The following is a guest post by by Sergio Santos.
Tenerife in the Canary Islands receives many visitors every year. With two airports, one on the north and one on the south side of the island, many cheap flights to Tenerife are available from Europe and the UK. Many visitors come for the largest carnival in the world, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, but people visit this island all year long.
Attractions are everywhere on the beautiful island. Here are some examples of the best places to see and some of the fun things to do in Tenerife:
Northern Tenerife
Santa Cruz: The capital of Tenerife, Spain, Santa Cruz is a modern city. Besides the large zoo with thousands of animals and a special section with many colorful parrots, Santa Cruz has an amazing theater complex for live music concerts and other performance arts events, museums, a cultural center, parks with contemporary sculptures, and many fine restaurants. The city has significant historic buildings to tour such as the Iglesia de la Concepcion and Plaza Charco–a traditional square that has restaurants, al fresco cafes, and shops. Santa Cruz has beautiful beaches like Playa de Las Teresitas. Botanical gardens in the city are calming with stately palms, other native plants, rock formations, and landscaping.
Southern Tenerife
Adeje: Home to Aqualand, the island’s fantastic waterpark, Adeje is located on the southern coastline of Tenerife.
Just on the outskirts of the city, only about a 12-minute walk away, lies Barranco del Infierno. It is a rugged and amazing canyon with numerous caves with engravings by the ancient aboriginal peoples, the Guanches. Many artifacts and mummies have been found in the caves. The city is not far from the borders of Mount Tiede National Park and vast hiking regions. The volcano, Mount Tiede, is one of the most prominent landmarks of the island.
Arona: This city near the southern coast of the island is less than a half an hour’s drive from Adeje. Several luxury resorts close to Arona are situated along the coastline and beaches. There is incredible scuba diving off the shores of Arona. Several professional scuba instructors, guides and equipment are offered for beginning divers and experts for a reasonable price. The colorful fish and cuddle fish, turtles, crabs, and many other forms of sea life in their natural environment are easy to see when diving at this location. Arona has a large Central Park with lovely palm trees, fascinating rock formations and other plants native to the island.
Day Trips
Valle de Guimar and the Valle de Oratava, Parque Nacional del Teide, and coastal roads like Autopista del Sur are perfect for day trips or hired tours. One word of caution: the narrow roads can be hazardous, especially when large vehicles are passing. Booking a reputable tour provides an experienced, local driver, and offers a trip with an insider who knows the ultimate sites to visit.
A visit to Tenerife is recommended by Sergio Santos, this post’s author. Follow him on @itsmesergio. Sergio writes about travel and has reviewed many destinations around the world.
Have you ever been to the Canary Islands?
