Best reasons to travel and visit the island of Tenerife, beyond the sun and beach

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Izaña Observatory in front of the Teide in Tenerife

Those who hallucinate those who visit for the first time Tenerife in the Canary Islands is that it is a destination with an incredible heritage and wild nature, far from the widespread idea that it is only a sun and beach destination.

Years ago I resided on that island for just over a year, specifically in The lagoon, and then I had the opportunity to know it thoroughly and I could discover in depth the secrets of the island.

Luckily we have returned several times to Tenerife and thus we have been able to verify what has been the evolution that the island has had over the years, and the improvements in access to areas that were previously very difficult to reach, and which are now easily accessed.

Cañada del Teide in Tenerife

At that time, the island's tourist center was the Cross port and the Orotava Valley.

A great vergel, but he has the «trouble»That during most of the year, and in particular in summer, it is usually covered by the sea ​​of ​​clouds resulting from the trade winds.

At the same time, at the beginning of the 80s, the airport had recently been opened Tenerife South in the semi-desert area of ​​the south of the island.

How is tourism in Tenerife

There, the great tourist commitment of Las Americas beach Y The Christians, this area yes, with sun assured throughout the year.

Landscapes of southern Tenerife

Of course, you should know that the beaches of Tenerife They do not benefit from the large sediments of sand that arrive from the African continent to the islands of the eastern Canary Islands.

Therefore, its best beaches are artificial, which at that time affected that this island was not seen as a priority destination of sun and beach.

This does not mean that Tenerife not be attractive from the tourist point of view, quite the contrary, it is a great jewel which is not sufficiently known and appreciated by peninsular Spaniards.

But outside the country they are aware of this, since in fact the Canary Islands they are the third most visited community in Spain by international tourists, just behind Catalonia Y Andalusia.

And it is that with that warm and stable climate all year round is the favorite place of English, German, French and Norwegian.

Cañadas del Teide

The best to see and do in Tenerife

Looking at your possible trip to the Canary Islands, then I will give you the best reasons to visit the island of Tenerife.

Best landscapes on the island of Tenerife

The Canary Islands, from the landscape point of view, they each have very different characteristics, but in Tenerife you find alarge mosaic of all of them.

You will be surprised by the huge variety of landscapes What this island can offer.

Orotava Valley in Tenerife

Orotava Valley and Cañadas del Teide

From the vergel with lush wild vegetation Orotava Valley, where the traditional tourist place of theCross port, until the volcanic sitesof the Cañadas del Teide.

But you will also find landscapes full of large canary pine forests or areas of great greenery that will make you think that you are inGalicia , which are the one of the great humidity that the winds aliseos bring the island.

It is certainly curious that half of the island is really wet, with frequent rains, and the other half semi-desert.

The clouds always reach the island by the same slope moved by the trade winds that bring moisture and discharge the water in the northern half of the island, being stopped by the slopes of the mountains created by the Teide volcano.

The trade winds when they reach the island automatically become clouds, creating areas of the island where there are always spectacular seas of clouds, one of the most incredible images of Tenerife.

Cliffs of Los Gigantes in Tenerife

However, the part south of Tenerife It is almost a desert because the clouds have problems to circumvent the volcano by its 3,718 meters high.

This makes the island have two completely differentiated and absolutely opposite faces that only coincide in the volcanic origin.

Therefore, our first advice is that you move around the island and enjoy the different areas, because there are unique landscapes in the world.

Climb by cable car to Teide volcano

In the Tenerife Island you will see volcanic landscapes of such characteristics and dimensions that in the world you only find similar landscapes in Hawaii, northern New Zealand or in Iceland.

Teide cable car on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands

The Teide It is not only the highest mountain in Spain, but also the third largest volcano in the world from its base.

The astronaut Neil Amstrong came to say that in the surroundings of Teide is where he has seen in the earth the most similar landscapes are those of Moon.

It is best to rent a car and tour the entire Teide National Park, but also the option to sign up for some of the variousexcursions to Teide that are offered to you

Of course, it is essential to climb to the highest area of ​​the volcano, for which you have a Cableway which takes you almost to the top, at 3,550 meters.

Here you can see the video of our visit to Tenerife with spectacular images of the Teide and the views from the top of the volcano.

If you want to reach the highest point of Teide, on the edge of the crater where you will see and smell the sulfur fumaroles coming out of it, it is necessary to ask for a special permit well in advance of your trip.

Here we leave you in an article where we explain everything you need to know to get on the Teide by cable car Y how to ask for special permission with which to climb the crater, because there are only 200 places a day.

We advance that you usually need to ask for it at least one month in advance.

Below you have the information on how you canbuy tickets to climb the Teide and of various excursions.

TOURS and EXCURSIONS in TENERIFE

- Teide Cable Car Tickets
- Excursion to Teide from the south of Tenerife
- Excursion to Teide from the north of Tenerife
- Teide Observatory, La Orotava and La Laguna
- Complete tour of the island of Tenerife
- Private tour of Tenerife

La Laguna, World Heritage city

You have to understand the privileged natural environment in which you find Tenerife, but on the other hand you have to know the history which has developed on the island, since one of its cities marked the urban development of South America.

Drago in the historic center of La Laguna in Tenerife

The location of The Canary Islands at Atlantic Ocean made it an obligatory passage zone for the expeditions of Christopher Columbus To the Americas.

And this made that when configuring the new colonies in the Americas, they sought inspiration in their experiences and the Laguna city He must have marked them with truth, and with reason.

Precisely the configuration of a city with perpendicular streets, in front of the convoluted historical centers of the medieval era, was what made thehistoric city of La Laguna distinguished with the city title World Heritage.

It is a corner of the island of great cultural interestthat for a time it was the capital of the island.

Now, completely remodeled after the declaration of the Unesco, it is a beautiful corner to walk enjoying itsmonuments and colorful palatial houses.

Views from the Teide in Tenerife

Where to see the stars in Tenerife?

Talking about astronomical tourism to see stars is not common in our blog, but there are places in the world that are very special.

Like if you go to Norway, Greenland, Iceland or Finland you want to see the northern lights, in the Tenerife Island You have to look at the stars.

Tenerife It is considered a light reserve because on the island it meets the ideal conditions to see the sky.

How to visit the Teide Astronomical Observatory

In fact, here is the Teide Astronomical Observatory or of Izaña, where you get some of the best photos of the space in high resolution that can be seen today.

Teide Observatory in Tenerife

By the way Izaña Observatory you can visit them, Here we leave you where you can buy the tickets

Being an island in the middle Atlantic, there are hardly any cities that fill the sky with light and in the surroundings of Teide the pollution is zero.

It is one of the great natural shows that the island has, so there are people who sleep in the Teide hostel to see it, or those who sign up for aexcursion to see the stars.

Cliffs and ravines in Tenerife

It is necessary to understand that on this island the slopes are impressive, many of the roads have almost impossible slopes of 25% to save the elevations that the volcano has produced on the island.

Los Gigantes cliff south of Tenerife

In a very short distance you go from sea level to heights above 3,000 meters.

Cliffs of Los Gigantes and Barranco de Masca

With that slope, it is normal for the island to have large mountains, deep cliffs, such asCliffs of the Giants, and great ravines, like the one inMasca at Teno Park, all of them west of the island.

The perfect plan to know the Cliffs of the Giants and the Brand Ravine is to reach the town of Masca to make the route on foot that crosses the ravine to the cliffs.

There they pick you up in a boat from which you can see the amazing landscapes of the cliffs.

Masca ravine in Tenerife

The route will take you 3 and a half hours, but you have to say in your favor that it is downhill and worth it, they are unique ravines.

Here you have the information about thehiking excursion through the Barranco de Masca.

Anaga Park north of Tenerife

I also want to highlight the spectacular mountainous landscapes of the northeast of the island, in the place known as the Anaga Rural Park and the location ofTaganana, where you can circulate among the clouds that cross the mountain at high speed.

The ideal to see it, is to leave from the Las Teresitas beach north of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and enter the mountain towards the Bailadero viewpoint on whose summit there is a hostel where you can have a coffee with incredible views.

Viewpoint towards La Laguna

From there take the TF-12 road that goes to La Laguna, so you will see amazing views of the road Anaga Park.

We recommend the viewpoint of the peak of Ingles and the viewpoint of Jardina

Beautiful villages in Tenerife

On the island of Tenerife there are also some pretty villages That is worth knowing.

Corner of Garachico in Tenerife

Garachico in Tenerife

That is the case of Garachico, to the north of the island, with a great architectural heritage of the 16th and 17th centuries.

In Garachico your attention will also get your attention volcanic landscape, resulting from a large eruption that almost destroys the town in the 18th century, and the area of natural pools The Caletón.

Basilica of the Virgin of Candelaria

Another place to visit is the town of Candelaria with the Basilica of Our Lady of the Candelaria, in which the Virgin of the Candelaria, patron of the Canary Islands, which follows the tradition of black virgins.

Basilica of the Candelaria in Tenerife

In this town you have to stop to eat in a small fish restaurant that we loved and that we will talk about later.

Cross port

Of course you should also know the Cross port, at Orotava Valley, the traditional tourist enclave of the northern part of the island.

In Santa Cruz of Tenerife We recommend you visit the Cesar Manrique maritime park and there are two other great sites worth knowing for the north of the island.

Both in Icod de los Vinos, It's about the Cave of the Wind, a volcanic tube, and the Millenary Drago, a characteristic tree of the Canary Islands over 1,000 years old.

English peak viewpoint

Canary Traditions

Another great attraction of your visit to Tenerife will discover your culture.

With big differences from the peninsula, Tenerife It has its cultural peculiarities in front of the other Canary Islands, although it shares traditions such as the Canary Shepherd Jump.

How is the Salto del Pastor Canario

The practice ofShepherd's Leap It goes back to the indigenous communities of the islands, as a result of its adaptation to the abruptness of volcanic terrain.

Also know as Canarian Leap, there are already written references from the 16th century to this way of moving through the terrain with the help of a spear.

Canary Shepherd Jump in Tenerife

In my recent trip to Tenerife has had the opportunity to see in theTeno Park aDemonstration of the Pastor's Leap, tradition that is currently preserved as a sports activity regulated by a federation that organizes competitions on the different islands.

This demonstration has been conducted byDamián Acosta, and you can see it yourself live during one of the routes that said Teno Park performs the company of tourist activities The Cardon, located in the town of Buenavista del Norte.

Complementing this theme, you can see thisvideo of the Salto del Pastor Canario, in which Damián, one of the young people who currently develop this traditional activity among the shepherds of goats of the islands, shows us the different techniques of displacement with spears that end with a metal tip.

So you can know that there are spears from two to four meters in length, which are used toclimbing up or down the rocks, or move between them.

You can also see images of jumps made by the aforementionedDamien with the twomost common techniques, the jump with feet together or band jump.

And as a curiosity, that the greatest jumps are currently given by a veteran jumper from Gran Canaria who with a four-meter spear moves up to eight meters.

Canary whistle in La Gomera

Also in the Tenerife province, but on the neighboring island of La Gomera A very particular method of communication has been developed.

He Silbo Canario own of the Gomera Island It was developed by farmers and ranchers to communicate with each other over great distances across the mountains.

Of course, to know the canary whistle you must cross to the island of La Gomera, which you can do on boats that depart from the port of The Christians.

Views from the island of Tenerife

If you are interested, here you can sign up for a excursion to La Gomera from Tenerife which includes a demonstration of canary whistle.

Gastronomy in Tenerife

In you trip to Tenerife you can't stop tasting her gastronomy, with Canary specialties that go beyond the famous Crumbled potatoes with mojo, which by the way is one of our favorite dishes.

In this regard, the Rabbit salmorejo.

Rabbit with salmorejo with wrinkled potatoes with mojo

We also recommend trying the island's cheeses, since in the Canary Islands some of the best cheeses in the world are produced, which unfortunately is very difficult to consume outside the islands because the productions are very small.

Of course being an island, fish is always the protagonist in many of the dishes.

One of the fried fish sites we liked the most was The Fishermen's Guild in the heart of the town of Candelaria.

Good price, fresh and very good food, it is the typical small port site nothing fancy, cheap, but with an unbeatable quality, from the sea directly to the plate.

Corner of the Barranco de Masca in Tenerife

Wines of Tenerife

And you know that in Tenerife you can also taste came indigenous?

Indeed, in recent years the production of wine on the island has been reactivated thanks to the planting of new grape varieties.

Of course, in the large tourist areas of the island you will have a wide range of international cuisine of good standard.

Las Teresitas beach near Santa Cruz in Tenerife

And finally we cannot forget that on the island of Tenerife you can enjoy the typical sun and beach tourism.

Of course, the beaches of Tenerife are originally black sand because of their origin of volcanic rock, although the largest have artificially transported sand, such as beach of the Americas in the south, or the Las Teresitas beach next to the capital of the island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

In the southern beach areas, large hotels and holiday resorts are common, such as the one we stayed on on our last trip.

Specifically, in theHard Rock Hotel Tenerife located very close to the South airport, in the town of Costa Adeje.

Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife

It is a very unique hotel, because we did not know that there was a hotel that in turn is a true museum of the history of music.

Here we leave an article where we tell you why the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife It is so different from the rest of the hotels we have visited before.

Of course, if you are only looking for sun and beaches of dunes and fine sand, I point out that you must go to the islands further east of the Canary archipelago, specificallyFuerteventura or Gran Canaria since by their location they receive sand that bring the winds coming from the Sahara desert.

What excursions to do in Tenerife

There are certain aspects of the island that the best way to get to know them is through excursions.

Masca ravine in Tenerife

The Tenerife Island, and more specifically its waters, are the way of passage of some of the largest and most impressive cetaceans in the world.

In this geographical area it is possible spot whales and dolphins, so one of the attractions of the island is to get on a catamaran to see them.

On the island you can do everything, ride a submarine watching the sea and its fish, take a yacht ride along the cliffs of Los Gigantes, diving baptism, snorkeling ... the variety is huge.

In case it seemed little, in the south of Tenerife is the one that is considered the best water park in the worldSiam Park.

Adelantado Square in the historic center of La Laguna in Tenerife

Here you have a page where you can find excursions and tickets for attractions; Look well because each one includes different options in the excursions.

Some include transportation, other guides, so compare and choose the one that is best priced.

Excursions and activities in Tenerife

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Video: TENERIFE Travel Guide. Travel Better in . . Spains Canary Islands! (March 2024).