If you’ve never been to Tenerife, and only have been looking at images and information about this amazing island, your first impression could be – it’s just a great place to sunbathe and swim. However, that’s not true at all. Tenerife canary islands in Spain is more than just a beautiful place with many natural riches. It has its own highlight and character, which will be discussed later. So, are you ready to well and truly discover Tenerife?
BIG advice for active tourists wishing to visit Tenerife
We’ve prepared some useful tips for those wanting to visit Tenerife canary island for the first time ever. So, let’s start from the main one.
It will be a real challenge to explore Tenerife without a car. The point is that the island is quite small, the distance between the towns is 10-15 km, or maybe less. And even if you plan to spend all your vacation in the same place, after a little while, you are bound to get a craving for visiting some other places, for example, going to the nearby town, or even going to the supermarket in order to change your environment. Hence, car rental will be a perfect thing to do with this aim in view, the more so the Canary Islands have one of the lowest car rental rates as well as the lowest fuel prices in Europe.
Consider that all Tenerife rental cars are insured. And even if something goes wrong because of you, you don’t have to pay, the insurance covers everything! Bear that in mind, if you take a car in Tenerife! Imagine such a situation. You are craving to relax on one of the beautiful beaches of the resort town, Playa de Las Américas, with black “brand” sand. You leave the car in a small parking lot near the beach. When you get back, you see a dent on the front fender. Someone hit your car at the moment when you were sunbathing.
It goes without saying that it’s better to solve the problem on the spot and you call the car rental agency. However, having looked over a dent, a rental manager came to the point that you have to pay 200 €, which is equivalent to renting a car for a week. In that case, you’re being cheated. Full insurance is already included in the rates. Thus, don’t be fooled, since you have to pay nothing. And don’t forget to buy travel insurance abroad in order to avoid unexpected expenses.
The prices in supermarkets in Tenerife can be highly diverse. For instance, prices in the grocery stores in small towns can be three times higher than in supermarkets situated in the bigger cities, such as The same Playa de Las Americas for instance. Therefore, if you wouldn’t like to upcharge, don’t look beyond the closest supermarket near your hotel. One way or another, you are just traveling.
A must-visit place — The Ritz-Carlton ABAMA Hotel
For one thing, this hotel is considered to be the best hotel throughout Tenerife (naturally the most expensive, 5 stars). And its territory is truly Eden! Those who often travel abroad may compare, this place is one of the cleanest and the most well-kept places around the world. Without mentioning its incredible beauty. This hotel is like the one from Aladdin’s fairy tale. In order to get to the beach, you have to leave your car in the parking lot at the hotel entrance and walk through the grounds. If you are not a resident of the hotel, you cannot get there by car, or by special trains that take guests to and from the beach. On the other hand, on foot, you are always welcome!
A honey trap for tourism lovers: well-known saharan sand
Tenerife is one from four western islands (La Palma, La Gomera and El Jerro) which is famous for its wonderful golden fine sand brought from the Sahara. Is it as great as described? The sand is really good, but that’s all, nothing else to add. There are three ways for descending to the beach:
- The first is an elevator-formed cable railway (only for hotel residents);
- The second — the trains (only for hotel residents);
- The third — walking up the stairs (for others). The stairs are pretty steep, unequipped, and rather big. So it takes a lot to climb it.
The main attraction of Tenerife: Teide Volcano
The volcano is right in the middle of the island, though as you get there, you will have to go through a same-named national park, and that’s where you want to stop again. It is highly recommended to leave in the early morning. You’d better set off at 7:30 to get to the cable way leading to the top of the volcano by 9:00. Already in the national park you have an opportunity to see the sunrise, and this is a breathtaking spectacle! On either side of the road is a long-standing solidified lava that looks like a Martian landscape, with clouds floating down the road. Such a view cannot be expunged from your memory, that is what will remain with you forever!
By the way, the park has hundreds of view points where you can leave your car and take photos of all this beauty. One more piece of advice — dress warmer (sweaters, warm jackets and hats). Shorts and T-Shirts will not be a good choice. You don’t have to do it like that, it’s cold up there! Without question you should put on comfortable shoes!
You need to climb to the top by a cable car. There is a gray area: if it is too windy at the top, the cable car is closed for the whole day. Therefore, if you have purchased a ticket in advance online, you are simply offered to choose a later date and come again. The park entry itself is free, you only have to pay for the cable way up.
The North of Tenerife
It is said if you haven’t been to the north of Tenerife — you haven’t seen Tenerife. The thing is, the northern part is more rocky, there are fewer beaches, though waves are bigger. And by slaving over these rocks, they create a landscape that, without exaggeration, can be enjoyed endlessly!
The northernmost point of Tenerife: Punta del Hidalgo
There`s a Lighthouse of 50m height which is worth seeing in Punta del Hidalgo. The structure itself is unusual, rather impressive by its height. The way to the Lighthouse is also quite pleasant as there’s a desert and absolutely incredible beach. It is not easy to reach it. There is no direct descent to the beach, but it is especially problematic to make way towards it as follows. Approximately 1.5 km from the beach there is a descent to the ocean. If you go down it, you have to walk about a kilometer along the ocean on big rocks, and you will find yourself on the beach. But it’s worth making efforts! The beach is really almost deserted (since not many people can get there). You can hardly see anyone else there, except for a couple of surfers!
Conclusion
If you are fond of traveling abroad and want to have a really unforgettable experience — visit Tenerife. You will certainly not regret visiting it. The island will always stay in your memory since you can find everything here: mountains, ocean, places, which remind the surface of Mars, beaches with black volcanic sand and viewpoints due to which it is possible to climb higher than clouds. This is Tenerife!
Author Bio
Isabelle Jordan is a business and marketing journalist. She writes for different news portals and thematic blogs that helps her stay at the heart of the travel and insurance news. Such work gives her the opportunity to write articles on the most relevant topics of today.