THE BEAUTY IF THE CANARY ISLANDS
There is more than just beaches & Surf in Tenerife you know?
Amazing view from the central mountains of Tenerife Island at sunrise. Paradise at its best!
The Canary Islands are renowned for being year-round-sun destinations, with beaches aplenty and welcoming resorts galore. Tenerife is the biggest of the islands, offering some of the best villa holidays in the archipelago, yet there’s so much more to Tenerife than sandy stretches and clear ocean views. And let’s not forget the flock of surfers that visit the island to ride a few waves.
Of course, there is nothing more relaxing than parking your towel on the beach with a good book and refreshing drink in hand. But for when you’re looking to do something a little different in Tenerife, take a look at these tips:
5 THINGS TO DO IN TENERIFE WITHOUT HITTING THE BEACH:
1) TAKE A HIKE AT MASCA BAY
The mountainous terrain creates an incredible natural landscape that must be explored! The remote village of Masca sits at the top of a ravine in the north-west of the island, winding down to the Masca Bay shoreline. You’ll need a good pair of walking shoes or sandals as you make your way down the gorge through mountains, to the beautiful waters below.
The Masca hike is one of the most popular activities to try in Tenerife, with companies that organize expeditions, but don’t let this fool you into thinking that it’s an easy hike, because it’s not! Unlike the rather easier hike of Barranco del Infierno, Masca Barranco is an adventure hike covering some of the toughest terrains on the island which mean that you have to be fit for the task: stamina, well-functioning joints, and constant concentration to avoid injury and/or losing your way.
Where to stay in Masca Tenerife?
There are many options to chose from, from B&B and modest accommodations to comfortable hotels in Masca, Have a look in here to see the options available for you and take your pick!
2) EXPLORE SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE
Santa Cruz De Tenerife is the island’s capital and is alive with dining, museums, galleries and history. Take a tram from here to nearby ancient capital, La Laguna. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the History Museum, La Iglesia de la Concepción, and Teatro Leal. You should also catch an exhibition at the Tenerife Arts Centre.
Other things to do in Santa Cruz De Santiago is hitting the market of Nuestra Senora De Africa to buy fresh fruit like bananas, papayas and yummy potatoes. If you are staying in a self-catering accommodation this is the place where you want to do your shopping!
If you’re into history, inquire with the museums – they organize walking tours, but strangely they are not publicised much for some reason. But in my opinion, the best way to enjoy this colorful city is simply to stroll around! Santa Cruz is very easy to navigate and everything is within walking distance, so go out and get lost in its lovely streets!
Where to stay in Santa Cruz De Tenerife?
As usual, when you need to find accommodation, it all boils down to what kind of tourist are you! Some people would even sleep under the bridge for the sake of trying the real adventure and some others panic if they don’t have a jacuzzi in their bathroom 🙂
As far as Santa Cruz the Tenerife, the choice as you can imagine is truly endless, from budget hotels, mid-range and luxury resorts, including family-friendly options too. In here you can find all the possible combinations, have fun looking and finding the perfect accommodation in the city!
3) VISIT THE TEIDE NATIONAL PARK
Teide National Park is the most visited park in Europe, where you can walk the Mount Teide summit — the third highest volcano point in the world and the highest point in Spain. You can hire out a car and drive up there or do as most others do and take the handy cable car. Prepare yourself for panoramic views of the island — and, needless to say, take a good camera!
The story of the park is super interesting, this is an extract taken from Visit Tenerife website, where it’s explained how Mount Teide (volcano to be more precise) was formed:
Mount Teide is a volcano within a volcano. Millions of years ago a volcano exploded and left behind a 16km-wide crater and on its northern edge smaller volcano – Mount Teide. The whole area is now a weird volcanic landscape filled with lava rocks, lava streams, and ash beds.
Pretty cool huh? Be aware of the weather though, as during winter the climate conditions are completely different from the rest of the island with snow and cold, so be prepared if you decide to visit it during the winter months.
Where To stay in The Park?
The website also suggests, for a real experience immersed in the nature of this wonderful park, to book your stay, for at least one night at the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide as it is right in the middle of the park.
4) HIT THE SIAM WATER PARK
Make a splash in the hugely fun Siam Park and bring out the inner big kid in you. It has a huge wave pool, amazing water slides and relaxing chill out areas. Make sure you go to the Tower of Power — it’s a vertical drop that gives you a sense of Zero G from 76 meters high.
Even if you don’t have kids, oh boy is it worth it! Not a coincidence that they have been nominated as “The best Themed Water Park in the World” for 4 straight years! For a relaxing experience, you can try the Mai Thai river, Siam Beach, the Siam Lion Island and more. Do you want a more adrenaline filled experience? Try the Kinnaree, The Volcano and the Mekong Rapids (more detailed info about all the activities can be found on their official website: Siam Park.
Where To Stay Near Siam Park?
The Park is located near Costa Adeje and you will obviously find tons of hotels to choose from, take a look in here to see the best Hotels around and the closest to the park.
5) WATCH THE DOLPHINS AND WHALES IN THE WILD
There are plenty of boat tour operators who will take you out to spot pods of dolphins and whales (something to tick off the bucket list!). You can really make a day of it as you cruise along and then get up close and personal to these amazing sea animals. Do some research in advance to see reviews and to check out what operators are close by to where you are staying.
The prices might vary, depending if you want to join a group or organize a private tour. Usually, with groups of maximum 10 people the prices for the 3 hours Eco Experience are in the range of 60 $ (per adult), while the 2 hours Eco experience costs around 40$ (it’s not always like this but this is a pretty good average of the prices for the tours, well worth the money).
There is a little bit of everything to keep you happy in Tenerife, beautiful beaches and beyond. If you are thinking of visiting Tenerife, you might want to try booking with Villa Plus, who provide a range of villa holidays.
This is if you want to stay in the comfort and luxury of course, otherwise as stated above, there are options for every type of tourist, depending on what you want to experience in Tenerife. ENJOY!
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Comments
Great blog! There are so many things to do in Tenerife, but you’ve certainly chosen some of the 5 best ideas!
Since I hardly can spend 3 days on the beach, this is very nice piece of info what else to do. Will move Spain trip higher in my vacation priority list. Thank you very much Clelia! 🙂
Glad I could help! Have a great time in the Canary Islands!
My wife and I are excited for the vacation we’ve booked in Spain and definitely we will go to the Canary. Tenerife is one of our eyeing place for our 1st stop There so many thing we want to do. I wanted to know if you have experience traveling to this wonderful Island.