---

---

---

---

Holiday Guide Tenerife:

Tenerife is one of the seven Spanish islands that constitute the Canary Islands.  Comprising thirty one municipalities, the capital Santa Cruz alone is home to over 200, 000 residents and has the second biggest population of the entire archipelago.  Ranging from the traditional religious and cultural capital that is La Laguna to the colourful and cosmopolitan Playas de Las Americas, Tenerife is an island that is steeped in history as well being thoroughly modern.  It is a popular holiday resort because it has sights and sounds to please everyone.

How to Get There

While it is possible to reach Tenerife by boat, it is a costly and lengthy way of travelling.  Taking almost two days, the boat travels via Cadiz port on the south coast of Spain.

Aeroplane is the easiest form of travel, especially as Tenerife is the only Canary Island with two airports.  The modern Reina Sofia airport in the south now sees most of the island’s flights, taking over from the older Los Rodeos in the north.  There are flights to Tenerife from many UK airports, some with cheaper airlines.

What to See and Do

A visit to the island of Tenerife is not complete without a trip to the Parque Nacional del Teide; the national park that is home to the Teide volcano and mountain.  The Pico de Teide is the highest mountain in Spain at 3715m.  Thankfully for tourists there is a cable car to take you most of the way up the summit.  Another way to see Mount Teide is by Jeep Safari.  These open top jeep trips also show you the sights of the hidden village of La Masca and take you to a Canarian restaurant to dine.

For walkers, the Barranco del Inferno or Hells Gorge provides an easy but aesthetically pleasing stroll.  Following a fresh green ravine, the walk there to the surprising waterfall and back takes just 2 ½ hours.

Take a tour of the El Guanche Banana Plantation and indulge in some banana treats at the café.  The 12,000 square metre plantation houses over 900 plant species and 1400 cacti.  Cacti and other tropical plants can also be found at the Parque Exoticos Cactus and Animal Park, while next door at Amazonia you can walk amongst a rain forest where the exotic birds fly freely and you can see a stunning array of hummingbirds and reptiles.  Loro Parque has not only the largest dolphinarium in Europe, but the world’s biggest parrot collection.

There are a great range of activities to try throughout Tenerife, the most unique being BOB Diving in Playa de Las Americas.  Riding on an underwater scooter with an observation bubble on your head, you have about ½ hour of a 2 hour trip to get close up with the creatures of the sea.  It is suitable for everyone over 12 and under 74.  For those even more adventurous, you can enjoy hang gliding under the watchful eye of experienced instructors.

Surfing enthusiasts can head to the beaches of Puerto de la Cruz and at Conquistador in Playa Las Americas.  El Medano beach is popular for windsurfers and kit surfers, and there are more too choose from if sunbathing is your thing.  Los Gigantes in west Tenerife boasts a black sand beach, while the beaches at Los Cristianos and Las Vistas are both yellow sanded and host restaurants, bars, sun beds and shades.

When to Go

February: The Tenerife Carnival is a lengthy event held across the island, with the main celebrations taking place near Santa Cruz.  Said to be the best known carnival after Rio de Janeiro, the Tenerife Carnival features music, costumes, processions and street entertainment, as well as the “burial of the sardine” ritual conducted throughout the island.

June: The celebration of Corpus Christi sees the towns of La Orotava and La Laguna covered in floral and sand carpets to pave the way for the worshipful procession.

August: The patron saint of Candelaria, home of the Black Madonna, is revered in the festival Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria.

September: The Sabandeno Festival is a folklore music festival celebrated during the festivities of Christ.  It sees acts from both the Canaries and abroad.

October to December: The winter months are opera season, with concerts and performances organised by the Tenerife Association of Friends of the Opera and The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra.

November: In Icod de los Vinos, one of the island’s oldest towns, takes place the wine tasting Fiesta de San Andres.  The town’s younger residents slide the streets on greased boards in homage to rolling out the barrels.  Every family opens its cellar and tastes the new wine in a celebration with traditional folk music.

Where to Shop

Shopping is a popular pastime for tourists in Tenerife as there are no customs duties or VAT to be paid.  However there is the local IGIC tax which adds 4% on the value, and this is not always displayed in window price tags.

The Canary Islands are known for their crafts and you can find delicate handcrafted works in embroidery and lace throughout Tenerife.  Intricate doilies (rosetas) are a speciality of the local women.  Be wary of street sellers however, as they are more likely to sell inferior factory made imports passed off as the genuine article.

Casa Torrehermosa, the Island Craft Company, is the main craft emporium on Tenerife.  Run by the Empress Insular de Artesania del Cabildo de Tenerife, it is the proud home of authentic local works.  In the attached craft workshops and museum you can see items created and learn about the location artistic traditions.

The Tenerife Pearl is a 1,500 square metre outlet dedicated to pearls and other jewellery.  Located at Armenime, the centre sells and displays pearls from around the world as well as from around the corner.  Jewellery with silver, gold, and precious stones alongside the pearls are available.

Along the coast from Puerto de la Cruz at El Sauzal is the Casa del Vino.  Set in a traditional country house, the House of Wines is a museum and has its own restaurant as well as being somewhere to buy quality local wines. 

Where to Eat

Located near to Los Cristianos, the award winning La Estancia presents original dishes mixing French and Mediterranean influences.  There is live music in the summer months as well as themed evenings.  La Cava in Los Cristianos offers a menu with inspiration from French, Czech and Slovak cuisine, while La Tasca de Mi Abuelo is the place to savour tapas and other homemade Spanish delights.  La Tasca particularly is favoured by locals as well as tourists.

For a somewhat unusual dining experience, try the Churrasqueria Rodeo in Playa del las Americas.  If you are a fan of meat dishes this will be a heavenly treat.  As you enter you are given a red and green card.  When the green card is displayed a huge array of chargrilled meats are constantly served to your plate.  When you are fit to burst, just display the red card.  There is also a wide selection of salad foods, seasonal vegetables and potatoes to accompany.

Casa Juan was the first restaurant in Tenerife to home-smoke its fish.  There you will find modern dishes as well as traditional creations in desserts, sauces, salads and more.

What to do at Night

Playa de las Americas is a lively area of Tenerife, as The Full Monty Fun Pub testifies.  There is cabaret, music and entertainment on every night.  At Fonzies, the memorable owner Alphonso fills his bar with both tourists and locals who come for the music, pool table, and cheap drinks on the terrace.

For a big night out with some drinking and dancing, Veronica’s Strip hosts a collection of bars, pubs and clubs; including the late opening Bobby’s.  To try out your new Spanish and salsa skills, explore your Latin side at Metropolis and dance to the rhythms of Spain and South America.

In the popular surfing town of El Medano, Cha Cha Cha provides somewhere for all the boarders to hang out.  It is frequented by both locals and visiting surfers who take advantage of its two for one happy hour on cocktails, surf the net and eat kebabs, making Cha Cha Cha an ideal place for a lazy evening wind down.

The Chill Out Bar at Playa las Vistas in Los Cristianos offers a modern, laid back atmosphere.  Its trendy design provides an escalator trip up to the glass fronted bar where your drinks are accompanied by live jazz music, and you can lounge in comfort and style on the sofas.

The often overlooked Vai Moana is a bar and restaurant located in Las Galletas.  It is a thoroughly contemporary space aiming to create a cool ambient atmosphere distinctly separate from the outside world.  Its labyrinth interior provides personal spaces surrounded by modern art, décor, and music.

The prime golfing location of Golf del Sur has only one nightclub, but it hosts a variety of nights to appeal to as many as possible.  At Taboos you can catch live jazz music from Sunday to Wednesday, while on Thursday pole and podium dancers are a draw for the younger crowd.  Saturday nights have seen appearances from Ministry of Sound and other touring DJs.