Day 1: Explore Puerto de la Cruz
Puerto de La Cruz is a great base to explore the green and mountainous north of the island. If you’re looking for somewhere vibrant, unpretentious and with an authentic Spanish vibe, this is the place to stay. Although there are a good few high rise and slightly dated looking hotels and it’s not necessarily polished and perfect, it has plenty of charm and popular with Spanish tourists rather than Brits. You can easily spend a morning taking in the street art dotted around the city, mainly along Calle Mequinez and the Ranilla neighbourhood. As you come out of the town, there are several beaches connected by a promenade backed by beautifully landscaped tropical gardens full of cactai and palms. The black volcanic sand, crashing waves and colourful buildings felt very different to the usual European beach town. At Playa de San Felipe sun loungers can be rented for €3 and there is a beach bar for drinks and snacks. The water can be rough so when we visited, swimming wasn’t permitted. It’s also worth coming back down here at sunset. Accompanied by the sounds of a local musician and the backdrop of Mount Teide, it was up there with one of the most atmospheric.
We didn’t visit but on the other side of town, Lago Martinez offers a series of salt water public pools.
There is a great choice of local restaurants from traditional family run Canarian cuisine and tapas to fusion cooking and fine dining. You’ll also find plenty of trendy bars for a cocktail or two.
Day 2: Anaga rural park and Playa de la Teresitas
Situated in the far north of the island, Anaga Rural Park offers exciting hiking trails with breathtaking mountain and coastal vistas and ancient laurel forests.
We had a whole itinerary planned along with a 4km lollipop circuit hike, Roque de Taborno, I had found here but unfortunately the weather had other ideas. Although it was sunny lower down, it seems the park has its own microclimate. It didn’t stop us getting out and exploring but as we made our way to the starting point for the hike it was literally covered in a blanket of thick white cloud and drizzle. We decided it might be far too slippery and with non existent views, not really worth it.
We did enjoy visiting Mirador Pico del Ingles (although the view was limited but would’ve been incredible). A short walk away is the famous Tunel de la Hadas (Fairy tunnel). Close by there are several paths leading you though the misty, mossy forest on either side. It felt like something out of a fantasy movie and the cloud kind of added to the otherworldly, enchanting atmosphere.
The Sendero de los Sentidos (Path of the senses) is a popular choice for exploring the forest with sign posted routes of different lengths. Although it was a bit wet and slippery we enjoyed a short 30 minute trail through the intertwining branches with its mystical feeling. If you’re visiting in school holidays, definitely get there early as parking isn’t easy.
Mirador de Jardina is worth a stop on the way up from Puerto de la Cruz and offers panoramic views of the mountains, forest and city of La Laguna with Mount Teide towering in the distance (hiding in the clouds on our trip).
As we made our way down through the clouds along the hairpin bends of the TF-12 to Playa Teresitas, we were greeted with a warm sunny day. There are several viewpoints on route and the roads are a joy to drive on with dramatic scenery full of Cacti and Banana plants.
Playa Teresitas is a popular beach with golden sands (originally made of black volcanic sand but imported from the Sahara), it has a tropical vibe thanks to its mountain backdrop and promenade lined with palm trees. The water is clear, calm and shallow ideal for a relaxing beach day. There are several beach cafes to choose from serving simple snacks and refreshments. The large car park here is free and we had no problem finding a space although this might be more tricky in the height of summer.
Day 3: Siam Park water park
Located on the south east coast near Costa Adeje, Siam Park is definitely worth the 1hr 15 minute drive from the north. Visiting in October half term, the queues weren’t too bad and the weather was still lovely and warm. The grounds are thoughtfully designed with the water slides almost hidden from view in beautiful, tropical gardens with a Thai theme. The slides are rated from 1-3 in difficulty level with plenty of high adrenaline rides to keep the teens happy. Most have two or four person rings so the whole family can enjoy it (or scream a lot in my case) together. There’s also a beach area and smaller slides with pools for little ones.
Day 4: Mount Teide National Park and Garachico
Coming from Puerto de la Cruz our first stop was Mirador de Mataznos. Here you’ll find views of the verdant countryside of the Oratova Valley and the coastline below and peak of Teide peering through the forest above. The roads throughout the national park are excellent to drive on. As we made our way up the scenery reminded us of national parks we have visited in the US with long stretches of tarmac breaking through the dense forest. Then you reach the contrasting barren, desert like, out of this world landscape which goes on for miles and miles.
My advice to anyone visiting Mount Teide is get there super early if you want to hike. We had decided on the 4km Roques de Garcia hike but couldn’t find anywhere to park at around 10.30am so ended up stopping at several viewpoints instead. Any of the ones with hiking routes were completely full which was a real shame. We did enjoy our road trip around it though and the scenery is incredible. We stopped at Zapato de La Reina viewpoint where you can see the famous rock formation resembling a queen’s shoe. On the other side of the road, you’ll get a good view of the volcanic spires which make up the Roques de Garcia with Teide’s caldera in the distance. On the way down along the western side of the park, we also stopped at Mirador de los Poleos enjoying a picnic with a view of the sea below.
After a morning of driving, we were all desperate to get out of the car. Garachico is a very charming, relaxed town with a pretty whitewashed centre with a leafy plaza and small park with tropical gardens. I loved the unique atmosphere here with a dilapidated building battered by the waves and rugged rock pools sitting against the pristine, white washed town with its church tower and the simple waterfront bars with their vibrant Latino beats.
The natural volcanic pools ‘El Caletón’ are great fun and again a very unique experience. Just sitting and watching the waves crashing was mesmerising. There is one crazy pool which you definitely need to be a strong swimmer for. A few people braved it and it certainly looked like fun. We went for the more calm option which was lovely and refreshing.
Day 5: La Laguna and Santa Cruz
With a night flight home we didn’t fancy getting wet and sandy so it was the perfect opportunity to visit two of Tenerife’s main cities. First stop was La Laguna. This busy working university city has a lovely vibe. The architecture is beautiful around every corner and there are plenty of trendy coffee shops and juice bars for a morning pick me up. The main shopping street has most of the favourite fashion brands (Bershka, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear, Mango).
Close by is the city of Santa Cruz. Another busy working city with a very authentic Spanish feel, the centre carries on the theme of colourful street art seen in other parts of the north. There is also a lively café culture and gastronomic scene. We visited around lunchtime and were in that hangry stage so ended up in a slightly mediocre place but situated in a pretty square with a local flamenco dancer and guitarist performing. Similar to most capital cities, it has all the main international high street brands so good for teens wanting to go shopping. The Mercado Municipal Nuestra de Señora de Africa is worth a visit if you’re there in the morning. Housed in an attractive neo-colonial building with two floors and an open patio, it is bustling with locals and tourists picking up fresh local produce as well as Canarian delicacies and has several bars for lunch. As it closes at 2pm, there were only a handful of stalls open by the time we got there but we did sample some delicious empanadas.
Where to stay
We had looked at both Airbnb and hotel options in various towns in the north, but decided on Puerto de la Cruz as a lively, vibrant beach town base allowing us to visit everywhere on our list. DWO Nopal Hotel was a fantastic choice – centrally located, comfortable rooms, great breakfast with stunning views from the rooftop terrace and an outdoor pool. You can park for free in the huge Muelle parking lot on the seafront just 7 minutes walk away.
Where to eat
La Tapería – excellent tapas with all the traditional favourites.
Zicatela Restaurant – a fusion of Japanese, Peruvian and Mexican cuisine with creative combinations. Great cocktail menu and lively yet elegant intimate atmosphere.
Casa Pache – traditional Canarian dishes. Simple and fresh with decent prices. Book in advance to get an outside table along the tiny street adorned with plants and flowers.
Restaurant Tropical – another good choice for reasonably priced simple, local cuisine.
Agora cocktail bar – we stopped here two nights in a row for a pre-dinner cocktail after watching the sunset.
Fam Full of Wanderlust 