Santa Cruz de Tenerife
in Canary Islands

A culinary-meets-anthropological deep dive into the history of El Hierro, chef Marco Tavío’s 8Aborigen restaurant is setting a new benchmark for Canarian cuisine. Roughly 90% of the ingredients are sourced locally, and more than half are personally foraged by Tavío and his team. Expect enyesques (Canarian tapas) made from indigenous ingredients like corn, figs, and arugla-like haite or octopus blood sausages served on cornbread topped with crispy fried pork rinds — plus wines from local producers like Uwe Urbach and Viña Frontera. 

The Canaries’ proximity—geographical, cultural, and otherwise—to North Africa finds expression at Muana Mboka, an open-air gastronomic restaurant by Equatorial Guinean–born, Spanish-raised chef Roger Ekope. Set in the fertile Fimapaire Valley, the setting is as memorable as the dishes, which draw on the flavors of his homeland, as well as Cameroon, Senegal, and Ethiopia. Highlights include mafe stew with dried shrimp, plantain fufu, and crispy cassava—served with expressive Canarian wines.

As the world’s first Starlight Reserve, La Palma is a stargazer’s paradise. The best spot to take in the cosmos? The Roque de los Muchachos observatory, perched on the island’s highest point, boasting one of the largest arrays of telescopes in the world, including next-generation Cherenkov models. The earthward views of a gigantic volcanic caldera add to the feeling of having landed on another planet. 

Spain’s state-owned Parador network is known for its collection of hotels set in centuries-old monasteries, castles, and historic landmarks. While the purpose-built Parador de La Gomera doesn’t share that storied past, it fits seamlessly into the portfolio. Its 15th-century-inspired architecture nods to the colonial style in vogue when Columbus departed from the island for the New World. Expect carved wood balconies, maritime antiques, and an airy Isabelline-Gothic lounge that opens onto a leafy patio.