Getting carried away in Tenerife
Izhan Galiana
I had been to the Canary Islands about three times already, but this time I had a "guide" from Tenerife—a friend of mine who took me to places I would have never gone if it hadn't been for him. Having planned many trips in my life, he really wanted me to not worry much about this adventure and just let myself go.
Explore Tenerife island like a local in 3 days
DAY 1
Center of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
For this trip, the idea was for me to relax and just allow myself to discover Tenerife with a local friend. The first day started in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This is Tenerife’s capital—found northeast, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. As I mentioned before, this was the starting point of our adventure—a great place to start exploring the island, since you can find all kinds of shops and accommodations.
Charco del Viento
From Santa Cruz, we took a car and started the route towards the coast. Having your own car or renting one is ideal if you want to explore the island with more ease. They took us to see the Charco del Viento, a cove located in the north of the island in the Barrio de Santa Catalina.
It is one of the most beautiful pools in Tenerife, plus it is located close to other spectacular places.
Here we spend much of the day swimming and enjoying the crystal clear waters. It's a perfect place to jump off the higher ground, do some scuba diving, and see some minnows. Could not recommend enough this place—we had the most incredible time!
Charco La Mareta (Punta de Juan Centella)
We arrived at a place where the only people were us. We were at Charco La Mareta in Punta de Juan Centella. It was a place where you had to go up a small hill in order to find an incredible natural pool, surrounded by stones that shaped arcs and caves in the surroundings. We spent the rest of the afternoon taking photos and simply enjoying the view. I personally loved this place, and consider it one of the best places I’ve been to in the Canary Islands.
Later, we went back to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where our accommodation was, to rest from the intense day we had spent. The following day was about to start so we needed to have at least some hours of sleep.
DAY 2
The Teide
The day started at 5:45 am—even though I hadn’t slept much, we planned to watch the sunrise in Teide. Getting up super early was definitely worth it. Still in the car, the views were breathtaking—and as we approached the viewpoint and eventually got out of it, the sunrises looked even more spectacular. I totally recommend getting up early to live this experience. We stayed until approximately 7:30 am until we drove back.
On the way down, we also stopped to see the landscape when we noticed a beautiful light streaming through the trees—we could not miss the opportunity to capture it on photos and videos.
Pico del Inglés viewpoint
We headed back to Santa Cruz de Tenerife to rest after being up so early. Afterward, we met up with some friends that were planning the next adventure. We got on the car and headed to Parque Rural de Anaga, found northeast of the Tenerife island. It is an area declared a Biosphere Reserve since it has managed to conserve its natural values in an exceptional way.
Around this area, my friends made us stop the car and go to a viewpoint called Mirador del Pico del Inglés. Once again my friends were totally right. What a breathtaking view. You could see practically the entire island, even Mount Teide. It was super exciting to be there practically alone with the island at ""our feet"".
Taganana and Playa del Draguillo
After spending some time in this area, we got back in the car and off to our next destination. This time we stopped at the Casas de la Cumbre. We left the car here to start the next adventure on foot. We got on a mountain path in the direction of Taganana—the most important town in the interior of the Anaga massif, as well as one of the oldest on the entire island. When we got to Taganana we went to Playa del Draguillo we were not able to see its full beauty because the tide was gone! Anyway, it is one of the most impressive sites according to my friend Gus, so I hope to return to Tenerife soon to see it again.
We were very tired from running so much so we returned home to rest and gain some strength for the next day. The rest of the day was spent relaxing in Santa Cruz.
DAY 3
Karting Las Americas (Adeje)
This day was going to be more relaxing. We started by going to Adeje, a touristy city located in the western part of the island, in Tenerife South. We decided to make a plan a little more different from the ones we had been doing until now, so we went karting at a center near the city. The truth is that I really wanted to go karting since, although I don't usually do it often, I usually do quite well. We had plenty of fun, which is why I recommend you if come to the island with time to spare, try it—it’s something different to do with friends or family.
Los Gigantes with kayak
After karting, we wanted to do more activities so we drove in the direction of Los Gigantes. There we rented some kayaks and got into the water to enjoy the scenery.
We couldn't have picked a better place to kayak. Being in the middle of the water surrounded by the towering cliffs of Los Gigantes was something spectacular. We were making a route through the area to Barranco Seco Beach. It was an INCREDIBLE experience. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the route kayaking. You can also stop during the tour to take a swim in the crystal clear waters. There are so many kayaking options—you can go with a monitor, snorkel along the way... We decided to go on our own but if you don't have much experience you can consider other options.
La Vaca and the Tancón caves
To end the trip, we went to see the Cueva de la Vaca and the Cueva del Tancón—but it rained a lot and we couldn't stay long or record anything.
Due to the bad weather, we decided to return to Santa Cruz to say goodbye to the adventure and catch the flight that would take us back home. It has been an overall great experience. I love Tenerife because you can find practically everything—from mountains and forests to paradisiacal beaches and even deserts. I highly recommend that you visit Tenerife island, you will not be disappointed.
Before you travel
- Good footwear that allows you to go on land, to the mountains, and in the water. In Tenerife, there are many puddles with stones—which you have to be careful of—but at the same time, there are also some very good walking routes.
- The best way to get around the island is by car. It’s actually quite a big island, with many different climates—which is why this type of transportation is ideal to be more efficient with your time, and feel more comfortable.
- If you travel alone or with another person, hotels can be a very good option. However, if you are joined by more people, a house can be a great option—there are plenty available for all tastes and budgets.
