The largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is a lively combination of sandy beaches, charming harbour villages, tropical forests and historic towns. The island is dominated by the majestic and often snow-dusted volcano Pico del Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain, making Tenerife a top spot for climbing and biking. Days can be spent surfing the waves of the Atlantic, exploring the island's ancient architecture or dancing at its world-famous carnival.
There are Tenerife hostels that offer free Wi-Fi and a free breakfast. Feel holiday vibes at a hostel in a painted Canarian villa with its own pool or stay in a converted old townhouse that's filled with books and has a different literary theme for each bedroom. Fans of the outdoors can pick a Tenerife hostel that's also a climbing shop and school, which will get you kitted out for hikes in the mountains.
Depending on which town you're in will determine what side of the island's personality you see. Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz and nearby San Cristóbal de La Laguna are the island's cultural heart, with cobbled streets, food markets, museums and galleries. Santa Cruz is also home to the colourful Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival. Away from the popular southern hotspots like Playa de las Américas, the north offers ancient forests in Anaga Rural Park and unspoilt coastal towns like the sleepy 15th-century port of Garachico.
Top of the things to do is to find your way up El Teide for views of the surrounding Teide National Park below and its volcanic crater, which is 48km in circumference. There's a cable car that goes to 1200m. You could also hire a kayak to explore the coastline or take a boat out from Los Cristianos to spot whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. For art, head to Tenerife Espacio de las Artes in Santa Cruz, where photography and surrealism exhibitions are housed within a geometric glass and concrete building.
The island has two airports. Tenerife South Airport is where most international flights arrive, while Tenerife Norte Airport is for island and mainland connections. Buses run from the airports to the nearby main towns. To travel between the Canary Islands, there are regular ferries leaving from the main port in Santa Cruz. You can use the network of public buses, or hire a car or scooter to get around the island.
