Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary Islands, with something for everyone.
There are sunny beaches and modern vacation centres like Playa de Las Americas in the south-west, while the fertile north with frequent clouds offers the Otravando Valley, the tourist-friendly town of Puerto de la Cruz and the capital, Santa Cruz.
Some tourists detest Puerto de la Cruz’s hotel blocks. But the island’s oldest tourist centre is in demand again, even by people who used to criticise it. The area has beautiful apartment houses as well as villas and hotel compounds with lush gardens of blooming hibiscuses and oleander bushes. The old town and harbour promenade have been largely renovated.
Most vacationers in the north are keen on visiting the nearby university town of La Laguna, with its historical city centre dotted with old churches and manor houses. It was named a World Heritage Site in 1999. Getting to Santa Cruz by bus or rental car is fairly easy. There, visitors can marvel at the enormous, futuristic Auditorio de Teneriffe on the ocean front, which hosts regular concerts, operas, jazz shows and ballet performances.
A stay in a hotel in Puerto de la Cruz often includes a rooftop swimming pool or a bar with recliners. From those perches, there is a spectacular view of Pico del Teide, a dark and giant, but dormant, volcano, rising 3 718m in the air. The varying blue shades of the Atlantic and the dark lava sands dotted with umbrellas and vacationers are right beside it. A series of light blue lakes and man-made seawater swimming pools, designed by Cesar Manrique, are right on the Atlantic.
Prices tend to be reasonable on Tenerife, even at fancy restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz, which feature Spanish, Italian or French cuisine. A few locales with German bratwurst or British pub ambience add to the cultural variety.
The relaxing northern island attracts mostly older guests.
Vacationers in this region tend to average about 43 years and stay about 9,35 days, according to Maria Jose Espinosa of Tenerife’s Tourism Department. ”Vacationers here like to hike and go to the museum. Almost all take excursions.”
The island’s ”eternally spring-like” climate, which hovers between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius year round, is just one of the island’s many attractions. However, there has been a slight weather depression in 2006 when storms and rains caused the carnival season to be delayed until after Ash Wednesday.
Loro Parque, a spacious zoo and amusement park at the edge of Puerto de la Cruz is spectacular, with its parrots, gorillas and penguins. Sky watchers should visit Izana’s observatory, about 2 400m above sea level. The Canary Islands are a favourite among astronomers as the light has less impact on the view. Several white observatories stand out against the mountains. School groups and tourists can visit the observatories, if they give prior notice.
The beaches in the south are often made of white, imported sand and are usually best for swimming. The north has the major exception of an artificial beach at Playa de las Teresitas, east of Santa Cruz. It has the finest ”powder sugar” sand, imported from the Sahara.
Anyone visiting the capital should visit these beaches or the Plaza de Espana with its many street cafes and view of the ocean cruisers in the harbour. — Sapa-dpa