Canal Cocina has just finished its gastronomic tour of the eight Canary Islands, culminating in Lanzarote with two episodes and La Graciosa with the last of the thirteen episodes that make up the third season of "De Puerto a Puerto".
Arturo Miranda from Tenerife, with over 50 years of experience in the profession, has been the captain with whom the television team members have sailed the Canary Islands to highlight their gastronomy. This is the third season of a series that in its first edition covered the Cantabrian Sea and in its second, the Mediterranean coasts of Spain.
In an interview with the radio program *Mas de Uno Gourmet* on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, Miranda, a veteran merchant marine captain, jokes about how the series' producers found him: "One day, while I was at a fishermen's guild I belong to, they introduced me to them. I had had a bit too much to drink, and they tricked me."
The veteran captain, a native of the Tenerife town of Icod de los Vinos, has always lived on the "lower island" and currently resides in Garachico, from where the expedition departed to film the series."I come from the merchant navy, although I left it many years ago. Then I dedicated myself to my work on land and I've always been involved in sailing," he explains.
His experience is extensive: "I have crossed the Atlantic solo. I know practically almost all the islands on both sides of the Atlantic. I spent six months living in different ports in the Caribbean. I also know the Mediterranean like the back of my hand."
In the specific case of the Canary Islands, the captain explains that "whoever sails in the Canary Islands sails anywhere in the world".
"Strong stern wind in Puerto Calero"
“Sailing in the Canary Islands is very difficult. The problem we have here is that because some of them are very high, the western ones, the winds change from one moment to the next. Now we have it from the north and a while later we have it from the south.”
Precisely the wind complicated his arrival at Puerto Calero, "when we arrived a strong stern wind came in" which complicated the maneuver, although he finally managed it and the yacht next to him "congratulated him on how well he had done it".Miranda explains that for nearby islands, you need several hours of navigation. For the farther ones, for example from Arrecife to Garachico, it's 36 hours. "I do it all at once.""Almost 60 years ago I got to know all the islands because I was doing my internship on some old boats in the Canary Islands, they were called 'correillos'. We visited all seven islands, except La Graciosa, which was forgotten and nobody went there."
The series' producers highlighted Miranda's knowledge not only of the sea but also of agricultural production in the interior of the islands.
"I had to take charge of some banana and avocado plantations, and I took charge. I get up very early every day before seven," Miranda shares about his experience in agricultural matters.When asked about his favorite island, he opines that all islands have their charm. "Having visited many islands, I tell you that the Canary Islands are paradise."
