Tenerife Holiday Guide

Tenerife Introduction: With the advantages of year-round sunny skies, warm sandy beaches and diverse geographical features, Tenerife has fast become the 'first choice holiday destination for many European travellers.

Tenerife is an ideal all-round holiday destination for all holidaymakers, especially families, couples and younger groups. The island offers an extensive mix of entertainment, from local and traditional live acts to club nights and beach parties. There are plenty of watersport facilities and renowned golfing resorts. With so much to offer, Tenerife has become the perfect alternative to the sunny resorts of the Spanish Costas.

This unique island features cosmopolitan resorts, great nightlife, deserts, volcanoes and breathtaking beaches. To enjoy your holiday to the full, we strongly recommend hiring a car to help you discover and enjoy one of Europe's most beautiful Islands.

Tenerife's Popular Resorts:

(1). Playa de las Americas: Las Americas is a vibrant modern beach resort with a colourful international feel, the resort of choice for sun-seekers and hardy partygoers. Las Americas is perfect for families, young couples and groups of friends.

Playa de las Americas has six main beaches (mostly made-up of golden sands shipped in from Africa's Sahara Desert), with most beaches conveniently backed by a string of bars, clubs and restaurants. Troya beach is one of the resort's most popular beaches, its calm waters are ideal for watersports, sunbathing and swimming, perfect for enjoying the beautiful year-round warm sunny skies of Playa de las Americas.

Las Americas is a fun family resort with plenty to keep children occupied, including the option to splash around at the island's most popular attraction, Siam Park. Siam Park is a Thai-themed outdoor adventure water park, providing both thrill and family slides, swimming pools and a relaxing beach. Siam Park is located close to main holiday resorts between Costa Adeje and Las Americas.

There are two excellent 18-hole golf courses nearby, Golf Las Américas is a picturesque course amid lakes, palm trees & sloping hills, it provides a restaurant, golf school & pro shop. Whilst Golf Costa Adeje is part of a very exclusive hotel, sports and leisure complex.

Plenty is going on in Las Americas! Resort nightlife is centred around 'Veronica's strip and Starco', where you will find an endless supply of bars and nightclubs open from dusk to dawn. A short walk along the coast from Veronicas is - The Patch, a lively area packed with pubs, bars and restaurants (this area is slightly quieter and less energetic than Veronica's).

Tenerife's favourite club is 'Tramps - The King of Clubs' located on Starco avenue, Tramps is recognised as one of the best 'house music and R&B venues on the island and hosts world-famous DJs from 10 pm till 6 am. The club also boasts a state-of-the-art light and sound system, three dance floors playing different music genres, a large terrace and plush VIP seating areas.

(2). Puerto de la Cruz: Puerto de la Cruz, is located at the foot of the La Orotava Valley on Tenerife's northern coast. The north is often the preferred coast due to its ideal mix of beach life, dramatic and picturesque coastline, sub-tropical climate, lush greenery and abundance of Canarian charm. Puerto de la Cruz is regarded to be more sophisticated than its southern counterparts and provides a good mix of stylish shops, quaint bars, excellent seafood restaurants, elegant plazas and leafy open spaces.

There are two sides to Puerto de la Cruz; the first is the pretty seaside town with its historic quarter and distinct Canarian character. Here you'll find bustling picturesque squares, narrow cobbled streets, pavement cafes, trendy boutiques and leafy avenues lined with colourful traditional colonial-style buildings.

The old fishermen's district of 'La Ranilla' is full of charming architecture and is known as the quirky part of town. La Ranilla has plenty of local bars and restaurants, independent boutiques and local artists showcasing their work at local art galleries. Top Tip: Look out for the pretty and colourfully painted fishermen's cottages, especially when traditionally lit at night by old-fashioned lanterns.

A recent addition to the resort includes an extensive and uniquely designed open-air swimming pool complex called the Lago Martianez. The lido has beaches, sunbeds, several swimming pools (including seawater pools), and a huge artificial lake with waterfalls and footbridges, all surrounded by beautiful tropical gardens. The complex offers a good selection of inexpensive bars, cafes and restaurants. Lago Martianez is a perfect spot for a family fun day in the sun, or to just relax and recharge your batteries.

Top Places to Visit:

(1). The Botanical Gardens.
The Exotic Botanical Gardens can be found in La Paz, on the edge of the town. These beautiful 18th-century gardens are a must-see and include more than 5,000 exotic plants and trees representing different parts of the world, a perfect location for a peaceful escape. Top Tip: Close to the Gardens is the Plaza de Mirador de la Paz, with its impressive views over Puerto and Playa Martianez and out to sea; you'll also find a statue of Agatha Christie in the gardens.

(2). Best Beaches in Puerto de la Cruz
Remember, the Atlantic seas surrounding Puerto de la Cruz can be strong and dangerous, only swim in designated safe areas.

Playa Jardin is the main beach in Puerto de la Cruz. At just over 1 km long, the beach is made up of soft, dark volcanic sand lapped by clear and protected waters. The beach has numerous facilities, including sunbeds, showers and toilets, and is beautifully lined by tropical gardens.

Playa Martianez Beach: The second most popular beach after Playa Jardin is Martianez Beach. The beach has black sands that stretch over 960 feet and are one of north Tenerife's best surfing beaches. The beach has the usual facilities, backed by a promenade and tropical trees.

If your looking for tranquillity, culture and year-round sunshine - Puerto de la Cruz is the place to stay. The resort is approximately 88km or just over an hour's drive from Tenerife South Airport.

(3). Los Cristianos: Los Cristianos is situated just south of Playa de las Americas and is a relaxing, traditional harbour town. The resort has a continental flavour with plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants, plus three golden sandy beaches to show off, with rows of sunbeds and umbrellas to hire. Los Cristianos has a small town centre with a charming square and a promenade that runs the length of the resort; there's also a beautiful harbour that offers fishing trips and pleasure cruises.

The resort is tucked away on the south coast and is the perfect spot if you like a bit of sophistication. The bustling town centre has a labyrinth of shops, including; boutiques, designer labels and a sleek shopping centre, plus plenty of cafes, al fresco restaurants and busy bars.

(4). Puerto de Santiago: Puerto de Santiago sits on the west coast of Tenerife, a small whitewashed fishing town complete with old-world charm, a pretty harbour, a black sandy beach, plus plenty of friendly bars and restaurants. Puerto de Santiago is a good location for exploring Tenerife's rugged coastline and has stunning views of the famous Los Gigantes lava cliffs.

Puerto de Santiago is less than an hour's drive from Mount Teide, the world's third-highest volcano. An excursion to Mount Teide is recommended, and if time allows, you can do the 5-hour guided hike to the volcano's summit - or you can take the cable car to the top station, which is just short of the summit. There are plenty of official Mount Teide excursions and hiking trails to choose from. You can plan your National Park day-out adventure at the volcanoteide.com website.

Top Tip: Tenerife has one of the best night skies in the world, and the Teide sky is one of the best for astronomical observation. Treat yourself to one of several guided Teide at night tours, including (1) Sunset and the stars on Teide. (2) Astronomic tour to Teide, including a visit to the Observatory. (3) Star-gazing excursion with a visit to the Observatory, plus other choices and combinations of night-sky and star-gazing tours.

Top Tip: The exciting and colourful 'Carnivalde Santa Cruz' takes place on the Island in February. With its scale and pageantry, the Carnivalde Santa Cruz is known to be the second largest in the world after Rio. The Santa Cruz Carnival starts in Tenerife's vibrant capital port city, Santa Cruz.

Tenerife Local Transport: Public and local transport consists of Bus and Taxi services. Buses are popular, efficient and cover the whole island.

Tenerife Bus services: Buses are operated by a company called; Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife, Sociedad Anónima (TITSA for short). TITSA operate a modern fleet of over 600 vehicles that are bright green in colour. Buses are comfy and reliable and provide an inexpensive means of exploring the island. You can plan a bus journey in advance using this online 'Bus Route Planner'.

Bus Routes & Timetable Check out the TITSA Tourist Bus Route Planner - the link includes an interactive planner and timetable.

If travelling by bus a lot, consider buying a 1 or 7-day travel card; the card provides unlimited trips on buses and trams throughout the island. Alternatively, use the convenient Ten+ WALLET (or contactless top-up card) that can be used on all buses and trams. Alternatively, try the ten+Movil mobile app that can be downloaded to purchase online bus tickets and travel cards.

Top Tip: Buses have a 3-digit route number displayed on the front, back and sides of the vehicle - this number is the same for travelling in either direction. Remember, check the bus route by checking its destination displayed next to the route number above the front windscreen. If unsure - ask the driver.

Tenerife Taxi Info: Taxis are a very convenient and popular mode of transport in Tenerife. They are generally white in colour and mostly Mercedes cars or larger estates that can easily accommodate 4 adult passengers plus luggage; should you need a larger taxi, ask for ‘grande taxi’ (pronounced Granday). If planning on using a Taxi for longer journeys, perhaps for a full-day excursion, try to negotiate a reasonable fixed price with the driver in advance.

All taxis charge using meters; you should ask the driver if the meter is on and working before you set off. The metered fares start with a base rate that covers the first part of the journey, followed by the metered rate charge calculated on the distance covered - night rates are more expensive. Journeys to/from the airport and public holidays carry a supplement added to the metered fare, a sticker displayed inside the cab should indicate all additional charges and potential extras.

The vast majority of taxi drivers in Tenerife are honest and helpful. If you do experience a problem, or have a dispute, ask the driver for an official receipt (recibo official and a complaint or claim form (Hoja de Reclamaciones), also take a photo of the licence displayed inside the cab, then take your complaint to a police station for filing. Standing your ground, and asking the driver for a receipt and a record of the fare charged - just may resolve the problem there and then.

Tenerife Sightseeing Tips: The best sightseeing is in North Tenerife and the interior. Hire a car and drive along the 'west side' of the island to see the dramatic cliffs of Los Gigantes, or drive through the Las Canadas National Park around Mount Teide, just for the adventure.

Visit Siam Park, the largest waterpark in Europe. The park is filled with adrenaline-pumping attractions, animals, play areas, a tropical river and man-made golden beaches, plus a surf school and wave pool like no other.

Visit Mount Teide - the central mountain stands tall at 12,200 feet (3,719m), the highest in Spain. A cable car ride can take you to the summit, where you can marvel at the views of the lunar-like landscape and volcanic slopes.

Tenerife Airport (TFS). Also known as Tenerife South–Reina Sofía Airport.

TFS airport is the island's most modern international airport, located south of the island- and is the busiest airport within the Canary Islands.

Airport Transport and Transfer Services: Tenerife (TFS) is within easy transport reach of the island's south and western holiday resorts. Most package holiday companies can arrange coach transport from the airport to main resorts. There are regular direct bus services to Santa Cruz, Los Cristianos, Playa de las Americas, and other towns and resorts around the island.

Taxis are available from outside the arrivals hall - they are usually plentiful and charge metered fares. However, be prepared to wait a while in high season. Several private transfer companies operate in Tenerife, so it's recommended to pre-book your resort transfers in advance before arrival.

Tenerife South Airport is 60 kilometres from Santa Cruz, 88 km from Puerto de la Cruz, but closer to the beach resorts of south Tenerife, with Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos being only 15 minutes taxi ride away.

Car Hire: All major car rental companies are represented at Tenerife TFS airport, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt.