A visit at the Océano Health Spa Hotel on Tenerife

Enjoy pure nature

Océano Hotel Health Spa is located in the quiet, beautiful north of Tenerife, far off the beaten path of tourism on the Canary Islands. Of course, you shouldn’t miss the chance to visit the island’s landmark, Pico del Teide. However, my personal highlight was a trip to the nearby Anaga mountains. You can either set off directly at the hotel or go to the mountains with their numerous hiking routes by car.

The steep cliffs of the Anaga mountains by the sea © Hanna Bossmann

With the narrow road winding through the mountains along the countless serpentines and its many “Miradores” (viewpoints), the journey is an experience in itself (provided that you are free from giddiness). One of the hiking routes takes you along the coast, walking on the mountain ridge: mountains towering to the right, the ocean to the left stretching as far as the horizon – pretty impressive and amazingly beautiful. Usually, you do not meet a lot of other tourists here: the nature is all yours!

The hotel’s sauna area leaves no wishes unfulfilled © Océano Hotel Health Spa

Relaxation and wellness

Océano Hotel Health Spa is not only a perfect starting point for hiking and exploring nature. Lasting health is a top priority at the Océano. Therefore, the service includes detoxification after F.X.Mayr. Supervised by physicians and therapists, this comprehensive program is implemented in all areas: nutrition, exercise, Thalasso-therapy and wellness. A lot of guests make regular use of this program and come here for detoxification once a year. However, all other guests have the opportunity to benefit from the Thalasso treatments as well (the sea salt and almond oil scrub is highly recommendable), to swim in the natural pool, to start the day doing yoga with a magnificent view over the bay or to enjoy the sunset over the sea.

The sea water pool right at the beach in front of the Océano Hotel © Océano Hotel Health Spa

Sustainability at the Océano

The Océano Hotel Health Spa is investing in a green future: Since K. Matthias Rolle took over the management of the hotel from his father, he is advancing its sustainable development step by step. The food is mainly organic and regional, more than 50 % of the warm water is provided by the solar panels on the roof of the Mayr Center and you sleep on biological beds; there are sea water pools and the hotel avoids using chemicals in the garden and for cleaning as far as possible. And that is not all: recently, mango and avocado trees have been planted on the premises. In the future, you will find their fruits on the breakfast buffet and in the delicious avocado ceviche.

Whale Watching on La Gomera © Oceano La Gomera

Highlight: whale watching

A lot of you certainly dream of watching whales and dolphins in their natural habitat too. On the Canary Islands, there are numerous whale watching operators. In this context it is important to look carefully: usually it is quite easy to find out if they treat the animals with respect or if they literally chase them down (unfortunately, this happens very often). By the way, the WDC is a good source of information; see for example its whale watching guide.

A typical Canarian fishing boat used for whale watching tours © Oceano La Gomera

In search of whales and dolphins

Oceano La Gomera is one of the few providers of respectful whale watching on the Canary Islands. “Respectful whale watching means taking into account the given situation and adapting the sailing manner to the animals’ behavior.” You go out to see in a small boat holding a maximum of ten persons and they make sure not to disturb the whales and dolphins. Due to the experienced tour guides, you will learn a lot about marine life, the ocean and the island.

 

Cover picture: © Hanna Bossmann