Tenerife Bakeries

The panaderia is a fixture of every town on this island and it opens very early. What comes out of it is worth paying attention to: pan de puno, the dense round loaf; bread made with gofio, which gives it a nutty colour and a longer life; and a run of pastries built on almonds and honey.

Banana cake is the one to look for, made with the island's own small bananas, and bienmesabe turns up as a filling in half of everything. The northern villages have the older bakeries, several still using wood-fired ovens, and they usually sell out of the good things before the middle of the morning.