Читать книгу Walking on Tenerife. 45 walks including El Teide and GR131 онлайн

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Health and safety

There are no nasty diseases on the Canary Islands, or, at least, nothing you couldn’t contract at home. Water on Tenerife is either drawn from rainfall, or generated by the laurisilva cloud forests. It soaks into the ground, is filtered through thick beds of volcanic ash and emerges pure and clean, perfectly safe to drink. Desalinated seawater is also produced, which is perfectly safe to drink, though some people dislike the taste. Bottled water is available if you prefer, but buy it cheaply from supermarkets rather than at considerable expense from bars. There are no snakes, no stinging insects worse than honey-bees, and there are always warning signs near hives. Don’t annoy dogs and they won’t annoy you. Dogs that are likely to bite are nearly always tethered, so keep away.

Remember that the highest mountain on Tenerife, El Teide, rises to 3718m (12,198ft). This is higher than anything in mainland Spain, and high enough to cause altitude sickness. Visitors are warned of this when they use the teleférico for the ascent, and some people do react badly. The ‘cure’ is to descend immediately, which can be a problem when the teleférico is busy. Walkers who take the time to complete walks at ever-higher altitudes should have no problem building themselves up for a strenuous climb up El Teide.