The island of Tenerife, although geographically closer to Africa than Europe, belongs to Spain.
It is served by two airports, has a highway that crosses the island from north to south and is the largest of the Canary Islands.
We chose this destination to spend our honeymoon, and the main thing that tipped the scales in the favour of this option was the fact that in August, the temperature is 25-30 degrees C, perfect for visiting and exploring the island, without feeling a real discomfort because of the heat. Also in terms of temperatures, the ocean water is at about 20 degrees C all year round.
Because we are not the kind of tourists who pick all-inclusive services and relax on the beach, we didn't choose a travel agency, so we organized everything on our own, as we always do it.
ORGANISING DETAILS:
Tenerife has got two airports where are operated flights from almost all European cities. The airport with more frequent flights to Tenerife is the one from Madrid.
In order to have flexibility and move around the island, we rented a car. The rental company is called Gold Car and we had the option to buy full cover insurance, to pay with a debit card and not leave a deposit. I leave a small guide for renting a car.
Where to stay in Tenerife:
I chose the accommodation in the south of the island, through Booking. If I could turn back time, I would book two accommodation units. In the first half of the holiday in the South of the island, and in the second half in the North of the island, or vice versa. This way, I would have made my time more efficient, I would have spent less time in the car, I would have saved some money on fuel and I would have visited more places.
Below, I leave some accommodation units that caught my attention:
- Hostel Neon Tenerife - accommodation unit for those with a low budget, with double rooms, located near Los Cristianos;
- Hotel Don Cándido - accommodation unit rated at one star, with double rooms, 2 swimming pools, located in Puerto de la Cruz;
- Sansofé Tagoror - apartment accommodation unit, with kitchen, terrace, parking and internet included in the booking price. It is located near Icod de los Vinos;
- Red Level at Gran Melia Palacio de Isora - Adults Only- a 5 star hotel with outdoor pool, garden, terrace, wi-fi and non-stop reception;
- Los Jardines de Abama Suites- an apart-hotel with outdoor swimming pool, gym, wi-fi, bar, restaurant, etc;
- Royal River Luxury Hotel - Adults Only- a hotel with 4 swimming pools, wi-fi, spa and wellness;
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN TENERIFE:
El Cordero is one of the most popular restaurants in Tenerife, both for its delicious food and for being in the middle of a banana plantation. I really wanted to visit such a plantation, so I did not miss the opportunity. The restaurant is located in the south of the island and do not expect it to be something luxurious, this restaurant being based more on local or even own production. To visit the plantation, ask the waiters for directions, they will guide you to the entrance. Other banana plantations on Tenerife: Las Margaritas Farm and La Orotava.
Hiking at Barranco del Infierno;
It is a hike of about 6.5 km, very easy, which has as final destination a mini-waterfall. You can admire spectacular landscapes, created by volcanic eruptions, but also various species of birds and cactus. If you decide to do this hike, do not focus on the destination, enjoy the trip itself, which I recommend for all hikes, not only this one. I wrote a separate post with all the details about the hike to Barranco del Infierno.
San Cristobal de la Laguna is a small town, located in the north of the island, where you should at least take a short walk. There are not many tourist activities that you can enjoy in the city, but you can take a walk on the streets, which have a timeless air, where it seems that time does not exist, or stops. The absolutely superb historical center, with colorful houses, built in the style specific to the Canary Islands, is registered in the UNESCO heritage. The city is very green, being full of palm trees and colorful vine flowers.
Orotava, a city where you can admire the houses with the famous balconies, typical of the Canary Islands. The streets of the city look like an open-air museum, the architecture of the houses being absolutely fascinating. Here you can visit the Botanical Garden, Casa de los Balcones and Liceo de Taoro.
It is said that slaves were brought to the island of Tenerife from Latin America, both by the Portuguese and the Spanish. These slaves implemented the specific house building style. Those wooden balconies, which we see all over the island, being specific to South American culture. According to what was told by some of my Spanish friends, even the language has South American influences and accent, being different only in this sense from the one spoken in mainland Spain.
Teide National Park, the place where the volcano with the same name is located, which is still active and represents the highest mountain peak in Spain. We chose to enjoy the scenery without climbing the volcano. You can climb by cable car up to 3555m and if you want to go to the crater, you need a special permit. We didn't find it available during the time we were there, so you have to book a few months in advance if you want to have access.
There are many hiking options in the area, and if you don't rent a car, you can also get here with organized tours. I leave some links: trip from Santa Cruz, quad-bike tour, Teide and other locations tour.
Masca is a village hidden among the rocks and which has been destroyed several times in the past, by volcanic eruptions. When I visited this place, it gave me the impression that no one lives there and that it is arranged only for tourists. Later I found out that the village has 90 inhabitants.
I really liked the mix of palm trees, black rocks and tall cactus. There is also a restaurant, located next to a souvenir shop, where it has very good food.
If you don't want to drive on the very narrow and winding road, you can opt for an organized trip, reservations here.
Icod de los Vinos is the town that hosts the oldest dragon tree on the Island of Tenerife, which is believed to be over a thousand years old. It is located in the Botanical Garden of the city, and the entrance costs 5 euros/person. If you don't want to pay this amount, the tree can be admired from outside the garden, from the main square.
As it is in the name of the place, Icod de los Vinos is known for its wine production. There are various places that sell locally produced wine, where you can taste or buy.
Also here you can visit the Butterfly Reservation, the Malvasia Museum, and nearby the Cueva (cave) del Viento.
Boat trip to admire the dolphins;
For this activity, I booked a ticket the day before the trip, from Puerto Colon. It was a lucky trip, because we saw both dolphins and whales. There are several locations from which you can choose to departure, for us this location was handy, but if I could change something, I would have chosen a trip departing from Los Gigantes.
You can also book tickets online: - departing from Los Cristianos, tickets here; - catamaran trip with meal included, tickets here; - departing from los Gigantes, tickets here;
Loro Parque is the most popular tourist attraction in Tenerife, along with Siam Park (which I did not visit because I did not want to miss a day of exploring, but if you like water slides, you can try).
I wasn’t impressed by Loro Parque, maybe because I'm not a fan of zoos, I prefer to see animals in their natural habitat. I chose this one because, they say, the animals there were saved, and without the help of the park, they would have perished in the wild. Unfortunately, the animals have very small spaces and cages, and inside there are many restaurants, everything being extremely commercial.
This place was recommended to me as the most beautiful zoo one have ever seen, so the opinions are subjective, there are many people who were delighted with this place, and I do not want to influence anyone's opinion.
If you want to visit both, Siam Park and Loro Park, you can purchase a single ticket for both, details here.
Playa de las Teresitas, which was our favorite, both for sitting on the beach and for snorkeling. Mostly there are only areas for towels, but there is the option of renting a deckchair and sitting in the shade of the palm trees. One of the advantages of being in the north of the island is that it is not crowded, most tourists choosing the beaches in the south. Here you can also enjoy stand up paddle, details and reservations.
One negative point would have this place: that the sand is brought from the Sahara desert, and when the wind blows it spreads it everywhere. I recommend you get here as early as possible in the morning, because then there is no wind and it is perfect for snorkeling. For the best snorkeling spot, you need to swim up to the tetrapods wall. Link to video content.
For a view over the beach, you can drive up to Mirador de las Teresitas. This viewpoint offers one of the most beautiful and photographed views in Tenerife.
Other beaches we visited and liked:
Playa de las Vistas, a simple beach with smooth entry into the water, located in the south of the island, an alternative to the beach from Playa de las Americas, which I do not necessarily recommend for sitting on the beach, but rather for evening walks.
Playa de la Arena is a black sand beach with deep water. It is located in the south of the island.
Playa Jardin is a beach with black sand, where beautiful waves form. Located in the northern part of the island, in Puerto de la Cruz.
OTHER LOCATIONS TO VISIT IN TENERIFE:
- Playa del Duque;
- Playa de la Tejita;
- Fruit market from Santa Cruz;
- Los Gigantes;
- Submarin dive, tickets here;
- Aloe Vera farm;
- Playa el Medano ( for surf);
- El Caleton, natural pools;
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT TENERIFE:
Tenerife is a very large and diverse island, which has something to offer for every type of traveler: hiking, snorkelling, golf, surfing, diving, beautiful places to visit, natural swimming pools, but also beaches, although it doens't excel at this, there are many other islands that have much more spectacular beaches, such as Mallorca. I am sure that a vacation here will delight you, regardless of the season.
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