The best place for photographers and vloggers in Tenerife, Canary Islands !

A small village by the sea?

This is probably the biggest asset of this place: a charming little village in the city center.

Going back in time we understand the effort that has been made to this fishing village to become one of the most attractive tourist places on the island.

In order to appreciate this village even more, I suggest you begin with these few archive images.
You can see the beginnings of the village, the construction of the El Medano hotel, whaling, or even the red mountain.

Reserve your stay in El Medano

After several visits to this place, I am still as transported by the colorful adornments of the buildings that go hand in hand with the sun and the tumult of the crowd in the smallest alleys.
There are always new places to visit down there.

Most of the tourists passing by El Medano prefer to stay there a few days or the time of a weekend to appreciate its paths and its coasts.
It is a must for the community of kite-surfers and windsurfers who do not hesitate to stay there for several weeks.

Visit the secret trails of Tenerife by motorbike

The main beach is at the foot of the El Medano hotel.
This beach is always crowded with people and there are then 2 solutions to have a semblance of tranquility:

You can decide to deploy your towel a little further, in front of the shops for surfers. The downside will then be that we encounter more rocks in the water.

Or we can go to playa chica. A very small beach, most of the time with few people which allows you to enjoy the sun in peace.
You will recognize this beach by the few boats which are present there and the bar "playa chica" which will allow you to quench your thirst.

You will have understood that the city center will be the favorite playground for street photographers.
You will have the opportunity to take all kinds of candid portraits in the environment that will tell great stories.

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A playground for photographers whatever their disciplines

I have never encountered an environment like this mixing the city center, the sea, desert areas and mountains at the same time.

With the ambient sun you have here the best recipe for meeting hikers, bikers, surfers and all kinds of onlookers and acrobats.
This will naturally allow any photographer to express his art, but also to try out new photographic disciplines.

Action photographers, you will be served!

Kite-surfs, and other windsurf boards are legion there.
The place is famous for the wind which is almost omnipresent there, and the community of surfers revel in it.

Need a car for your visit to Tenerife ?

Chances are you will also encounter bikers and cyclists on the trails or on the roads. For my part I had a little luck:

This morning, I decided to take my Sony a77m2 camera with my tele-lens, a 70-200 / 4
I saw them coming up the trail from a distance, which gave me time to switch to 12 frames per second mode.

Landscape and macro photography fans, be prepared to run out of storage space

It's really the discipline that I appreciate the most at the moment: the landscape.
When you are in such a place, it is important to do your scouting, take your time, and take the time to appreciate your photography.

You shouldn't hesitate to get up very early.
Enjoy the sunrise from the top of one of the 2 mountains (montana roja, or el bocinegro) or from the beach.
Enjoy the show and record this moment.

You are by the sea.
So don't forget to take your tripod and ND filters to get the best possible wave motion effects.

To a lesser extent, you may also encounter some seabirds. Mainly seagulls.
If you are a fan of bird photography, which is not my case as you can see from the photos below, then you will walk away with a few bonus shots.

Going up the beach to the last houses along its length, you will come across a tunnel that will lead you on a path towards the cellar of Brother San Pedro.
The cellar is about a 20 minute walk on this trail.
It is by taking this path that we measure the extent of the possibilities offered in landscape photography in a desert environment.
Also with its flora it is an ideal playground for macro photography.

Once you arrive at Brother San Pedro's cellar, two surprises await you

Arriving at the shrine of Brother San Pedro, the huge spotlights with loudspeakers immediately attract attention.
I wondered what it was doing there in this sacred place.

Looking a little further we understand that the sacred site is also located at the end of the runway of Tenerife South airport.
And there we dream of shooting a few planes a few meters away.

As you understand it is quite possible to shoot the planes there, you just have to make sure you have an ultra wide angle, because they really pass just above head.

Are you looking for a connection for your trip?

The sanctuary is also an opportunity to discover a tree that has the particularity of being unique on the whole of the island of Tenerife.
We immediately understand why it is kept in an almost secret and sacred garden.

Back to the Red Mountain and the seaside

Following the road from the airport towards the seaside, falls at the foot of the red mountain.
With the daily heat, it is best to turn it up in the morning.
With a good stride, you can get to the top in less than 20 minutes, but don't forget at least a good pair of sneakers; The best is of course to have hiking shoes.

As you will have understood, it is not long to visit this small village that is El Medano, but you have to take your time to be able to get the essence of this place from the point photographic view.

I am not an astrophographer but I had the chance to benefit from a rooftop with my host which allowed me to go out and enjoy the stars and the moon every hour curfew.
I imagine those restrictions will be gone by the time you read these lines.