Things to do on Spain’s Tenerife (Canary Islands)

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Where to Stay 

I stayed in Costa Adeje right in the heart of Las Americas. A great central location that puts you close to lots of restaurants, nightlife and activities. If you are looking for a mix of activities and conveniences this is a great place to book a hotel. This is also the more Americanized area of the island, so you will find a Hard Rock Cafe and some more recognizable brands for American Travelers.

Another great area to stay in is Puerto De La Cruz, on the Western side of the island. A bustling city with great surfing, miles of coastline for easy walking and exploring as well as fantastic restaurants and nightlife. My favorite hotel here is Hotel Botanico and Oriental Spa Garden.

Getting Around 
Tenerife is a large island, and if you want to see a lot of it you will without a doubt want to rent a car. Be prepared to drive a manual transmission car or pay a hefty increase in price for an automatic. If you are happy to stay in one area or book tours or Ubers it is possible to get around without a rental car. 
In Costa Adeje there are a ton of car rental and motorcycle rental agencies to choose from and most will have availability without prior reservations. 
There is a main highway that goes around the island, which makes it pretty easy to get around but keep in mind the inland island is very hilly and you will find many steep inclines off the main highways. If you don’t like heights or narrow roads stick to the main roads. leading up to this trip I had only driven a manual transmission a few times, and this trip though stressful and full of plenty of stalls had me feeling pretty confident after driving across the island to Benijto beach.  Check out the sunset from the beautiful black sand beach below. 

Heading to more than one island? Check out the 7 day Western Canary island itinerary here

Teide National Park & Spain’s Tallest Mountain

A National Park and World Heritage Site the area that surrounds Teide volcano is like a totally different world compared to the rest of the island. To reach it one must join a tour or drive up the mountain. From the beach lowlands you will pass through so many different microclimates before reaching the scrubby highlands that look a bit like California’s Death Valley during super bloom. With rich and differing colors, huge outcroppings of rocks, many different types of plants and the ominous peak of Teide volcano ever-present. If you plan on hiking or visiting the top you will want to check the weather as the mountain has its own climate which can often be very different from the coastal beaches. You can watch me climb it here: https://www.hellocanaryislands.com/come-into-alices-world/

Teide Volcano is the tallest mountain in Spain and it has a gondola which allows any nature of person to be able to ascend to just shy of the peak. If you wish to take the gondola go early and pre-purchase your tickets online. They have a separate entrance for online tickets and you won’t have to wait in line. They open at 9 and if you go around that time you will beat the tour buses. To pre-purchase tickets visit their site: Teide Volcano 

At 12,198 feet the air is thin at the top. The gondola is quick and I highly recommend it. Once at the top you can walk around on numerous trails. If you want to summit you have to pre-book a slot as only 200 tickets to the summit are allowed each day and they sell out months in advance. ​​[vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4507″ img_size=”299*398″ alignment=”right” parallax_scroll=”no”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4508″ img_size=”299*398″ parallax_scroll=”no”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text text_larger=”no”]Visit the Dragon Tree 
Also known as the Parque del Dragon the infamous dragon tree is the natural symbol of the island of Tenerife. This particular tree is the largest and oldest specimen of the species. A small entrance fee is required to view the tree which is located within a small garden park. There is also an old cave on the property called the Cave of the Guanches where you can view the ancient mummified remains of the original inhabitants of the island of Tenerife.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4509″ img_size=”299*225″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”right” parallax_scroll=”no”][vc_single_image image=”4510″ img_size=”299*224″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”right” parallax_scroll=”no”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4511″ img_size=”299*399″ add_caption=”yes” parallax_scroll=”no”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text text_larger=”no”]Drive to Masca 
This beautiful area is located in the mountains on the West coast of the island. Masca is a small town that overlooks some beautiful natural features, rocky and steep full of cacti and incredible views of the ocean below.  Stop in the town for a cactus lemonade and if you have time, head to the coast to check out the beaches here. [/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4512″ img_size=”299*224″ alignment=”right” parallax_scroll=”no”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4513″ img_size=”299*244″ add_caption=”yes” parallax_scroll=”no”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]

Hit the Water
​This island boasts tons of different water activities from parasailing, and jet skiing, to full day and half  day cruises, whale watches and large party boat catamarans. I chose to go on a small sailboat for a 3 hour trip in the harbor off Costa Adeje. With just 6 other guests it was a relaxing trip. We saw several pilot whales and anchored for swimming, snacking and champagne drinking before heading back to port. 

Beaches
​It’s no surprise that Tenerife has many beaches. The wild thing, is just how different they all are. There are the busy chair lined beaches of Costa Adeje,  and the barren beaches of La Tejita, near Puerto de la Cruz you can find rocky nude beaches tucked into coastal outcroppings, north of Costa Adeje there are pink sand beaches that look straight out of the outback and then the northern black sand beaches that few get to visit. 

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View from the road to Benijto Beach

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Benijto Beach from above

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text text_larger=”no”]On my last evening I braved the treacherous and winding road to Benijto Beach. On the far northern end of the island this beach is located down a long footpath. The road itself dead ends at a bar, and if you are lucky enough to make it here you will not see another tourist for miles. I stayed for one of the most incredible sunsets of my life, and then one of the most harrowing drives I will ever experience.

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