Tenerife Holidays

The island's most popular beaches for sun-lounging, rest and relaxation, and swimming in calm, warm water are located in the southern resorts - many featuring man-made stretches of fine sand and clean waters. Popular beaches include not only those at Playa de las Americas, but also at Los Christianos and Costa Adeje. Playa Fanabe at Costa Adeje and Playa del Duque offer beaches with waters consistently rated as Blue Flag for high standards of cleanliness.

If you prefer your beaches more simple and natural looking, without the pristine sands, rows of loungers, watersports, and all amenities close at hand, then the island has plenty of alternatives along its diverse coastline, ranging from surf to total seclusion. You'll be able to find beaches ranging from black to golden - all of which are accessible from the south of the island. Check out the traditional fishing hamlet and golden sand beach at El Puertito, or the peaceful beach at El Bullullo in La Orotava if you're seeking out some calm.

There are plenty of water sports to choose from on Tenerife holidays with water-skiing, jet skiing and parascending available at the main beaches. There are also many excellent locations around the island for windsurfing, although the sport is pretty much possible off most beaches.

Tenerife's superb climate makes it a sports paradise and it attracts both amateur and professional sports people year round for warm weather pursuits and training. Golfing groups are drawn to the island due to its climate and the challenging and beautifully-manicured courses - including Golf Costa Adeje, Golf Las Americas, Amarilla Golf, and Golf del Sur  - a relaxed destination that successfully combines a thriving family resort with a Championship golf course in an ideal location just 15 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Playa de Las Americas.

Deep-sea fishing trips are most readily available from Los Cristianos harbour or Puerto Colon marina and you can also join a dive boat to scuba dive the crystal clear waters of the region, swim with dolphins or even feed manta rays. The marinas in the southern coastal strip offer a wide range of boat trips, from sunset catamaran cruises to dolphin and whale watching.

Tenerife offers an endless supply of theme parks - some of which are rated among the best in Europe. Two of the highlights are Loro Parque - a spectacular zoo and aquarium that offers crowd-pulling dolphin and pilot whale displays, white tigers, gorillas, and the world's largest 'penguinarium' where 12 tons of snow falls each and every day! The Thai-themed Siam Park in Playa Las Americas offers the latest in water fun with rides for both adrenalin junkies and relaxation. In addition to the rides, there's a dedicated children's area perfect for families with young children as well as a dolphin lake and dolphin shows. There are also other smaller water parks near all the main resorts.

With carnivals during Feb, June, August and November, a prestigious classical music festival in June, folk festival in September and an opera season running from October through to the end of the year, Tenerife always has plenty of culture on offer.
Nature lovers and walkers can head out on trips to the mountainous north of the island or stay closer to the southern beach resorts with half-day walks through locations such as Barranco del Inferno (Hell's Gorge) - a verdant and spectacular ravine.

Teide National Park is home to Mount Teide, a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Spain at 3,718 metres. As the park can be closed in the winter due to its altitude, summer is the best time to explore this spectacular, arid landscape, which looks like the set of a Western movie. There's a cable car to access the volcano or you can hike up to be rewarded by spectacular and heavenly views of Gran Canaria, La Palma and La Gomera.
Heading back to Los Cristianos from Mount Teide, you can visit Spain's highest town - Vilaflor - and the nearby Paisaje Lunar - an area of bizarre natural rock formations that make you feel as though you might be on the moon!

There are plenty of island drives taking in the spectacular coastline of the north with its black sand beaches and dramatic, plunging cliffs. You can easily escape the resorts and get off the beaten track, visiting highlights such as the mountain village of Los Realejos with its distinctive Italian flavour, historic buildings and some of the best views on the island. Other places of interest are the island's capital at Santa Cruz, the historic step-pyramids at Guimar, and the dramatic cliff line at Los Gigantes.

With a stunning range of villa rentals in the Canary Islands we can provide the perfect base for your Tenerife holidays. The majority of our Tenerife holiday rentals are within a short drive of the most popular beaches and local entertainment, whilst still offering a peaceful retreat ideal for relaxing in the grounds of your villa or by your private pool.

If you're spoiled for choice and need help choosing a Tenerife villa that will best suit your requirements, contact us for more information on holiday rentals in Tenerife.

SOUTH TENERIFE

Granadilla
Granadilla (19,000 inhabitants) is a picturesque town, of winding roads. The agricultural richness of Granadilla produces all types of vegetables, potatoes, legumes, cereals and grapes - and produces wine of excellent quality. One should visit the Monte del Agua (Water Height) which has amazing, lunar-like landscape perfect for holidays in Tenerife.



Arona
Arona (population 28,000) is essentially tourist oriented. Arona town itself is situated about 10 km about Los Cristianos. Arona is one of the municipalities in charge of Playa Las Americas and Los Cristianos. These towns count high quantity tourist resorts.

Vilaflor
Vilaflor (pop. 1,599) is the highest point in Spain, situated at 1,400 metres from sea-level. It is a quiet town set amid pine, almond trees and unique traditional architecture. An outstanding example is the Parish Church and the old Palace of the Lords, in the Abona region. The ruins of the convent were built in honour of Brother Pedro, founding-father of the Bethlemite Order and beatified by the Vatican. Other places to visit are - Madre del Agua, El Sombrero, Lomo Gordo, Las Lajas recreational area, the San Roque mountain and Agua Agria. The cheeses and wines f the area are also famous. Hunting is very popular, and besides rabbits, close to Las Cañadas, one may see the shy and elusive Iberian goats.

Adeje
It is mainly an agricultural town, traditionally dedicated to banana and tomato harvests. Its coast has been embellished by different tourist resorts such as Callao Salvaje, San Eugenio and Marazul. Playa de Las Americas is within its municipal boundaries. Approximately 13,000 registered inhabitants live in it - tourists often increase this number to 100,000. Adeje is home of Barranco del Infierno, an impressive gorge with greatly steep walls, decorated by amazing vegetation which rarely lets sun-light through. Several burial caves used by the Guanches have been found. Adeje's parish church displays a fine wooden Mudejar style ceiling and an important Goblins' collection.

El Medano Wind surfing paradise, with fine golden sand, has a quiet beauty and one of the best places on the planet to practise wind surfing. The town is mostly residential but its holiday home structures are expanding with demand. Agriculturally rich, Granadilla produces vegetables, potatoes, legumes, cereals and grapes an of course, excellent quality wines. Visit the Monte del Agua (Water Height) which is characterised by its lunar-like landscape. In El Medano, visitors have hotels and other tourist facilities such as boats to let.

Los Abrigos Fishing village. Has a small harbour and is almost completely full of Fish Restaurants. A popular destination for Spanish tourists. This is the place for a fish meal, with and almost unlimited choice of seafood.

Los Cristianos

A small fishing town around which the real tourism has developed, preserves its own  flavour and is the ideal vacation or visiting place for those tourists who spend their holidays in Tenerife's south

Las Galletas Was a traditional fishing village. Has a small harbour and is a popular destination for Spanish tourists.

Playa de Las Americas Main tourist area of Tenerife this town is very busy and cosmopolitan. Restaurants, Bars, Discos, Casino, Beaches. Situated 22 km from airport. The town itself is constructed of mostly hotels and apartments providing the required tourist accommodation for the extremely popular resort.

TOWNS of NORTH TENERIFE

Santa Cruz

The capital, is a typical busy, traffic laden capital port town with a population of over 200,000. The Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife comprises of Tenerife and some of the other islands in the archipelago, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. Santa Cruz is an important harbour, connecting trading routes between Europe, Africa and America. It has many valuable architectural monuments such as the Concepción and San Francisco Churches. Interesting historical artefacts from conquering times exist, including the many flags taken from Nelson during his frustrated assault on the city. The golden-sand beach of Las Terrasitas is just outside Santa Cruz Santa Cruz offers historical, scientific and anthropological museums, as well as art galleries, cinemas and multi-cinema complexes, cultural centres and theatres. Anaga Natural Park, with its uniqueness and beauty deserve to be visited.

Puerto de la Cruz
Puerto de la Cruz - population of more than 27,000 is the main tourist resort of the north of the island. The Taoro Park, where the Casino is situated, is a great vegetable area where one can also find the Botanical Garden (which dates from 1788) featuring trees and other vegetable species from every continent. Features one of the islands internationally famous attractions, Loro Parque, which no one should miss.

La Laguna

4 km west of Santa Cruz and with a population of well over 125,000, La Laguna is Tenerife's Province second most important city. It is the old Capital of the Island and still the cultural and religious capital - due to the fact that it lodges the San Fernando University and the province's Bishopric. The whole city is full of outstanding architectural monuments, palaces and traditional houses of earlier centuries. Among its religious buildings the most outstanding are the Cathedral, the Santo Domingo and the Concepción Churches - this latter one a historical and artistic monument. One can also find the Church of the Holy Cgrist and the San Miguel Chapel. History and art in La Laguna are to be found in the Casa Ossuna Museum, the Friends of the Country Economic Society Museum, the Concepción Church's Museum and the Cathedral's Museum. La Laguna's Municipal boundaries extend to the towns of Tejina and Valle Guerra - very rich agricultural areas - as well as Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo, which have become tourist resorts with first class hotels, natural swimming pools and extraordinary landscapes.