Tenerife travel attractions? A visit to Garachico is like going back in time: this small town has a rather dark history, being destroyed 2 times by volcanic eruptions. Walk on its narrow streets, eat a great ice cream on the sea shore and swim in the rocky pools during those hot summer days. El Drago or the Dragon Tree is the island’s most popular tree. The best view is the one from the town square, so there’s no need to pay to see it up close. If you want more ideas for a holiday that doesn’t break the budget, read our article about free things to do in Tenerife. The town of San Cristobal de la Laguna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it deserves at least a few hours to walk around and see the beautiful buildings. If you’re with the kids you may want to visit the Museum of Science and the Cosmos and why not also the Museum of History and Anthropology. Read more details on Tenerife Forum.
Mojo sauce is typically served on Canarian potatoes (papas arrugadas) and you’ll likely find it on the table at every meal you eat in Tenerife. I went to a cooking class at Bodgeas Monje, a traditional winery in El Suazal. You can take a tour of the surprisingly huge winery and chat with the owner, who is the fifth generation of his family to be involved with winemaking – they started in the 1700s! We had a demonstration from one of the chefs and then got to attempt our own red and green mojo sauces, fuelled by plenty of the winery’s vino. Once our sauces were ready, we were put to the test by the chef, who has a trophy for being a champion mojo sauce maker. He said mine was good, it just needed more time in the pestle and mortar…
Mount Teide National Park is a World Heritage Site and home to Mount Teide, a volcano and the highest mountain peak in Spain at 3718m above sea level. You can hike or take a cable car to the base of the final cone summit, where you will enjoy the breathtaking views of Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma. If you want to head to the top of the summit you will need to get a permit in advance. The Teide Observatory is on Mount Teide at an altitude of 2400m above sea level. It is the world’s largest solar observatory and has an ideal location to observe the sun or night sky. Guided tours of the observatory are available.
The island’s volcanic landscape provides ample hiking opportunities for active travellers, and Anaga Rural Park has some of the best hiking trails in Tenerife. The park sprawls over the mountains of La Laguna and Santa Cruz and is easily accessible by car. Bring hiking boots though, because my guide was not impressed by my Converse. Start at Cruz del Carmen Visitors Centre and hike through the enchanted bay leaf scented forest of Laurisilva. Easy short hikes include the Route of the Traditions or the Path of the Senses, while there are also longer multiple day hikes. Keen riders can explore the rural park on horseback, and there’s also a wheelchair accessible route in the park.
The Malizia Show at Piramide de Arona is a great live performance that will captivate attention of both adults and children alike. The Malizia Show presents an incredible blend of traditional Hispanic cultures, and offers a mixture of flamenco opera and dance performance which is powerful and thought provoking. You do not need to speak Spanish in order to understand, as the language of body movements is conveyed perfectly without words. The visual interpretation of the storyline is easily followed on the stage thanks to the hard work and skilled passion of artists, which is visible through their excellent performance. The Malizia Show is not only the best show in Tenerife island, it is undoubtedly one of the most unique performances in the world.