The Mini Rough Guide to Tenerife (Travel Guide eBook)

By Rough Guides

This pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do, what to see and how to get around Tenerife. It covers top attractions like Spain's tallest mountain El Teide, the majestic Castillo San Miguel and the Unesco-listed San Cristóbal de la Laguna, as well as hidden gems, including whale-watching trips from Puerto Colón and the steep hike down the dramatically located village of Masca. This will save you time, and enhance your exploration of this fascinating island. This title has been fully updated post-COVID-19.

This Mini Rough Guide to Tenerife covers: The northeast, the north coast, El Teide, the northwest, and the south.

In this travel guide you will find:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVERY TYPE OF TRAVELLER
Experiences selected for every kind of trip to Tenerife, from cultural explorations to family activities in child-friendly places.

TOP TEN ATTRACTIONS
Covers the destination's top ten attractions not to miss and a Perfect Day/Tour itinerary suggestions.

COMPACT FORMAT
Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, with a sharp design and colour-coded sections, this is the perfect on-the-move companion when you're exploring  Tenerife.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS
Includes an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture.

WHAT TO DO
Detailed description of entertainment, shopping, nightlife, festivals and events, and children's activities.

PRACTICAL MAPS
Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps will help you find your way around.

PRACTICAL TRAVEL INFORMATION
Practical information on eating out, including a handy glossary and detailed restaurant listings, as well as a comprehensive A-Z of travel tips on everything from getting around to health and tourist information.

STRIKING PICTURES
Inspirational colour photography throughout.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Apr 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781839052439

Rough Guides

Rough Guides are written by expert authors who are passionate about both writing and travel. They have detailed knowledge of the areas they write about--having either traveled extensively or lived there--and their expertise shines through on every page. It's priceless information, delivered with wit and insight, providing the down-to-earth, honest read that is the hallmark of Rough Guides.

Book preview

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How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Rough Guide Mini e-book is designed to inspire you and help you plan for your visit to Tenerife, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip. The guide begins with our selection of Highlights, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan an unforgettable trip. The Introduction and History and Culture chapters give the lowdown on Tenerife, past and present, while the Out and About chapter is a comprehensive guide to all the best sights. You will find ideas for getting active in Things to Do, while the Food and Drink chapter introduces you to the local cuisine and gives listings of our favourite restaurants by area. Travel Essentials offers just that; practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, Where to Stay provides a special selection of hotels for every budget. In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Tenerife are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Tenerife. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Rough Guides

Published in 1982, the first Rough Guide – to Greece – was created by Mark Ellingham and a small group of friends who couldn’t find a guidebook to meet their needs. Combining a contemporary, journalistic style with a thoroughly practical approach to travellers’ needs, the immediate success of the book spawned a series that rapidly covered dozens of destinations. These days, Rough Guides include recommendations from budget to luxury and cover more than 120 destinations worldwide, all regularly updated by our team of ever curious, roaming writers. These Rough Guide Minis may be small, but they are packed with information and inspiration and offer amazing value for money.

© 2022 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

10 Things Not To Miss

A Perfect Day in Tenerife

Overview

Volcanic Landscape

Climate

Flora and Fauna

Bird Life

Ecology

Population

Economy

Government

History and Culture

Guanche Culture

The Conquest

Missionaries and Conquerors

Sugar and Wine

Beetles to Bananas

The Spanish Civil War

Tourism and the Post-Franco Years

Out and About

The northeast

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

San Cristóbal La Laguna

The Anaga Hills

The north coast

Puerto de la Cruz

La Orotava

The wine lands of Tacoronte

West of Puerto de la Cruz

El Teide

Las Cañadas del Teide Crater

The routes into the park

From the north

From the east

The starting point

Cable car and Parador hotel

From the southwest

From the west

The northwest

Garachico

West of Garachico

Masca

El Tanque

Los Gigantes to San Juan

The south

The big resorts

Los Cristianos

The municipal towns

Along the south coast

Granadilla de Abona to Güímar

Ancient temples

Candelaria

Things To Do

Outdoor Activities

Walking and Hiking

Bikes and Karting

Flora Spotting

Birdwatching

Horse and Camel Riding

Golf

Water Activities

Diving

Whale- and Dolphin-Watching

Big-Game Fishing

Windsurfing

Spectator Sports

Football

Canary Wrestling

For Children

Shopping

Nightlife

Festivals

Carnaval

Corpus Christi

Romerías

Assumption

Food and Drink

What to Eat

Vegetables

Gofio

Meat

Fish

Fruit

Cheese

Where to Eat

Tascas and Bodegas

What to Drink

Tea and coffee

Wine

To Help You Order

Menu Reader

Where To Eat

The Northeast

Anaga

San Cristobal de La Laguna

Los Naranjeros

Santa Cruz

The North

El Sauzal

Icod de los vinos

La Orotava

Puerto de la Cruz

Tegueste

The Northwest

Garachico

Gaía de Isora

Masca

The South

Chayofa

La Caleta

Los Abrigos

Los Cristianos

Playa de Las Américas

San Isidro

The Southwest

Adeje

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Bicycle rental

Budgeting for your trip

C

Camping

Car hire

Climate

Clothing

Crime

Customs and entry requirements

D

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting to Tenerife

H

Health and medical care

Holidays

L

Language

LGBTQ travellers

Lost property

M

Maps

Media

Money matters

O

Opening hours

P

Police

Post offices

Public transport

T

Taxis

Telephones

Time differences

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Travellers with disabilities

W

Websites

Where To Stay

The Northeast

Anaga

La Laguna

Santa Cruz

The North

El Teide

La Orotava

Los Realejos

Puerto de la Cruz

The Northwest

Garachico

The South

El Médano

Granadilla de Abona

Güímar

The Southwest

Adeje

Los Cristianos

Playa de Las Américas

Vilaflor

10 THINGS NOT TO MISS

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1. La Orotava

La Orotava’s Casa de los Balcones is a beautiful example of a traditional town mansion. For more information, click here.

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2. Masca

A dramatically located village with a challenging hike down to the sea. For more information, click here.

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3. El Teide

This mighty volcano is Spain’s highest mountain. For more information, click here.

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4. Castillo de San Miguel

The castle in Garachico has great views out to sea. For more information, click here.

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5. San Cristóbal de la Laguna

With many lovely old buildings, the former capital of Tenerife is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more information, click here.

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6. Siam Park

The Thai-themed water kingdom is one of the most spectacular aquatic parks in Europe. For more information, click here.

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7. Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre

Located in Santa Cruz, this is Tenerife’s largest museum. For more information, click here.

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8. Los Gigantes

Beneath sheer cliffs that give it its name, the resort is a major centre for diving and boat trips. For more information, click here.

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9. Whale-watching

Seeing pilot whales and bottle-nosed dolphins between Tenerife and La Gomera is an unforgettable experience. For more information, click here.

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10. Parque Etnográfico Pirámides de Güímar

These structures are thought to be pyramids built for sun worship. For more information, click here.

A PERFECT DAY IN TENERIFE

9.00am

Breakfast. Get your morning off to a relaxing start by soaking up the views over the sandy beach and turquoise waters at Playa de las Vistas, and breakfast on delicious fresh fruit at the Water Melon in the Centro Comercial of San Telmo, Los Cristianos.

10.00am

Adeje. Take the main TF1 road north and divert to the unspoilt hill town of Adeje, former seat of the Guanche tribe and later stronghold of the Counts of Gomera. Visit the remains of their Casa Fuerte and amble along the steep Rambla with its bars and cafés. Adeje is the entry point to the Barranca del Infierno (Hell’s Gorge), a popular 4-mile (6.3km) return hike which should be saved for another day.

11.30am

Arguayo. Rejoin the main road going north. After Chio head right via the village of Arguayo, home to the Museum of ‘Cha Domitila’ (tel: [phone]), where you can watch potters at work and purchase ceramics.

12.30pm

Masca. Carry on north via Las Manchas to Santiago del Teide. From here continue to Tenerife’s most picturesque village – Masca, at the head of a dramatic gorge. Enjoy the breathtaking views from one of the roadside restaurants – Chez Arlette, El Guanche (Calle El Lomito 9, tel: [phone]) is a good bet.

2.00pm

Garachico. Return to the main road and head north (TF-82) for the charming coastal village of Garachico. Spend a couple of hours here, taking a dip in the lava rock pools, visiting the ex-Convent of San Francisco, admiring the views from Castillo de San Miguel or cooling off with a drink in the Plaza.

4.00pm

West coast. Head back south on the main road, then at Tamaimo turn on to the TF454 down the valley for Los Gigantes. ‘The Giants’ is named after the soaring volcanic walls that drop sheer into the sea. Continue south along the coast, pausing perhaps at the fishing village-cum-beach resort of Playa de San Juan.

7.00pm

Sunset wining and dining. Enjoy a cocktail at La Caleta on the Costa Adeje, then tuck into superb gourmet food at Restaurant 88 (tel: [phone], www.restaurant88tenerife.com), Masía del Mar (tel: [phone], http://masiadelmar.com) or Piscis Terraza (tel: [phone]), with stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean.

11.00pm

Nightlife. End the evening at the Papagayo Beach Club (Av. Rafael Puig y Lluvina 2; tel: [phone]; www.papagayobeachclub.com) at Playa de las Americas, watching the sun sink low before partying on a packed dance floor.

Overview

Time signals on state radio and television in Spain give two times: one for mainland Spain and one for ‘Las Canarias’. Adrift in the Atlantic Ocean more than 1,000km (620 miles) to the south of Spain, and 115km (70 miles) from the west coast of Africa, Tenerife and the 12