The Canary Islands display a blanket of options and attractions that find in Tenerife the best epicenter in which to enjoy all of them. From dream beaches to the highest (and roaring) peak in Spain, there is plenty what to do in Tenerife.
Enter the Teide National Park
A legend of the ancient Guanches tells that the Sun God was kidnapped by the evil god Guayota and locked inside a volcano. A story that possibly explains the eruptions that took place in 1492, just before Christopher Columbus's departure to the New World, or that of 1798, which covered this lunar landscape with lava. With 3718 meters high, Mount Teide is not only the highest peak in Spain, but also the third coarsest volcano in the world. An icon that has turned the so-called Teide National Park into one of the most visited in Spain, especially from its design as Heritage in 2007. A lunar valley in which to enter during your adventure in Tenerife in order to be able to get as close as possible to what is considered the "roof of Spain".
Relax on its beaches
Teresitas Beach
Tenerife has some of the best beaches in Spain. Turquoise waters that contrast with the white (or black) sand of its coasts, cliffs and secret places. The Adeje coast, one of the most touristic areas of the island thanks to areas such as Los Cristianos, contains dream beaches such as that of the Duke or Las Americas. In case you want to bathe in more inaccessible beaches, the cliffs of Los Gigantes they hide coves and inlets between the gaps that this wild land has woven. Or the wild charm of the tile, so isolated from noise and tourism, and considered as one of the most famous beaches of Tenerife: Las Teresitas, more than a kilometer long.
Whale watching in Tenerife South
Dolphin in freedom in Tenerife waters
The islands are always a good place to spot aquatic species in the wild. And Tenerife is not far behind. With up 21 species of cetaceans registered in the waters of the Canary Island, bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales they become the main protagonists of any adventure aboard a catamaran, since they remain for most of the year in the south of Tenerife. Different excursions depart daily from Puerto Colón or Los Cristianos in order to see these noble animals in their natural state. Always, yes, respecting their space and way of life. Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Tenerife.
Admire the colonial architecture of La Orotava
We do not know if it is due to its position away from the peninsula, its tropical character or its island atmosphere, but the truth is that the Canaries drink a lot from the culture of Latin American countries, and architecture is one of them. The best example is made up of the city of La Orotava, in Tenerife North, a town whose colorful houses, wooden balconies and churches from another time transport us to a particular Cartagena de Indias or to the Cuban Trinidad. As icing, nothing better than look out over its old water mills and taste the famous gofio, a type of flour made from toasted cereals that make up some of the most famous dishes of island cuisine.
Get lost in the magical laurel forests of Anaga
Laurisilva is a type of cloud and subtropical forest present in places such as the coast of Chile, Uruguay, Argentina or the Macaronesian region in which the Canary Islands are included. A magical paradise of which we can find a portion in Tenerife, more specifically through a magical hiking route through Anaga, in the northeast part of the island. Considered as one of the oldest forests in Europe, Anaga includes a group of ferns or junipers, lost villages and heart-stopping viewpoints that makes this one of the best experiences to enjoy on the Tenerife island.
Look out over Los Gigantes
Tenerife is a dizzying island, full of natural monuments that take your breath away. And one of them is undoubtedly Los Gigantes, cliffs that reach up to 600 meters in height. Considered by the ancient Guanches as "the Devil's walls", this stony complex not only hides some of the most beautiful coves in its corners, but is also one of the best places from which watch the sunset in Tenerife, especially from Punta Teno or Los Guíos beach. Simply magical.
Taste its delicious gastronomy
The island character has endowed the gastronomy of the Canary Islands, and specifically of Tenerife, with a unique character. While its famous wrinkled potatoes with mojos of different flavors and colors They make up the main dish of the Lucky ones, there are many other delicacies such as the aforementioned gofio, goat meat, boiled eggs (eggs with potatoes, chorizo or sweet pepper), the Canarian stew or my favorite drink, the barraquito. A simply spectacular coffee made from cinnamon, lemon peel or evaporated milk.
Visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Although the capital of Tenerife is not the island's greatest attraction, it never hurts to get lost in the streets of this island city whose rhythm, people and color can be appreciated in each of its corners. From the modern Tenerife Auditorium up to the old Castle of San Cristóbal, going through its extensive Avenue or even the Palmetum, one of the largest palm groves in Europe, Santa Cruz de Tenerife erects a cosmopolitan microcosm from which to set out in search of new adventures.
Tenerife is an island of contrasts where party, nature and relaxation intertwine, inviting us to discover its corners and secrets. An ideal high altitude destination to start in the Canary Islands marked by a unique exoticism.
Which of these things to do in Tenerife attract your attention the most?