Let’s just call it what it is…Tenerife is beautiful and it’s easy to see why it’s the most visited spot in the Canary Islands, and one of the top destinations in Spain and Europe, for that matter. Tenerife is the largest (and most populated) of the Canary Islands, and the north/west and south coasts are especially beautiful. It’s only a short (20 minute) plane ride away from Gran Canaria. The 12,198 ft volcanic peak of El Teide dominates the island and is the highest point in Spain. Probably the second most popular sight is Los Gigantes, a stunning set of high cliffs jutting out of the ocean on the very southwest coast.
Puerto de la Cruz
This is a primary tourist hub on Tenerife and it’s where we stayed. Its location at the midpoint of the island on the northwest shore provides a good base for exploring the island and is quite a beautiful setting – with the waves crashing over the jagged volcanic rocks along on the shore.
The rugged and beautiful coastline of Puerto de la Cruz.
An evening scene in Puerto de la Cruz – lots of diners fill the streets in the evenings.
A church in the main square of Puerto de la Cruz.
El Teide National Park
The soaring volcano mountain of El Teide is a national park and contains a lot of rugged terrain. Going from sea level to 12,000 feet in elevation within just a few miles (as the crow flies) means you are ascending at a very steep rate and negotiating a lot of switch backs.
A volcanic outflow “flower” in the park.
The roads on Tenerife and ascending into El Teide National Park are narrow, steep and winding. Once you get into the park, there is a nice visitor’s center with good maps and signage.
A view of the peak in the distance.
There is a (expensive) tram that takes you within 600 feet of the summit, but to climb the last 600 feet you have to plan ahead and make a reservation.
The tram going up to the top of El Teide.
Near the peak of El Teide, where the tram ends.
Otherwise, you can hike around the peak just below the summit for the views and scamper through the jagged volcanic rock, which looks other worldly. Unfortunately, on the day we had allowed for our visit to the park and peak the lower elevations were socked in with clouds for a period of time, but we were still able to get a few views.
The moon-like landscape of El Teide National Park.
Los Gigantes
This is the postcard view of Tenerife. In fact, it was a post card I saw in a friend’s office that put Tenerife on my “must see” list. At the port, you can arrange a boat trip (of varying lengths of time) that will take you for a tour, including whale and dolphin watching, depending on the time of year.
A view of the port of Los Gigantes with the cliffs in the background.
A dolphin comes near our boat.
Your boat tour will also stop at the beach for a short time, or you can arrange to disembark at the beach and take another boat back, which is what we did. While we were on the beach, a huge boulder came crashing down off the cliffs which could have easily killed someone. Luckily, it fell and rolled (at great speed) right between some very scared tourists who were running in every direction. It happened so quickly I could not get any video footage.
The black sand beach among the cliffs of Los Gigantes.
The best access to Los Gigantes is by taking a boat tour out of the nearby port town of the same name. You can also hike down from the town of Masca (discussed below).They aren’t joking when they say on the hike down from Masca and at the beach to be extremely careful of loose rock.
Enjoying a swim at Los Gigantes.
Masca
The main reason people come to the little village of Masca (in addition to seeing the beautiful setting), is as a starting point for hiking down through steep ravines to the cliffs and beach of Los Gigantes.
The winding road going into Masca. On most of Tenerife you are either going up or down!
It’s about a 3-hour hike, and once you reach bottom you can catch a pre-arranged boat back to the port. Most people take a taxi to Masca to begin their hike, since it’s a one-way route (unless you’d like to spend a few more hours ascending straight back up the gorge).
Looking up into the narrow gorge of Los Gigantes. Hiking up through this gorge leads to the little village of Masca.
A couple other great beach areas are shown below.
Los Cristianos
Near the southern most tip of Tenerife is Los Cristianos, another scenic beach spot and viewpoint, with the island of La Gomera in the distance. Ferries to other islands depart from here.
The beach at Los Cristianos.
Playa Americas
This resort area (near Los Cristianos) is a major tourist hub for southern Tenerife with a great beach and numerous hotels and restaurants. If you’re after nightlife, this is where you’ll find it.
The beach at Playa Americas.
There’s even a Hard Rock Cafe in Playa Americas.
Small Quaint Towns
Just like on Gran Canaria, there are some quaint small towns in the interior that are worth a little time exploring.
La Orotava
La Orotava is known for its sand murals – in particular this square – see below.
The square in La Orotava is transformed by sand murals – I wish we could have seen this incredible artwork – I had to settle for a picture of a picture! I wonder how they deal with wind?
A display showing how the sand murals are created.
La Laguna
The town of La Laguna is near the airport at the northern end of Tenerife. It was the headquarters of the Spanish Army in the 1600’s. It has a very quaint old quarter.
Vilafora
The Iglesia de San Pedro Apostol in Vilaflora, a hermitage from the 1500’s.
The beautiful golden altar in the Iglesia de San Pedro Apostol.
If you have to pick just one island to visit in the Canaries, make it Tenerife. You will find a little bit of everything here – stunning scenery, beaches, mountains, pretty villages, good restaurants and nightlife. Five million tourists a year can’t be wrong!
The Independent Tourist 
We love Tenerife, your post is great, some lovely pictures and very entertaining.