Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and is a great place to travel. British, Nordic and German tourists come in their tens of thousands every year to visit its spectacular beaches and lively nightlife. It is also very popular among holidaymakers from the Spanish peninsula, especially during Easter time. It offers lush forests, exotic fauna and flora, deserts, mountains, volcanoes, incredibly beautiful coastlines and spectacular beaches.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
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.
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. 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.
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. 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.
When planning your activities, keep in mind that during the weekend and on public holidays the locals will also head anywhere where tourists are having fun. At the same time, many bus lines will run at a reduced frequency. Hence, it can become crowded around Teide, the beaches and on the roads, so it may be wise to use these days for relaxing somewhere quiet and head out again on Monday. The volcanic nature of the island mean that Tenerife offers few natural sand beaches. Those that exist are characterised by black sand made of volcanic rock, and many of them (especially in the North) are largely inaccessible due to the steep cliffs.
A good summary of Canarian food can be found under Canary Islands#Eat. Local taverns are called guachinches, typical for the Canarias and particularly common on Tenerife and Gran Canaria. They serve their own wine accompanied by homemade traditional food, often grilled fish or roasted meat. Stews of all kinds are very common and only cost a few euros for a portion. This blog keeps an overview of the best guachinches on the island. Fast food is becoming increasingly common on Tenerife, catering to younger demographics and tourists. Restaurants with international cuisine (Indian, Chinese, ...) are abundant in larger cities.
The nicest bars are found in Puerto de la Cruz, La Laguna, and in the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife. They serve a wide variety of locally produced beers, wines, and liqueurs. The best wines also originate from the north of the island, where cultivation of the malvasia grape variety has a long tradition since export began in the 17th century. 50% of Canary wine denominations originate from Tenerife. In addition, countless wines are produced in house by guachinches in small quantities, often as mixtures of red wines with fruity wines. Beers produced on the island are also widely available, most notably Dorada (gold) and Reine (queen), although their taste is not particularly special.
Tenerife is generally a safe place to visit but as always, beware of pickpockets. Do not take electrical devices, credit cards or large amounts of cash to the beach if you plan to leave your goods unattended while swimming. Take note that when walking through Playas De Las Americas, there is a lot of clubs round here and some drunkenness in the night hours. Many mobile phones have already been snatched around the island from drunken lads, especially at night. Taxis are widely available, and not too badly priced. Masca is well known for tourists getting broken into their car and having mobiles and other valuables stolen.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Tenerife typically sees ~22°C daytime highs and 2 rainy days.
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