Tenerife and Spain travel attractions and Tenerife forum community? In case you don’t want to hike or you just don’t have the proper hiking equipment with you… you can also walk and discover the beauty of Tenerife by choosing an easy path. We’ve walked from Los Gigantes to Playa San Juan (not in one go, but it is possible) and we’ve walked almost the entire southern coast, another town or resort every day, usually walking by the ocean on the promenade (when possible). The carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered the second largest in the world after the one in Rio and it is truly an amazing experience, especially if you want to mingle with the locals and party all night long. We’ve participated in the 2019 edition of the carnival and we loved the parades (especially the one on Friday, when the carnival is inaugurated) and then of course we loved the parties in the various squares in the city, the costumes and the music. Find additional information on https://www.facebook.com/groups/1TenerifeForumCommunity.
Stargazing in Teide National Park is one of the best free things to do in Tenerife. 83 of the 88 officially recognised constellations can be seen from the park. You can go it alone or hire an astronomer to explain the constellations – our guide, José from Star Excursions, was so entertaining and he even arranged for the space station to pass by during our talk (ha). I learned that due to its lack of light pollution around the island’s volcanic peaks, Tenerife is one of the best places in the world for stargazing. In order to protect its status, it’s actually illegal to fly through Tenerife’s airspace between sunset and sunrise. If you’re looking for romantic things to do for couples in Tenerife, just look up!
Cueva del Viento is a set of caves which were created by lava from the eruption of the Pico Viejo volcano. There are 18km of lava tubes which you will explore with a tour guide. Walking through the maze of underground tunnels you will discover fossils, lava stalactites, lava lakes and at least 190 species of insects which live in there. The Pirámides de Güímar Ethnographic Park is home to a mysterious group of stone pyramids which were first discovered in the 1990s with various theories surrounding their origin. The Casa Chacona Museum at the park explores the potential theories, the other pyramids and step structures from around the world, and the scientific and archaeological investigations which have taken place at Guimar.
If you’re interested in more unusual attractions in Tenerife, I recommend a visit to Chinamada which is a tiny hamlet in the north of Tenerife’s Anaga mountain range. Chinamada is home to a ‘troglodyte community’ who live in a group of around 30 modernised cave houses. Two thirds of these cave homes are underground but they’re not as primitive as they once were. Don’t be surprised to see a satellite TV dish protruding from one or two – the hamlet got its first electricity supply in the 1990s. The surrounding landscape is filled with potato fields, though few of the residents live solely off the land these days.
The warm waters surrounding Tenerife are home to more than 28 species of whale and dolphin, making it a popular attraction for visitors of all ages. There are daily trips on the boats departing either from Los Cristianos or Los Gigantes. The prices of the boat trips differ according to the service and availability of the drinking buffet and food. Some boats are even decorated like pirate ships. The trip is around three hours in duration, during which you will be able to observe several dolphins and whales in their natural habitat, swimming around.
