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Anyone following this blog will know that Matt and I like travelling to quiet places. So arriving in Tenerife for the first time was a real shock. It is SO busy.

We had arranged to stay for a week in Puerto de la Cruz in the north of the island, expecting that this would be a world apart from the busier sun-lovers’ resorts in the south. We naively thought that once we drove our hire car away from the airport, the roads would be quiet and peaceful. Not so. The entire route was fast, busy, and around the capital Santa Cruz, completely chaotic. If you are visiting for the first time, like us, be prepared!

Despite the initial shock of the crowds, and the less than attractive drive around the main route, we did find some wonderful places to visit. Here are our suggestions if, like us, you don’t want to spend your holiday by the pool.

Exploring the Teide National Park

One of the main reasons we chose to stay in Puerto de la Cruz was its proximity to the Teide National Park. Though it is still a bit of a drive to get to the entrance to the park, taking around an hour.

Once you escape the traffic, you drive through attractive forest.  There is often a lot of cloud here, but we found that we usually drove through the cloud to clear blue skies higher up.  Several trails head into the forest, though we didn’t try any of these – the terrain looks steep and difficult.

There are various stopping places at points of interest on the drive up.  One is the Mirador Piedra de la Rosa with the impressive rock formation below, which is definitely worth checking out.  It is a rare example of a basalt rosette, formed when basalt columns have folded.

Eventually you emerge into a stark volcanic landscape, with great views of Mount Teide itself. The mountain is actually the highest in all of Spain, and it is hugely impressive, wherever it is viewed from.

Mount Teide is classed among the most dangerous volcanoes in the world!  Although it has been dormant since its last eruption in 1909, the volcano could certainly erupt again. The whole structure is highly unstable, causing concerns about massive landslides. Of course it is very closely monitored, and changes below the surface should be picked up before any future volcanic activity occurs. In theory…….

There are many great walks to explore this fascinating landscape – here are our recommendations if you like relatively gentle walks away from the crowds.  For more walks throughout Tenerife we recommend the following book and map (available from Amazon – just click on the image for further information).

El Portillo

The visitor centre at El Portillo, situated near the entrance to the Teide National Park (if you are coming from Puerto de la Cruz) is a great place to start. It has good parking and toilet facilities. You can pick up a free map of marked trails in the park, and there are more detailed maps available to purchase.

The visitor centre has information about the landscapes of the park, its fauna and flora, and its geological history. It also has a fantastic free botanical garden, dedicated to the flora in the national park. The garden is spread over a large area with made up paths and information boards.

You can easily spend a pleasant hour or two here strolling around the paths, learning about the local plant life and enjoying wonderful views of the surrounding landscapes. We visited twice, and were surprised how quiet and enjoyable it was.

Roques de Garcia

The rock formations at Roques de Garcia are hugely impressive. Unfortunately this means that they are also hugely popular, with lots of tour groups. Parking is difficult, but usually possible at the adjacent Parador de Las Canadas del Teide hotel (which would make a great base – see booking.com).

Despite the crowds the Roques de Garcia are definitely worth a visit.  There is a gentle path through some impressive formations, including Roque Cinchado in the photo above.

There is also a longer circular route to see more of the area, including the huge formation known as The Cathedral.  Although the route is only around 4 km, it does include a descent down to a plain, and then a fairly steep ascent up to the starting point at the end of the circuit.  It is fascinating all the way, and definitely worth doing.

Sendero 30 (Los Valles)

A walk that we particularly enjoyed was Sendero 30.  To find the start of this walk just park in either of two large laybys located at the Minas de San José Viewpoint (Km 37.5 of the road TF-21).  It is easy to find the start of the clearly marked trail from there, and as soon as you leave the parking area it is beautifully quiet.  We only saw a couple of other walkers on the entire walk.

The route takes you through a stark landscape with interesting rock formations and vegetation.  You descend gently to walk through a valley, before eventually meeting Sendero 4 after around 5 km.  We turned round at this point, and returned by the same route.  Of course you can just walk as far as you wish before returning to the starting point.  The trail is really easy to follow, the gradients are not too steep, and there are some fantastic views – we really enjoyed the walk.

Sendero 6

Another beautifully laid out trail is Sendero 6, which you can start at El Portillo Visitor Centre (see above).  This trail goes through the botanical garden and then proceeds, rising continually, to Montana Blanca.  It then gets steeper and continues to Montana de los Tomillos.  We didn’t do the entire route (which is around 6 km each way), but the section we did do was very easy to follow with beautiful views and plenty of interesting plants and rock formations.

Sendero 1 also begins at El Portillo.  This is a gentle linear route of just over 5 km, and again looked very well signed and easy to follow.  El Portillo makes a great starting point with its easy parking and toilet facilities.

Narices del Teide

Narices del Teide (Teide’s Nostrils) is the site of a large volcanic eruption in 1798.  From a parking area at the Mirador de las Narices del Teide on road TF-38 you can clearly see the site of the eruption and the resulting lava flow.

There are a number of trails starting here that lead to the Narices, and beyond to the summit of Pico Viejo.  But even if, like us, you don’t have time to hike, it is definitely worth stopping here to appreciate the impressive view of the eruption site.

Cable Car to Mount Teide

Taking the cable car almost to the summit of Mount Teide was one of the main things we wanted to do on our trip.  But – we didn’t do it.

Despite the lovely blue skies in our photos, it is very exposed to winds at this height.   And if it is windy the cable car does not run (for obvious safety reasons).  Three of the days when we drove up to the park, we found the cable car not running due to windy conditions.  (We visited in November – it may be less windy earlier in the year).  It is definitely worth bearing this in mind before you buy tickets in advance.

One day we drove up and the cable car was running.  But the totally chaotic parking on every available space (including some that looked decidedly unsafe), and the obvious long queues convinced us to go for a quiet stroll instead.  No doubt the trip to the top and the views up there are totally spectacular, but we weren’t too disappointed at missing the trip – it just looked far too busy.

If you do wish to take the trip, remember that the cable car does not go to the actual summit.  If you want to do this you must obtain a free permit in advance , and it is still a steep walk up from the top cable car station.  We could definitely feel the affect of the altitude on our walks, and this will be more noticeable at the top.  Apparently the smell of sulphur is also strong (this is, after all, a volcano!)  If you don’t have a ticket to go to the summit, there are two other marked routes to viewpoints from the top station which are gentler. For more information see Mount Teide Cable Car.

Things to Do Around Puerto de la Cruz

Puerto de la Cruz itself is larger and busier than we expected. Streets are narrow, steep and winding, and parking is an absolute nightmare. But it is an attractive place, especially down at the seafront where large waves crash onto volcanic rocks on the shore – an exhilerating sight and sound!

There is a large complex of pools known as Lago Martianez, created by the brilliant architect Cesar Manrique (see our post on Lanzarote to read about more of his projects). So if you like to spend some time on a sun lounger beside a pool you will be fine here.

The resort has the usual collection of shops, hotels and places to eat. There are some great restaurants in the Old Fishermen’s area (in various streets around Calle San Felipe). And more casual dining situated along the main seafront with fantastic views out to sea. We particularly liked Restaurante Rustico on Calle de San Telmo. The food was perhaps not the best, but the terrace with its view over the sea and the sound of the waves crashing beneath you was fantastic!

The Botanical Gardens

Puerto de la Cruz has a very beautiful botanical garden, which is definitely worth a visit. It looks small from the outside, but the network of paths crisscrossing the garden means that it takes longer to explore than you might expect.

The gardens are very historic, and contain a wonderful collection of tropical and subtropical plants. Some of the ancient trees are truly spectacular.

There is a water garden with dragonflies, lots of fruit trees, and beautiful flowers everywhere. Anyone interested in plants can easily spend a few hours marvelling at the unusual specimens. Don’t miss it!

Loro Parque

I know many people feel strongly against zoos, but Matt and I love them. They carry out a massive amount of research, help to preserve species on the verge of extinction, and do a huge amount to raise public awareness about endangered species.

Zoo standards have come such a long way.  The animals living in them generally have a much better and longer life than their wild counterparts. (Life in the wild is anything but idyllic as many people seem to think, but a constant battle just to survive).

Whenever we visit a city with a zoo, it is always on the top of our list of places to visit. Not only can you see animals that you could never see in the wild, but they often have lovely grounds and historic buildings. And no matter how many zoos we have visited, we always manage to see something different.

Loro Parque, situated just outside Puerto de la Cruz, is a fantastic zoo (but be warned – it is very busy with tour groups).

Particularly impressive to us was the penguin display, complete with several species of penguin, artificial icebergs and a fantastic revolving platform which takes you slowly round the display so everyone gets a good view.

Another lovely display was the Western Lowland gorillas. Loro Parque has a large group of male gorillas, and is contributing to the conservation of this highly endangered species. The gorillas were in beautiful condition, and seemed as interested in us as we were in them.

Among the many other highlights were the extensive collection of parrots, the treetop display, the hippos, and many more. Surprisingly, one of our favourite displays was a room full of tanks containing jellyfish. Beautiful lighting made the jellyfish mesmerising to watch.

We had mixed feelings about the controversial dolphin and orca shows.  Some of the animals had been rescued after being injured, and would not have survived if left in the wild.  The shows are undoubtedly incredibly impressive, but we would perhaps have preferred a regular display with information about the individual animals rather than the performances.

If you do go to see one of the shows, be aware the the ‘Splash Zones’ are more like ‘Completely Soaked Zones’, so don’t sit there unless you really don’t mind getting drenched!

The grounds of Loro Parque are also very beautiful with lots of exotic plants and lovely trees. There are numerous eateries scattered around the grounds, and places to sit if you prefer to take your own picnic. All in all, it’s a great day out – just be prepared for the crowds!

Some Practicalities

Accommodation

We stayed in the TRH Taoro Garden hotel (link via booking.com) in Puerto de la Cruz. We really liked the hotel, which had lovely gardens and a decent pool. Our room was comfortable and spacious, and we had a balcony with a view over rooftops to the sea.

Breakfast was good with plenty of choices. There is a small bistro which opens two evenings a week with a five course tasting menu. And the main restaurant serves a buffet meal each evening. Many people stay half or full board, which is good value. But, for us, trying different restaurants in the places we visit is one of the most enjoyable aspects of our holidays. We did try the hotel buffet one evening, and would say it was OK.  But personally I wouldn’t want to eat there every evening.

There are a couple of points to bear in mind about staying in the TRH Taoro Garden:

• It is quite difficult to find. I used Google maps on my phone to guide us there which worked really well. You need to watch out for the maze of one-way streets in the area.
• Although the hotel has some free parking, this is very limited, and getting a space is just a matter of luck. We usually parked in a free car park in the adjacent park, which seemed to be what many people were doing. A door behind the hotel’s pool allows quick access to the park.  (Your room key card allows access through the door back into the hotel’s grounds).
• We walked down into Puerto de la Cruz for dinner most evenings through Taoro Park. This is really attractive, with lots of little fountains and waterfalls. But it is a LOT of steep steps, especially coming back up! The hotel run a free shuttle service several times a day, but this does not operate at night. If walking back up is too much, you can easily get a taxi!

To search for other accommodation options in Puerto de la Cruz, see this page at booking.com.

To search for accommodation throughout Tenerife see this page at booking.com.

Flights to Tenerife

Tenerife North airport is closest to Puerto de la Cruz, but there is a bigger choice of flights to Tenerife South.  Whichever airport you arrive at, you can easily get to Puerto de la Cruz by public bus or a hire car.  Just be prepared for the busy roads!

To check for the best flight options from your local airport, try Skyscanner.

Car Hire

To compare a large choice of car hire options, and get great prices, we always use Holiday Autos.

If, like us, you love peace and solitude, do not be put off by the busyness of Tenerife.  You can easily escape the crowds and explore the wonderful volcanic landscapes that the island has to offer.

Please remember that this site is based purely on our own experiences, therefore kindly note the Disclaimer.

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