Tenerife

Description

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and offers lush forests, exotic fauna and flora, deserts, mountains, volcanos, sometimes snow, incredibly beautiful coastlines and spectacular beaches.Puerto de la Cruz is the oldest tourist center in the Canaries. Since the 19th century, it exists as a famous place of rest and relaxation due to its mild climate and lovely surroundings. The harbour is an enclave that blends with the tropical valley, and its streets, filled with trees and flowers, are ideal for strolling. Another way to enjoy the sun and sea is at the tourist resorts of the south, more arid and with a better climate. Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos resorts certainly stand out with their wide variety of accommodation, restaurants, bars, night spots, and other amenities for the comfort of the tourist. All along the southern coast, there are other smaller resorts, including El Médano for windsurfing, Costa del Silencio and Los Gigantes; each one with a personality of its own. The southern part of the island is perfect for relaxing on the beach, swimming in the sea, and practicing water sports.

Other Canaries Destinations

Fuerteventura
Gran Canaria
Lanzarote

Attractions

Baranco del Infierno
In spite of its fearsome name 'Hells Gorge', this lush green ravine is an oasis in the harsh and arid south Tenerife landscape. It is the only location where you will find natural running water.

Cactus and Animal Park
A botanical garden specialising in cacti and plant life from the arid regions. The animal park houses a variety of species from marmosets to terrapins. Next door is Amazonia, 7000 sq m of tropical rain forest. Exotic birds fly freely and there is s a beautiful collection of hummingbirds, a host of other game birds, parrots and reptiles. There is a free bus from Los Cristianos/Playa Las Americas.

Ecological Park
Has 75,000 sq. metres of tropical gardens with many natural attractions, exotic wildlife, crocodiles, penguins, elephants and a variety of 'birds of prey' - which are used for exciting 'demonstrations set in open arenas. Open all year with free buses from Playa Las Americas.

Lunar Landscape
Bizarre natural rock formations have created a lunar landscape that will really make you feel as though you are walking on the moon. Not a trip for the easily winded, but certainly worthwhile for any walking enthusiast.

Teide National Park
The Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide includes an enormous volcanic crater 48 km in circumference, out of which rises Mount Teide at a staggering 3,718 metres, making it the highest mountain in the whole of Spain. Access to the now extinct volcano is either by foot or by cable car that will carry you almost to the very summit. From the peak, on a clear day, you are in heaven and have breathtaking views of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. This is the Canary Islands most visited tourist attraction and must not be missed.

Golf
The excellent Tenerife climate ensures that you can play and improve your golf every day of the year and at any level. This golf friendly island is rapidly becoming the migration point for golfers from all over the world between the months of October and May. For a small fee you can rent your golf equipment at every club. In most of the clubs you'll find a very casual atmosphere. No club requires a membership.

Jet Skis
No experience needed. Common sense comes in handy and the driver must be over 16 years old. Passengers can be any age. You can race around a triangle of buoys on Yamaha 700 wave runners for approximately 20 minutes. If you fall off the bike stops and you get back on. It is the ultimate adrenaline ride.

Loro Parque
This is an absolutely amazing day out for the whole family. The Tenerife Loro Parque claims to be the "must see" of the Canary Islands attractions. Regardless of your age you will be fascinated by Loro Parque. Originally a parrot park, it has now grown into Tenerife's second biggest attraction after mount Teide. It has many attractions; the world’s largest collection of parrots, plus penguins, gorillas, sharks, jaguars, tigers, dolphins, sea lions and alligators... The attraction is public friendly; you can hardly miss any of the animals when doing the complete tour of the Loro Parque with all its various shows.

Octopus Aqua Park
The Octopus water theme park, situated near Playa Las Americas, is open all year round, 10am to 6pm daily. One of Tenerife's great attractions, it features superb selection of sun bathing areas, slides, tubes, pools, diving boards, dolphin shows and a relaxing 'lazy river'. It has safe, supervised climbing and playing structures for children, and high safety standards. Facilities include restaurants and changing rooms.

Quad Park
Set in over 200,000 sq metres of land, their quading trails wind through beautiful and natural surroundings. All of their quads are fully automatic, and all helmets and safety glasses are provided. This is a great day out.

Sky Park
What's a Sky Park? Well the best way to describe it is a combination of a small water park with flumes and terraces, and white knuckle bungee rides. These include a 60m purpose built bungee tower, and a couple of bungee scad ejector swings.

Shopping

The Canaries are known for exquisite embroidery, fine thread work and decorative lacework. Exceptional patience, skill, delicacy and care are required of the local women who do the work. However, you should beware of street sellers and market traders offering very inferior low priced imported factory-made embroidery and claiming that is genuine local craftwork.

Canaries’ potters traditionally didn't use the potter's wheel, and still today on Tenerife and La Gomera highly skilled local potters working entirely by hand producing distinctive household objects and decorative items. Look out in the craft shops for their ganigos, household pots made without a potter's wheel, necklaces and other jewellery decorated with Guanche symbols.

There is a beautifully restored 17th-century mansion which contains a craft shop, where local people can often be seen at work. As well as cheap souvenirs, a wide range of high-quality items, such as Spanish and Canaries lace and linen and traditional Canaries embroideries are on sale. Some are made on the premises, as the Casa de los Balcones also serves as a highly regarded school of embroidery.

The most important craft shop on the island, a jealous guardian of authenticity and tradition. It is run by the state-run crafts organisation, the Empress Insular de Artesania Del Cabildo de Tenerife, and specialises in genuine local work. There is a craft museum attached. Choose from banana-shaped bottles of sugary cobana (banana liqueur), dolls in national costume, items made from palm leaves, or banana-leaf baskets. On a more serious level, there is a wide range of high-quality local pottery items, linen goods or lacy handmade handkerchiefs, napkins, place mats and tablecloths.

At Armenime in the south, Tenerife's Palace of Pearls, is where thousands of square feet are devoted to pearls and pearl jewellery. Casa del Viño, housed in a traditional country house in the north of Tenerife. Lovingly restored, this is a museum and visitors centre. Sample excellent quality wines of Tenerife. Authentic cuisine and impeccably run restaurant.

One of the strangest specialties in the Canaries is the palm-tree 'honey' of La Gomera. Not real honey, Miel de Palma is made like maple syrup. The guarapo, or sap, of the date palm is tapped, and then boiled. The result is a dark paste that is rich, tasty and sweet. Buy it where you see signs at smallholding's around the island, or in San Sebastian at the market.

Self-caterers and others will sometimes prefer to go to a supermarket to make shopping easy. The Continente Centro Commercial not only has a huge hypermarket with a vast range of goods at reasonable prices, but there are also 150 other shops on the site. The Continente is 6km south of Santa Cruz.

Restaurant

There are a wide range of restaurants and snack bars on offer in Tenerife. It is very cheap to eat out in Tenerife whether you are looking for a snack or a full meal the choice is endless. If you want a snack there are hundreds of snack bars across Tenerife whether you fancy eating in a British or Spanish Bar.

During the past few years quite a few of the big food companies have invested in Tenerife for example: McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken plus many more, so you can still feel at home.

There are so many good restaurants with international cuisine in the tourist areas, which makes that simple island cooking, based on fresh local produce (excellent fish, meat, vegetables and fruit), difficult to find. For the first course mixed vegetable stews and fish casseroles, both accompanied, if one wishes, by the traditional toasted Canary flour: (El Golfo) and chickpea dishes are the most typical. The most appreciated fish is an island species, "la vieja", which has fine white meat like the sama and the cherne. The sardine and the chicharro are among the most popular fresh water fish. The king of the meat is undoubtedly pork, one of the most requested dished being pickled pork, here called "festival meat" and also "conejo en salmorejo" served mainly in the countryside. The "papas arrugadas" with green or red garlic sauce stand out above the rest as a side dish. The small and buttery potatoes that the island produces have an extraordinary flavour, and by itself is a delicious dish. The young wines of the north of the island of Tacoronte-Acentejo origin are an excellent accompaniment to Tenerife cuisine.

Nightlife

Tenerife is renowned for its buzzing club scene. They say Tenerife comes alive by night. The tourists and locals alike put their best outfits on and go dancing until the early hours in the nightclubs in Tenerife.

Discos and nightclubs in Tenerife are situated mainly in the south of the island. The most famous are at Veronica's strip in Playa De Las Americas & Los Cristianos. This is where the famous DJ's from around the world come and play. Nightclubs in Tenerife that are situated in this area have a wide variety of music from your 80's, current chart all the way to your groovy R&B clubs. You'd never get bored. As soon as the sounds of the 80's tire you it's only a stone’s throw away to other discos in Tenerife.

They say that clubs in Tenerife don't come alive before midnight. The majority of people start in the bars and pubs for the happy hours then merrily sway to the bubbly discos in Tenerife. Los Cristianos offers a selection of nightclubs in Tenerife and is only a short taxi drive away from Veronicas.

Tipping

Hotel and restaurant bills usually include service charges, but additional tips are welcomed for services rendered. In restaurants tips of about 15% are expected. Value-added-tax is usually included in restaurant bills, designated 'I.V.A', and may be mistaken for a service charge. Drivers of metered taxis expect tips of 10-15%. It is customary to tip small amounts, usually 5-10% for most services, including guides

Electricity

Electrical current is 220 or 225 volts, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are standard

Currency

EUR

Timezones

The time in Fuerteventura is the same as GMT. Summer time is GMT + 1 which is from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October

Language

English & Spanish

Language Description

Spanish is the official language although English is widely spoken. We have put together a few useful phrases to help you communicate with the local;

Hello ‘Hola Goodbye Adios Good Morning Buenos Dias Good Night Buenas Noche How are you? Como esta? / Que tal? In English en ingles One Beer please Una cerveza por favour Thank you Gracias
Please Por Favor Yes Sí No No I don't understand Spanish No comprendo español
Do you speak English? Habla ingles? How much (is it)? Cuanto cuesta? I want to go to... Quiero ir a
Restaurant Restaurante Airport Aeropuerto Beach Playa
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten
Un, Dos, Tres, Cuatro, Cinco, Seis, Siete, Ocho Nueve, Diez