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March 2019, Tenerife – Canary Islands, Spain

Are you always looking for a way to escape winter? Stop searching: we have just discovered the perfect place! In this post we summarize our itinerary for 1 week in Tenerife.

The Canary Islands are just a stone’s throw away from mainland Europe. The islands are actually the closest European land to West Africa, making a perfect gateway to Africa or Latin America.

Tenerife is the largest of them, with incredibly warm weather and sun all year long. From relaxing at the beach, snorkeling, kayaking, whale and dolphin watching, hiking on an active volcano, stargazing, driving on impeccable highways, or just walking through picturesque villages, you will not get bored here. Add some delicious tapas and some sangria wine on your daily menu, and you’ll want to stay forever!

Days on the island of eternal spring

1^st of March, 2019: just landed on Tenerife, the island of eternal spring.

At 7 AM i get out the balcony and a spectacle of colours rises under my eyes. The fresh breeze takes over my body like a spell. The village is asleep. Only the airplanes disturb the silence every now and then, leaving white little scratches on the sky. It’s the most beautiful sunrise I have witnessed.

Maybe because i couldn’t get up so early anywhere else? 🙂

Every day we go out exploring, to a different point of the island. We return exhausted but happy to our little apartment, passing by the heated pool and an exotic garden on the way.

Later in the evening, as the sun goes down, the sky is burning with red-golden flames. Each time it’s a different kind of fire than the day before.

The more you stay, the harder it is to let go.

1-WEEK ITINERARY IN TENERIFE

Here are our recommended routes by car, for 4-5 full days in Tenerife. Of course, 1-2 days of pure relaxation at the beach are more than welcome, which is exactly what we did in the middle of the week.

At the end of the stay, we felt like we’ve barely scratched the surface. So try to make the most of every day on the island, or book more than 1 week if you have time. We will surely go back to this paradise to continue the exploration.

1. South & South-West: La Tejita, Los Cristianos, Las Vistas, Las Americas

La Tejita beach is the perfect secluded place to spend a quiet day. Surrounded by glittering sand and black lava rocks, you will face the majestic volcanic cone of Montaña Roja from every angle.

If you love the city vibe, then head to Costa Adeje or Los Cristianos. Take a walk on the shores of Los Cristianos, Las Vistas and Las Americas, and find your spot on the golden sand facing the turquoise water.

2. Center: El Teide National Park

Tenerife is dominated in the middle by Teide, an active volcano. Its summit (3718 meters) is the highest point in Spain, the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic, and the third in the world if we consider its height compared to the ocean floor (7500 meters).

The volcano and its surroundings comprise Teide National Park, which has an area of almost 19 000 hectares and countless marked hiking trails.

Not in the mood for hiking? Reach 3500 meters by cable car and hike to the summit (permit needed in advance). Bring an extra jacket, a cap, sunglasses, snacks and lots of water.

After driving on sinuous roads, watching a Mars-like scenery, then fighting for a parking spot, with the online tickets at hand, we’re finally set for the ascent by cable car. In a couple of minutes we’re up on the plateau and start hiking.

An active volcano, that’s a first!

As we get closer to the summit, the rocks become hotter and hotter, and green sulfur vapors rise from the ground. We can barely breathe, but we spot other people climbing ahead. That means we’ll survive, so we keep going.

And then, at the end of the trail, we stop and look below. The moment you’re completely above the clouds is totally out of this world.

3. North: Loro Park

If you want to spend a day around animals, visit the Loro Park. The place was conceived first in 1972 on 1.3 hectares as a paradise for parrots. Over the years it became a 13 hectares reserve of animal and plant species, one of the biggest attractions of the Canary Islands.

4. North-East: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Teresitas

What can you do with a smelly hill full of garbage? Well, people of Santa Cruz de Tenerife turned it into a botanical garden of exotic species, Palmetum.

A few kilometers away from the capital, we find a gorgeous beach. After driving for the whole day, there is nothing more relaxing than catching the sunset here, away from the city.

For creating Las Teresitas, tons of fine sand were imported from the Sahara Desert, and shore barriers created to protect the beach from the strong waves of the Atlantic ocean.

This island is full of surprises.

If you have more time, hit the road for extra adventurous activities. There was more on our wishlist, but we’ll keep them in mind for next time in Tenerife:

• reach Masca village and Los Gigantes beach in the West
• take a full day of hiking the trails of Rural de Anaga Park on the North-East

WHEN TO VISIT TENERIFE

Anytime! 😀

Tenerife has mid 20’s temperatures even in winter. The winter season (November-April) seems the best time to visit, with warm weather, less tourists and cheaper accommodation & food.

If you stay in the south, you’ll probably have a few extra degrees on the thermometer and more predictable weather than in the north.

 HOW TO GET TO TENERIFE

There are lots of direct and cheap flights from the main European cities (London, Paris, Madrid) to the Canary Islands on a daily basis.

We went with a direct flight Bucharest -> Tenerife South (Wizz Air), and returned with a 1-stop connection Tenerife South -> Madrid -> Bucharest (Ryanair).

TRANSPORTATION

There are connections by public bus between main points on the island. However, I feel that renting a car and driving is the fastest way to explore Tenerife. It was actually the first time we rented a car!

CAR RENTAL

At CICAR you can make the reservation without a credit card for the Canary Islands, with no deposit needed. Payment is made on the spot on pickup, via card/cash.

It was so easy, that we finished the procedures in 5 minutes at the Tenerife South Airport. The car must be returned in the parking lot, in the same or another CICAR office, at the end of the stay. Not to mention we had an Opel reserved, and got upgraded to a convertible 124 Fiat Spider with no additional cost. Cannot recommend them enough.

WHERE TO STAY IN TENERIFE

We stayed at CLC Sunningdale Village in San Miguel de Abona, near Tenerife South Airport. That’s a quiet relaxation oasis with nice gardens, a heated pool, restaurant and lots of free activities going on for the ones who spend more time at the hotel during the day.

MAP

BUDGET

• Flights

130 EUR/pers ( Bucharest – Tenerife South + Tenerife South – Madrid – Bucharest)

• Accommodation

90 EUR/ night/ apartment for 2 persons

• Food

25-30 EUR/day pers

• Car rental

115 EUR/6 days + 30 EUR/fuel for a full tank

• Activities

Teide Cable Car return ticket: 27 EUR/pers

Loro Park: 37 EUR/pers

Palmetum: 6 EUR/pers

Happy travels and stay safe!