Often called a paradise island, Tenerife is probably one of the last of its kind in Europe. Blessed with sunshine all year round, the island is filled with world class hotels, beautiful beaches and incredible restaurants.
This superb island is very popular among German, British and Spanish holidaymakers but still left untouched by most American tourists.
Location
Tenerife (previously spelled “Teneriffe” as well) is the largest of the Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Africa.
How to get to Tenerife
Tenerife is an island and most travelers get here by plane. There are two airports on Tenerife: Tenerife South (Reina Sofia) near Los Christianos and Tenerife North (Los Rodeos) near La Laguna. Many European airline carriers offer charter flights to Tenerife during the high season. Buses run from both airports to other towns.
A weekly ferry runs from Cadiz to Tenerife. The journey takes two days. Ferries also link Tenerife to other Canary Islands.
While on the island, the best option is to hire a car. It’s very useful if you plan to explore the remote areas. Otherwise, you can use the buses to travel from once place to another.
Weather
Blessed with sunshine all year round, the temperatures are really hot during summer. The winters are mild and even though there might be some rainy days, these aren’t very common.
>>more information on weather in Spain
What to do
Although many people think that Tenerife is all about the beaches, actually there is a lot more to do and see on the island than just spend time soaking in the sun.
Tenerife is a preferred destination of scuba divers. The waters are diveable throughout the year.
Water sports, such as surfing, wind surfing, jet-ski- are available on the south part of the island.
Tenerife is also an excellent destination for hiking. There are routes available for any traveler, be them beginner hikers or advanced hikers.
Magnificent views can be seen from the top of El Teide. There is a cable car which carries tourists up but do ask locally is the cable car is operational before you plan a hike. If you plan to climb the mountain, you should get a special permission. It can be easily obtained at the island’s capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Other important tourist destinations include: Teide National Park, Loro Parque –home to the world’s most important parrot collection-, Barraco del Infierno –a popular walking route-, The Cliffs of the Giants, Pyramids at Guimar and AquaPark.
Tips
The local currency is Euro. Credit cards are accepted at most places. The official language is Spanish but English is spoken mostly in the southern part of the island. German and Italy are pretty common too.
Although Tenerife is a pretty safe place to travel to, be aware of pickpockets. It’s not a good ideal to walk alone at night.
Don’t buy any electrical items even if you think they are very cheap. Most often they are actually more expensive and faulty.
Use a high factor sun cream as the sun is very close (due to the island’s location close to the equator).
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share             
|
