A rainbow of rooftops

In this section of Spain, coastal settlements form a big ring around the nation's highest mountain, Mount Teide, as cold Atlantic waters crash against cliff-lined outcrops like Punta Brava. From this spot on the bustling isle of Tenerife, Morocco lies much closer across the waters than mainland Spain, as does Madeira, a territory of Portugal. The centre of culture here in the Canary Islands, Tenerife is the most populous place in Macaronesia, made even livelier by droves of tourists seeking the sultry south from across Europe when it's cold on the continent.