Tenerife – The Island of Eternal Spring

Travelling to a new destination you know next to nothing about is like going on a date with someone you’ve never met. You worry about whether you’ll hit it off, whether you’ll have anything to talk about. The first 10 minutes are awkward while you find your feet. Then you realise this person is special and different. You click. And bam! An hour later you’ve fallen head over heels. Well, that’s exactly what happened to me when we landed in Tenerife – love at first sight, and I’d had absolutely no expectations.

Tenerife is the largest and most populous of the seven Canary Islands. Without exaggeration, it’s probably the most exotic and beautiful place I’ve visited so far. It’s no coincidence that it’s known as “the island of eternal spring”. The average temperature is 24–27 degrees all year round, and it’s lovely despite being so close to the Sahara – just 300 km from Africa. This was actually my first “encounter” with Spain. Having already been to two of its big cities – Barcelona and Madrid – I can tell you that the architecture here is more reminiscent of Mexico than of Spain.

The moment we stepped out of the airport, we could smell the ocean on the wind. Everything is very green. Besides the palm trees typical of these latitudes, Tenerife was where I saw real banana plantations for the first time. The bananas are one of the things you have to try there. They’re small and have a much richer flavour than the ones we know. The green landscape is in stark contrast to the Teide volcano in the centre of the island. When you visit, you’ll see what I mean. 

Even though Tenerife is a world-famous destination with over 5 million visitors a year, you won’t see huge complexes and rampant overdevelopment here like on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Maybe that’s why I haven’t had a seaside holiday in Bulgaria for almost 10 years. The tackiness is pretty off-putting. Here everything is just right, and the beaches are truly unique. Most of the resorts are in the south of the island, where temperatures are a little higher. In the north, interestingly, the sand is black because of the volcano – the first time I’d ever seen anything like it. Bear in mind that the north is windier and the waves are pretty strong, but you can still swim.

Puerto de la Cruz

Garachico

Teide Natural Park

The park lies in the centre of Tenerife and is renowned as the largest natural park in Spain. It was one of the most beautiful places I saw on the island. Thanks to its pristine, unspoilt nature, the park is a UNESCO site.  The closer you climb to the foot of the Teide volcano, the more beautiful the landscape becomes. In places it looks like a Martian or lunar landscape, thanks to the strange shapes left by the lava. It’s no accident that lots of space films have been shot here. The volcano’s crater sits at 3,718 m, which makes it the highest peak in Spain, but sadly you’re not allowed to go all the way up. We managed to get within a few metres of it. Bear in mind that it’s extremely hot up there in summer, while in winter temperatures drop below zero and there may even be snow.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The island’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is its largest city and main port. It’s a lively, dynamic city with wide boulevards, fountains and squares. If you love wandering round museums and galleries, this is the place for you. Even though it’s the capital, the city isn’t all that big, and you can even get around it on foot. The centre is the place for a stroll, starting from Plaza de España – the largest square on the island. The city also has lots of parks, and one of its attractions is the Auditorio de Tenerife – a concert hall often compared to the Sydney Opera House because of its unusual design.

A symbol

Tenerife is also famous for its Gallotiai lizards, which are found only in the Canary Islands. The locals are definitely used to lizards wandering the streets, but tourists tend to jump. When I saw one for the first time, I honestly thought it was a snake, they’re that big. As well as on the streets and the rocks around the towns, there are plenty in Teide National Park. They really are pretty big and look like Daenerys Targaryen’s little baby dragons from Game of Thrones. The lizard is a symbol of all the Canary Islands, so you’ll often find lizard-shaped souvenirs in the gift shops.