Tenerife

Tenerife, the Island of Eternal Spring is the largest of the seven Canary Islands. Due to its excellent climate, its wonderful beaches, the Teide National park, other incredible landscapes and two Unesco world heritage sites it is one of the most popular travel destinations in Europe.

Every year some 5 million tourists choose Tenerife as their holiday destination. Most international flights will arrive at Tenerife south airport (Reina Sofia) which is located on the south-east coast of the island. From here it is just a short drive to resorts like Playa de Las Americas, Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje.

The smaller airport of Los Rodeos (Tenerife Norte) is located close to San Cristobal de La Laguna and not far from the capital city, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is ideally located for hotel guests staying in Puerto de La Cruz on the north-west coast of the island.

At both airports travelers will find a selection of both local and multinational car hire companies. Car hire on Tenerife is relatively cheap and considering that petrol prices are much lower on the Canary Islands than on mainland Spain it is certainly a good idea to rent a car during a holiday on Tenerife, because a tour of the island is one of the most popular things to do.

The island can roughly be divided in 4 different areas of interest for tourists: Tenerife south, Tenerife north or Isla Baja, El Valle de la Orotava and Santa Cruz.

The Valle de la Orotava is a green valley of extraordinary beauty and with some of the best views of Mount Teide. Puerto de la Cruz is a cosmopolitan town with many bars, restaurants and little shops. Most hotels in the area can be found in Puerto de la Cruz. Los Realejos and La Oratava on the contrary offer mainly typical local cottages, small hostels or individual rural accommodation.

The Lago de Martianez offers some of the most spectacular swimming pools on the island. A stroll through the historical center of La Orotava, a monument of historic and artistic interest is one of the preferred activities amongst tourists visiting the island. Icod de los Vinos, famous for its 1,000 year-old drago tree, La Guancha and Santa Úrsula are other beautiful villages to visit.

Santa Cruz is the capital of the island. Together with San Cristóbal de La Laguna it is a perfect place to go shopping, strolling around or enjoy a cultural event. Not to forget that La Laguna has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The tourist information office is located in the Cabildo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Other interesting places in this part of the island are Candelaria, Güímar and Tacoronte.

Isla Baja, in the northern part of Tenerife, is an ideal destination to practice all kinds of outdoor activities. The area is less touristic and most of the towns, but specially Garachico, still preserve the traditions and typical architecture of the Canary Islands. Villages like El Tanque, Buenavista del Norte or Los Silos should not be missed during a daytrip to this part of the island.

Although tourism on the island started in the north nowadays most tourists will spend their holidays in the south of Tenerife. The leisure options on this part of Tenerife are simply outstanding and the nightlife is excellent. Apart from Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos, which are the main resorts, Los Gigantes, Guía de Isora, Vilaflor and Puerto Santiago are places which have managed to retain part of their traditional character. Kitesurfers will prefer to visit the beaches of las Galletas or El Médano which offer excellent conditions to practice watersports.

Without a doubt the Teide National Park is the most valuable tourist asset of the island. Only a short drive away from all mayor tourist resorts on the island it offers one of the most spectacular volcanic landscapes in the world. The Teide National Park was declared a World Heritage Site in the summer of 2007. A visit to the Teide is an absolute must for anybody spending a holiday on Tenerife.

Tenerife is also a paradise for golfers. Thanks to the excellent climate golfers can play all year round. Most courses have a magnificent layout and are often located near the Atlantic Ocean. Practically all golf courses are locate in the south, like Golf del Sur, with the exception of Buenavista Golf and Real Club de Golf de Tenerife.

Another must see place on Tenerife is the Teno Rural Park, one of the most beautiful areas on Tenerife which offer some fine examples of traditional architecture of the Canaries. The Anaga rural park with its landscapes of great beauty and harmony is another area on the island with exceptional cultural and natural treasures.

Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the most popular and most important celebration of the year. Both locals and tourists dressed in costumes take to the streets of Santa Cruz to enjoy the fiesta. During Carnival Tuesday thousands of people are lining the main avenue of the capital of the island to enjoy the large parade called El Coso.

Whale watching on Tenerife is an activity which should not be missed. The south-west coast between Tenerife and La Gomera is a privileged place for watching whales. No wonder that Tenerife has become one of Europe's top destinations for whale watching.