Top destinations in Tenerife? A visit to Garachico is like going back in time: this small town has a rather dark history, being destroyed 2 times by volcanic eruptions. Walk on its narrow streets, eat a great ice cream on the sea shore and swim in the rocky pools during those hot summer days. El Drago or the Dragon Tree is the island’s most popular tree. The best view is the one from the town square, so there’s no need to pay to see it up close. If you want more ideas for a holiday that doesn’t break the budget, read our article about free things to do in Tenerife. The town of San Cristobal de la Laguna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it deserves at least a few hours to walk around and see the beautiful buildings. If you’re with the kids you may want to visit the Museum of Science and the Cosmos and why not also the Museum of History and Anthropology. Discover additional info at Tenerife forum community.
Teide National Park is Europe’s most visited national park, with around three million visitors every year flocking to the UNESCO protected volcanic landscape in the centre of the island. The park’s crowning glory is ‘Papa Teide’, as the volcano is known by locals. Ride the cable car up to its peak, which is almost 12,000 ft above sea level. You’ll be rewarded with jaw-dropping landscapes that feel more like Texas than Tenerife. I’ve got an entire blog post all about where to eat in Tenerife, but rest assured that there’s a lot more to Tenerife’s gastronomy than the great British fry up. Some of the main local dishes are the aforementioned papas arrugadas with mojo verde and rojo mojo. You might also want to order conejo en salmorejo (rabbit in sauce), grouper, puchero (a hearty stew), and huevos estampido, which I can only describe as the best egg and chips you’ll ever taste. No, really.
Cueva del Viento is a set of caves which were created by lava from the eruption of the Pico Viejo volcano. There are 18km of lava tubes which you will explore with a tour guide. Walking through the maze of underground tunnels you will discover fossils, lava stalactites, lava lakes and at least 190 species of insects which live in there. The Pirámides de Güímar Ethnographic Park is home to a mysterious group of stone pyramids which were first discovered in the 1990s with various theories surrounding their origin. The Casa Chacona Museum at the park explores the potential theories, the other pyramids and step structures from around the world, and the scientific and archaeological investigations which have taken place at Guimar.
Best places to go in Tenerife: Puerto de la cruz . Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife’s north has seen huge investment in the past few years and this once thriving tourist city is on its way back to its former glory – it was originally one of the best places to visit in Tenerife and the local community is keen to get that title back! If you’re wondering what there is to do in Puerto de la Cruz, the answer is: loads. Book round-trip transport for a day in Puerto de la Cruz from your hotel and take a sunset stroll along the palm-fringed promenade, dive off the rocks into the boisterous waves in the natural swimming pools at San Telmo and look out for the Mujer Pescadora, aka the ‘Ganochera’ statue in Puerto de la Cruz’ fishing harbour. There are plenty of shops in Puerto de la Cruz and contemporary art fans can also visit The Eduardo Westerdahl Museum of Contemporary Art (MACEW) on the seafront.
Located right above Los Cristianos, Siam Park is a relatively new attraction that has gained enormous popularity with tourists. It is best visited during hot summer weather with family and children, as it provides water rides, an enormously huge wave pool complete with gold sand beach and a mile-long lazy river for you to chill and have fun showcasing your favorite bathing suit. If you want to experience thrills and spills, go on the Tower of Power, a 100 foot high near-vertical slide, which will bring you through an amazing aquarium full of ocean residents. Siam Park is dedicated to Thai theme and is Tenerife’s latest and biggest theme park.
