Life at the Covid reduced tempo should make us appreciate what we have and not take it for granted in Tenerife. So its best foot forward and time to take in more tempting walks along the shores and further inland.

The new deep set roundabout on the southern edge of Las Chafiras delivered a smoother traffic flow as the Titsa public bus dropped me and my friends in what might be described as a concrete jungle of industrial units. The spoonbills and ducks on the Ciguaña reservoir would have described it as a welcome oasis. there was even two twitchers concealed in the hedgerow, changing the tone from bargain hunting to bird watching.

A long walk down to Amarilla Golf was bracing and bathed in sunshine as Mount Teide glistened with snow in the distant background. A craggy shingle beach fronted the smooth but sparsely trodden walkway. Montaña Roja was already a beckoning beacon at our El Medano destination. Empty hotels and deserted swimming pools were a prelude to the wide expanse of San Blas. The wooden slatted path complete with a bridge over the barranco, combined practicality with a Chinese inspired design. I could almost imagine it in willow pattern on a series of plates.

Dipping onto the pocket sized Playa Grande, the wood gave way to black sand on the approach to Los Abrigos. The Tenerife South airport gave only slim pickings to plane spotters across from the fishing village. Moving forward, the coastal trail hugged the shoreline as it meandered through cacti and surging waves that split the rocks. La Tejita beach is easy to spot these days with two cranes rising high above the bare bones of the illegal hotel complex that has been stopped in its tracks.

The huge beach marched on to the base of Montaña Roja, a few surfers kites breaching the sky on the horizon made the most of a strong wind. Once over the lower ridge, we were engulfed in a swirling mosaic of well over 70 kites. The sand dunes sheltered the small lake in the natural bird sanctuary, but there was no twitching for us as our feathered friends were keeping well out of sight.

El Medano has a very distinct flavour as a chilled out water sports area and that has sustained it during these uncertain times. It has an unspoilt beauty and crams a lot into the tight passage ways and fish restaurants that are lapped at by the waves. El Timon rewarded our walk with the best of the local catch as sea spray cooled us down. Strong winds deferred our hike up the red mountain but its not going anywhere so we settled for its reassuring prescence across the rolling tide.