Tenerife The archipelago’s largest and most visited island boasts a bonanza of beaches, with dozens of them featuring either golden sand or the black volcanic variety. Widely known as the “island of eternal spring,” Tenerife is saturated with an impressive array of attractions from natural wonders to exciting theme parks, scuba diving, whale-watching, kayaking, paragliding and catamaran tours. The island is also dotted with flea and street markets selling everything from local handcrafted items reflecting the Canarian culture, to antiques, clothing, local cheeses, fresh produce and more. Cash is king at these markets and bargaining is expected. There are also numerous historical and cultural venues, plus a reputation for some of the finest wines in Europe, together with multiple Michelin-star restaurants. On the flip side of fine dining, Tenerife boasts a plethora of regular eateries serving genuine Canarian food at reasonable prices. While the island brims with things to see and do, there are certain must-see highlights. Topping the list is Mount Teide – the third-highest volcano in the world and the highest peak in Spain. Dominating a lunarlike landscape, the mountain is the star of the island, together with Tenerife’s Mount Teide National Park, a UNESCO-listed site of remarkable beauty. There are numerous hiking trails for all levels, in addition to cable cars for transporting visitors to the upper viewing station of this currently dormant volcano. Beyond Mount Teide, the island is full of surprises such as an Asianthemed water park featuring the world’s largest artificial wave pool. Considered among the best water parks on the planet, it features extreme, free-fall slides and a host of other adrenaline-pumping thrills. Tenerife’s tableau of activities also includes underwater submarine tours, a monkey park, botanical gardens and tandem paragliding. Island excitement peaks in February, with the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival ranking second only to Brazil’s world-famous Carnival of Rio de Janeiro. The buzzing, festival city of Santa Cruz lies cheek by jowl with the neighbouring community of La Laguna, widely considered Tenerife’s most beautiful city. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Laguna is famous for its colonial architecture and historical significance. 16 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
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