- Teide National Park (Teleférico del Teide)
Unesco World Heritage site comprising a 10-mile-wide volcanic crater which dominates the centre of the island. At its heart, the Mount Teide volcano rises to 3,718m (12,198ft) above sea level, making it Spain’s highest peak. A cable car takes visitors 1,200m (3,937ft) above the crater floor to mesmerising views over much of the Canarian archipelago.
A Thai-themed aquatic playground of water slides and adrenalin-pumping rides, Siam Park is Tenerife’s biggest and best theme park. From a lazy ride down the Mai Thai river in a rubber dinghy to the white-knuckle Tower of Power slide, which plummets you down a near-vertical 90ft drop, Siam Park delivers thrills and spills for the whole family.
Balancing on a rocky plateau in the Teno Mountains, the village of Masca was cut off from the rest of the island until the 1970s. Accessed via a road which affords breathtaking views for everyone but the driver, its highlight is a stamina-testing hike down the gorge to the beach from where a boat takes you to Los Gigantes.
The sister resort to Siam Park, this is Tenerife’s longest-established theme park and features the world’s largest collection of parrots. Set within a Jurassic Park environment of dense tropical palm groves, shows featuring parrots, dolphins, orcas and sea lions ensure the park’s enduring popularity.
- Whale- and dolphin-watching
Around 28 species of resident and migratory whales and dolphins feed in the warm waters between Tenerife and neighbouring La Gomera, making it a superb place for watching cetaceans in their natural environment. Daily trips from Los Cristianos and Los Gigantes guarantee sightings.
La Laguna is a town on the northern part of Tenerife not far from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is the second biggest city after Santa Cruz de Tenerife and it is an important historical centre, so much so that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you drive up into the hills you can get some fabulous views of the town below, nestled in amongst the hills. It is a university town and houses the only university on the Canary Islands. It is therefore a lively bustling city. The highlight of La Laguna is its old town which is a real step back in time and full of lovely buildings.
This bustling and wholly Canarian capital, Santa Cruz, is home to evocative, brightly painted buildings, shopping centres, sophisticated and quirky shops, excellent museums, a showstopping auditorium, and a tropical oasis of birdsong, fountains and greenery in the city park. It also has a good range of quality accommodation and restaurants, plus an excellent bus system, making it a sensible base for exploring Tenerife’s northeast.
This beach is located in the north of the village of San Andrés municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Originally the beach consisted of mostly rocks and a small strip of black sand. In 1973, 270,000 tons of white sand was shipped from Spanish Sahara. It is one of the most popular beaches of the Canary Islands, and is one of the few on Tenerife that do not have the black, volcanic sand that most of the rest of the Canary Islands have.
