Dr Livingstone, I presume?

Masca Barranco, like a scene from 'Lost'I was talking to a guy in a bar last night ... I know that sounds like the opener to a joke, but it isn't, at least, not the sort that has a punch line ... and he tells me that he's been coming to Puerto de la Cruz for his winter holidays for 25 years yet he's never even been to Masca, in anyone's book, a must for visitors to Tenerife. And he's not alone.

As an avid follower of TripAdviser forums, I'm constantly amazed by the attitude of so many people who are planning to stay within a 15 minute walk of their hotel or apartment, and those who consider themselves nothing less than latter day Doctor Livingstones if they intend to get a bus to Los Gigantes.

Whatever happened to the Victorian spirit of adventure? Did we Brits get affluent and lazy in post war economic prosperity?

When the sixties brought cheap flights and accommodation within most people's grasp, did we just get too idle to leave our sun beds after touchdown?

Siete Cañadas path in Teide craterTenerife is a hiker's paradise; there are trails all over this island that take you through some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery you're ever likely to encounter. From palm filled, banana covered coastal plains that sweep down to pirate lookouts and abandoned haciendas; abyssal ravines where fresh spring water runs crystal clear beneath towering cliffs in scenery straight from an episode of 'Lost'; to the expansive plains of the Teide crater where you can lose the tour buses full of visitors in a kilometre and discover a landscape where volcanic cones and wind-eroded rocks create a gallery of surreal sculptures. You can chose to spend the entire day hiking across areas or simply to enjoy an hour's stroll to work up an appetite for lunch.

The fort of San Fernando on the Los Realejos coastRecently, Jack and I have been traversing the length and breadth of Tenerife for a series of articles we're producing and on all our trails, the only time we've encountered more than a handful of Brits has been in Barranco del Infierno. And why? Because it's a stone's throw away from the resorts of Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje.

Now I'm not suggesting that exploring uncharted jungles or backpacking across Patagonia is everyone's cup of tea. On the other hand, having flown 1,900 miles to get here from the UK in the first place, wouldn't it be worth investing a few kilometres more to discover that there's a whole fascinating island beyond the poolside bar and the paper shop?

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