Tenerife is one of Europe’s great winter-sun escapes—but if your entire experience is limited to a pool, a buffet and a strip of imported bars, you may return home without really meeting the island at all.

In this episode, Daniel Edward is joined by writer John Reid, whose family connections with Tenerife stretch back generations. John spent many years showing visitors around the island as a private guide. Now retired from guiding, he continues to bring Tenerife’s history and characters to life through the books he publishes as John Reid Young.

Together, Daniel and John leave the resort strip behind to discover an island that behaves like a miniature continent. The dry, sun-soaked south gives way to vineyards, banana plantations and greener landscapes in the north. Above them both rise the volcanic formations of Teide National Park, while the Anaga Mountains conceal laurel forest, deep ravines and rural hamlets.

John also introduces Tenerife’s guachinches, volcanic wines and hearty local dishes, and explains how the island’s history connects British travellers, Atlantic trade and Nelson’s failed attack on Santa Cruz.

Continue the journey with John Reid Young

John’s books are the natural continuation of this conversation. Start with The Skipping Verger and Other Tales, continue with A Shark in the Bath and Other Stories, and discover more through his historical blog, Travel Stories in Tenerife and the Canary Islands.

Browse John Reid Young’s books or visit John’s Tenerife history and travel blog.

For more inspiration, read Tenerife Beyond the Resorts: 9 Ways to Discover the Island’s Other Side.