Starting at The Duke Shops
This morning’s walk starts in Fañabé, opposite The Duke Shops in Costa Adeje. Parking wasn’t particularly easy, but somebody pulled out just as I arrived, which was a good start to the morning.
From there I headed towards Fañabé Plaza with the idea of walking down towards the beach before stopping somewhere for coffee.
One reason for choosing this particular area was a viewer request. I really do appreciate suggestions for places to visit because deciding where to go is sometimes one of the hardest parts of doing regular Tenerife walks.
Royal Sunset Beach Club
One of the places I had specifically been asked to look at was the Royal Sunset Beach Club, which is a Hilton Vacation Club property.
I found it at around the 25-minute point of the walk and had a look around the surrounding area before continuing towards the coast.
There was plenty to see along the way, including restaurants, shops and the usual mix of holiday activity around Fañabé.
An Unexpected Guest
The programme changed completely when I stopped in the shade and unexpectedly met Terry, who was over on holiday with his family.
Terry has been coming to Tenerife for years and knows Fañabé well. What was supposed to be a quick chat soon became part of the programme, and I invited him to join me for coffee.
That’s one of the things I enjoy about doing these walks live. You can set off with one plan and end up doing something completely different.
Coffee and Tenerife Memories
Over coffee we talked about Terry’s working life, retirement and his many visits to Tenerife.
We also talked about why self-catering accommodation works particularly well when travelling with a larger family. Having separate bedrooms, bathrooms and living space can make a big difference compared with everyone trying to fit into hotel rooms.
Our conversation moved through everything from work and retirement to Las Vegas, family life and the importance of time as you get older.
One comment particularly stood out: you can earn more money, but you can never buy your time back.
How Fañabé Has Changed
We also remembered what Fañabé was like years ago.
Terry recalled visiting when parts of the area were far less developed and some of the businesses we know today were only just getting established.
That’s something I find fascinating about Tenerife. If you’ve been visiting for ten, twenty or thirty years, you haven’t just watched individual bars and restaurants change — you’ve watched entire resorts develop around them.
Back Through Fañabé
After saying goodbye to Terry, I started making my way back towards the car.
There was still time for another little discovery: a tucked-away sports bar that would be very easy to walk straight past. It’s shaded, away from the direct sun and looks like a useful place to know about if you want to watch sport.
From there it was back past the GF Isabel and towards where I’d started the morning.
What began as a simple walk down to Fañabé beach turned into one of those programmes where an unexpected meeting made the morning.