Tenerife is the largest island of the Canary Islands and it is a wonderful island to spend your holiday. Thanks to its location off the African coast, Tenerife has wonderful weather almost all year round, making it one of the few holiday destinations in Europe where you can enjoy the sun all year round.

The island is volcanic and has the highest mountain in Spain: the Pico del Teide is 3,718 meters high. The beaches on Tenerife are artificially constructed. Some beaches have sand that comes from the Sahara, but most beaches have black sand.

Go on holiday to Tenerife

You will find the most tourists in the south of the island, because it is always a few degrees warmer here than in the north. The large and well-known seaside resorts are also located here. Tenerife has something to offer for every tourist. You can perfectly enjoy the sun, sea, beach and swimming pool, but if you are more of an adventurous type, you have come to the right place on this Canary Island. You can perfectly walk, cycle and water sports here. I’ll give you some tips that you should definitely not miss when you visit this island!

1. Rent a car

Of course it is wonderful to laze around the pool all week, but trust me: Tenerife is really worth exploring by car. And you rent like a car for a few bucks a day! You will have a lot of fun with that, because you can easily explore the entire island with it. Parking on the street is also free everywhere and the fuel is a lot cheaper than in the Netherlands. Most importantly, you can discover the island at your own pace. Even in one day you can see a lot of the island by car. We drove up the volcano and visited several villages.

2. Visit El Teide National Park

The area for which Tenerife is known is the volcano El Teide. But El Teide National Park is also wonderful to explore. There are a lot of excursions to the volcano, but I would recommend renting a car (see above) and driving up the mountain yourself. The roads are pretty good, but the higher you go, the steeper the roads get. Sometimes you have to go up the mountain in first gear and drive along the deepest chasms. Very cool!

The advantage of renting a car yourself is that you can get out wherever you want and that you can also explore other areas of the island. I really enjoyed driving through the National Park myself. The views change every five minutes. At first it is very green with many trees, but the higher you go, the more it transforms into a rocky landscape. Sometimes it felt like you had landed on the moon. You can even go all the way to the highest peak of the mountain. There are people who will climb the mountain themselves (you have to go with a guide for this), but you can also take a cable car up to an altitude of 3,550 meters. Note: you need a special permit to go from the 3550m point to the crater (3,718m), a permiso de acceso. This permit is free and you can apply for it online or get it at the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente in Sante Cruz de Tenerife.

It’s very cold in the mountains, so don’t forget to bring a jacket and long pants. When we were there (early April and late June), there was still snow on the mountain, so it was still freezing! It was also very windy here. The sun is quite strong, so don’t forget your sunscreen!

3. Visit Masca, Los Gigantes and Garachico

We drove with our rental car from Adeje to El Teide, and then go on to Garachico, Masca and the last stop: Los Gigantes. Garachico is a very cute village on the coast where you won’t find many tourists. Very special about this place is that there are natural baths between the rocks. The coast in the north is quite wild, and here they have used it to create natural pools with steps between the rocks. Unfortunately, it was closed when we were there, but otherwise you can enjoy a lovely bath between the rocks. Puerto de la Cruz is also nice and is a bit further north along the coast. Here you will also find those special natural pools and a rugged rocky coast.

Then we drove on to Masca, a town in the middle of the mountains with beautiful views. There you can take a long walk of two hours (and two hours back) to the coast through the Masca Gorge, but you have to be well prepared for that. We walked a little bit down and that was great! There is not much else to do, but the nature is really beautiful. Don’t forget your camera, because you can shoot very well here!

The last stop for the day was Los Gigantes, a huge rock outcrop along the coast. Very impressive to watch. There are also all kinds of boat trips along Los Gigantes. You can also spot dolphins on the sea, for example.

4. Dolphin and whale watching

You can spot dolphins and whales off the coast of Tenerife. A popular attraction while you’re here and highly recommended to spend an afternoon on a boat tour. Yes, this is quite a touristy trip. But you won’t regret it, because sailing is really nice when the sun is shining and you are lucky the dolphins jump out of the water. Most beach resorts offer tours and you can be almost certain to spot dolphins and whales. They are here all year round.

5. Go for a walk in nature in Tenerife

In addition to the national park El Teide, near and around the volcano, there is even more beautiful nature on the island. And there you can enjoy a nice walk. Some tips:

• Parque Corona Forestal
• Anaga . Natural Park
• Ten Rural Park (Masca, see above)
• Barranco del Infierno

Although hiking may not be the first activity that comes to mind when you think of Tenerife, walking holidays to the island are even organised. Walking here means that you are always treated to beautiful nature. Whether that is rocks, a monthly landscape, forest area or a view of the coast.

And Tenerife is the perfect place for outdoor enthusiasts: these are five cool active things to do on this beautiful island!

6. Enjoy the coast

If you’re staying in the south of Tenerife, it’s wonderful to walk the boulevard in the evening. This is 14 kilometers long and runs from Costa Adeje, past Playa de las Americas to Los Christianos. You will find shops, restaurants and terraces here. Very nice to have a drink in the evening! During the day you can walk along the boulevard from, for example, Costa Adeje to Playa de las Americas to eat an ice cream and have a drink on a cozy terrace.

Are you a runner? Running on the boulevard is wonderful. This road is fairly flat compared to the rest of the island, where you sometimes have to make considerable climbs. In addition, the temperature in the morning is usually still fine, an ideal time to put on your sports shoes.

Of course it is also wonderful to lie on the beach during the day and enjoy the beautiful weather. Tenerife is a perfect island for that all year round!

For me it was the first time in Tenerife, but I’m not saying it was the last! Tenerife has a lot to offer, for both sports enthusiasts and people who come for the nice weather. The nature is also beautiful and very varied and that surprised me enormously, especially during the drive where we have seen a lot of the island. One moment you are driving between the green trees and the next it seems as if you have landed on Mars. Very special! In any case, we had a wonderful holiday and I would absolutely recommend Tenerife! They say that you will find the best climate in the world here, so you should go there for that alone.