Exploring Tenerife, The Canary islands - Guide

       Long awaited summer holidays are approaching and we all trying to figure out where to go. What important is with whom we are, what do we want to do and where. Making decision in the 21st century can be pretty hard because the horizon is wide open.  

      Let’s consider a small statistic based on German citizen. Statista.com shares a quantitative statistics of the “Most popular types of travel in Germany from 2014 to 2017” where in 2017 the most tourist (35,9%) prefer summer holidays, the second most popular type with 16,9% - relaxing holiday and the third most popular type is family holidays with 10,2%. 

     The British Association of British Travel Agents shared in their annual report that in 2017 that 53% of people made a small city break, 41% preferred beach holidays, the third place goes to a countryside break with 25%. This is enough to understand that the most preferable time for travelling is summer and the location is preferably beach or any location close to water (river, lake, sea, ocean). 

      In the daily routine we all secretly wish a week off: somewhere far away from where we are now, lying comfortably down under the sun, with a glass of fresh pressed juice, reading a book that has been waiting for that special holiday time, sleeping like never before and waking up not with the sounds of alarm clock, but when we actually feeling like it. Now not many working people, or family couples want to go backpacking or adventure holidays in their holidays and I can understand them. I mean I can’t but thinking it through I can. 

     That’s why I want to share a few nice holiday places with you, where you can truly enjoy yourself and your family time. Can you think of a something special that gives you a sense of calmness and distance from the civilisation more then the word “island” does? Maybe, undiscovered or uninhabited island. So we are close to the solution. The Canary islands it is, indeed. You already might have heard of it, but I want to share my personal experience and give you a little glimpse on it. 

     The Canary Islands in the Atlantic have already received their great reputation from tourists of all ages and social classes. The Canary Islands is a group of 7 islands located in the Atlantic Ocean 100km west of Morocco.  Among all the Canary Islands Tenerife is the biggest one, with two airports on the island (the south and the north one), the biggest city Santa Cruz, and lots of small resort cities all around the island. 

     Some areas are completely built for tourists, where you won't even hear people speaking Spanish, some are less. Moving through the island you will see dozens of ads for children fun parks, water parks and so on.  There are two water parks on the island, the biggest and the best rated one is called Siam Park (Thai themed park) https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g315919-d668504-Reviews-Siam_Park-Adeje_Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html is located on the south of the island, due to the small size of the island reaching it from every point if the island is possible with the car as well as with busses.  The second one is called Aqualand Costa Adeje https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187479-d629840-Reviews-Aqualand_Costa_Adeje-Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html   

     Apart from water parks Tenerife has a lot more to offer. For example, Camel Park for kids, Aloe Park which is the mark of the island (not the park, but the aloe). García Sanabria City Park has very good rating and ,of course, an entertainment for adults and hikers is Teide National Park. 

     According to Wikipedia, Teide  is a volcano. Its 3,718-metre (12,198 ft) summit is the highest point in Spain and the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic. The moiuntain cannot be seen from the sea side, but the way to it is breathtaking. First of all the road to it, goes up to 2000m up, then down to 1000m. Picturesque landscapes of hills and enormously big stones mixed with yellow sand, stones, and unique flora is an absolute stunner. 

     The way up is not the easiest, says a hiking map giving it an expert level (and I agree). With time is hard to tell, the guide says 3 hours each way, but I honestly doubt it. I’d rather take a whole day for it. There is also a cable car that can take you straight to the almost top of it. Almost top needs to be explained: visitors are not allowed to go to the top without a special permission.

     Going with the cable car is not the cheapest, it’s 27 Euro for a round trip and 14 for a one-way ticket. We took it and the view was truly fascinating due to the small amount of people in the car, we could enjoy the view from all sides of the cabin. We went all the way down on foot, and as an absolute amateur hiker, I didn’t have special hiking shoes. To be honest, it was the time when I felt an urgent need to get a pair. The way down was mostly covered with stones of different sizes, most of the time pretty sharp and edgy. 

     Going down itself is not the easiest, and puts a lot of pressure of the knees, which after some time becomes obvious. In the middle of the way there is a refuge house, where you stay over night or have a coffee, tea, buy a bottle of water and rest a little. 

     The view from every point of hike is unforgettable! Every time I close my eyes and think of it, I see myself there surrounded with clouds. I have never been that high before (except the plane, but it’s a different story) and felt like a Greek god! The whole experience was amazing and generally gave me a sense of what hiking is and motivated me to have more interest in this activity. 

     The climate of the island stays approximately the same the whole year. It has a very unique climate but due to its closeness to the equator the sun can burn you from the mid-day to the evening. In cloudy weather as well. Very well adapted for tourists of all ages and social level, on the same street it's possible to find restaurants and shops of all price ranges without going too far. Even though the fancier places will offer you nicer view and fancier menu. The cheaper options have the same ocean view, good quality food, same friendliness, but maybe less luxury interior design.  

I want also to share with you pictures of Teide that I took from Gran Canaria that blown my mind! The view from the plane. The view on Teide from one of the highest points in Gran Canaria.

 Thanks for reading!

Have a great day xx