Tenerife is easy to reach by a direct flight from many different European cities. Flight time from central Europe is just a little over 4 hours. Flights land at the two international airports, Tenerife Sur (Reina Sofía) in the south and Tenerife Norte (Los Rodeos) in the north. If you are travelling by car, the best option is to hop on a ferry from Cádiz or Huelva on mainland Spain. Ferries from the other Canary Islands travel to the ports in Los Cristianos and Santa Cruz de Tenerife as well.
Tenerife is a tourist friendly island in general and there are plenty of places to stay. The main difference between the north and south of the island is their nature: the north receives more rainfall and is therefore more lush and green, while the sunny and hot south has vegetation that is more similar to a desert. Los Cristianos and Las Americas are the main tourist hotspots on the island. If you are looking for more relaxed holiday, try staying in north Tenerife for a more authentic Canarian atmosphere.
Tenerife is a vibrant island blessed with diverse landscapes from rugged mountains to thick forests and the blue sea. The island offers endless possibilities for outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, canoeing and surfing to start with. One of Tenerife’s most popular attractions is Teide National Park with its magnificent volcano that rises up to 3,718 meters. There are also several fantastic beaches with either white or black sand to choose from.
Current scientific research suggests that the first mountain ranges on the island were created around twelve million years ago as a result of a volcanic eruption, and the island as we know it today was formed about three million years ago.
Canary Islands are all volcanic, which is why some of the beaches in Tenerife have black sand. Tenerife’s best known black beaches, Playa El Bollullo and Playa Jardín, are both situated close to the volcano Teide. This type of black sand consists of tiny fragments of basalt which is associated with volcanic eruptions. When hot basaltic lava reaches the sea, the material cools rapidly and shatters into sand.
The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife – the second most popular carnival in the world – is held annually around February/March. In general, every village has its own carnival, but the biggest celebrations are found in Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz. In 2019, the events in Santa Cruz were held between the 1st of February and 10
Due to its pleasant climate, Tenerife is a fantastic holiday destination all year around. The peak season runs from October to April, but the island is fairly popular during the hotter summer months as well. In winter, Tenerife is popular with visitors from Northern Europe seeking an escape from chilly weather, and during the summer it’s a hotspot for the younger crowd.
Tenerife is known as the island of eternal spring and has a pleasant subtropical climate all year round. During winter, the average temperatures are around 18-24 degrees and in summer, between 24-28 degrees. Its favourable weather guarantees a high number of sunny days annually and a low amount of rainfall, excluding the mountainous areas.
Tenerife, along with the rest of the Canary Islands, is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, north-west of Africa. The island lies about 550 kilometres away from Morocco and is closer to Africa than mainland Europe. It’s basically situated in the middle of the Canary Islands and surrounded by La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
Due to the island’s diverse nature, Tenerife offers a rich variety of activities for visitors. The most popular sports on the island are probably hiking, mountain biking and surfing. The south coast with its calm seas is ideal for kayaking, paddle boarding, diving and whale watching.