Tenerife Area Guide

The landscape of Tenerife is quite breathtaking with green hills, cliffs, lunar landscapes and beautiful beaches. If you are planning on touring the whole island we recommend you hire a car and spread it over two days splitting it into north and south.

The north offers impressive cliffs in the Teide National Park , the city of La Laguna which is the old capital of the island and is full of outstanding architectural monuments, palaces and traditional houses of the XVII and XVIII centuries and the old towns of La Orotava and Lago Martianez which was built by the artist Cesar Manrique are a must see for all visitors.

Puerto de la Cruz is the main tourist resort of the Northern part of the Island. It is a cosmopolitan city where new functional structures coexist with the traditional fishing village which gave origin to the present city. Historic attractions here include San Telmo, the Casa de la Aduana (Customs House), the San Felipe Castle and Ranilla.

Tenerife’s landmark is the Drago Tree in Icod de los Vinos. It is over 500 years old and stands 14 metres high and over 12 metres wide.

Other sites worth a visit here are La Punta de Teno with its dry landscape and beautiful coastline and Garachico with its incredible natural pools.

In the south of the island you will find white sandy beaches with El Medano, which is ideal for windsurfing and Playa de Las Americas which is Tenerife's biggest tourist centre with numerous sports and leisure activities. In Los Gigantes you can see some impressive cliffs and one of the biggest leisure ports of the island.

Santa Cruz is the capital of the island where you can visit the popular Plaza de España and central Plaza de la Candelaria with the sixteenth century church of La Concepcion. Higher up is the charming Plaza del Principe with the eighteenth century San Francisco church and the convent which houses the Municipal Museo de Bellas Artes. Pilar Street, with the eighteenth century church of the same name stands, starts from this square and leads to Parque Garcia Sanabria where lush vegetation and tropical plants and trees from all over the world can be seen.

There are a great number of Tenerife Local Attractions to visit in the area with its fascinating botanical gardens, orchids, cacti and tropical plants as well as museums, architecture and historical monuments.

 

Tenerife has a 400km coastline with white and black sandy beaches. Some are large tourist resorts with all amenities and can be crowded during the high season while others are well hidden and deserted offering complete isolation. There are a wide range of beaches in Tenerife and we have provided detailed information so that you can decide which are the best for you.

 

Tenerife is a great place for golfing with its temperate climate all year round, and concentration of world class golf courses in a small area making it a favourite of amateur and professional golfers alike. Visit our information on Tenerife golf courses to see what a great choice of clubs there are on the island.

 

It is very easy to spend your whole time in Tenerife eating international cuisine and not sample traditional Canarian fare which is based on fresh local produce (excellent fish, meat, vegetables and fruit. A good way of tasting traditional dishes with a glass of the local wine is to follow the island custom and visit the "Guachinches" which are found along the roads in the regions of Geneto, la Esperanza, Tacoronte and Acentejo on the outskirts of La Laguna. Our guide to restaurants in Tenerife give menu and contact details of some of the most popular ones.

 

Tenerife is a great place to shop with duty free outlets for perfume, alcohol, electrical goods, mobile telephones and cigarettes as well as designer boutiques, specialist shops selling local crafts and souvenirs, markets throughout the week and several large shopping malls.

We have provided some information on shopping in Tenerife which tells you where the main shopping areas are, together with a guide to all the Tenerife Markets and when they are held.

Amusement and Tenerife theme parks are very popular and well run in Spain, and the Canary Islands have some of the best in Europe. There is plenty to choose to take the family for great days out in Tenerife. Our local amusements park guide lists the main ones for you.

 

If you are planning to explore the area outside of the city centre and play some golf or go to some of the more out of the way beaches then you might consider hiring a car. There are a number of car hire firms based at Tenerife Airport who will be pleased to have a vehicle awaiting your arrival. This also cuts down on transfer costs for you and your family.

We also provide information on sporting and leisure amenities in Tenerife which includes a Tenerife Area Guide on the best Tenerife Shopping Areas, Tenerife Markets, Tenerife Golf Courses, the different types of Tenerife Beaches, recommended Tenerife Restaurants, details of Tenerife Amusement Parks for family days out and Tenerife Local Attractions.