Tenerife: the most beautiful places

#canaryislands

Tenerife is much more than sun, sea and sand. It is an island where you are constantly surprised with different landscapes. Read our 5 must-dos, where we tell you all about the best activities, the most beautiful places, nature and sights.

1. GO STARGAZING
Tenerife is one of the best places in the world for stargazing.
For this, it is best to go to a place without light pollution. El Teide National Park or Mount Guajara are the best dark spots on the island. Avoid the period around the full moon so that the moon does not give off too much light. And of course, it should not be cloudy, so pick a clear night.

2. ADMIRE THE VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES OF EL TEIDE
Please don’t leave this island without visiting El Teide National Park!
You can hike one of the many trails, or drive through the park by car. The national park covers a whopping 189.9 km² and has incredibly diverse volcanic landscapes. It is really crazy how the view is completely different at every spot. It is also immediately the largest national park in the Canary Islands.

3. SPOT DOLPHINS AND SNORKEL WITH SEA TURTLES
You can book a boat trip where you can watch the dolphins (and maybe other whales). But you can also book a kayak trip, which is actually much more fun. With the kayak, you may get a little closer to these fish farms.
Due to strict laws to protect marine life, you are not allowed to rent a kayak yourself. However, you can do so with an organized tour.

4. SUNBATHE ON A BLACK LAVA BEACH
Did you know that the golden beaches in Tenerife are not natural? Often called the most beautiful beach in Tenerife, Playa de las Teresitas is one of the artificial beaches. In the 1970s, the government imported 270,000 tonnes of sand from Western Sahara to give the original lava beach a new look.
Not only Tenerife imports Saharan sand, by the way. The Canary Islands extract some 200,000 tonnes of sand from the Sahara every year to maintain beaches. And countless other countries do the same.

5. VISIT THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE OF MASCA
This cute village is located in the Teno Mountains. From Santiago del Teide, you follow a road full of hairpin bends for about 5 kilometres. You will then arrive in Masca, a small mountain village with just 90 inhabitants known for its photogenic gorge.