Holiday in Tenerife

We planned for a holiday trip to Tenerife as per our uncle's advice. It is one of the most popular among Spain’s Canary Islands. It sat in the Atlantic Ocean and closer to the African coastline. It is a favorite place for European holidaymakers due to its tropical beaches, and diverse landscapes. The island has two airports: the older Tenerife North Airport and Tenerife South Airport. Tenerife North Airport is also known as Los Rodeos that acts primarily as the inter-island hub. Tenerife South Airport the larger also known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport largest of two. We took a flight from Madrid airport to Tenerife North Airport. After 3 hours journey, we landed at Tenerife North Airport. We took a taxi to Puerto de la Cruz. Hiring a car in Tenerife is relatively inexpensive and got complete freedom.

We decided to stay at Puerto de la Cruz which is the largest tourist town in the north. It was the perfect base for exploring Tenerife island. The main reason for us to chose this city as a base for our trip was the majority of hotels and apartments are built on a cliffside, a steep uphill walk from the sea and bus station. We checked in to Hotel Botanico & The Oriental Spa Garden which is overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Mount Teide. It was a 5-star property with spacious rooms with views of the sea, mountains, or hotel gardens. The lobby of the hotel itself was attractive. We relaxed in a double deluxe room with a beautiful balcony. The most impressive thing was the availability of interconnecting rooms for families. The wooden stairs and plants around the resort added the glory. The garden around the resort gave a natural and rejuvenating feel.

We rested for a while, because of the excitement we headed to explore the city by noon. Puerto de la Cruz is full of history and old buildings. We decided to start with contemporary art in a historic building that is a classic way to learn more about the place. We hired a car from the resort, the driver dropped us at Casa de la Real Aduana. It is one of Puerto de la Cruz’s oldest buildings. Then we walked through the roads to explore the most beautiful street arts.

We loved the place as the artworks throughout the streets keep surprise us. We simply walked through the narrow streets to the west of Plaza del Charco. The buildings are inspiring with their architectural style and decorated with several street artworks. On the way, we met a friend who lives locally. He accompanied us through the streets and explained about the paintings. He said that many of the murals were painted during 2014’s Mueca celebration. “Border to Paradise” by a Denmark artist was very attractive. “Ritual” was another famous work. We missed a lot of painting due to the lack of time. The buildings were very beautiful in their architectural style and color.

Then we visited Jardin Botanico, a botanical garden located on Calle Retama. We took a steep uphill 30-minute walk. The perfect place to spend with family in the natural bed. The garden provided a beautiful walk through a garden surrounded by beautiful scenery, lots of exotic flowers and trees. The entrance itself was amazing. The garden is set in a series of geometric designs, with pathways. We saw open spaces with pools and lower planting while the paths intersect. We saw the dragon tree that is native to the Canary Islands. We could see wide varieties of colorful flowers. Then we return to our stay for dinner.

We had dinner from The Slim Restaurant, one of 4 on-site restaurants. The restaurants in the hotel offer Asian, Spanish and Italian dishes. We had beautiful buffet dinner.

After breakfast, we hired a car from the hotel to the first destination of the day. We headed to Loro Parque, one of the most popular attractions in the city. It features unique animals and unforgettable shows that even adults enjoy. The entrance was very impressive with a big name board. We spotted many beautiful birds and wildlife at the entrance itself. The special attraction of Loro Parque is the animal shows. We went to the orca show, the first show of the day. The orcas in the zoo were very active and energetic to see the crowd. It was also very educational learning about how killer whales eat, communicate, and navigate. The Discovery tour is the best way to get more pieces of information about the animals in the zoo. The most impressive thing about the zoo was the educational segment of each show. The other shows in the zoo are the Dolphin performance, the Sea Lion Show, and the parrot show. We spend almost half a day in the zoo, but it was not enough to explore the place. We could walk around the zoo to see other exhibitions in between the shows. Walking through the tree canopy at the Katandra Treetops was lovely. We could encounter many friends such as pink flamingos, sloths, hippo, and others. We saw some gloomy gorillas. We visited Planet Penguin, home to many penguins. Apart from penguins, we spotted many marine lives in an aquarium. The huge tanks made the aquatic animals even more engaging and immersive. There are so many species of fishes, with unique colors and patterns. It is better to spend a day in the zoo if kids are there. We enjoyed the zoo and headed to the next destination of the day.

After lunch from a tourist restaurant and headed to the Chapel of San Telmo. It was a small but very beautiful chapel located on a rock of the Caleta looking out across the Atlantic Ocean. When we reach there it was closed so that we just clicked some pictures around the spot and moved to the next destination. It is better to arrive before 2 pm. We walked for a while by enjoying a beautiful ocean on the one side and the city on the other side. Well-maintained pathways provided a comfortable evening walk.

We walked ahead to the next destination which is located very close to San Telmo chapel. Lago Martianez is also known as Costa Martianez Tourist Complex, an open-air swimming pool. It was a beautiful and picturesque place. It is located right next to Playa de Martianez, a small-town beach in the vibrant town. The complex consists of swimming pools, floating islands, waterfalls, and beautifully-landscaped gardens. Many umbrellas and tall palm trees were there for shade, where many sun loungers were placed. We spend the rest of the time exploring the place. There were restaurants and bars available within the complex. It was great and worth the price.

We had a lavish breakfast from the hotel. The taste was average but presented a lot of varieties. We set this day to visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife and its neighbor La Laguna. We took a bus from Puerto de la Cruz’s new bus station to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The journey took about 1 hour to reach.

We planned a day trip to Santa Cruz, a city packed with history, lovely old buildings, and modern buildings. We took a bus from Puerto de la Cruz’s new bus station to Santa Cruz de. We walked through the beautiful streets to explore the place. We first stopped at the Church of La Concepcion a beautiful historical mark in the city. The pastel-colored streets made the place perfect for a photo backdrop. Walking through the streets was one of the best ways to explore the city.

We rented a local taxi to explore the city. The driver stopped at Auditorio de Tenerife, the most attractive building in the city. It is located at the northeast of the island in the city of Santa Cruz. The building was designed by the famous architect Santiago de Calatrava. We could see VIP portraits on the rocks while walking around the building. The roof seems to float in the air, its curvy lines made it popular. It can be compared to the Sydney Opera House. The architectural style was more impressive that made the building more famous.

We purchased some snacks and the driver dropped us at Plaza de Espana. It is an expansive open square near the ocean located at the center of the city. There was a large pool with a beautiful fountain at the center. We wandered into the nearby Plaza de Candelaria and then continued up Calle del Castillo. We saw many sculptures on the way to Parque Garcia Sanabria. We entered into Parque Garcia Sanabria, a beautiful public urban park in the heart of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. There are many sculptures within the park and a large area of cactus. We could find many benches to relax on the shades of trees. Once we finished exploring Santa Cruz de Tenerife, take the tram to La Laguna.

We first visit the Museum of the History of Tenerife to get admire the carved wooden gallery. It is one of the many historic homes found in the old quarter of La Laguna. The wooden carvings are very beautiful and impressive. We could see many artifacts on the display. We liked the place but felt a little boring too. History lover would definelty loved the place.

We visited Casa Salazar, the finest architecture, and features animal-shaped gargoyles. According to the guide, the house was severely damaged by fire in 2006 but was restored to its former glory and reopened in 2009. It was a beautiful house well-maintained with plants and wooden pieces of furniture. We enjoyed this place.

Wandering through the street was so pleasant in the city. It is the home to lots of churches and convents. The buildings are so grand and humble in style. La Laguna is also home to the University de La Laguna. The oldest university on the island of Tenerife. The heart of the city is completely closed to traffic. We could see many street musicians entertaining the visitors. The streets are very lively with a lot of people. We explored the streets and took a bus from La Laguna’s bus station to Puerto de la Cruz. We had dinner from the resort itself.

We had breakfast and took some snacks in our backpacks. We started our day at Puerto de la Cruz bus station. We get on a bus to La Orotava, a journey of around 25 minutes. It is a city that mainly consists of colorful churches and exotic parks. From the La Orotava bus station, we rented a car for our day trip.

The Constitution Plaza is also known as kiosk square. The square consists of Liceo de Taoro with the Victoria Gardens, and the House of Culture and Church of San Agustin. We started our tour of La Orotava at the Iglesia de San Agustin la Orotava. It is a beautiful church with a unique architectural style. The unusual statue of Christ of Humility and Patience in the Iglesia de San Agustin was amazing. Then took a short walk to the nearby Plaza de la Constitucion.

We walked into a beautiful garden, Jardines del Marquesado de la Quinta Roja. It is known as the Gardens of the Marquis of the Red Mansion. It was the most beautiful place to see in the city. Actually, it was created to bury Diego de Pinte, the former Marquis of the Quinta Roja. Today the gardens belong to the City Council and are open for free to visitors. The garden was surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants that made the place perfect to relax. The flower beds and fountain made the place more attractive.

The next destination we visited was Ayuntamiento de La Orotava. It is a Town Hall Square outstanding landmark in the city. It has an open space with a staircase that takes advantage of the terrain to go up to the entrance of the Town Hall. The view from the top was mindblowing and picturesque. There are an open-air museum and beautiful houses and wooden balconies. We enjoyed the place.

After lunch, we headed to the “House of the Balconies” which is a historic Canarian mansion. We noticed many wooden balconies that hang from so many buildings in the city. The Canarian Balconies was the most attractive one that attracts many tourists from different parts. The house has a free museum and a gift shop. We saw art drawn with volcanic sand and some vintage photos of La Orotava. The building has three floors, the second one has balconies with windows, and the third floor with a large continuous balcony with carved tea. The interior was more attractive than the exterior with furniture and objects that reminds us about the life of the Canarian bourgeoisie. We took many photos and pick a car to the next destination.

Finally, our driver stopped at Plaza Casanas also known as Casanas Square. It is located very close to the Townhall. The place was very impressive with full of palm trees. We wandered around the square to explore beauty.

We had dinner from Restaurante La Zafra. We tasted Spanish dishes which were tasty and delicious. The tomato salad and other dishes were very tasty. After fine dinner, we took a bus to return to Puerto de la Cruz.

We dedicated this day to visit Parque Nacional del Teide. Of course, No trip to Tenerife is complete without visiting Teide National Park. We booked an excursion plan and the driver picked up us from the hotel itself. We started our trip towards Mount Teide. There is no entrance fee to visit the park, but it is essential to book your tickets for the cable car and permits in advance. After 9 am, you need a permit to hike to the top of El Teide. We couldn't able to get the permit so that we booked a guided tour. The guide was very polite and knowledgeable, he accompanied us from the hotel itself. There are different ascent routes, but the most popular and easiest way to summit Teide is by taking the cable car.

We reached Teide national Park after 1-hour scenic drive. Throughout the drive, our guide explained to us about the park and things in it. Thus our excitement reached a peak. It is the largest national park of the Canary Islands and Mount Teide is Spain’s highest mountain, at almost 4,000 meters. The scenery during the drive was amazing. When we drove up away from the city packed with buildings, the glimpse entirely gets transformed into a view of the ocean. Suddenly the atmosphere changed, we entered the place surrounded by tall pine trees. The smell of the air was very clean and pleasant. There were several interesting places on the way to the cable car base station.

The first-spot driver stopped was Minas de San Jose. He said that this is the place where the blue viper’s bugloss grows. The landscapes are a little less rocky and where we could go for a walk on the volcanic sand. The walk starts at the Minas de San Jose, and the area of white pumice between the Teide cable car and El Portillo, on the main road. We spend some time wandering around and headed to the next spot.

The car stopped at a small parking area from where the path climbs to the top of the Teide by the south side. To the left of the car park, an obvious jeep track rises steadily. We left for the cable car base station in the car.

He dropped us at the parking area at the lower station of the Teide cable car. The parking is limited at the Teide cable car dock. Then, we walked up to the cable car docking station. The cable car only operates in stable weather conditions, so it is necessary to track weather. The best way to reach the highest point of the peak is by cable car. If anybody was not interested in the cable car, hike through different routes was another option. here are 2 modern cable cars, each holds 44 people and the ride lasts 8 minutes. We reached the upper cable car station that is 3,555 meters above sea level. We spend a lovely time looking around to take photos. The visitors need a special permit to hike from the upper cable car station to the volcano summit. We do not have a permit so that we took two other trails to hike near the summit. Trail Number 11 goes to the La Fortaleza Vantage Point for views of Northern Tenerife whereas Trail Number 12 goes to the Pico Viejo Vantage Point for views of Southern Tenerife. We return to the parking with a lot of memories.

We had food from Restaurante Papillon, located 10 minutes from the cable car. It was a small cozy restaurant. The food was average.

After breakfast, we headed to Santa Cruz de Tenerife from Puerto de la Cruz by bus. From there we hired a taxi to explore the most beautiful day of our trip. The day was set for Anaga Rural Park, which is located in northern Tenerife. It is a natural treasure of the island. We started early to secure parking at the trailhead. There are plenty of opportunities to hike in Anaga, from day-long and hard trails to simple family-friendly paths. We chose a simple and family-friendly hike. We started from Benijo and ended at Faro de Anaga Lighthouse. We started at Benijo to Faro Punta de Anaga via El Draguillo and Las Palmas. Then we took the Chamorga route to Benijo via Tafada mountain. This spectacular hiking route took us to some of the most captivating corners. Anaga is a highland of mountains with sharp peaks and deep valleys. It was covered with trees and dotted with charming hamlets. On the way, we stopped at some interesting spots such as - Zapata’s viewpoint, Cruz del Carmen Information Centre, and Camino Viejo. Zapata’s viewpoint was the first spot we spotted on the way up to the park. Camino Viejo was attractive with a huge natural tunnel in the trees.

We reached Benijo, a small beach village in the north of Tenerife. We started our hike along the road to El Draguillo. At the beginning itself, we found a hiking sign on which the way to El Draguillo was posted. The large rocks of Roque Benijo and Roque La Rapadura that lie off the coast gave a spectacular view. We walked through a wide road that is partly dirty and partly concreted. We enjoyed amazing views of the deserted beaches and steep canyons.

From El Draguillo village we started our ascent on the trail no PR TF 6. It's quite steep but very exciting as the landscape gets more beautiful. We followed signs to Las Palmas de Anaga through the narrow path. The path directed us uphill on a good path but after a short time, it led over two scree fields. We saw warning signs indicating the danger of falling rocks and slipping. On the way, there are many abandoned houses and ruins as well as overgrown gardens. From Las Palmas, we found some yellow arrows or there are small signs with the inscription to hike ahead. Shortly before reaching the lighthouse, there was a trail intersection indicating two different ways to Chamorga village. One the route via Montana Tafada and the longer, but the easier route is via Roque Bermejo. We opted for a shorter one, the Tafada mountain route.

Chamorga is a small village located at the very end of the Anaga Mountain Road. Through a very scenic path, we reached this village. After enjoying beautiful scenery and tranquility we started to walk back. On the way, we met the mountain goats. We followed a shady trail and the chirping sound of the birds smooth our walk. We passed Cruz del Draguillo to reach Benijo. We finished our hike by descending to Benijo. By using enough time in each place we completed the hike. The views are spectacular all the time.

We spend the remaining time at the hotel. We used their pool to get refreshed and had fun with the family. Their wellness center offered excellent service. There was a relaxation area with hydro massage beds. We wandered around the hotel to enjoy the natural beauty.

We had a luxurious breakfast and this was our last day on the island. We took some time to explore the garden in the hotel and enjoyed sometime wandering around the resort. We checked out and headed to airport. The hotel staff was very polite nad helpful. We hired a car to the airport to catch our flight to our hometown.