15 Essentials: what to see Tenerife (Canary Islands) in 3, 4 or 5 days

The ones that most amaze those who visit for the first time Tenerife in the Canary Islands is that it is a destination with an incredible heritage and wild nature, very far from the generalized idea that it is only a sun and beach destination.

Years ago I lived on that island for just over a year, specifically in La Laguna, and then I had the opportunity to get to know it in depth and was able to fully discover the secrets of the island.

Luckily we have returned several times to Tenerife And so we have been able to see the evolution that the island has had over the years, and the improvements in access to areas that were previously very difficult to reach, and which are now easily accessible.

At that time, the tourist center of the island was the Puerto de la Cruz and Orotava Valley.

A large orchard, but it has the “problem” that during much of the year, and specifically in summer, it is usually covered by the sea ​​of ​​clouds resulting from the trade winds.

At that same time, at the beginning of the 80s, the airport South Tenerife in the semi-desert area of ​​the south of the island.

What is it like to travel for tourism to Tenerife?

There the great tourist bet of Playa de las Americas y Los Cristianos, this area does, with sun guaranteed all year round.

Of course, you should know that the beaches of Tenerife They do not benefit from the large sand sediments that reach the eastern Canary Islands from the African continent.

Therefore, its best beaches are artificial, which at that time meant that this island was not considered a priority sun and beach destination.

This does not mean that Tenerife is not attractive from a tourist point of view, quite the contrary, it is a great gem which is not sufficiently known and appreciated by peninsular Spaniards.

But outside the country they are aware of it, since in fact the Canary Islands They are the third most visited community in Spain by international tourists, only behind Catalonia y Andalusia.

And with that warm and stable climate all year round, Canary Islands It has become the favorite place of the English, Germans, French and Norwegians.

The best things to see and do in Tenerife

In the face of your possible trip to the Canary Islands, then I am going to give you the best tips for traveling to Tenerife.

Best landscapes on the island of Tenerife

The Canary Islands, From the landscape point of view, each one of them has very different characteristics, but in Tenerife you find a large mosaic of all of them.

You will be surprised by the enormous variety of landscapes what this island can offer.

Orotava Valley and Cañadas del Teide

From the orchard with lush wild vegetation Orotava Valley, where the traditional tourist place of the Puerto de la CruzUntil the volcanic places of the Canyons of Teide.

But you will also find landscapes full of great canary pine forests or areas of great greenery that will make you think that you are in Galicia , which are that of the great humidity that trade winds They bring the island.

It is certainly curious that half of the island is really humid, with frequent rains, and the other half is semi-desert.

The clouds always reach the island from the same slope moved by the trade winds that bring humidity and discharge water in the northern half of the island, being slowed by the slopes of the mountains created by the Teide volcano.

When the trade winds reach the island, they automatically turn into clouds, creating areas of the island where there are always spectacular seas of clouds, one of the most incredible images of Tenerife.

However, the part south of Tenerife It is almost a desert because the clouds have problems avoiding the volcano due to its 3.718 meters high.

This makes the island have two totally different and absolutely opposite faces that only coincide in volcanic origin.

Therefore, our first advice is that you move around the island and enjoy the different areas, because there are unique landscapes in the world.

Go up the Teide volcano by cable car

In the island of Tenerife you will see volcanic landscapes of such characteristics and dimensions that in the world you only find similar landscapes in Hawaii, the north of New Zealand or Iceland.

The Teide It is not only the highest mountain in Spain, but also the third largest volcano in the world from its base.

The astronaut Neil Armstrong He even said that in the surroundings of Teide is where you have seen in the earth the landscapes most similar to those of the moon.

The best thing is to rent a car and explore the entire area. Teide National Park, although also the option of signing up for some of the various excursions to Teide that are offered to you.

Of course, it is essential to climb to the highest area of ​​the volcano, for which you have a cableway which takes you almost to the top, at 3.550 meters.

Don't forget to watch the video of our visit to Tenerife with a spectacular images of Teide and views from the top of the volcano.

If you want to get to the highest point of Teide, on the very edge of the crater where you will see and smell the sulfur fumaroles coming out of it, it is necessary to request a special permit well in advance of your trip.

Here we leave you an article where we explain everything you need to know to go up Teide by cable car y how to request special permission with which to climb the crater, because there are only 200 places a day.

We inform you that normally you need to order it at least a month in advance.

La Laguna, World Heritage Site in Tenerife

You have to understand the privileged natural environment in which it is found. Tenerife, but on the other hand you have to know the history that has developed on the island, since one of its cities marked the urban development of South America.

The location of The Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean made it a mandatory passage area for expeditions Christopher Columbus towards the Americas.

And this meant that when it came to setting up the new colonies on the American continent, they sought inspiration from their experiences and the city ​​of La Laguna It must have really marked them, and rightly so.

Precisely the configuration of a city with perpendicular streets, compared to the convoluted historical centers of the medieval period, was what made the historic city of La Laguna was distinguished with the title of city Heritage.

It is a corner of the island of great cultural interest which for a time was the capital of the island.

Now, completely remodeled after the declaration of the Unesco, it is a beautiful corner to walk enjoying its monuments and colorful palatial houses.

Where to see the stars in Tenerife?

Discuss astronomical tourism Seeing stars is not common on our blog, but there are places in the world that are very special.

Just like if you go to Norway, Greenland, Iceland or Finland you want see the northern lights, In the island of Tenerife you have to look at the stars.

Tenerife It is considered a light reserve since the island has the ideal conditions to see the sky.

How to visit the Teide Astronomical Observatory

In fact, here is the Teide Astronomical Observatory or Izaña, a place where some of the best high-resolution photos of space that can be seen today are obtained.

By the way, the Izaña Observatory you can visit them, here you can buy tickets.

Being an island in full AtlanticThere are hardly any cities that fill the sky with light and in the surroundings of Teide the pollution is zero.

It is one of the great natural spectacles that the island has, that is why there are people who stay to sleep in it. Teide hostel to see it, or those who sign up for a excursion to see the stars.

Cliffs and ravines in Tenerife

You have to understand that on this island the slopes are impressive, many of the roads have almost impossible slopes of 25% to overcome the elevations that the volcano has produced on the island.

In a very short distance you go from sea level to heights greater than 3.000 meters.

Cliffs of Los Gigantes and Barranco de Masca in Tenerife

With this unevenness, it is normal for the island to have large mountains, deep cliffs, like the Giant Cliffss, and large ravines, like that of Masca in the Teno park, all of them to the west of the island.

The perfect plan to discover the Acantilados de los Gigantes and Brand Ravine is to reach the town of Masca to take the route on foot that crosses the ravine to the cliffs.

There they pick you up on a boat from which you can see the amazing landscapes of the cliffs.

The route will take you 3 and a half hours, but it must be said in its favor that it is downhill and it is very worth it, they are unique ravines.

Anaga Park in the north of Tenerife

I also want to highlight the spectacular mountainous landscapes of the northeast of the island, in the place known as the Anaga Rural Park and the town of Taganana, where you can circulate among the clouds that cross the mountain at high speed.

The ideal way to see it is to leave from the Las Teresitas beach north of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and go into the mountain towards the Bailadero viewpoint At the summit there is a hostel where you can have a coffee with incredible views.

From there take the TF-12 highway that goes to La Laguna, so you will see some amazing views of the mountain along the road. Anaga park.

We recommend the viewpoint of Pico del Ingles and the viewpoint of Jardina

Beautiful towns in Tenerife

In your tourism trip to Tenerife you will also have the opportunity to visit some pretty towns that is worth knowing.

Garachico in Tenerife

This is the case of Garachico, in the north of the island, with a great architectural heritage from the 16th and 17th centuries.

En Garachico It will also catch your attention volcanic landscape, resulting from a large eruption that almost destroyed the town in the 18th century, and the area of natural pools The Caleton.

Basilica of the Virgin of Candelaria in Tenerife

Another place to visit is the town of Candelaria with the Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria, in which the Virgen de la Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands, which follows the tradition of the black virgins.

In this town you have to stop to eat at a fish restaurant that we loved and that we will tell you about later.

Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife

Of course you must also know the Puerto de la Cruz, in the Orotava Valley, the traditional tourist enclave in the northern part of the island.

En Santa Cruz de Tenerife We recommend you visit the César Manrique maritime park and there are two other great places that are worth knowing for the north of the island.

Both in Icod de los Vinos, It's about the Cave of the Wind, a volcanic tube, and the Millennial dragon tree, a characteristic tree of the Canary Islands that is more than 1.000 years old.

Canarian traditions in Tenerife

Another great attraction of your visit to Tenerife will be to discover your culture.

With great differences compared to the peninsula, Tenerife It has its cultural peculiarities compared to the other Canary Islands, although it shares traditions such as that of Canary Shepherd Jump.

What is the Salto del Pastor Canario like?

The practice of Shepherd's Leap It dates back to the indigenous communities of the islands, as a result of their adaptation to the rugged volcanic terrain.

Also know as Canary Jump, there are already written references from the 16th century to this way of moving through the terrain with the help of a spear.

In my recent trip to Tenerife has had the opportunity to see in the Teno park a Shepherd's Leap demonstration, a tradition that is currently preserved as a sporting activity regulated by a federation that organizes competitions on the different islands.

This demonstration has been carried out by Damian Acosta, and you yourself can see it live during one of the routes that by said Teno park carries out the tourist activities company The Cardon, located in the town of Buenavista del Norte.

Complementing this topic, you can see this video of the Salto del Pastor CanarioIn which Damian, one of the young people who currently carry out this traditional activity among the goat herders of the islands, shows us the different techniques of moving with spears that end with a metal tip.

So you can know that there are spears from two to four meters in length, which are used for climb or descend the rocks, or move between them.

You can also see images of jumps made by the aforementioned Damian with the two most common techniques, the jump with feet together or band jump.

And as a curiosity, the biggest jumps are currently made by a veteran jumper from Gran Canaria who, with a four-meter spear, moves up to eight meters.

Canary whistle in La Gomera

Also in the province of Tenerife, but on the neighboring island of La Gomera A very particular method of communication has been developed.

El Silbo Canario own of the Gomera island It was developed by farmers and ranchers to communicate with each other over long distances across the mountains.

Of course, to know the canary whistle you must cross to the island of La Gomera, which you can do on boats that leave from the port of Los Cristianos.

Gastronomy in Tenerife

In your trip to Tenerife you can't stop tasting its gastronomy, with canarian specialties that go beyond the famous Crumbled potatoes with mojo, which by the way is one of our favorite dishes.

In this regard, it is also worth highlighting the Rabbit salmorejo.

We also recommend trying the island's cheeses, since the Canary Islands produce some of the best cheeses in the world, which unfortunately are very difficult to consume outside the islands because production is very small.

Of course, being an island, fish is always the protagonist in many of the dishes.

One of the fried fish places that we liked the most was The Fishermen's Guild in the port of the town of Candelaria .

Good price, fresh and very good food, it is the typical small port place, nothing sophisticated, cheap, but with unbeatable quality, from the sea directly to the plate.

Wines of Tenerife

And do you know that in Tenerife you can also taste wine indigenous?

Indeed, in recent years wine production on the island has been reactivated thanks to the planting of new varieties of grapes.

Of course, in the large tourist areas of the island you will have a wide range of high-quality international cuisine.

Sun and beach tourism in Tenerife

And finally we cannot ignore that in the island of Tenerife you can enjoy the typical sun and beach tourism.

Of course, the beaches of Tenerife are originally black sand due to their volcanic rock origin, although the largest ones have artificially transported sand, such as beach of the americas in the south, or the Las Teresitas beach next to the capital of the island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

In the southern beach areas, large hotels and vacation resorts, like the one we stayed in on our last trip, the Hard Rock Hotel Tenerife located very close to the South airport, in the town of Costa Adeje.

It is a very unique hotel, because we did not know that a hotel existed that is also a true museum of the history of music.

Now, if you are only looking for sun and beaches with dunes and fine sand, I suggest that you should go to the easternmost islands of the Canary archipelago, specifically Fuerteventura o Gran Canaria Since due to its location they receive sand brought by the winds from the Sahara Desert.