Tenerife - Things To See And Do

Tenerife Car HireThe museum is housed in a magnificent 16th century
This island of eternal spring is best known for itsbuilding.
perfect weather and stunning natural beauty. Many ofMasca
Tenerife's attractions include outdoor parks or famousUntil recently, this quaint village was inaccessible by
resorts. However, the capital city of Santa Cruz hasroad, which helped it to maintain its traditional Canarian
some historic architecture and a couple of museums.atmosphere. Although you can now drive here directly,
Most people come to Tenerife to simply lie on theMasca remains popular for its traditional culture and
beach and soak up the warm sun, and for this activity,great views and is a favourite spot with hikers who
the island is perfectly suited.want to walk from here to the base of the cliffs at
Cliffs of the GiantsLos Gigantes.
These remarkably sheer cliff walls plunge dramaticallyVilaflor
into the sea off the west coast of the island. The rockThis old Canarian village, located at 4,921 feet, is the
faces are between 500 and 800 metres high. The onlyhighest town in Spain. The beautiful scenery and cool
way to reach these cliffs is by boat. Across the smallweather make it a popular day-trip destination.
bay, lies the resort town of Los Gigantes, which isTaganana
famous in its own right for the impressive volcanicOne of the most remote villages on Tenerife,
cliffs which rise up to 1800 feet.Taganana is a botanist's and walker's paradise.
Mount TeideFamous for its fresh fish meals and rose wine,
This spectacular snow-covered volcano can be seenTaganana is a wonderful place at which to explore the
from almost anywhere on the island when the skiesculture and beauty of the island.
are clear. It is also the highest point in Spain, at 3,718Guimar Pyramids
metres. Mount Teide is part of the larger National Park,This strange and mysterious structure lies on the east
which has some amazing scenery and cool windycoast of Tenerife. Thor Heyerdahl, the famous
weather. There is a cable car to the top, but it doesn'tethnographer, investigated this step pyramid, but could
run if it's too windy.come to no conclusive explanation about its origins.
Loro ParkMany believe the pyramid was built by a very ancient
Located near Puerto de la Cruz, this is Tenerife's mostmaritime civilisation that once ruled over the region.
popular wildlife centre, home to the world's largestThe Church of Our Lady of Conception
collection of parrots and the biggest dolphin habitat inHas its origins in a chapel, which was first built in 1516 in
Europe. The park also has tigers, jaguars and gorillas,the city of Santa Cruz. Earthquakes destroyed it later
and a massive aquarium that houses over 20,000in the century and it was rebuilt in 1788. This impressive
marine animals, which can be viewed through anchurch was designated a National Historic Artistic
underwater glass tunnel. Parrot, dolphin and sea-lionMonument in 1948 and is the oldest and most
shows entertain visitors throughout the day, every dayimportant church on Tenerife.
of the year.Santa Cruz
Octopus AquaparkAs the capital city of Tenerife, Santa Cruz has most
This Octopus Water Theme park is located nearof the island's cultural and historic facilities. Its port is
Playa Las Americas and is open all year. In addition toone of the busiest in the world and plays host to
the wildlife, dolphin shows and marine exhibitions thisannual transatlantic yacht races, firework shows and
water park has a huge area of water slides, tubes,open-air concerts. The city is probably best known for
pools and diving boards for family fun.its shopping, which is tax-free, and it has many famous
Las Aguilas Parkretailers from around the world lining the seaside from
Situated on 75,000 square metres of tropical gardensPlaza de Espana to Plaza de Candelaria. The city's
in the hills behind the Los Cristianos resort, thisMuseum of Natural History has a small exhibition of
ecological park combines animals with lovely naturalartefacts from early Tenerife settlements and its art
gardens. A number of shows entertain visitorsmuseum contains a decent collection of art from
throughout the day including parrot shows, eagle flightsnotable Flemish and Canarian artists. Architecture fans
and a penguin feeding performance.will enjoy the stunning 18th century Baroque Church of
Natural History MuseumSan Francisco and Palace of Carta, with its
This new museum in downtown Santa Cruz hasoutstanding balconies and interior courtyard, which is
exhibits representing Tenerife's history, from the timestypical of Canary Island style.
before the Spanish conquest up to the present day.