

Another very bright flower

Val along the coast path

Val along the coast path

Pete along the coast path

Pete along the coast path

Another hotel complex

Another hotel complex

Just a view of a beach

Just a view of a beach

Someone had spent a long time creating these ...

Someone had spent a long time creating these ...

... and these

... and these

This is the Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus Communis). Male flowers at the bottom produce pollen for the female flowers at the top ...

This is the Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus Communis). Male flowers at the bottom produce pollen for the female flowers at the top ...

... which then produce the spikey fruit which at one stage look like chestnut fruit ...

... which then produce the spikey fruit which at one stage look like chestnut fruit ...

... The nuts inside are the source of caster oil but their shells contain the deadly poison, Ricin.

... The nuts inside are the source of caster oil but their shells contain the deadly poison, Ricin.

Bee on a very colourful flower

Bee on a very colourful flower

The beach at Playa del Duque

The beach at Playa del Duque