march canaries on iona

[delgirl]

We are going on iona in march to the canary islands. Having never been before I am wondering if they are easy to do on your own or ship trips on some. Did think about doing toboggan in Madeira but then reality checked in, with my secondary breast cancer in spine and my husbands multiple myeloma (he cracked a bone in his spine about 19 months ago) thought maybe not🤣. Any other suggestions would be appreciated not just madeira.

[Harry Peterson]

11 minutes ago, delgirl said:

We are going on iona in march to the canary islands. Having never been before I am wondering if they are easy to do on your own or ship trips on some. Did think about doing toboggan in Madeira but then reality checked in, with my secondary breast cancer in spine and my husbands multiple myeloma (he cracked a bone in his spine about 19 months ago) thought maybe not🤣. Any other suggestions would be appreciated not just madeira.

Lovely places to be in March - all of them!  You’ll have a wonderful time.

 

As for things to do, we’ve been a few times and not taken one single overpriced excursion. That might not suit some, but it suits us very well indeed just to wander, enjoy the weather, enjoy the scenery (Madeira in particular), and just enjoy the relaxation. The last place I’d want to be is stuck on a coach with 30 others on a fixed schedule.

 

On Madeira there are wonderful gardens to visit - easily done on your own. Others will recommend other places. But just wandering, with serendipitous discoveries, is an absolute joy.

[Orianababes]

Once booked a taxi on line to take us on a tour of half of the island. Obviously great care was taken to look at reviews etc. was met at the terminal by driver with our name on a board. One of the beauties was if he took us to a place we didn’t fancy- we just told him and we moved straight on. Not done on the cheap but that was not the intention. We wanted a more personal tour. Cannot recall the company sadly

[Dobbers]

We’re going to Canaries on Iona 16th March. Madiera is easy to do on your own, take the cable car up to the Botanical gardens or just wander around the town. There is usually a shuttle bus to take you into the town.

Lanzarote we have booked for the Sunday market as Arrecife isn’t our cup of tea. 
We tend to have a good look on Google maps to see what is in the area and then decide on excursions.

[delgirl]

3 hours ago, Dobbers said:

We’re going to Canaries on Iona 16th March. Madiera is easy to do on your own, take the cable car up to the Botanical gardens or just wander around the town. There is usually a shuttle bus to take you into the town.

Lanzarote we have booked for the Sunday market as Arrecife isn’t our cup of tea. 
We tend to have a good look on Google maps to see what is in the area and then decide on excursions.

we are also on this cruise. Will do some homework and decide. Don't want to do a lot of trips as we usually like to do our own thing and wander about.

[terrierjohn]

8 hours ago, delgirl said:

We are going on iona in march to the canary islands. Having never been before I am wondering if they are easy to do on your own or ship trips on some. Did think about doing toboggan in Madeira but then reality checked in, with my secondary breast cancer in spine and my husbands multiple myeloma (he cracked a bone in his spine about 19 months ago) thought maybe not🤣. Any other suggestions would be appreciated not just madeira.

We no longer take excursions but always go ashore for a wander and maybe a coffee or beer at a sidewalk cafe.

However Santa Cruz Tenerife and Arecife Lanzarote are not the most scenic towns, so a shore excursion here might be worthwhile. But Las Palmas Gran Canaria has a lovely beech and long promenade with dozens of cafes, and Cadiz is a wonderful place to wander around with beautiful gardens on the promenade and delightful cobbled streets and plazas, especially the Cathedral plaza, to explore. Lisbon is an equally attractive tourist location, and all of the above are within walking distance of the ships berth, as are Fuerteventura and Funchal Madeira.

Edited January 12 by terrierjohn

[kalos]

17 hours ago, delgirl said:

We are going on iona in march to the canary islands. Having never been before I am wondering if they are easy to do on your own or ship trips on some. Did think about doing toboggan in Madeira but then reality checked in, with my secondary breast cancer in spine and my husbands multiple myeloma (he cracked a bone in his spine about 19 months ago) thought maybe not🤣. Any other suggestions would be appreciated not just madeira.

On our last cruise the couple in the cabin next to us .they guy had just had recent major heart surgery and wanted a  few hours not far from the ship but without the big tourist crowds .

I suggested a favourite of mine ..Jump in a taxi for a 15 minute run to the Beatriz player hotel

and go to the beach and watch the planes land really close up and have a drink or two in the seafront bars .

They loved it and said they would do it again ,so when in Lanzarote that could be an inexpensive option ?

[paularmstrong]

Done this itinerary a lot with TUI , all great ports and walkable to shore bar fuerteventura where i would recommend a tour as not a lot at port . Madeira is a great spot and you dock into Funchal where you can wander the capital . afternoon tea or gin at Reids palace hotel is a must on the balcony overlooking your ship and sea

[Fionboard]

8 minutes ago, paularmstrong said:

Done this itinerary a lot with TUI , all great ports and walkable to shore bar fuerteventura where i would recommend a tour as not a lot at port . Madeira is a great spot and you dock into Funchal where you can wander the capital . afternoon tea or gin at Reids palace hotel is a must on the balcony overlooking your ship and sea

Port at Fuertaventura is not very interesting. I can recommend the full day tour of the island with lunch. Amazing, varied scenery, very interesting and lunch was very good.

 

[smokey01]

17 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

We no longer take excursions but always go ashore for a wander and maybe a coffee or beer at a sidewalk cafe.

However Santa Cruz Tenerife and Arecife Lanzarote are not the most scenic towns, so a shore excursion here might be worthwhile. But Las Palmas Gran Canaria has a lovely beech and long promenade with dozens of cafes, and Cadiz is a wonderful place to wander around with beautiful gardens on the promenade and delightful cobbled streets and plazas, especially the Cathedral plaza, to explore. Lisbon is an equally attractive tourist location, and all of the above are within walking distance of the ships berth, as are Fuerteventura and Funchal Madeira.

A friend who used to cruise often told me it was not worth getting off in Arrefice, so I didn’t for years. Then one cruise I did and had a lovely walk through a marina to a castle like structure out to sea, and then I followed on a little way to a lovely sandy beach. I’m not a shopper or cafe drinker so that did me just fine. Lately p&o (and probably other lines) have stopped the shuttle buses dropping off in a non descript car park by the small marina so that meant the walk to my usual haunt was marginally further for me but still do able. Unfortunately it was a little too far for my mid 80’s mother. That said my next 2 cruises are to the Canaries and I look forward to my stops at Arrefice. I do agree that Las Canteras beach in Gran Canary is lovely and my all time favourite port stop after New York. I do agree Tenerife without an excursion is pretty boring, if anyone disagrees and says there is a nice place in walking distance of the ship then feel free to tell me. I don’t do shops or coffee shops though! I’ve done too many excursions there to want to do anymore so I just walk to that manmade pool area make some phone calls and then back to the ship.

[Denarius]

9 minutes ago, smokey01 said:

A friend who used to cruise often told me it was not worth getting off in Arrefice, so I didn’t for years. Then one cruise I did and had a lovely walk through a marina to a castle like structure out to sea, and then I followed on a little way to a lovely sandy beach. I’m not a shopper or cafe drinker so that did me just fine. Lately p&o (and probably other lines) have stopped the shuttle buses dropping off in a non descript car park by the small marina so that meant the walk to my usual haunt was marginally further for me but still do able. Unfortunately it was a little too far for my mid 80’s mother. That said my next 2 cruises are to the Canaries and I look forward to my stops at Arrefice. I do agree that Las Canteras beach in Gran Canary is lovely and my all time favourite port stop after New York. I do agree Tenerife without an excursion is pretty boring, if anyone disagrees and says there is a nice place in walking distance of the ship then feel free to tell me. I don’t do shops or coffee shops though! I’ve done too many excursions there to want to do anymore so I just walk to that manmade pool area make some phone calls and then back to the ship.

Agree that Sant Cruz in Tenerife is not the most attractive of ports. Nothing really wrong with it, just a pretty anonymous place without anything which would encourage you to return. The exception is on Sundays when there is a large street market around the Market of Our Lady of Africa - aimed at locals rather than at tourists and well worth a visit.

Edited January 13 by Denarius
spelling

[BrianI]

In Tenerife a cheap excursion is to take the modern tram to the old capital, La Laguna. You get some good views as you climb up the mountain but it get’s noticeably kcooler.

Cost is €1.35 each way, get your ticket from the machine at any tram stop

https://metrotenerife.com/routes-and-timetables/

 

Brian

[Josy1953]

11 hours ago, BrianI said:

In Tenerife a cheap excursion is to take the modern tram to the old capital, La Laguna. You get some good views as you climb up the mountain but it get’s noticeably kcooler.

Cost is €1.35 each way, get your ticket from the machine at any tram stop

https://metrotenerife.com/routes-and-timetables/

 

Brian

Do you need to use cash for the ticket machine or do they take cards.  We will be there in April.  We have been to Tenerife on numerous cruises but have never visited La Laguna so would be interested to go there.

[Winifred 22]

I am pretty certain it can be card. I once did a whole Canary itinerary without cash just using my card -( no transaction fees or charges) because when I tried to draw out cash  there was a £5. 75 charge. I took a tram to El Corte Ingles so must have paid by card. 

[Gettingwarmer]

1 hour ago, Josy1953 said:

Do you need to use cash for the ticket machine or do they take cards.  We will be there in April.  We have been to Tenerife on numerous cruises but have never visited La Laguna so would be interested to go there.

Card ok. The machines have English. Tram stop just beyond the large circular pond in town. Sit facing the back for the best views going up. Get off tram at end of line and head north for old town. Very short walk. 

Edited January 14 by Gettingwarmer

[Ardennais]

I still think it’s always worth having some local currency. In fact, the toilets we stopped at last week in the centre of Hamburg only took cash so I was glad that I had rummaged at home for a few spare Euros before the trip. 

[Harry Peterson]

Have to say that I’m very disappointed in this thread.
 

Drawn in by the headline “March canaries on Iona” I expected justifiable outrage at the suggestion of maltreatment of our little yellow feathered friends by marching them up and down the decks like Lincolnshire Yellowbelly soldiers.

 

Such a let down.  😶