To start the day by bathing in the ocean and then tackle an almost four-thousand-meter peak in the afternoon? Why not, it’s a great option on the island of Tenerife. At the end of April, we set off for this largest island of the Canary Islands. We had to arrange our flights a bit more complicatedly as we flew on the penultimate flight to Gran Canaria. Our route was planned as follows: BA – Gran Canaria – Tenerife – Luton – BA, and the flights cost us a total of 103€ through Ryanair, of course, with only hand luggage. We spent 3 days on Gran Canaria, and then it was time for the highlight of our trip – the island of Tenerife.
Contents
Day 1- Playa de las Americas Resort
Day 2 – Santa Cruz, Playa de las Teresitas, and Pyramids (circuit 205 km)
Day 3 – Highest peak in Spain – Pico de Teide (circuit 140 km)
Day 4 – La Laguna and Loro Parque (circuit 210 km)
Day 5 – Barranco del Infierno and afternoon at the beach (circuit 75 km)
Day 6 – Morning departure
Day 1 – Playa de las Americas Resort
We are moving from Gran Canaria to Tenerife by boat with the company Naviera Armas. The journey from Las Palmas to Santa Cruz takes approximately two and a half hours, and a one-way ticket cost us 32.62€. You need to be at the port at least half an hour before departure because the ship actually leaves from a completely different location than where we checked in. The last shuttle bus leaves exactly half an hour before the ship’s departure. Due to this lack of information, we managed to miss the 3:00 PM ship, but luckily there was another one at 7:30 PM that day.
TIP: Naviera Armas usually operates 3 times a day, and you don’t have to buy tickets in advance online; you could count the number of people with one hand
Apart from this company, another prominent one was Fred Olsen Express, which has slightly higher prices. However, it must be said that their ships were as fast as rockets 🙂 Our ship, the Volcán De Tamadaba, was almost empty, so we had the entire upper deck to ourselves. Add to that a pool, wifi, a sunset, and the idyllic setting is complete. From a distance, we even had the opportunity to see the highest peak of Tenerife resembling a pyramid. After having enough of the windy deck, we moved indoors. The seats were comfortable, and for those who didn’t feel like sleeping, they could watch the movie “Matrix” on TV. Upon arrival in Santa Cruz, we were greeted by a flashing white cross on the hill. Upon our telephone request, the car was delivered to the port free of charge by the company Plus Car, which was clearly the best choice. Unlike other rental companies, they only exclude wheels and car keys from the insurance, and they also don’t charge for fuel; you just have to return the tank with the same amount of fuel as received, usually 1/4. With our new little car Opel Corsa, we continue on the highway to Playa de las Americas. Around midnight, we finally arrived at our El Caribe apartment and could go to sleep.
Day 2 – Santa Cruz, Playa de Las Teresitas and Pyramids (205 km circuit)
We wake up to a pleasant sunny day. On the agenda is the arguably most beautiful beach Playa de Las Teresitas in the north of the island. Along the way, we pass through Santa Cruz, but we will make a stop here today. The sand, colored from yellow to brown, was transported to this beach by boats all the way from the Sahara. The beach is protected by a stone barrier, so you can enjoy a good swim here. We first walked the entire length, explored the pier, and then took a dip in the water. There aren’t many services available here, so we brought our own supplies. After a beach siesta, we slowly move on. I collect a bit of sand as a souvenir, and we can continue our journey.
TIP: Continuing further up the switchbacks will lead you to a lookout point with unforgettable views of the beach.
We return to the capital city. Santa Cruz, which translates to Holy Cross, is one of the two main cities of the Canary Islands. Finding parking can be quite a challenge, so we opted for a paid parking lot at the main square, Plaza de España. We emerge from the underground and are greeted by an artificial pond with a large cross-shaped monument in front of us. The Monumento a los Caídos is a memorial to the fallen victims of the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. Right next to it is the Palacio building, the seat of the island council. We then took a stroll through the streets towards Parque García Sanabria. Upon arrival, you are greeted by flower clocks, and we even caught an exhibition.
We stop again in the square, where we experienced such a noise from children that we ran away from there. It must be said that Santa Cruz has a beautiful historic center, the houses breathe architectural perfection and above all diversity. And that was just a few streets we passed. Our next stop is a little further south at Playa de las Caletillas. It consists of three small beaches with dark sand near Candelaria. Here we just took some photos with the waves, no one wanted to experience them firsthand. At the end of the day, we still wanted to visit the pyramids Piramides de Güimar. Check the current opening hours and allocate at least an hour for this. The first part of the tour is museum-like, where you can read about pyramids around the world, or there are models of ships. The second part is a botanical garden with the pyramids themselves. Everything is very nicely styled, there’s even music playing along the way. If you expect classic pyramids, these are, in layman’s terms, chopped 🙂 At the end of the day, a swim in the hotel pool.
Day 3 – The Highest Peak of Spain – Pico de Teide (around 140 km)
We start the day with a walk along Playa de Las Americas. This is the name of the whole area, which includes many beaches with predominantly dark sand. We strolled along the coast and settled on the beach of Playa de Troya. It consists of two box-like structures in a semicircular shape, so you are partially protected from the waves. We went for a swim and are now going to have something to eat because today we have a demanding program ahead of us – the highest peak of Tenerife and indeed the whole of Spain. We had a small meal of sardines with potatoes and a side dish. We are going to pack our things in the room and we can head towards Pico de Teide. The shortest route from Playa de Las Americas is through Arona and Vilaflor. Just a little beyond this village, we recommend making a stop at a giant tree. Perhaps six people could encircle it.
Then, there are only switchbacks left and the entrance to the crater, from where the path continues on a level ground all the way to the cable car. It’s a peculiar feeling; you are at an altitude of 2000m and it’s all flat, with only the “hellish mountain” looming in the background. At the beginning of the bifurcation, there is a viewpoint with a board where we met the Czech brothers. It was quite convenient as they had already completed the hike we wanted to skip due to trail closure. Along the way, there is another detour to the rock formation Los Roques de Garcia.
TIP: The Cinchado Rock is perfect for a postcard snapshot
The cable car to the summit costs 25€ for a round trip, and the ride itself takes about 8 minutes. There is even a technician in the cabin, and you should definitely take some shots during the ride. The upper station is at an altitude of 3555m. To go to the summit, you need a permit, which you have to arrange at least a month in advance either through the website or in person at the office in Santa Cruz. This is mainly due to preservation reasons and probably also for safety, as it is harder to breathe at such altitude. The permit is free and is issued for a specific date and time within a two-hour window. Ours was for 15:00 – 17:00. Although the elevation gain to the summit is only 160m, it’s quite a challenge at that altitude. It was quite windy on the way up, but that was nothing compared to the wind at the top. We quickly took some shots, and our fingers were completely frozen. I was a bit disappointed that there was no summit plaque. The tallest peak in Spain, 3715m above sea level, and no marking at all.
TIP: Don’t forget to bring gloves and a hat to the peak
We are going down with the last cable car at 16:50. If you drank from a bottle at the top, know that it will be flattened at the bottom. We chose to return via Los Gigantes, where we stopped at the beach. At first, we looked for a beach near the cliffs, but ended up at Playa de la Arena. In the evening, we stop at LIDL to get ingredients for a salad the next day.
Day 4 – La Laguna and Loro Parque Tour (route 210 km)
For breakfast, enjoy a sandwich, and then we can start our round trip around the island. We begin the route on the highway, with the first two stops being the historic towns of La Laguna and La Orotava. Allocate at least an hour for each if you want to take pictures. La Laguna has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and used to be the former capital of the Canary Islands. La Orotava, on the other hand, is built quite hilly. On the way to Orotava, you will have beautiful views of Pico de Teide and Puerto de la Cruz.
Around lunchtime, we head to the main stop of the day, Loro Parque. It is perhaps the most advertised attraction on the island and also one of the most expensive, with an entrance fee of 33€, but it is definitely worth it. Loro Parque is a combination of a botanical and zoological garden with animal shows. Allocate at least half a day for the tour. The park’s environment is perfectly maintained. The animal shows are held at regular intervals, and it’s good to be there at least 15 minutes before the start to get a good spot. We started with a killer whale show. The amphitheater is truly huge, and the first few rows are the so-called “splash zone,” where the killer whales splash water on the audience. If you didn’t want to get completely wet, you could also buy a rain poncho. We preferred to sit in the higher rows. Before the show started, the cameramen entertained the audience by filming people with funny comments. The killer whale show lasted about 20 minutes and we could enjoy various acrobatics, jumps, splashing the audience, and even the killer whales clapping. We then saw the dolphin, seal, and parrot shows. The dolphin show was also very interesting, and the seal show had the best music. I would consider the parrot show the most boring. We just quickly passed through the rest of the park, where the penguin pavilion, white tiger, parrots, underwater tunnel, and the final botanical section were quite interesting.
Around 5 PM, we arrive at the Playa Jardín beach. It’s only about a 5-minute walk from Loro Parque, and the beach has distinct black sand. The long-awaited swim at the end of the day becomes a reality. More like battling the waves, as swimming wasn’t really possible. On the way back, we also stopped at the allegedly 1000-year-old Dragon Tree Drago Milenario in the village of Icod de los Vinos. The tree is located in the Parque del Drago, which is only open until 6:30 PM, so we only viewed it from the outside. We continue our journey home through Chio and Adeje.
Day 5 – Barranco del Infierno and Afternoon Beach Time (Approx. 75 km round trip)
The last day in Tenerife could be described as touristy and beachy. We reserved some time for a short hike in the morning and 4 beaches in the afternoon. Barranco del Infierno is just a short distance from our accommodation in Adeje and according toThe [official website](http://www.barrancodelinfierno.es/) of the trail was closed due to rockfall. However, we got advice from some Czech brothers who were there a few days ago. You need to jump over the entrance gate and then you will encounter a stone and gravel path. Along the way, there is a little channel with water, and you alternately ascend and descend. It is a slightly demanding 6.5km hike that culminates in a beautiful cascading waterfall. There are 7 wooden posts along the way that inform you about the distance covered. The path narrows into a narrow gorge at the end, where we tried not to linger too long due to the mentioned rockfall. So quickly take a photo with the waterfall and head back. The whole hike took us about two hours, and we were not the only ones who went despite the prohibition, so you don’t have to be afraid.
We stopped to shop at LIDL for lunch, and the beach marathon could begin. The first stop is the Playa El Médano on the southeast of the island. It consists of several beaches that extend to the red mountain Montana Roja (171m). On the other side of this hill is our next little beach, Playa de la Tejita. If we were to label any beach as the most natural and least commercial, it would be this one.
TIP: At the end of the beach behind a stone barrier, there is a nudist section
Unlike El Médano, there were much bigger waves here, so we didn’t swim much. If you have enough time, we definitely recommend climbing Montana Roja, which we didn’t have time for. At the end of the day, we arrived at our neighboring resort Los Cristianos. It must be said that it is even more beautiful and luxurious than Playa de las Américas. From the options, we chose the beach in the shape of a semi-circular box.
Day 6 – Early Morning Flight
We have an early flight at 6:25, so we didn’t get much sleep. At 4 a.m. we return the car at the airport and we still have a layover in Luton, where we had 4 hours. There happened to be a demonstration, but that didn’t deter my companions at all and they went to explore the city. I waited for them at the airport, just in case, so at least someone would fly back home. We land in Bratislava at 21:25, full of experiences and impressions, concluding that the next trip will be to Fuerteventura.
