Why visit Tenerife and Tenerife forums? Masca is a picturesque village, settled inland in a location where residents of Tenerife used to hide when they were being attacked by pirates. If you have a hire car you can get there on your own, but you should try to get there as early in the morning as possible, otherwise it gets really crowded. The views are spectacular and there is a restaurant overlooking the valley, where you have to go even if only for a cup of coffee (the view in included in price, but it’s worth it). No trip to Tenerife would be complete without a boat trip where you can see dolphins and whales in their natural habitat. The waters between Tenerife and La Gomera are ideal for spotting these majestic mammals and this 3 hours cruise also includes unlimited drinks, champagne, snacks and hotel pick-up. Find even more information on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1TenerifeForumCommunity.

Teide National Park is Europe’s most visited national park, with around three million visitors every year flocking to the UNESCO protected volcanic landscape in the centre of the island. The park’s crowning glory is ‘Papa Teide’, as the volcano is known by locals. Ride the cable car up to its peak, which is almost 12,000 ft above sea level. You’ll be rewarded with jaw-dropping landscapes that feel more like Texas than Tenerife. I’ve got an entire blog post all about where to eat in Tenerife, but rest assured that there’s a lot more to Tenerife’s gastronomy than the great British fry up. Some of the main local dishes are the aforementioned papas arrugadas with mojo verde and rojo mojo. You might also want to order conejo en salmorejo (rabbit in sauce), grouper, puchero (a hearty stew), and huevos estampido, which I can only describe as the best egg and chips you’ll ever taste. No, really.

Masca is one of the highest villages on Tenerife, and the rock behind it almost lends a ‘mini Macchu Picchu’ look to the village. The hike from the village to the bay will take between 3 and 5 hours, depending on how many photo breaks you work into the walk. This is a ravine hike, full of view points, flora and fauna and epic photo opportunities. This is a steady hike – bring walking shoes and plenty of water. You’ll need to catch a water taxi back to Los Gigantes, which adds to the experience. In the central north of Tenerife, you’ll find Tabaiba. This is an amazing place for scuba diving. The wreck was sunk deliberately in 2006 to build the marine life here, and attract more divers to the area. On a dive here you’ll find octopus, large schools of mackerel and barracudas.

For travellers looking for an alternative to the island’s black sand beaches, Playa de Las Teresitas is one of the best golden sand beaches in Tenerife. Located north of the village of San Andres municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the beach has calm water suitable for swimming all year round. The bright yellow sand was imported from former Spanish colonies in the Sahara. This is a great beach to spend the day at in Tenerife because there are plenty of amenities, such as showers, cafes and disabled access. Tenerife’s cosmopolitan capital Santa Cruz is home to some of the top things to see in Tenerife in terms of city sightseeing.

The Museum of Nature and Man in Santa Cruz de Tenerife contains many important artefacts related to the history of the Canary Islands. It has a large collection of native tools and carvings, as well as well-preserved mummies from around the world. The conservation work done by the museum has now paid off, since visitors have a unique chance to discover the largest existing collection of the Guanche aboriginal culture of ancient Tenerife, before the arrival of the first European conquerors.