♦ Enjoy the great outdoors
With a nickname like "the island of eternal spring", Tenerife is a place where you can and should be outside as much as possible! The island's beaches, ranging from the volcanic black-sand coves of the north to the golden stretches of the south, are spectacular for sunbathing and watersports, and inland you'll find innumerable natural wonders. El Teide, a dormant volano and Spain's highest peak, is one such wonder. El Teide National Park encompasses enormous volcanic craters, fantastically abundant wildflowers, free guided hikes and more.
♦ Get a bird's eye view
Speaking of El Teide, just hop on the teleférico - or cablecar - right up to the peak, almost the peak. One can even hike instead of taking a cable car according to one’s wish. Make your way to the La Rambleta viewpoint, where you can climb aboard and be atop Spain's highest peak.
♦ Go whale watching
Believe it or not, Tenerife is actually the second most popular spot in the entire world for whale watching, so don't let go this fantastic opportunity to see earth's gentle giants at play! 25 of the world's 78 species of sea mammals - including blue whales and dolphins - make their home off Tenerife's shores, but the real highlight is the colony of over 550 pilot whales!
♦ Island hop
Tenerife is only one of several islands that make up the Canary Islands. Constant ferries and inter-island flights link together the archipelago’s seven islands, meaning that you can easily see and experience all that La Gomera, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and El Hierro have to offer!
Best Places to visit :
There are innumerable fascinating places in Tenerife, but to sum up, below are some of the topmost attractions of this Island:
- Los CristianosThis is one of the most popular resorts on the Canary Island as it boasts a wonderful harbour that offers fishing trips, boat trips in glass bottom boats, pleasure cruises and diving excursions. It is situated just 15kms west of Reina Sofia, the southern airport. Los Cristianos offers sunshine all year round and there are a number of beautiful artificial beaches to relax on. Los Cristianos is a great place to go if you have small children as The Aqua Park Octopus is nearby as well as the Tenerife Zoo and Eagles Park.
- Loro ParqueThe implausible Loro Parque was originally a parrot park but it is now home to the world's most important parrot collection (with over 300 species), the world's largest penguinarium (where the penguins and other Antarctic birds are given an authentic Antarctic environment), amazing dolphin and sea lion shows and a whole host of other animals.
- Playa de Las AmericasPlaya de Las Americas is closely situated to Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje and is perfect for the young as there are a number of shops and cafes as well as plenty of beaches to laze on. If you want to party all night long then a night out in Playa de Las Americas has to be on your itinerary. It's brash, it's bold and it's definitely noisy, there are hundreds of pubs and clubs that line the streets of Playa that you can visit a different one every night!
- Santa CruzSanta Cruz is the capital of Tenerife and is situated on the north east coast, making it the perfect base to explore the other parts of the beautiful north east coast of Tenerife. Santa Cruz is a vibrant city with an outstandingly beautiful backdrop. The city is surrounded by the Anaga Mountains where you can explore places of interest, such as Roques de Anaga where you can see ancient archaeological remains.
- Teide National ParkParque Nacional del las Canadas del Teide was declared a national park in 1954 and it includes a massive volcanic crater, out of which rises Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain. The park is 2000 metres above sea level and during the winter months, it receives a substantial amount of snow but in summer temperatures reach over 40 degrees. On a sunny, clear day you can see both La Palma and La Gomera and the views are stunning.
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