Tenerife

Understand

Tenerife, the largest island of the Canary Islands archipelago and home to ca. 900,000 inhabitants, is a fantastic holiday destination. The island has a rich cultural history dating back thousands of years when it was populated by the Guanche aborigines, and colonial architecture dating from the 1497 Spanish conquest of the island can be admired in many of its modern towns and cities. Historic capital city San Cristóbal de La Laguna is an architectural gem on its own, and its centre is one of the island's two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In addition to its cultural assets, Tenerife also has many natural treasures. The most famous of which is Teide National Park, the island's other UNESCO World Heritage site, and home to Spain's tallest mountain El Teide (3,715 m above sea level), also the world's 3rd highest volcano (after the Hawaiian volcanoes). It is the oldest and largest protected area of the Canary Islands, and receives ca. 3 million visitors annually. The north of the island is also a natural reserve, the Anaga Rural Park. A poor, banana-growing region in past decades, Tenerife has been brought up to European living standards since the arrival of mass air travel in the 1960s, which brought industry and millions of tourists each year. Over the decades this has led to many complexes and houses being built, making parts of the island highly urbanized. While part of the EU for political purposes, the island remains outside its customs and VAT area, making high tax goods such as tobacco and alcohol cheaper than elsewhere in Europe. Because almost all goods must be imported, food and clothing in particular are more expensive than on mainland Europe. Many of the younger tourists hang out on the south of the island where there are plenty of hotels, activities and British food and drink. Older tourists and families tend to choose Puerto de La Cruz and its environs on the northern side, where you will find more green and vibrant local culture with a more Spanish year-

Getting there

By plane

As an island the usual way to arrive is by air. There are two airports, Tenerife South (Reina Sofia) near Los Cristianos and Tenerife North (Los Rodeos) by San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Titsa buses run from both airports to other towns, though you may have to change routes. They stop around midnight and start again around 05:00-06:00.

1 Tenerife Norte (Los Rodeos). (TFN IATA) Most services into this airport are from the mainland of Spain. Iberia, AirEuropa, Vueling and Ryanair operate here. This airport is the older of the two on the island and Tenerife South Airport was built in part due to persistent fog problems which also played a role in the Tenerife Airport disaster of the 1970s when two 747s collided on the runway. There is a monument to commemorate the disaster in San Cristóbal de La Laguna. (updated Dec 2016) 2 Tenerife Sur (Reina Sofia) (In case you want to save €1–2 when taking the bus out from the airport, walk to the Casablanca bus stop near the highway and take any bus there–all buses heading to the airport and further will stop here first, but it is a cheaper price since the airport costs extra.). (TFS IATA) Named after the previous Queen of Spain this is by far the busier of the two airports. Flights from various UK airports are available through EasyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, and TUI Airways. Flights from the Spanish mainland are offered by Iberia, Air Europa, and Vueling. There are also flights from Germany offered by Ryanair, Eurowings, and Condor among others. There are many other destinations apart from those mentioned here. (updated Dec 2016)

By boat Trasmediterranea run a weekly ferry from Cadiz in Spain which takes two days. For more information on available ferry companies, times and prices between the islands, see Canary Islands#By boat 2, or here specifically for Tenerife.

Getting around

By rental car If you are in the possession of a driver's licence, a rental car is the best option for discovering the remote locations on the island—see Canary Islands#By rental car for more information.

Driving Most of the road network is in good shape, although roads in the mountains may be less well maintained. Fallen rocks blocking the road are a recurring hazard, especially on roads carved into the mountain side. The highways around the island are toll-free and mostly limited to 120 km/h. Everything called "Calle" or "Camino" in the rural and residential areas is likely to be very narrow and potentially steep and curvy. Especially during the weekend, many people come out with their bicycles and motorbikes and use the island's roads for extensive leisure trips. Be particularly cautious and mindful then—everyone wants to enjoy their time.

Navigation The road network is under active (re)construction. As of 2019, your rental car's built-in navigation system may still be missing some of the newer main roads. Google Maps appears to be fairly complete in terms of major roads. OpenStreetMap provides very complete maps of the islands roads, hiking trails and other points of interest. When planning excursions and trips, keep travel times in mind. Satellite navigation systems usually assume you'll be travelling at the speed limit, which is unrealistic on most of the road network. An actual average speed of 30 km/h or below is realistic for tourists, although locals who know the road network well can be seen racing up and down mountains occasionally.

By public transport A ten+ (ten mas) travel card (€2 deposit) is a good idea if you intend to spend some time travelling on the buses and trams in Tenerife. It can be charged with any amount of €2–100, and provides decent discounts over cash payments. It can be bought and recharged at more than 500 locations across the island—besides the bus stations of course. In addition, the ten+ card can be charged with a travel

See

For an island less than 100 km long, Tenerife boasts as surprising variety of landscapes, biomes, and climates. Thanks to the climate altering effects of its volcanic mountain ranges, hot arid climates in the south transition to wet and cool climates in the north and east of the island. This makes Tenerife a formidable holiday destination, because visitors are rewarded with many different views without having to spend considerable time travelling.

Nature Unsurprisingly, much of the appeal of Tenerife comes from its numerous natural treasures. Almost a third of the islands area is protected and well preserved. It is an island of contrasts. The northern and eastern regions of the island are green and covered with forests and banana plantations alike, with flowers in every imaginable colour blooming almost around the year. The charms of the misty forests and lush vegetation make the northern half of the island a paradise loved by millions of visitors every year. The southern region of Tenerife has a very arid and hot climate, and most of it is a desert landscape with little vegetation aside from cacti, woody shrubs, and countless wind turbines