The Canary Islands have very different landscapes, but in Tenerife you will find a great mosaic. You will be surprised by the enormous variety of landscapes this island has to offer.
Orotava Valley in Tenerife
From the orchards with lush wild vegetation of the Orotava Valley, where the traditional tourist resort of Puerto de la Cruz is located, to the volcanic landscapes of Las Cañadas del Teide. But you will also find rich landscapes with large pine forests typical of the Canary Islands or areas of great greenery that will make you think you are in Galicia.
It is certainly curious that half of the island is really wet, with frequent rainfall, and the other half semi-deserted.
The clouds always reach the island from the same slope moved by the trade winds that bring moisture and discharge the water in the northern half of the island, being slowed down by the slopes of the mountains created by the Teide volcano.
As the trade winds reach the island they automatically turn into clouds, creating areas of the island where there are always spectacular seas of clouds, one of the most incredible images of Tenerife.
Cliffs of Los Gigantes in Tenerife
However, the southern part of Tenerife is almost a desert because the clouds have difficulty getting around the 3,718 metre high volcano.
This means that the island has two totally different and absolutely opposite faces that only coincide in their volcanic origin.
Therefore, our first advice is that you move around the island and enjoy the different areas, because there are unique landscapes.
Go up with the cable car to the Teide volcano
On the island of Tenerife you will see volcanic landscapes of such characteristics and dimensions that in the world you can only find similar landscapes in Hawaii, the north of New Zealand or in Iceland.
El Teide is not only the highest mountain in Spain, but also the third largest volcano in the world from its base.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong went so far as to say that the surroundings of Teide are where he saw the most similar landscapes on Earth to those on the Moon.
The best thing to do is rent a car and visit the entire Teide National Park, but you can also sign up for some of the various excursions on Teide that are offered.
Of course, it is essential to climb the highest part of the volcano, for which you have a cable car that takes you almost to the top, at 3,550 metres.
If you want to reach the highest point of Teide, right at the edge of the crater where you will see and smell the sulphur fumaroles coming out, you need to apply for a special permit well in advance of your trip.
Here we leave you with an article where we explain everything you need to know about going up Mount Teide by cable car and how to apply for a special permit to go up the crater, because there are only 200 places per day.
Please note that you normally have to apply at least one month in advance.
Below you will find information on how to buy tickets to climb Teide .
La Laguna, a World Heritage Site in Tenerife
You have to understand the privileged natural environment in which Tenerife is located, but on the other hand you have to know the history that has developed on the island, as one of its cities has marked the urban development of South America.
The location of Las Canarias in the Atlantic Ocean made it an obligatory transit area for Christopher Columbus’ expeditions to the Americas.
And this meant that when it came to founding new colonies on the American continent, they looked to their experiences for inspiration and the city of La Laguna must have really marked them out, and rightly so.
It is precisely the configuration of a city with perpendicular streets, opposite the convoluted old towns of the medieval period, that made the historic city of La Laguna stand out as a World Heritage City.
This is a culturally interesting corner of the island that was for a time the island’s capital.
Now, completely restored after being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a beautiful corner for strolling and admiring its monuments and colourful, sumptuous houses.
Where to see the stars in Tenerife?
Talking about astronomy tourism to see the stars is not usual in our blog, but there are places in the world that are very special.
Just like if you go to Norway, Greenland, Iceland or Finland you want to see the Northern Lights, on the island of Tenerife you have to look at the stars.
Tenerife is considered a reservoir of light because the island provides the ideal conditions to see the sky.
How to visit the Teide Astronomical Observatory
In fact, here is the Teide Astronomical Observatory or Izaña , a place where you get some of the best high-resolution photos of space you can see today.
Teide Observatory in Tenerife
As an island in the middle of the Atlantic, there are almost no cities to fill the sky with light and there is zero pollution around Teide.
It is one of the great natural spectacles that the island has, which is why some people stay overnight at the Teide refuge to see it, or sign up for an excursion to see the stars.
Cliffs and ravines in Tenerife§
You have to understand that on this island the slopes are impressive, many of the roads have almost impossible gradients of 25% to save the heights that the volcano has produced on the island.
At a very short distance you can go from sea level to heights of over 3,000 metres.
Cliffs of Los Gigantes and Masca Ravine in Tenerife
With this irregularity, it is normal for the island to have large mountains, deep cliffs, such as the Los Gigantes Cliffs, and large ravines, such as Masca in Teno Park, all to the west of the island.
The perfect plan to get to know the Cliffs of the Giants and the Barranco de Marca is to reach the village of Masca to take the walking route that crosses the ravine to the cliffs.
There you will be picked up by a boat from which you can see the incredible scenery of the cliffs.
Masca Ravine in Tenerife
The route takes 3½ hours, but it has to be said in its favour that it is downhill and really worth it, they are unique ravines.
Anaga Park in the north of Tenerife
I would also like to highlight the spectacular mountain scenery in the north-east of the island, in the area known as Anaga Rural Park and the town of Taganana, where you can ride through the clouds crossing the mountain at high speed.
The ideal way to see it is to start from the beach of Las Teresitas in the north of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and enter the mountain towards the Bailadero viewpoint, at the top of which there is a hostel where you can have a coffee with incredible views.