A week in Tenerife: 10 things to do

Former capital, La Laguna is the religious and academic centre of Tenerife, where centuries-old mansions sit cheek-by-jowl with traditional tascas (bars selling tapas) and good shopping. During term times, the university district is the busiest area of town, its streets, bars, cafes and bookshops buzzing with activity.

Known as the lungs of the city, Parque García Sanabria features an open-air art gallery and extensive landscaped gardens. The most famous sculpture in the park is La Fecundidad, a voluptuous female nude, and the landscaping includes a delightful Italian garden, a bamboo tunnel and a flower clock.

Highly prized since the Spanish arrived in 1497 when it was gifted to wealthy merchants, La Orotava remains one of Tenerife’s most sophisticated towns. Today, it is best known for its Doce Casas – twelve striking Canarian-style mansions that were former residences of the area’s leading families. In June, the cobble streets are decorated with intricate flower carpets for Corpus Christi celebrations. 

Tenerife’s best hiking can be found in the precipitous Anaga mountain range. The rugged landscape, knife-edge ridges, deep ravines and rare laurel forests make this truly spectacular hiking terrain. 

Originally set up in 1788 to house plants arriving from Asia and the Americas, the Jardin Botanico contains some 3000 species of plants and trees, including 150 different palms and an enormous 200-year-old fig tree.

The Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria is considered the holiest site in the Canary Islands, housing a famous statue of the Virgin Mary known as the Black Madonna. The Virgin forms the centrepiece of this splendid late nineteenth-century colonial-style basilica. In August, the re-enactment of the finding of the Virgin attracts pilgrims from across the Canary Islands. 

The Parque del Drago contains the famous Drago Milenario, a magnificent tree over 16m tall, 20m wide and 800 years old! The indigenous Gaunche peoples held court beneath its canopy and believed the tree foretold the future, with a full blossom promising a fine harvest.

This hidden, rural hamlet is tucked into the folds of the Teno mountains, with spectacular views, white-knuckle road access and a demanding three-hour hike down its ravine to the sea.

Standing at 3718m, beneath one of the world’s clearest skies, Mount Teide is the largest mountain in Spain, the third tallest volcano on the planet and one of the best things to do in Tenerife. The lava fallout from successive eruptions combined with atmospheric conditions within the park create a surreal, kaleidoscopic canvas surrounded by a sea of clouds.

The waters between Los Gigantes and La Gomera are deep and warm, attracting a host of microscopic life which in turn supports 28 species of resident and migratory dolphins and whales. Make sure the boat is flying the yellow flag which indicates it’s complying with international guidelines to protect the cetaceans.