What to see / 19.02.2024

Interesting places in Tenerife. Tenerife Island - guide: attractions, how to get there, what to see, trip plan and best excursions Routes by car in Tenerife

We have already visited all or almost all interesting places in Tenerife. If you are coming to the island for the first time and want to do everything: lie on the beach, sleep, be with your family, see the island and get new impressions, we recommend a list of interesting places to visit in Tenerife, as they say, “minimum program”:

Teide National Park + Esperanza Forest. Very beautiful, fantastic landscapes, the majestic Teide volcano, colorful lava. Be sure to take your cameras with you to capture the clouds passing under your feet. If you visit during the winter months, bring warm clothes with you. To go to the top of the volcano on a ski lift, apply for a permit in advance. In one trip you can visit the Esparanza National Park and the fabulous forest and even pick mushrooms during the season from November to January. There are many cafes and restaurants along the way where you can have a snack. The trip is safe and comfortable for children. The road is mountainous, but without extreme, everything is thought out, because... This is the most common tourist route on the island. You can rent a car and drive for half a day or a whole day, as you wish. If you want to see more sights in one sitting, it is better to book an excursion along a special route; on your first visit it will be difficult to find your way, you won’t be able to escape from the island, but it may turn out that you will spend the night in the mountains.
Los Gigantes Cliffs + Masca Gorge. You can also visit both places in one trip. Very beautiful places with beautiful legends. Just be careful on the way to the gorge - a very steep serpentine road and a narrow road. If you don’t feel confident behind the wheel, it’s better to book a tour.
Santa Cruz + Las Teresitas Beach. In fact, all the attractions are described in detail on this site, so all the most interesting things you can see in the capital of Tenerife and about Las Teresitas beach can be found in the section about Tenerife. In Santa Cruz, you can successfully combine a walk around the city's attractions with shopping. And then have lunch at a local restaurant and go to the beach, relax and enjoy the ocean.
Candelaria. You can stop by after Santa Cruz on your way home to the south. A very cozy town, the most delicious ice cream on the island is sold here. Stop by the Basilica of the Black-Faced Madonna and stroll around the main square with statues of the Guanche leaders - the first settlers of the island - impressive.
Loro Parque. It's best to go when you want to take a break from the sun and the beach. This zoo is surrounded by greenery; it will be pleasant to walk in the shade. Interesting for all age categories. The killer whale show is impressive. Please note that the front rows of the auditorium are wet. During the show, killer whales deliberately hit the water with their tails at the edge of the pool, and a fountain of spray drenches the ignorant from head to toe. If you don’t want to continue walking around the park wet, rent a protective raincoat or sit further away. There are many other enjoyable shows. To better navigate and plan your route around the park, pick up a map and schedule of performances at the entrance. Don't forget to check out the penguins. The conditions in which they are kept there are an achievement of science and technology!
Siam Park- entertainment for the whole family. Considered the largest outdoor water park in Europe. My husband and I love to lounge on the white sand by the wave pool while the kids run around the park and ride their hearts out on the various slides. And if you want to get your adrenaline pumping, take a ride on the Kamikaze slide with a free vertical fall. You can go to the park with your whole family, even with your grandparents, for the whole day, just plan your trip on a weekday, then there will be fewer people. You can have a snack at the buffet; we recommend beer with ribs, and for children, soup, grilled chicken, vegetables and pizza. During the active season - July, August, September - it is better to team up with a large group and buy a VIP package, then you won’t have to stand in queues for slides and free sunbeds.
Icod de Vinos (Dragon Tree)+ Garachico. If you have a free day and want to plunge into the Middle Ages and walk through old Spanish towns with their own history. Look at the ancient Dragon Tree, take the children to the Butterfly Park, where it is interesting to watch beautiful butterflies emerge from their cocoons. And the most active ones can go down to the volcanic cave Cueva del Viento, it’s all nearby, you just need to book tickets to the cave in advance.

If this is not your first time coming to Tenerife and you completed the minimum program on your last visit, you may not have been here yet:

Monkey Park or Lemuryatnik. It is comfortable here with children from 1 year old. You can cuddle fluffy tame lemurs and hand-feed turtles, see a wide variety of monkey breeds from tiny ones that fit in the palm of your hand to huge gorillas. A non-intrusive walk of 1.5 - 2 hours.
Miniature Park, Eagles Park, Botanical Garden, Aqualand, Ostrich Farm, Camel Park. Aqualand is also a water park, like Siam Park, but smaller and cheaper. Among the advantages are a variety of attractions for children, a conveniently timed dolphin show - like a relaxation after lunch, a large heated swimming pool-jacuzzi in the center of the park. It's really nice here. In the Park of the Eagles, as a continuation of the theme of Loro Parque, it is also interesting: there are different animals and a key show of eagles, and it’s also convenient to get here, because... The park is located near Las Americas, you don’t have to go far. In the Botanical Garden you can admire beautiful orchids and many other endemics, relax in the shade of trees and organize a picnic, and at the same time take a walk around the city of Puerto de la Cruz, where the park is located. But we recommend the ostrich farm with caution. Here you can see ostriches and taste the poor fellows for lunch, but the prices are steep, and the service is not very good. Camel Park - well, camels are just like camels, unless your baby has never seen them in his life, as they say for general development.

The Canary archipelago is one of the most popular tourist destinations, which is ideal for an unforgettable holiday all year round. Sandy, wide beaches, volcanic landscapes, hospitable locals and a developed tourist infrastructure make visitors return here again and again.

Each of the islands of the Canary archipelago has its own zest and can give all its guests a delightful holiday with a lot of positive impressions.

Today we will talk about the largest island of the Canary archipelago - Tenerife. It covers an area of 2354 square meters. km. This small piece of land is so filled with a riot of natural colors, combined with a unique microclimate, that it is called a “continent in miniature.”

The tourism infrastructure on the island began to develop at the end of the 19th century, and the real tourism boom occurred in the 1960s. At the moment, tourism for the island is the most important item in the economy and they are trying to do everything possible for guests here so that they have a good rest and come back later.

Many Western and Russian airlines operate regular flights to Europe from Moscow.

International airports of Tenerife: Tenerife Norte Airport, 9 km from Santa Cruz de Tenerife (northern airport of the island of Los Rodeos).

Reina Sofia International Airport in the south, 60 km from the capital of the island. Direct flights are operated from Moscow to Tenerife on Fridays to the South Airport (Tenerife Sur), which is located just 20 km from the tourist center of the southern coast of the island - Playa de las Americas. The most popular transfer point is Madrid; during the day, the largest number of flights to Tenerife operate from here, including Air Europa, Spanair and Iberia. Regular direct flights to Madrid are operated by Russian airlines S7, Aeroflot and Iberia.

The visa is issued in about 5 working days and costs about $41 US.

For adult citizens, you must have a valid passport with you, which must have a blank page for pasting a visa;
copies of all pages of the international passport and internal passport;
4 color photographs 3x4 cm;
a copy of the marriage or divorce certificate;
a copy of all pages of your spouse’s passport, regardless of whether your “other half” is traveling with you or not;
a certificate from the place of employment, indicating on letterhead the address and telephone number of the enterprise, position, salary, as well as information about maintaining a job during vacation
an identification number.

Certified by a notary:

a copy of the registration certificate of the enterprise where the tourist works;
a copy of the certificate of registration with the Ministry of Statistics;
a copy of the enterprise license (if the type of activity is licensed);
a copy of the work book (all pages with entries and the last one, where the date of issue of the book is recorded). Each page must be certified by an accountant with the company's seal.

ATTENTION! If you have a Schengen visa in your passport without violations, then from the entire package of documents you will only need to provide a certificate from your place of work and an identification number.

You can rent a car in Tenerife only if the following conditions are met:

Must have a passport and a valid driver's license;
Availability of a Visa, Mastercard, Amex credit card;
When renting an L class (Luxe) car, you must have two credit cards from different banks;
Having a driving experience of at least 1 year;
The driver's age is over 25 years; — the price includes partial insurance.

Many companies provide the opportunity to rent a car in Tenerife - this is a very popular service. Here you can find signs of international brands such as Sixt, Herts and Avis, as well as billboards of local rental companies.

Inspect the car before concluding a rental agreement: be sure to mark any defects on the body in a special picture in the contract.

You will encounter rental cars immediately at the airport upon arrival, then you can find a rental company near your hotel or meet its representatives at the hotel itself. In general, in any case, you will not be left without wheels, especially if you don’t care from whom, for how much and what model of car you rent. The only thing you should take care of is renting in August or on New Year's Eve - you should book a car in advance for these dates.

It is also necessary to take into account a certain shortage of cars with automatic transmission. Automatic transmissions are not repaired on the island, so the units must be sent to the continent, as a result of which rental companies prefer not to bother with them.

The price variation of rental cars is different and in most cases is related to the condition of the car, service, and the presence or absence of a franchise. Rental companies save on literally everything, which does not have a very good effect on the client. But there is a large selection - and this is the main thing.

If you do not have knowledge of the language and feel insecure when you find yourself in an unfamiliar country for the first time, then there is a 24-hour support service and car rental with Russian-speaking employees.

Now let's talk about whether it's worth booking a car before arriving on the island. Naturally, it’s worth it for “hot” dates, but also for regular days. Firstly, you will not waste time upon arrival at the resort, because you will already have a car at hand. Secondly, when booking a car online, you can save a certain amount of money, since many companies offer special rates. Thirdly, it's just convenient. You choose the appropriate car model in advance, without any haste, and clarify the rental details.

Most rental companies have their own websites that support the English language.

The traffic rules are approximately similar to our traffic regulations. The main principle is to focus on road signs and markings. The signs here are in sufficient abundance, so you just need to look around carefully.

Violation of similar traffic rules in Tenerife is punishable by a much larger fine than in our country. It is considered a serious offense not to allow a pedestrian to cross a special zebra crossing. Throwing cigarette butts out of an open window is just as unacceptable as driving through a traffic sign, and is punishable at the same rates. You also cannot talk on a mobile phone or program the navigator while driving. But such minor sins still need to be identified, therefore, according to statistics, the vast majority of fines are issued for violating the speed limit, both for tourists and local residents. Keep in mind that radar detectors are strictly prohibited in Spain and using them will result in a fine of 6 thousand euros. Stationary police photo radar systems are always marked with special road signs that can be seen from afar. There is also a “secret patrol” on the island, so, in any case, you should not exceed the speed.

Table of fines for speeding since May 25, 2010

Speed limit, km/h										Fine, in euros
30	40	50	60	70	80	90	100	110	120	Fine, in euros
31-50	41-60	51-70	61-90	71-100	81-110	91-120	101-130	111-140	121-150	100
51-60	61-70	71-80	91-110	101-120	111-130	121-140	131-150	141-160	151-170	300
61-70	71-80	81-90	111-120	121-130	131-140	141-150	151-160	161-170	171-180	400
71-80	81-90	91-100	121-130	131-140	141-150	151-160	161-170	171-180	181-190	500
81+	91+	101+	131+	141+	151+	161+	171+	181+	191+	600

Country roads are patrolled by the Civil Guard. Guardsmen are more like military men than police officers. Their uniform consists of a green uniform, a “confederate” cap and boots. The guard travels in white and green cars or on motorcycles. In cities, the police keep order on the roads, patrolling the streets in white and blue cars. It is not customary to stop cars just like that to check documents here in Tenerife, unless there are raids for drunk drivers, when everyone is stopped.

What to do if you are stopped for a traffic violation?

First of all, don’t panic, it’s okay, your license won’t be taken away. This happens rarely, but with almost every driver. You need to remain in the car and present the following documents to the police officer: driver's license, car insurance and rental agreement. You can make a confused face and smile in confusion. You must very convincingly show with all your appearance that this is the first time you have heard about the prohibition of talking on a mobile phone, that you do not know how to use seat belts in principle, and that exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h was only due to the fact that the gas pedal is too sensitive. But with all this one-man theater, you must make it clear to the guards of order that you really repent and will never repeat this again. There is no need to try to “agree” with the police - they will not understand, just like arguing with them.

Then there are two options: you will be forgiven for the first time or you will be issued a fine. In the latter case, you will be asked to give the money on the spot, in return for which you will receive a cashier's check, or they will issue a receipt for payment through a bank or post office. There is a third option - you can transfer money from your credit card on the website www.dgt.es. If you pay the fine on the spot or within the next few days, you can count on a 50% discount.

An almost Shakespearean question is brewing: to pay or not to pay on a receipt? You don’t have to pay, then they might soon forget about you. Or they may not forget. In this case, you will be included in the “Schengen computer”, which threatens to deny you the next visa until you pay off your debt to Spain. In general, depending on your luck.

If suddenly a situation arises where a fine is not issued and documents are not returned, then call the rental office where you rented a car and hand the phone to the guardians of the law.

Parking

Pay attention to road markings, do not leave your car on the road, the side of which is marked with a yellow stripe and there is a sign familiar to every driver “parking prohibited”. A blue stripe indicates that parking in this location is paid. A white stripe allows parking for free, as does the absence of one. Paying for parking using machines and glass tickets is not practiced in Tenerife. Here you either cannot park along the road, or you can park for free. There are paid underground parking lots equipped with a barrier and payment at the exit. Also, many hotels have a free parking area for guests with cars.

What to do if you don't find a parked car?

Firstly, don’t be upset, even if you still have valuables or your favorite music disc there. Cars are stolen here extremely rarely, it is an island after all, but the interior space can be thoroughly cleaned of your belongings.

Secondly, immediately call the rental company and find out the address of the parking ticket. Or find a taxi and explain the situation to the driver. Usually taxi drivers know the location of the deposit and will be happy to take you there. Payment for the car purchase is made on the spot; it depends on the internal pricing policy of the municipality, the ceiling of which is 100 euros. Well, to prevent your car from being towed, follow the above-mentioned parking rules.

The roads in Tenerife are all free and of excellent quality. The southern and northern airports, the main resort of the island of Las Americas, Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz are connected by a large highway stretching along the entire coast. The speed limit on this highway is up to 120 km/h.

In the interior of the island there are zigzag mountain roads. Driving slowly along them, you can calmly admire the majestic, volcanic landscape.

There is only one relatively difficult road section on the entire island: in the northwest, between the city of Santiago del Teide and the village of Masca. This is a real mountain serpentine, but not long, only a few km. Otherwise, moving around Tenerife by car does not cause any particular difficulties. All roads are numbered. The route number is usually indicated on kilometer posts located on the side of the road.

There is no highway in the western part of the island; there is a two-lane road that winds through mountains and forests. Therefore, it is more pleasant to get from Las Americas to Puerto de la Cruz and other northern towns along the highway, going around the island from the east.

All interesting tourist sites (except for the Moon Landscape) are accessible by asphalt roads. However, if you decide to turn onto a country road, keep in mind: usually rental cars do not allow this in their cars.

You can buy petrol in Tenerife for 1 euro per liter (Sin Plomo 95, April 2015), which is cheaper than in mainland Spain. There are many gas stations. The only exception is the central part of the island, where the Teide volcano and the national park are located. Therefore, under no circumstances should you go to the mountains with an empty tank. At self-service gas stations, you must first fill up the tank and then pay. Here you can stock up on all sorts of things, including a map of Tenerife.

The western and southern coasts of the island always have good weather, thanks to the mountain range. Therefore, it is not surprising that most resorts are located here. The most popular tourist cluster of Tenerife is formed by two largest resorts: Playa de las Americas and Costa Adeje.

The northern coast is not very suitable for a beach holiday, but here you can catch that unique atmosphere unique to the Canary Islands. Be sure to visit the quiet, calm town of Puerto de la Cruz (not to be confused with the capital of Tenerife - Santa Cruz).

If you are interested in exciting excursions, then pay attention to the capital of Tenerife - Santa Cruz, as well as the five largest cities of the island, with a rich past.

Main attractions of Tenerife resorts

The main attractions of the island's capital are located mainly in the center, near the Plaza de España. These are the Church of St. Francis, built in the 17th century, the Church of Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción, dating from the 16th century, the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, etc. Walking to Plaza Candelaria, you will find yourself on the main pedestrian street of the capital - Calle Castillo. Shopping and tourist life is in full swing here with restaurants, cafes and shops.

To the east of the capital is the village of San Andres, where the most popular and largest beach in this area of the island is located. Tourists from Europe and residents of the entire archipelago flock here to soak up the sun on the white sand brought from the Sahara Desert.

The capital Tenerife is also the starting point for various tourist destinations. From here you can travel to the highest point - Anaga, a mountain range at the foot of which lies the village of San Andres. A little north of Santa Cruz is the former capital of Tenerife - La Laguna, which, although it has lost its official status, is still the cultural capital. If you drive a considerable distance from the capital, you can find the most famous parrot park in Europe. You can also go from Santa Cruz to conquer the Teide volcano, and at the same time take a walk through the national park located near the foot of the volcano. East of the capital is the main religious center of the island - Candelaria and Guimar, with the famous Guimar Pyramid Park. From the capital you can easily reach the most popular resorts of Tenerife: El Medano, Los Cristianos, Playa de las Americas, etc.

If you came for a relaxing, family holiday, then you have a direct route to Costa Adaje, the largest and main resort of Tenerife. On the west coast of the resort you will have a luxurious holiday, but at the same time you will lose a significant amount of your cash. It’s calm, tasty, but expensive and there’s not much to do. When staying in Fanabe, you can expect an excellent beach, mid-range hotels and bustling shopping streets. When heading to the Puerto Colon area, expect round-the-clock, noisy fun, an absence of puritanical sentiments and proximity to cheerful British people.

The island has a well-developed automobile infrastructure, which connects two airports with the capital Tenerife and the resort of Costa Adaje.

This resort is the complete opposite of its calm and quiet neighbor Costa Adeje. Here, after midnight, the lively, boiling night life just begins. In general, Playa de las Americas can be called a mediocre resort, with affordable prices for all apartments and hotels. There are only three five-star hotels on the territory of the resort, and even then, only one of them is really such - this is the Europe Villa Cortez hotel.

Playa de las Americas is loved by tourists from Europe and Russia. If you decide to relax at this resort, then you don’t have to worry about your knowledge of English or Spanish. Restaurant menus have long been translated into Russian, not to mention travel agencies, each of which has Russian-speaking guides.

Getting to the resort by car is very easy. The northern and southern airports are connected to Costa Adeje and Playa de las Americas by expressway.

Puerto de la Cruz is a real city, with a real history dating back to the Middle Ages. This city has been known since the first half of the 16th century and during its existence it managed to acquire its own unique flavor. Among the popular attractions of the city, several interesting places can be distinguished. For example, Casa de Miranda is an old city mansion, owned by Francisco Miranda, the national hero of Venezuela. Check out the local zoo, Loro Parque, or take a stroll through the magnificent botanical garden.

The tourist infrastructure in Puerto de la Cruz is practically non-existent - there is no place for noisy, nightly fun. Therefore, for young people, a holiday in this city will be boring. Basically, tourists come here to silently enjoy the contemplation of beautiful landscapes, comfortably sitting at one of the tables of coastal cafes.

Choosing a hotel should not be difficult either, regardless of your budget. Numerous city hotels will provide simple and comfortable rooms, without unnecessary luxury.

As in most European cities, Puerto de la Cruz has big problems with parking. Therefore, before renting a car, check to see if there is accessible parking nearby. Otherwise, if you leave the car in the wrong place, you will have to pay a large fine. In general, the city is quite small and you can walk around it pleasantly.

If you travel by car, you can reach the city via the highway connecting the northern and southern airports.

Los Cristianos is a small town located in the east of the island of Tenerife and the end of a powerful tourist cluster.

The tourist infrastructure here is poorly developed, but this is the main highlight of the city. It is real, with a distinct flavor of Tenerife, authentic culture and identity. Los Cristianos is entangled in a network of picturesque, narrow and crooked streets, with countless summer restaurants, various shops and small pastry shops.

There is only one hotel in the old town - Reveron Plaza. There are few available places here, so you can rent suitable apartments in the residential sector of the city, fortunately there are enough suitable options.

The most popular entertainment in the town are gatherings in numerous cafes, the evening promenade in the port part of the city and quiet nightlife. Unlike neighboring resort areas, the nightlife here cannot be called vibrant; in extreme cases, you can sit until late in a half-empty bar.

Getting to Los Cristianos by car is quite easy, thanks to a major highway that connects the city with two airports.

The village of San Andres is considered small even by local standards and is located in the northeast of the island, 7 km east of the capital Santa Cruz at the very base of Anaga.

On the territory of San Andres there is one of the most beautiful beaches on the entire island - Playa de las Torecitas, photographs of which adorn all Tenerife guidebooks. The local government took care of a comfortable stay for tourists, creating all the necessary conditions. Playa de las Toresitas beach is one and a half kilometers of white, pleasant sand imported from the Sahara, with palm trees planted along the coast. The water temperature here is always higher than the average on the island, and all thanks to the stone dam that reliably protects the beach from high waves.

On the embankment you can relax in any of the many restaurants where you will be offered the gifts of the Atlantic. And, if you are not lazy and go deep into the village, then you will have a chance to try a real exotic delicacy, and for a very small fee.

Conclusion

We hope that our article will help you better navigate your first trip to this wonderful island. Well, just in case, we’ll leave here the numbers of several emergency telephone numbers that you may need at the resort:

national police - 091;
local police department - 092;
emergency medical care – 061;
fire service - 080.

Enjoy your holiday!

Wherever you travel, you always want to see as much as possible. The island of Tenerife is ideal in this regard and can offer its guests many options for walking to suit every taste. If you're into cycling, ride the mountain passes or explore the forest trails of Tenerife. There is no better place for hiking, because the island is cut by many paths and the distances are short. You can go through any route on your own. Tenerife also has excellent routes for lovers of road trips. The main thing is to be able to choose from the rich variety the route that suits your desires and capabilities.

Road routes

If you find yourself in Tenerife, take a road trip because every part of the island is so special! There are many scenic roads here, so finding a route to your liking will not be difficult. The best way to explore the island is to rent a car. This is not difficult at all, because Tenerife has a large number of car rental points.

The starting point can be the Teide volcano, to the top of which several roads lead at once. If you're looking for unforgettable photos, take a trip through the Ucanca Valley, a vast volcanic plain of lava. Take some photos with the Roques de Garcia cliffs in the background so that the Teide volcano is also visible in the background.

Those who decide to start their journey from the city of La Orotava, rich in attractions, should visit the Church of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, the former monastery of San Agustin, the Casa de los Balcones and the city hall. Isla Baja, located in the northwestern part of the island, offers an introduction to the charming towns of Los Silos, Garachico and Buenavista del Norte. The route running through them will lead to the Rural de Teno Park - a unique place that amazes with amazing landscapes.

Route Santa Cruz - La Laguna - Las Teresitas and laurel forests

Santa Cruz and La Laguna are two completely different cities, although they are located very close. The lively and cheerful La Laguna and the more majestic and solemn Santa Cruz are worth seeing as part of a trip around the island. Be sure to visit the Auditorio de Tenerife concert hall and the Church of Our Lady Immaculate in Santa Cruz. In the city of La Laguna, it is worth seeing the historical center, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Five kilometers from the center of Santa Cruz is the fishing village of San Andres, which is full of all kinds of small restaurants, and there is also the beautiful Las Teresitas beach. Its golden sands cover several kilometers, so you can take long walks along the coast. Many tourists spend the whole day here, enjoying the calm sea and the rustling of palm leaves.

From Las Teresitas Beach you can head straight towards the Anaga Natural Park. Along the way there are breathtaking views of the ocean, which gradually give way to the most ancient laurel forests on the planet.

Whale watching, Los Gigantes and Masca cliffs

The clear waters of southern Tenerife are home to several colonies of cetaceans. The excursion makes a truly indelible impression on anyone, because the world in which whales live is incredibly beautiful. You can watch them throughout the year, and the whales live only three miles from the coast. Excursion boats depart daily from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colon and Los Gigantes. Don't miss the chance to enjoy this amazing spectacle!

The Los Gigantes cliffs are stone giants located on the seashore. Their size is truly amazing - they reach 600 meters in height and are one of the main natural treasures of Santiago del Teide. The second is Playa de la Arena beach with its azure waters. It is considered one of the most beautiful and impressive places on the island.

Maska is a small village, which is called nothing more than an open-air museum. Masca can be reached from Santiago del Teide along the TF-436 highway. It is hidden in a deep gorge and is considered a favorite place for hikers and wildlife enthusiasts. There is a picturesque path leading from the village to the ocean shore, the journey of which will take several hours, but it is worth it. This is one of the most photogenic and amazing places on the island of Tenerife.

Hiking

There are about 1,500 kilometers of hiking trails on the island. They pass through 43 natural protected areas, which occupy almost half of the entire island area. Each of them has its own unique landscape, different from the others, so any walk will be unique.

One of the most striking routes is the Gran Recorrido (E-7), starting in Europe and then crossing Tenerife from north to south. Along the route you will see incredible landscapes, among which the view of the Teide volcano is especially beautiful. Teide National Park also has a network of hiking trails.

Cycling routes

The island's road network is quite developed and in excellent condition, and most importantly, there is low traffic in many areas, so you can safely engage in cycling here. The most unusual routes take place at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. Professional cyclists come to Tenerife to prepare for major sporting events.

One of the shortest but most difficult cycling routes starts and ends in the city of Garachico (TF-421 and TF-42, respectively) and passes through the cities of Erjos, Santiago del Teide, the village of Masca and the town of Buenavista del Norte.

Mountain biking routes

For mountain bike enthusiasts, Tenerife has about 200 kilometers of trails. Most of them pass through the highlands of Tenerife. The cycle path network consists of four main routes, each of which has several variations and branches, and they can be combined. The main cycling route in Tenerife - BC-1 (also called the North) passes through 15 municipalities of the island and six main natural areas. An additional fifth route, BC-5, is unique as it runs through the pine forests of the Corona Forestal Natural Park.

Walking routes

There's nothing better than exploring a new place on foot. The promenades, boulevards, avenues, streets, houses in the historical centers of the main cities of Tenerife are not only beautiful, but also have a special atmosphere. Many municipalities offer entertaining excursions to the island's historical and cultural sites, accompanied by a professional guide.

In October, a large group of us flew to Tenerife. By general vote it was decided that we are not going anywhere in July, August, September, we are planning our vacation in November. Then we decided not to lie to ourselves: we can’t bear it until November, so we are flying to Tenerife on our own in October. In the summer there are crowds of people everywhere, prices are jacked up, it’s hot and there are many, many more delights of a holiday during the peak season. As they say, I used to love summer and the sun, but when I learned that summer can come at any time of the year, now I love money.

At first there were thoughts about Thailand or Vietnam. Then about Italy and Switzerland. Every day, coming to work, Irka and I discussed different options for where we would go on vacation in October. We have “visited” almost every country in the world.

But everything worked out by itself. In June, we saw an acceptable price for a flight from Iberia to Tenerife and decided to take it.

So, to organize an independent trip to Tenerife you need to take a few steps.

Buy air tickets to Tenerife
Read information about the country, understand where it is better to book a hotel (IMHO, this should be done in any case, even if you are buying a package tour). Select the attractions you definitely want to visit.
Book a hotel or apartment in Tenerife
Apply for a visa to Spain
Choose how to get from Tenerife airport: transfer, bus, taxi
Rent a car in Tenerife or excursions in Tenerife

Now let's look at each point of organizing an independent trip to Tenerife in more detail.

Step 1. Buy air tickets to Tenerife

There are two ways to fly to Tenerife from Moscow on your own.

Direct flight to Tenerife

If a non-stop flight is important to you, then you need to look at the offers of Transaero and Aeroflot. The cost of the flight seems completely inhumane to me, from 30,000 rubles. On these same flights you will be accompanied by people who have purchased tour packages from tour operators.

Here is the flight schedule to Tenerife for Transaero airlines (see schedule on the Transaero website).

From the schedule it is clear that they fly to Tenerife not often, in general, once a week. Therefore, you can relax in Tenerife for a period that is a multiple of a week.

Aeroflot's schedule of regular flights to Tenerife can be found here: http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/time_table/search

Aeroflot operates flights on Tuesdays and Fridays, the flight time is about 7 hours.

Prices on regular non-stop flights are steep, so we decided to fly to Tenerife with a transfer.

Air flight to Tenerife with a transfer by a European airline

More and more Russians understand that flying with a transfer is much more profitable than spending a lot of money on a charter. You can fly to Tenerife with a transfer in Madrid by airline Iberia(transfer in Madrid), AirEurope(transfer in Madrid) or VuelingAirlines(transfer in Barcelona). The list of flights will also include S7 with a transfer, but these are always combined flights with Iberia. If the cost of a ticket from S7 and Iberia is insignificant, then take S7, because they are refundable.

There is another option to fly to Tenerife cheaply.

There is an excellent budget (low-cost) airline Ryanair, which sells tickets between European cities at low prices. Don’t think that a low-cost airline flies bad planes; Ryanair has new planes. Low prices are due to the absence of any service - only the flight (baggage is paid, seats on the plane can be selected in advance only for money, food and drinks are paid, etc.). Unfortunately, Ryanair does not fly from Russia, but why don’t we still use its services? We just need to buy a cheap ticket to any European city from where low-cost airlines operate flights to Tenerife and that’s it. There are almost always cheap air tickets from Moscow to Dusseldorf (AirBerlin, Lufthansa), Berlin (AirBerlin, Lufthansa, Aeroflot), Stockholm (Sass, Aeroflot), Oslo (Sass, Aeroflot) and Milan Bergamo (Italian low-cost airline AirDolomiti). The cost of a ticket from Moscow is from 5,000 rubles roundtrip. Of all these cities, Ryanair flies to Tenerife, costs from 25 euros and above one way. Thus, a ticket to Tenerife may turn out to be quite cheap, plus you can leave yourself a couple of days to walk around the city through which you will fly. Of course, you can look for other options, I just gave examples.

Well, my last option on how to get to Tenerife is to catch a cheap ticket to Madrid or Barcelona, and then buy a ticket to the island (by the way, not necessarily Tenerife) from the same Reanair, Iberia, Vueling Airlines, AirEurope. This option is suitable for those who want to combine a holiday on the islands with a walk around Barca or Madrid. So I'm flying to Fuertoventura and Lanzaroti soon: 4 days in Madrid and a week on the islands.

By choosing the flight option with a transfer, you will receive a fairly cheap air ticket to Tenerife, from RUB 15,000. And of course, the golden rule for finding cheap tickets to Tenerife lies in the proverb: “The first to get up gets the slippers.” You can fly cheaply if you buy tickets about six months in advance.

For the flight to Tenerife we chose Iberia with short connections in Madrid: 3 hours and 1 hour in the return direction. In an hour, we managed to run back to another terminal of the Madrid airport.

Many of my friends turn up their noses when they hear about a connecting flight. Probably, we are all too rich in Russia... Europeans constantly fly with transfers: grandparents, families with children, young companies. In general, think about it.

Step 2. What to choose in Tenerife: south or north?

Once the tickets were purchased, we moved on to the phase of searching for information about the island. I know that many tourists act exactly the opposite: first they collect information and accumulate a desire to visit this or that place, and then they go and book air tickets. We want it always and everywhere, so we always start from the cost of flights and hotels, and the availability of vacation days. We prefer to fly frequently and on a budget: about 5-6 trips per year with a budget of up to 30,000 per person.

So, we know that Tenerife is the largest island of the Canary archipelago of volcanic origin. Pensioners from Europe, crazy English students and our compatriots “who have something to compare with” like to relax here. In many reviews, people for some reason don’t like the fact that there are a lot of European pensions in hotels and on the promenade. How do they interfere?

Some people complain about the dirt, bulls and bottles everywhere. Friends, but what do you want from a resort where English youth and Russians vacation? Or do you really believe that the British eat oatmeal and discuss the weather over a cup of tea? But in vain! My personal opinion is that English tourists are the worst neighbors for those who are looking for peace of mind with a good sleep on holiday. Our Russian brawlers are so far from them! But don’t think that the Canaries are a dump, everything is within normal limits, like in any popular resort.

Neither pensioners nor the British bother us, so we move on to the issue of climate and resort.

The island of Tenerife is divided into two climatic zones by the huge Teide volcano. If you look at a satellite map of Tenerife, you will see that the northern part is green and the southern part is sandy. This is due to the more humid climate in the north and the dry and hot weather in the south. The volcano blocks the path of the clouds, so they rain on the northern part of the island.

Since we flew to Tenerife in October and wanted sun and warmth, living in the north is very risky. If we were traveling in August, then without hesitation I would choose the north of Tenerife. Perhaps experienced tourists are already ready to throw tomatoes at me, but I am writing about what was right for us. The choice of the south of Tenerife was very correct. In the south there are good beaches and wonderful weather, but in the north in the evening the sky was overcast, the ocean was much colder and more restless.

Something in between is the choice of a resort in the Therasistos beach area , which is located in the east of the island. This is the most “postcard” beach in Tenerife with palm trees and light sand. But we wanted fun and discos, so for ourselves we still chose Las Americas or Los Cristianos.

Las Americas and Los Cristanos currently have no borders and have practically merged with each other. But still, Los Cristianos has much better beaches, less noise and dirt. At least, that’s what all the tourists who have already vacationed in Tenerife write.

We rented a car and explored the island on our own, so the location of attractions also mattered when choosing a resort. On the Internet, reviews and opinions differed. One part, foaming at the mouth, argued that all the most interesting things are in the north of Tenerife, and someone shared my opinion that they are scattered throughout the island. For example, the volcano is located in the middle of the island, Los Gigantes in the west, Santa Cruz, Teristas in the east, the largest water park, a decoy park in general in the south. Well, add to everything else the size of the island and you will understand that to explore Tenerife by car it doesn’t matter where you live.

Here is a map with the main attractions of Tenerife.

View Sights of Tenerife on a larger map

At some point we even wanted to divide our vacation into two parts and live in both the north and the south. But since there are 7 of us, all the coordination of hotels, wishes, etc. looked too complicated.

In general, after going through all the pros and cons, we decided on the southern part of Tenerife and started choosing a hotel.

Step 3. Book a hotel or apartment in Tenerife

In fact, it turned out that choosing a hotel is not as easy as it initially seemed. I wrote about all our vacillations when choosing a hotel separate note .

Step 4. Get a Spanish visa yourself

Tenerife belongs to Spain, and Spain is part of the Schengen agreement, so you need an appropriate visa. Many people think that getting a visa on their own is very difficult and are afraid of it like fire. People, getting a visa is very easy if you haven't messed up in Europe. And receiving a Schengen visa to Spain is doubly pleasant, because you will immediately be given a six-month multiple visa, with which you can travel to Europe more than once.

So, what do you need to do to get a visa?

You need to go to the website of the official Spanish visa center. Please do not confuse all sorts of companies offering their assistance in obtaining a visa and an accredited visa center. Here is his website: http://www.spainvac-ru.com/russian/shorttermvisa.html

See the list of required documents: http://www.spainvac-ru.com/russian/shorttermvisa_docreq.html

Collect your documents and come submit them, here is a list of addresses of visa centers in Russia: http://www.spainvac-ru.com/russian/contactus.html.

Step 5: How to get from Tenerife airport: transfer, bus, taxi

Tenerife has two airports: North (TFN, Tenerife Nord Los Rodeos) and South (Tenerife South Reina Sofia). As a rule, European airlines fly to the Northern airport, and Russian airlines to the Southern airport.

There are several ways to get from Tenerife North Airport to Las Americas or Los Cristianos.

You can order a transfer with a Russian-speaking driver. We rented a car for seven of us for 100 euros from this company http://islatenerife.ru/kanarskie-ostrova/tenerife/transfer-na-tenerife.html. We were met by cheerful Evgeniy at the exit of their airport.

I took the transfer price board from their website.

	Arrival	Distance
NORTH AIRPORT	Las Americas
	Los Cristianos
	Costa Adeje
	Playa Paraiso
	Kayao Salvaje
	Puerto de Santiago
	Los Gigantes
	El Medano
	Abama (hotel)

SOUTH AIRPORT	Las Americas
	Los Cristianos
	Costa Adeje
	Playa Paraiso
	Kayao Salvaje
	Puerto de Santiago
	Los Gigantes
	El Medano
	Abama (hotel)

	Puerto de La Cruz
SOUTH OF THE ISLAND	Loro Parque (5 hours)

From the northern airport of Tenerife you can reach the most popular resorts of the island by public transport and bus.

There is bus 102.343 from the airport to Puerto de la Cruz.

Bus 343 goes to southern Las Americas and Los Cristianos.

There are also buses from the southern airport.

To Las Americas and Los Cristianos 111, 343, 450, and to Puerto de la Cruz 343.

As you can see, the most important bus route from airports is 343, here is its schedule and route map ( official site).

Here is the schedule and route of all Tenerife buses. The information is presented very conveniently, it’s easy to understand how to get to the desired point ( link to schedule).

There is also a list of routes with a detailed description of each: http://www.titsa.com/index.php?accion=linea&IdLinea=343

And, of course, you can get from Tenerife airport by taxi. There is no need to order a taxi in advance; the parking lot near the arrivals hall is full of them. Prices are approximately the same as for transfers.

Step 6: Rent a car in Tenerife or excursions in Tenerife

If you have the opportunity to rent a car, then don’t even think about it - take it. The roads in Tenerife are good, there are plenty of parking spaces, and your hands will be completely free for traveling around the island.

The largest rental company is CiCar www.ci car.com. We rented a car from them because the prices for cars with an automatic transmission were the best. Plus, full insurance included, many offices.

Advice: if you need a car with an automatic transmission, then book in advance, because there are few of them in Tenerife.

In addition to CiCar, the following well-known companies operate in Tenerife:

www.easycar.com

www.avis.co.uk

www.europcar.com/

and many other rental companies.

If you cannot rent a car, you can join organized excursions.

Well, for independent travelers without a car, I have prepared a note on how to visit the sights of Tenerife by public transport.

Our trip to Tenerife, with independent preparation, cost us 60,000 rubles for two for 10 days.

For this price we received:

flight with Iberia airline;
Schengen visa for half a year;
individual transfer with a Russian-speaking driver;
apartments near an excellent beach;
car with automatic transmission for 6 days.

Every day we bought the freshest seafood at a nearby supermarket, fried delicious meat and fish, devoured fruits and vegetables, and sometimes went to restaurants. We visited most of the island's attractions, lost our DSLR at a disco in Las Americas, swam in the warm ocean, and did a lot of other things. I will definitely return to Tenerife again, because there are still many corners that I want to see!

If you also want to go to Tenerife on your own, but have questions about organizing your trip, then ask questions in the comments to the post. I'll be happy to help in any way I can. And here you can read stories and different opinions about resorts, parks, hotels in Tenerife .

Villas in Tenerife

Apartments in Tenerife

Hotels for family holidays in Tenerife

Hotels for romantics in Tenerife

Fuerteventura

Lanzaroti

Gran Canaria

La Palma

After studying the websites of low-cost airlines, we liked the tickets on the website Ryanair . It turned out that the cheapest way to organize a trip to Tenerife is in March and fly from Warsaw. Therefore, we purchased tickets 6-7 months before the planned trip (for 1 person a round trip cost 123 euros).

It is worth noting that if you start looking at ticket prices in advance, you are more likely to save money.

We also rented a hotel long before our trip. Booking , but with the possibility of canceling the reservation. Therefore, we monitored the situation with hotels monthly, and we were rewarded for this; we found a hotel for 14 days for 287 euros. The hotel was located in the south of the island, not far from the airport (TFS airport, Tenerife Sur, Reina Sofia) where we flew into. In the reviews, the downside of the hotel was the noise of airplanes. However, we did not pay much attention to this. The only drawback is that the room was cold at night.

We lived in Golf de Sours - this is one of the resorts for golfers, although besides golf here you can bask in the warm sun, relax and have a great time. A very calm place, there were almost no Russian-speaking tourists, perhaps due to the fact that we went out of season.

Photo by Sergei Simonov
Photo by Sergei Simonov

Probably the only drawback of this place is the rocky beaches. You can see this in the photographs below. You can’t swim, but sitting on benches or on rocks and enjoying the stunning view and surf of the ocean is divine :)

Photo by Sergei Simonov

Tenerife is a delightful island: high mountains, steep serpentine roads, ocean, interesting and varied nature. Therefore, after reading the advice of experienced people, we have prepared a list of interesting places that we planned to visit. And since we preferred to spend our vacation actively, we rented a car. This made our stay more comfortable and saved a lot of time.

We rented a car (Opel Corsa) from cicar . As of March 2015, renting a car cost us 120 euros for 10 days. The car was manual, if you order an automatic, the cost will be more expensive. The car itself, filled with gasoline for 20 euros, was driven to our hotel, as we ordered. The process of receiving a car is simple: we met with a representative of the company in the hotel lobby, he gave us documents, keys and insurance, after which the car was at our complete disposal. When we returned the car, we left it in the hotel parking lot and gave the keys to the receptionist. Overall, we were satisfied with the car rental. We were given a map of the island and a CD with the car. But we advise you to have a navigator or a phone with a built-in program, look for the coordinates of the place you need in advance and then travel :). We used Navitel. The roads in Tenerife are good, there are signs and markings everywhere, so you will have to mostly navigate by them. On the island you can get confused in the junctions, but eventually you will find a way. The island is not big enough to get lost. However, even if the navigator does not show road junctions, its help in indicating directions is invaluable.

Photo by Sergei Simonov

Photo by Photo by Photo by Sergei Simonov
I repeat, it is better to book a car in advance on the Internet, since we were offered to rent a car on site at the hotel, but the price was several times more expensive.
As for the weather, in March during the day it varied from +20 to +28, becoming cooler in the evening. And since there is a cool piercing wind near the ocean, and it’s fresh in the evenings, it’s worth taking a jacket with you. It’s also cool in the mountains, and sometimes foggy :) The water temperature was somewhere around +18-+20, so during the day, in the sun, you could swim, but not for long. Although there were plenty of people floating in the ocean :)
If we talk about food, we cooked for ourselves; the hotel room had a kitchen with dishes and everything we needed. We shopped at the Mercadona supermarket chain. This store is famous for its low prices and variety of essential goods, like Auchan.
Summing up, I would like to say, take the time to thoroughly prepare for the trip, this will save your time and money. And I advise everyone to visit this romantic and calm island, where no one is in a hurry.
This concludes the review part of our independent trip to Tenerife. More detailed stories about various attractions of the island of Tenerife are ahead.

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Interesting places in Tenerife. Tenerife Island - guide: attractions, how to get there, what to see, trip plan and best excursions Routes by car in Tenerife