Top destinations in Tenerife and Spain and Tenerife forums? A visit to Garachico is like going back in time: this small town has a rather dark history, being destroyed 2 times by volcanic eruptions. Walk on its narrow streets, eat a great ice cream on the sea shore and swim in the rocky pools during those hot summer days. El Drago or the Dragon Tree is the island’s most popular tree. The best view is the one from the town square, so there’s no need to pay to see it up close. If you want more ideas for a holiday that doesn’t break the budget, read our article about free things to do in Tenerife. The town of San Cristobal de la Laguna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it deserves at least a few hours to walk around and see the beautiful buildings. If you’re with the kids you may want to visit the Museum of Science and the Cosmos and why not also the Museum of History and Anthropology. Read even more info on Tenerife Forum.
Teide National Park is Europe’s most visited national park, with around three million visitors every year flocking to the UNESCO protected volcanic landscape in the centre of the island. The park’s crowning glory is ‘Papa Teide’, as the volcano is known by locals. Ride the cable car up to its peak, which is almost 12,000 ft above sea level. You’ll be rewarded with jaw-dropping landscapes that feel more like Texas than Tenerife. I’ve got an entire blog post all about where to eat in Tenerife, but rest assured that there’s a lot more to Tenerife’s gastronomy than the great British fry up. Some of the main local dishes are the aforementioned papas arrugadas with mojo verde and rojo mojo. You might also want to order conejo en salmorejo (rabbit in sauce), grouper, puchero (a hearty stew), and huevos estampido, which I can only describe as the best egg and chips you’ll ever taste. No, really.
Mount Teide National Park is a World Heritage Site and home to Mount Teide, a volcano and the highest mountain peak in Spain at 3718m above sea level. You can hike or take a cable car to the base of the final cone summit, where you will enjoy the breathtaking views of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma. If you want to head to the top of the summit you will need to get a permit in advance. The Teide Observatory is on Mount Teide at an altitude of 2400m above sea level. It is the world’s largest solar observatory and has an ideal location to observe the sun or night sky. Guided tours of the observatory are available.
Tenerife’s landscape is what really blew me away; with black sand beaches that slope inwards towards lava-carved verdant forests and sleepy untouched towns, and upwards to the island’s central peak, the sometimes snow-capped Mount Teide. Teide forms the island’s pyramid shape and gave Tenerife a name that translates to ‘White Mountain’. With nine different microclimates, the landscape is incredibly diverse. I figured I’d write something to encourage more tourists to explore it! Most holidaymakers in search of relaxation flock to the south of Tenerife but the neglected north has plenty to offer tourists who are looking for more authentic places to go in Tenerife.
Located right above Los Cristianos, Siam Park is a relatively new attraction that has gained enormous popularity with tourists. It is best visited during hot summer weather with family and children, as it provides water rides, an enormously huge wave pool complete with gold sand beach and a mile-long lazy river for you to chill and have fun showcasing your favorite bathing suit. If you want to experience thrills and spills, go on the Tower of Power, a 100 foot high near-vertical slide, which will bring you through an amazing aquarium full of ocean residents. Siam Park is dedicated to Thai theme and is Tenerife’s latest and biggest theme park.