Jim's Articles

Top destinations in Tenerife and Spain

An awesome place : Tenerife and Tenerife forum community? Aqualand is usually best suited for people traveling with younger kids, as they also have included access to a dolphin show in the same price. People usually recommended Aqualand over Siam Park because they had more attractions for younger kids, but Siam Park has recently opened a brand new area for kids, so we really prefer Siam over Aqualand, but it’s good to know that you have options. Loro Parque is considered to be the best zoo in the world, as it was voted on first position by Tripadvisor users who have visited. We have visited Loro Parque several times and we loved it every time, all the animals are well taken care of and they have several shows that you can attend. Find more details at Tenerife forum community.

Alternative things to do in Tenerife: wine museum. Delight each of the senses with a wine tasting at Casa del Vino in El Sauzal in the north of Tenerife. It’s a great place to learn all about the island’s thriving wine industry (and have a few pre-lunch tipples, if you’re so inclined. I definitely was). You’ll also get to marvel at the intricate detail of the traditional Canarian ceiling in one of the rooms. Around 8,000 hectares of Tenerife is dedicated to wine production and the destination has five wine trademarks – a lot, considering its size! I loved learning all about the traditional cultivation methods and the state of Tenerife’s wine scene today at the wine museum. Oh, and look out for the museum’s two friendly cats!

Tenerife has over 400km of coastline which lends to a great variety of beaches, 17 of which have been awarded the Blue Flag status. Playa de las Teresitas in Santa Cruz is a sheltered manmade beach made with sand imported from the Sahara Desert, popular with both the locals and holidaymakers. If you’re looking for something off the beaten path there are a number of secluded beaches away from the main tourist resorts – these include Playa Bollullo, Playa del Pozo, Playa El Puertito. Those with a keen interest in water sports will be aware of the windy El Medano beach on the south coast of Tenerife. It is considered to be one of the world’s best beaches for windsurfing and kitesurfing having hosted regular windsurfing competitions.

If you’re interested in more unusual attractions in Tenerife, I recommend a visit to Chinamada which is a tiny hamlet in the north of Tenerife’s Anaga mountain range. Chinamada is home to a ‘troglodyte community’ who live in a group of around 30 modernised cave houses. Two thirds of these cave homes are underground but they’re not as primitive as they once were. Don’t be surprised to see a satellite TV dish protruding from one or two – the hamlet got its first electricity supply in the 1990s. The surrounding landscape is filled with potato fields, though few of the residents live solely off the land these days.

Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, is a year-round favorite holiday spot for tourists from across the globe. It is not only a place to enjoy beautiful scenery, extreme sun rays and ocean waves, great bars and restaurants; but Tenerife is attractive for its natural resources and secluded getaways. Below is an extensive guide to top ten activities in Tenerife, including both unique and more touristy things to see and do on the island.