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If you fancy getting away to the sun at any time of year, then a Tenerife holiday is just the ticket.

Image Gallery © Tenerife Tourism Bureau Set in the Atlantic Ocean, some 180 miles from the African coast of Morocco, the island of Tenerife is the largest and most populous of the Canary Islands archipelago. The islands have been a part of Spain since the first Spanish explorers routinely stopped here on the way to the Americas.

The most obvious feature of Tenerife is the enormous volcano of El Teide, the third largest on the planet and, at 12,200 feet, the highest point in Spain and the Atlantic. This incredible mountain serves as an impressive backdrop to gorgeous beaches, beautiful towns and harbours, stunning resorts and bustling towns, as well as shielding some extraordinary landscapes and wildlife.

And you don’t need to worry about an eruption spoiling your Tenerife holiday – all has been quiet for a good long while!

When to go

The Canary Islands are on the same latitude as the Sahara Desert, so you can expect to be warm all year round! But the great attraction of Tenerife is that, with cold ocean waters all around and the presence of the northerly trade winds, you never get too hot, nor too cold. The main tourist areas are, however, very dry, as most of the rain falls on the northern half of the island. On the other hand, this makes for almost non-stop sunshine on your Tenerife holiday! You’ll find temperatures rarely drop below 70 F or climb above the high-80s. The locals tend to look on late-spring as ‘off season’ and the winter months as ‘peak’, but, really, any time will do.

What to see and do

Of course the main reason for taking a holiday to Tenerife is to enjoy the sun, and with that in mind there are loads of resorts and some excellent beaches. Being a volcanic island, however, golden sands are not ten-a-penny, but the coast really is beautiful, and watersports are very well catered for.

Some of the best beaches are Playa de las Teresitas, Los Cristianos, Playa San Marcos, the fantastic man-made lagoon of Lago Martianez, the busy stretch of sands around Playa de las Americas, Playa Jardin and the romantic El Bullullo. All are clean, safe and come with lots of facilities. For families, perhaps the best of all is Martianez, but take your pick!

For watersports and activities, Cristianos and Americas are the main centres – from here you can go sport fishing, take a whale and dolphin cruise, try your hand at sailing or windsurfing, or sample more daring pursuits like jet skis and paragliding. Scuba diving is popular too, and there is a good dive centre at Corralejo.

If you’d rather practice some dry-land activities, golf is very well catered for, with a new Playa Las Americas course and others at Golf Del Sur, Los Palos Golf, Golf Adeje and Amarilla Golf. There are even some golf-dedicated resorts!

Other dry-shod outdoors sports include taking to the many hiking trails, cycling and pony trekking, and jeep safaris.

There are plenty of excursions to choose from, too, whether by organised coach tours, public transport (which is very good and easy to use), or by hiring a car (also cheap and easy!). Although the roads can be tortuous once you are away from the main drags, local driving is quite safe and the highways are well maintained.

The countryside of Tenerife is very much worth a visit. In the south you will find an extraordinary and beautiful environment of arid, rocky valleys and headlands, with amazing formations like the huge sea cliffs at Los Gigantes, with real surprises like the Barranco del Infierno, which, despite it’s name, is actually a lush oasis with the only natural running water in the region!

To the north, conditions change to a complete opposite, with lush and fertile valleys running down from the mountain slopes. Here you will find sub-tropical conditions, most of the fertile land, and indeed, most of the locals! Superb trips include the Anaga Mountains, the Teno Hills and the many old towns and villages along the north coast.

Paying a visit to Teide, meanwhile, is a must-do. It’s a long way up, and you’ll pass through stunning pine forest on the way, before arriving at the National Park of Canadas del Teide. Here, you’ll find yourself inside an enormous crater some 17km across – and that’s after half of it fell into the sea ages ago! Surrounded by huge cliffs and dotted with extraordinary formations and wild scenery, this is an amazing place to explore, and you will be awestruck by the snow-capped summit rising above you, which, incidentally, can then be reached by cable car to give you perhaps the most incredible view you’ve ever seen, at over 12,000 feet up in the air!

Coach excursions regularly ply the route as a half-day trip, but it’s worth a longer visit. Be aware, though, that you should take your time – whizzing up from sea level to such a height can bring on some uncomfortable side effects if you want to hang around!

There are plenty of cultural sights to see too – like the intriguing pyramids at Guimar, or the old capital of La Laguna, with its fantastic colonial architecture and fascinating museums. Also well worth a visit are La Orotava, and the historic resort of Puerto de la Cruz. Los Cristianos has a pretty harbour and bustling traditional main street, and from here families will find fab entertainment at the nearby Aquapark.

Speaking of which, don’t miss the Loro Parque – Tenerife’s biggest attraction after Teide, and home to an eclectic collection of animals and shows, with the Penguinarium being immensely popular (they actually have an artificial Antarctic climate!).

The capital town of Santa Cruz is worth stopping at too – it is a bustling port city with a lot of new development and interesting modern architecture. There are some worthwhile historic attractions here, but mainly it is a place to stroll along the tree-lined avenues and get in some excellent ‘tax-free’ shopping.

Finally, if you have managed to work your way through all this, why not take a ferry to one of the other islands? Scheduled services run from Santa Cruz to Gran Canaria and from Los Cristianos to La Gomera, Hierro and La Palma. You’ll find each has a unique flavour to sample!

Shopping

While all of the resorts offer ample shopping opportunities, Santa Cruz is the place to go for serious retail exploration. Here you’ll find oodles of opportunities, beginning at the Plaza de Espana on the seafront and then up to Plaza de Candelaria.

The main attraction is that Tenerife, like all the Canary Islands, is a tax-free zone. This also means that you can buy duty-free at the airports, but do be aware that you have to stick within the customs limits! Purchases well worth the effort include consumer electronics of all kinds, perfumes, jewellery and leather goods.

You’ll find a good supply of ‘artisanal’ shops around the island, too, offering excellent local and handmade wares, gifts and produce. Pottery is popular, as are specialities like goats cheese and Canarian wine.

Eating, drinking and entertainment

The resorts and big hotels provide lots of entertainment opportunities on a nightly (and daily!) basis, while, in Las Americas and Los Cristianos, there are numerous clubs and too many pubs and bars to mention. In Puerto de la Cruz you’ll find the rather prestigious Casino Taoro (bring a jacket), along with a plethora of discos and cocktail bars catering to every taste, while Santa Cruz, of course, is well supplied with evening entertainments to suit a capital city. In most of the resorts, the ‘English Pub’ is ubiquitous, too.

Eating out is not difficult – the problem you’ll have is deciding where to go! All of the resorts and tourist centres cater for pretty much everyone, whether you fancy a burger or a traditional Canarian or Spanish feast. Standards are generally fairly high and cuisines come in all shapes – Chinese is well represented and very popular.

Local specialities include fantastic kebabs and stews, cheeses and Canary potatoes, often cooked as ‘arrugadas’ (boiled dry in salty water) and served with a ‘mojo’ (salsa). Canary wines are excellent too, as is the honey rum traditionally served as an after-dinner liqueur.

Some of the towns, like Los Cristianos, are excellent places to take a stroll either after dinner, or to find a place you like – most nights seem carnival-like!

Speaking of which, a quick mention of some of the festivals in Tenerife.

February is the time for the month-long fiesta, which is centred on Santa Cruz and features music, processions, dancing and an enormous cavalcade.

June sees the festival of Corpus Christi in Orotava and Laguna, with impressive floral displays, as well as the Music Festival of the Islands, while September welcomes the annual Folk Festival.

Where to Stay

As a major sun-worshipping destination, Tenerife has no shortage of hotels and resorts to stay in, ranging from well-known international chains to self-catering villas and humble pensions.

Flyglobespan offers a choice selection of places to stay in Tenerife combining comfort, practicality and value for money.

Most of our three and four star hotels in Tenerife throughout the week from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, throughout the year. Flying time is around 4 hours. Check out our cheap last minute deals on Tenerife holidays.

Tenerife Tourist Board

For more information on activities, events and holiday activities in Tenerife visit the Tenerife tourist board website.