Flashing by through San Miguel de Abona, streamlined cyclists on razor thin bikes painted a picture of state of the art sport. But slower more sedate steeds in the underground exhibition hall of Casa de la Capitan were a fitting tribute to years of keen travel over the testing roads that look down on the Tenerife south airport and its nearby resorts.

Always worth a visit for its agricultural and industrial history lessons, the solid stone building nestles just down from the church and off the entrance tracks to several bracing walks. I was delighted to see the alluring posters for the ruta de tapas in a seasonal selection of local bars and cafes, as I stepped off the Titsa bus from Los Cristianos.

Every time I pop inside the free to visit Casa de la Capitan, they have made some new touches to their exhibits harking back to a proud, productive heritage. The outside courtyard was bathed in sunshine as reminders of the wine production and barrel making beckoned me closer.

Posters of the current cycling homage had alerted me to the classic models downstairs. San Miguel has always been a welcoming sight for sports cyclists, the local Irichen club is well into its second decade of pounding the pedals. The vintage shirts on display have now been eclipsed by modern fibred second skins that enhance the speed and comfort. I suppressed a chuckle at the Haig Whisky cycling top, a wobbly ride could ensue if sampling the bottle before the bike. There´s always guidance and information close to hand at the Casa de la Capitan, in several languages. Opening windows on the past, the Casa makes regular seasonal changes – pop in and say hello.