Blogger Grazielle Camilleri brings together two of her greatest passions – travel and fashion – in a series of features that will certainly inspire wanderlust. First on her list is Tenerife.

Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, is a place I visited twice in a span of six months. It was the perfect destination for me and my little family to escape to from the cold winter days, enjoying some beach days, ice-creams and summer fun during Malta’s winter. Tenerife is a family-friendly holiday destination with lots of interesting things to see and do including animal parks, sightseeing, surfing and cycling.

Colourful architecture abounds in Tenerife.

If you are travelling from Malta to Tenerife, there is to date no luxury of a direct flight running regularly, but, nevertheless, if you are travelling for a minimum of seven to 14 days, I think it’s well worth the commute. There are flights available with Alitalia, via Rome or Madrid, vueling via Barcelona, Air Malta and British Airways via London, Swiss and British Airways via Zürich and London and Ryanair via Madrid.

For beach lovers like myself, Tenerife has several sandy beaches to relish, including Playa de Las Vistas, Playa de Los Cristianos, Playa Bolullo, Playa de las Americas, El Medano, Playa Jardin, Playa de Las Teresitas and so many more.

The island is a paradise for photography

Playa de Las Vistas, for example, is situated to the South of Tenerife and is just one of the great beaches that make up Los Cristianos in Arona. True, it is one of the most commercial, but here I enjoy the cleanliness and the convenience of all the amenities close at hand – umbrellas, showers and various beach amenities. There are seaside sport rentals, bars, food stands, restaurants… this beach is the perfect choice for travellers looking for convenience. For those who want a healthy treat, you even get vendors selling fresh coconuts and pineapples at lunchtime.

The island boasts plenty of WIldlife is plentiful on the island. beaches where to relax.

What to eat

Spanish chorizo served with jalapeno peppers.

Travelling to new places means checking out new food and local drinks. In Tenerife, it is a must to taste the Spanish potatoes, a light snack-type meal together served with red and green mojo, complemented with some red sangria. And while at it, do check out the Spanish chorizo served with jalapeno peppers. In Tenerife, finding good food is not a problem – that Spanish stalwart, paella, is ubiquitous served in various formats.

While there, I also discovered a popular coffee drink, the Barraquito. This sweet beverage is found on Tenerife and the Canary Islands only and comes served in a tall, transparent cup so that you can see the layers. And what layers, too – there’s coffee, condensed milk, lashings of whipped cream and Liquor 43 for that added edge. I only discovered this drink on my second visit to Tenerife. One word of advice: make sure you order it from a decent place to get the real deal.

Fashion

This Canary Island is a paradise for photography. The lighting, colour schemes, movement and the contrasts in landscapes allow for creative captures. There are so many beautiful views to shoot everywhere you visit and this destination was no exception. It was here in Tenerife that I started shooting my first looks for my blog last December, in which I share weekly fashion and travel updates.

For this shoot, I teamed up with photographer Mark Thornton and make-up artist Lilly Strange, both based in Tenerife. To showcase this beautiful, colourful dress from Blondy Fashion, we chose the luxurious promenade of Las Americas as our backdrop.

Las Americas is the more elite leisure and entertainment hub, where you will find the more trendy restaurants, beach clubs and hotels such as the Hotel Parque Santiago with palm trees dotted along the coast as far as the eye can see.

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Wildlife is plentiful on the island. Right: The potato specialties are a must-try.