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When Tenerife Became the Battleground of the Gods

Sometimes when you watch a lousy movie, the only compliments you can muster are about the scenery. For many people this was the case with the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans, widely criticized for the quality of the 3-D graphics as well as the dubious plot. In fact, the landscapes of the Canary Islands were the only feature of the film to have emerged with credit. Even the actors spoke very highly of their own surprise in discovering the natural diversity and dramatic views across Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote, where the filming took place.

Clash of the Titans

The movie takes several strands of Greek mythology and blends them to create a story. The hero Perseus is destined to save the people of Argos and avenge the deaths of his parents by slaying Kraken, the monster belonging to Hades. His mission takes him into the underworld where he fights and kills the legendary Medusa, taking her head as the only thing that can kill the otherwise invincible Kraken. The body count piles up for both man and beast, while creatures fly over Canarian coastlines, fight atop the islands’ famous volcanoes and make their way through the pine trees that cover a large part of Tenerife.

Throw in a mixture of death, love, betrayal, revenge and honour and you get the idea. Critics panned the movie yet it had enough success with its fans to warrant a 2012 sequel, Wrath of the Titans, also a Greek mythology pastiche and also location-filmed on Tenerife.

More Than Beaches in Tenerife

As for Tenerife and its neighburing islands, the local people are delighted with the international exposure they've received. Known by many for being a year-round beach destination, relatively few visitors leave the resorts of south Tenerife to experience the interior of the island. Yet for those on holiday in Tenerife who take a trip to explore the forests and the gorges of the island there are plenty of surprises to delight them.

The island is becoming increasingly known for the activities on offer, with hiking, cycling and kayaking all popular ways to explore the hidden parts of Tenerife. Perhaps you won’t see the flying horse Pegasus pass over your head while you’re wandering through the forest, but you never know – it might just be a visitor on a zip line!