Where to stay in Tenerife

See

For an island less than 100 km long, Tenerife boasts as surprising variety of landscapes, biomes, and climates. Thanks to the climate altering effects of its volcanic mountain ranges, hot arid climates in the south transition to wet and cool climates in the north and east of the island. This makes Tenerife a formidable holiday destination, because visitors are rewarded with many different views without having to spend considerable time travelling. Unsurprisingly, much of the appeal of Tenerife comes from its numerous natural treasures. Almost a third of the islands area is protected and well preserved. It is an island of contrasts.

• cable car
• Wind Cave
• Drago Milenario
• Palmetum
• Loro Parque
• stepped pyramids
• San Cristóbal de La Laguna
• Basilica of Candelaria
• La Orotava

Do

When planning your activities, keep in mind that during the weekend and on public holidays the locals will also head anywhere where tourists are having fun. At the same time, many bus lines will run at a reduced frequency. Hence, it can become crowded around Teide, the beaches and on the roads, so it may be wise to use these days for relaxing somewhere quiet and head out again on Monday. The volcanic nature of the island mean that Tenerife offers few natural sand beaches. Those that exist are characterised by black sand made of volcanic rock, and many of them (especially in the North) are largely inaccessible due to the steep cliffs.

Eat

A good summary of Canarian food can be found under Canary Islands. Local taverns are called guachinches, typical for the Canarias and particularly common on Tenerife and Gran Canaria. They serve their own wine accompanied by homemade traditional food, often grilled fish or roasted meat. Stews of all kinds are very common and only cost a few euros for a portion. This blog keeps an overview of the best guachinches on the island. Fast food is becoming increasingly common on Tenerife, catering to younger demographics and tourists. Restaurants with international cuisine (Indian, Chinese,...) are abundant in larger cities.

Drink

The nicest bars are found in Puerto de la Cruz, La Laguna, and in the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife. They serve a wide variety of locally produced beers, wines, and liqueurs. The best wines also originate from the north of the island, where cultivation of the malvasia grape variety has a long tradition since export began in the 17th century. 50% of Canary wine denominations originate from Tenerife. In addition, countless wines are produced in house by guachinches in small quantities, often as mixtures of red wines with fruity wines. Beers produced on the island are also widely available, most notably Dorada (gold) and Reine (queen), although their taste is not particularly special.

Stay safe

Tenerife is generally a safe place to visit but as always, beware of pickpockets. Do not take electrical devices, credit cards or large amounts of cash to the beach if you plan to leave your goods unattended while swimming. Take note that when walking through Playas De Las Americas, there is a lot of clubs round here and some drunkenness in the night hours. Many mobile phones have already been snatched around the island from drunken lads, especially at night. Taxis are widely available, and not too badly priced. Masca is well known for tourists getting broken into their car and having mobiles and other valuables stolen.