Go Canaries:Tenerife is renowned as a sun resort. But, as regular visitor
Éanna Brophyexplains, there's more to do on the Canary Island than lie on the beach
IT'S AN ISLAND of two halves, Tenerife: divided by the mighty Mount Teide, the largest of the Canary Islands has two distinct climates and two personalities. Its warm south is where the sun-worshippers flock all year round; the north, with less predictable weather, is considered by some to be less brash and to hold some vestiges of a more gracious era.
It is mainly to the dry, overbuilt south that we Irish, along with thousands of other sun-starved northern Europeans, gravitate, especially in winter, because it usually does what it says in the brochure: it gives you sunshine no matter which month you go. The average temperature is 20 degrees in winter and 25 in summer.
The Canaries in general perhaps have a slightly tarnished reputation, because of the cheap-and-cheerful – not to mention beerfull – types who over-run some parts in the summer, but Tenerife comes into its own when our little island is huddled against rain and sleet, because the Fortunate Isles, as they were once known, are then the only sunny spot within a four-hour flight.
So what do you see when you get there? Concrete. Yep, there's a lot of concrete around Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos, the two main coastal resorts in the south. But that's the price we pay when everyone wants to get as close as possible to the beach: the hotels and apartment blocks spread for kilometres in every direction.
None of that matters when you get down to the ocean. Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos are linked by a great promenade lined with shops and eating places and giving access to a variety of beaches. It's hard to beat the feeling of elation, after a 20-minute taxi ride from Tenerife South Airport, when you stroll on to the sand, gaze at the rolling Atlantic breakers and, on the horizon, the neighbouring island of La Gomera, then text home "arrived safe, sun shining" and receive the customary reply: "Well, it's still **@*%@* freezing and lashing here!"
The more expensive hotels and apartments are closest to the sea. Prominent among the seafront hotels in Playa de las Americas are the Mare Nostrum resort, which has five hotels of varying cost, and the luxurious Gran Hotel Bahia del Duque.
Also along here is the low-rise Parque Santiago apartment complex. Some package companies use this; you can also locate some of its private owners on the internet.
Along the promenade (which is very wheelchair-friendly) in Los Cristianos you'll find the Arona Gran Hotel, at the upper end of the price range, and the high-rise, more budget-priced Sol Princesa Dacil. But these are just a few of hundreds of hotels and apartment complexes of varying quality in these two main resorts. Study the brochures carefully – and double-check on the internet.
Sunbathing is all very well, but Tenerife has much more to offer. First of all there's Teide. This dead (we hope) volcano dominates the landscape, especially when seen from Puerto de la Cruz, in the north, where it seems to hang over the town. To visit the summit, or get close to it, is a must if you ever go there. There are coach trips on offer, or you can take the local bus.
The island has an excellent and punctual bus service, with cheap multitrip tickets called Bono Bus. From Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos, the 342 runs up in the morning and down in late afternoon.
When you arrive at the bus terminus near the summit, you have the option of exploring the amazing lava-formed landscape of Cañadas de Teide (a national park) or taking the cable car to the very top. Teide, be warned, is more than three times as high as Carrauntoohil, at 3,700m, so bring warm clothes. Even if its 21 degrees at sea level, it can be closer to freezing near the summit. Do not go in your beach gear. Take it from someone who once did the bus trip fairly sensibly togged out in jumper and jeans only to find the road frozen near the summit and an icy wind blowing snow in his face. Never mind, we thought, this is a great excuse to repair to the nearby parador for some nourishing breakfast-time brandies. Alas, the frozen road had stopped the staff coming up from their homes in Puerto de la Cruz, so we had to cower behind rocks and cover our heads until the sun eventually came out.
Did I say it's an island of two halves? Make that three thirds: Teide has a climate all its own.
TO GET THE most from your Tenerife holiday, pack a good pair of walking boots along with the flip-flops. This surprising island, as most seasoned hillwalkers already know, has an astonishing range of places to explore on foot. Guided walking holidays are advertised on the internet, but many walks are accessible and safe for the reasonably firm of foot, once you equip yourself sensibly and bring a good map (which you can buy, along with local walking books, from the tourist offices dotted around the island).
On the northern side, Valle de la Orotava is a favourite destination. Filled with banana plantations and vineyards, and fringed by pine trees, this lush valley near Puerto de la Cruz offers a complete contrast to the arid south. It's a walker's delight; you can trek for hours or just take a 30-minute stroll. There are mountain-bike trails here, too, for the more energetic. The picturesque town of La Orotava is a step back in time, with shaded cobbled streets and traditional Canarian houses.
Los Gigantes, on the northwest coast, is an imposing stretch of sheer cliffs. Imagine the Cliffs of Moher and add sunshine to get the picture. Nearby, the quiet resort of Santiago del Teide is a good spot for scuba-diving and windsurfing.
Also to the northwest of the island is Isla Baja, sometimes described as the secret Tenerife. It's green, fertile and dotted with villages and rural lodgings for those who wish to stay and explore. The small town of Garachico, founded by a Genoese banker in 1496, was Tenerife's main port until Teide erupted in 1706, covering much of the surroundings with lava.
While most dedicated trekkers head north, the south is by no means short of walking opportunities. The most popular of these is Barranco del Infierno, which translates as Gorge of Hell, but don't be frightened: it can certainly be as hot as the hobs, but the trick is to go early in the day.
You may have to book your slot (call 00-34-922-782885), as this natural park is limited to 200 visitors a day (there's a charge of €3 a head). Starting in the small borough of Adeje, the trail winds through a deep ravine to a three-tiered waterfall. The round trip takes four hours.
Around Arona and the Adeje Coast, you can also hike in the hills above Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos. A short bus ride will bring you, for instance, to the starting point of a trail that winds up to Roque de Conde. Several other walks are also accessible, so when the tan is topped up, get off that sunbed and explore.
For children, the sea, sand and a swimming pool are the main requirements for a happy family holiday, but if you happen to get an overcast day (it does happen), a trip to Loro Parque is well worth undertaking. This much-promoted venue near Puerto de la Cruz started as a tropical garden featuring every parrot that ever squawked, but it has expanded over the years to include a well-run dolphin show and a "penguinarium".
There are other animals here, too, in natural surroundings. These include several gorillas on loan from other zoos around the world, as part of a breeding and preservation programme, and more recently the park has become a refuge for chimpanzees rescued from the photographers who used to be a bane of the seafront walkways. (The resort police continue to clamp down on these, as well as on the three-card-trick operators and the timeshare touts.)
Other attractions for children are the huge AquaPark, near Playa de las Americas, and Parque las Aguilas, an exotic animal and bird park near Los Cristianos. Or you can all go whale- and dolphin-spotting in one of the many boats that vie for passengers out of the busy port of Los Cristianos (where you can also catch a ferry to La Gomera and other islands).
You can also play golf in Tenerife, but as this is being written by someone who subscribes to the credo that golf is a good walk spoiled, you'll have to make your own arrangements for that.
Choosing a package, and where to eat and where to go on the island
Getting there
Here are some examples of package offers departing on February 6th. Prices are per person and include flights, transfers and all taxes and charges.
SUNWAY
Playa Olid Apartments, Playa de las Americas. Seven nights self-catering from €295 (online price €280).
Santa Maria Aparthotel, Costa Adeje. Seven nights self-catering from €395 (online price €380).
Costa Adeje Gran Hotel, Playa de las Americas. Seven nights BB from €719 (online price €704).
BUDGET
Las Fioritas Apartments, Playa de Americas. Seven nights self-catering €256 (online discount €10).
Neptuno Aparthotel, Playa de las Americas. Seven nights self-catering €256 (online price €246).
Princesa Dacil Hotel, Los Cristianos. Seven nights half-board €549 (online price €539).
FALCON
Park Santiago III apartments, on the seafront at Playa de las Americas. Seven nights self-catering from €499.
Piramides Apartments, Playa de las Americas. Seven nights self-catering from €449.
Hotel Arona Gran, by the sea in Los Cristianos. Seven nights half-board from €999.
Where to eat
The seafront promenade between Las Americas and Los Cristianos has a handy range of budget-priced restaurants looking over the water. A three-course meal for two with wine in such spots as Little Italy, Robinson's or La Barca will set you back about €50 at most, but the menus are not exactly haute cuisine.
A little pricier but highly recommended in Playa de las Americas is the bustling, atmospheric Mama Rosa's, on Avenida Santiago Puig, where the starters, at about €10, can be so filling you might not have room for a main course.
Should you find yourself in Puerto de la Cruz, look for Meson Les Gemeois near the bus station for a sample of traditional Canarian cuisine.
If you like fish, you'll love Celso: this fish-only restaurant by the sea in La Caleta, a small (for now) fishing-cum-holiday- village at the northernmost tip of Costa Adeje, might look a bit like a shed from the outside, but the food is gorgeous and there's a great atmosphere inside. The locals love it, too. A three-course lunch for two costs about €35, including a carafe of the house white wine.
The Olive Tree in Los Cristianos, run by a very friendly English family, serves excellent food at good prices. It's just one of a bewildering array of eating-out places around the harbour area. (They've even got a pub called the Irish Times.)
Where to go
Tenerife Top Training, or T3 for short, is a 56,000sq m centre of sporting excellence just above the village of La Caleta. T3 refers to "trinomial unity" – that is, harmony between body, mind and spirit.
The complex has been designed for athletes from the disciplines of swimming, football, tennis, triathlon, squash and beach volleyball.
The complex houses three swimming pools: an Olympic-sized 50m pool and another half that length, both heated to 27 degrees, as well as an indoor therapy pool with state-of-the-art biomechanical technology that can produce a 3D image of a swimmer against a water flow of two and a half metres per second. This can be studied on a giant screen to detect weaknesses and improve technique for high-level performers, and to treat those with injuries or disabilities.
It also has two full-size outdoor floodlit football pitches (one with grass and one with a synthetic surface), indoor physio and training rooms and outdoor tennis and padel courts. You can see that this will be a major leisure addition, just next to Golf Costa Adeje.
Siam Park, which claims to combine the exotic mystery and adventure of the ancient kingdom of Thailand with 21st-century know-how, opened last September. It has 14 major water attractions and five bars and restaurants, surrounded by subtropical vegetation.
The park's plans had approval from the Thai royal family before construction began. The royal architect, Prof Ruthai of Bangkok University, is responsible for the design of the buildings, which capture the feel of the orient perfectly. Each pagoda has been hand-crafted by one of 11 Thai craftsmen who travelled to Tenerife with imported materials to ensure the re-creation of the largest Thai village outside of Thailand as accurately as possible.
With twice as much money spent on the decoration as on the rides themselves, this €52 million project shows huge imagination. Unlike other parks, where you can see all the metal supports and bases, the structure has been hidden with thick vegetation.
There are adrenalin- pumping attractions, animals, play areas and golden beaches, plus a surf school and "wave palace" – capable of producing waves of up to three metres – and the Tower of Power, a 28m drop with a heart-stopping finale.