Tenerife Holidays Offer More than Just Sun, Sea, and Sand

Tenerife Holidays Offer More than Just Sun, Sea, and Sand

For Tenerife, holidays are an important business, making up a significant part of the island’s economy, with some 5 million tourists visiting every year. As the largest of the Canary Islands, relatively close to the coast of Africa, Tenerife benefits all the year round from warm weather and low levels of rainfall.

It enjoys a combination of natural beaches, composed of black, volcanic sand and newer, artificial beaches made from imported golden sand from the Sahara desert, as well as from sand pumped up from the sea bed. This gives the island an incredible variety of places to relax in the sun, such as the popular seaside resorts of Playas de Troya and Los Cristianos – featuring two beaches which have proven a firm favourite among tourists, alongside many smaller ones.

Playa de Los Cristianos is the central beach, with grey volcanic sand. For people who want a more traditional look, the nearby Playa de las Vistas features golden sand from the sea floor. Both beaches are pleasantly sheltered from the elements, and both are right next to a varied collection of bars and restaurants for those moments when sunbathing turns to hunger. At the Playa de Los Cristianos, children are well catered for too, with playgrounds and other activities.

Tenerife holidays often feature a day out on the island’s most well-known beach – the Playas de Troya. With shallow waters, shelter and easy access to the nearby town, it is a great place to take part in a wide selection of water sports – or just to chill out.

Lying a little further to the north can be found the small, shingle beach at La Caleta, which attracts snorkelers and divers. The high concentration of fish nearby in the ocean means that visitors with more culinary inclinations can enjoy some delicious meals at one of the nearby seafood restaurants.

A Tenerife holiday has more to offer than just wonderful beaches though. One of the largest carnivals in the world takes place every year in the island’s capital – the Carnival of Santa Cruz – which is in the running to be declared a World Heritage Site. Every February in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, over a million people take part in the festivities, which include a stunning opening parade through the Friday night, modelled on the processions at the more famous carnival in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is twinned with Rio because of this.

After the fancy dress extravaganza, the carnival continues until Ash Wednesday – with days dedicated to dance and live music – before culminating in a bizarre ritual known as “The Burial of the Sardine”. Even then, the fun is not over. The next weekend, the partying begins all over again, with the weekend known as “piñata”.