Tenerife is the largest of the Canary islands and is known as ‘The Island of Eternal Spring’. Situated just off Africa’s west coast, its golden and grey beaches and pretty coastal towns contrast with picturesque mountain villages, volcanic landscapes and lush green countryside.
Tenerife is a perfect all year round holiday destination with dark volcanic sands, long golden beaches, banana plantations and the famous Mount Teide. The climate is hot in the summer and warm in the winter, and the island is alive with colour and excitement all year round, making Tenerife the perfect choice for spending lazy days on the beach or exploring the exotic interior of the island.
Tenerife is popular with sun worshippers wanting to escape the UK weather. With sun baked sandy beaches and a variety of charming beach resorts Tenerife is ideal for watersports enthusiastics, golfers and families with children.
The Weather on Tenerife changes considerably depending on where you are staying. The warmest climate can be found on the south and west sides of the island. Tenerife occasionally has rain, but there is no specific rainy season. The average annual temperatures in Tenerife are between 15C in winter and 24C in summer. The warm winter temperatures mean that Tenerife remains busy throughout the winter season. Fiestas and carnivals are held on the island all year round but February is a good time to visit to experience the spectacular Mardi Gras at Santa Cruz. The second largest Mardu Gras in the world, this is a feast of music, parades, street parties and fireworks. The festival of Corpus Christi takes place in mid June when villagers all over Tenerife create elaborate street carpets from flowers and coloured sand.
Tenerife has an abundance of national parks offering some of the most exotic landscapes, including the pine forest of El Pinar which is a tropical forest with long yellowish-green needle pine trees. Set against the backdrop of Puerto Cruz is Tenerife’s Loro Parque with an amazing variety of wild life. Dolphin shows are shown throughout the day, you can walk through the many shark tunnels and see the amazing pengarium. In Las Americas you can go to Siam Park, Tenerifes water park where there is also a jungle park with Sea lions and crocodiles.
You can take a cable car (weather permitting) to take advantage of the breathtaking views of Tenerife from the summit of the volcanic Mount Teide, which towers over the island.
Fiestas are held all year round on Tenerife, and although loosely connected to saints days and other religious feast days, they are mainly large scale social events and provide an excuse for the islanders to hold enormous parties to which all visitors are welcome. Carnivals on Tenerife are said to be the best outside New Orleans and Brazil.
The south west of Tenerife has the liveliest nightlife on the Island. Playa de las Americas is where you will find clubs, bars and disco’s that are busy into the early hours. Other beach resorts on Tenerife have a slightly more relaxed atmosphere with bars offering live music and a place to simply relax, unwind and watch the world go by.
Tenerife’s tax-free shopping means that you can take advantage of cheap goods such as perfume, alcohol and tobacco. The resorts of Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz offer department stores and shops to suit all tastes. Tenerife is also well known for its good quality Spanish lacework, such as tablecloths, bed linen and handkerchiefs. You can also go to the occasional craft fairs where you will see artisans making pretty woven wickerwork baskets and African’s selling tribal drums, leatherwork, beads and carved wooden items.
Spanish Tapas and Canary specialities dominate most of the restaurants menus. One of the local dishes is called ‘Samu’ a local fish baked on a bed of salt and served with jacket potatoes and mojo, a spicy garlic sausage. Seafood is very popular and is picked fresh from the sea the same day. Then the best way to finish off your meal is with a traditional banana liqueur! The tap water is safe to drink but is not recommended due to its taste. Bottled water can be bought very cheaply from any supermarket.
Religion in Tenerife is Roman Catholic. Expect to leave a tip of at least 10% of your total Restaurant bill.
The best time to look for a cheap Tenerife holiday is, as you'd expect, outside of the peak times of the year. Summer is the busiest time, and as a result you can expect to pay more during those few months. If you do decide the visit the area outside of the summer months however, there's a good chance you'll be able to find a great deal, particularly in the months of February to May and October into the winter.
Tenerife is ideal for holiday makers looking to escape the miserable UK weather and enjoy some and relaxation on beautiful golden sandy beaches under the warm sun. If it's excitement or relaxation that you're after, you'll find it on Tenerife.
Inland there are plenty of attractions including national parks, golf courses, forests and waterparks. Towards the coast you'll find all manner of things from dolphin shows to shark caves and if you do decide to visit in February, you may well visit the Mardi Gras festival in Santa Cruz.
In June the festival of Corpus Christi takes place where villagers all over the island create beautiful carpets out of flowers and sand.
With all of this and plenty more, a holiday to Tenerife isn't a bad idea. If you're looking for a cheap Tenerife holiday, the best time to visit is any time outside of the main summer months, as long as you avoid major holidays such as New Year and Christmas.
