Stylish and verdant in the north, yet fun-loving and rain-free in the south, Tenerife is an island with two different personalities. If you want to be a beach lizard by day and a party animal by night, then head south. On the other hand, if tapas and fiestas are more your style, then traditional Puerto de la Cruz in the north is the place for you. Wherever you go you'll find an island steeped in sunshine all year round.
| Tenerife is an island with two different personalities... |
The larger than life resorts of Playa de las Americas and Los Christianos in the south offer fun in the sun on their huge beaches where water sports, paddling and ice creams are the order of the day. These are lively places, where you can eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and dance all night. Smaller resorts along the south coast offer a lower key holiday - try Puerto de Santiago, or the black sandy bay of Los Gigantes, which nestles in the shadow of some truly gigantic cliffs. Golfers will delight in the five, excellent courses in the south of the island, and children will delight in the whoop and splash of the two big waterparks near Playa de las Americas.

Head north and you'll arrive at Tenerife's first holiday resort and the second largest tourist centre on the island, Puerto de la Cruz. Here, there's a little old time style, with a saltwater Lido and exuberant botanical gardens. Three beaches of black sand, an original casino and plenty of shopping and dining choices make this a well rounded and charming holiday resort. Nearby, don't miss the excellent wildlife park 'Loro Parque', where the first inhabitants, the performing parrots, have been joined by gorillas, sharks, jaguars and more.
The hotels in Tenerife are concentrated in Puerto de la Cruz, which has sufficient accommodation for thirty thousand people. Tenerife hotels in the south of the island tend to be more modern than in the north, and most people tend to stay in the resorts of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas, which are adjacent to one another and to the south-west of the island. Luxury hotels are in abundance, and some hotels in Tenerife also include spa facilities.
At the heart of this island stands majestic Mount Teide, the site of Tenerife's dormant volcanic activity and the source of much of her beauty. Choose a clear day to catch the cable car to the summit, soaring over the tortured, volcanic landscape, to survey the Spanish holiday island at your feet, and her sister Canary Islands scattered across the ocean.
Related Links:
Tenerife Flights
Tenerife Car Hire
Tenerife Holidays