subject: Tenerife Holidays [print this page] Tenerife is the largest and most attractive of the Canary Islands and tourists flock to the resorts on the south of the island where the temperatures are higher and there is less rain than the north.
Tenerife is dominated by Mount Teide, which is Spain's highest mountain, and is visible from the whole island. Teide rises to a height of 3712m and is often snow capped during the winter. The lower slopes are covered in pine forests and banana plantations with deep ravines.
Tenerife is situated in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of North Africa and is part of the volcanic archipelago called the Canary Islands. It is blessed with year round sunshine and is cooled by the northerly trade winds and is known as the island of eternal spring. It is no surprise that the island has become a year round tourist destination.
There is a considerable difference in the climate on Tenerife depending on where you are. The south is arid and desert like with little rain fall. This contrasts with the north where the climate is wetter and cooler with more cloud cover that brings rain. This accounts for the lush green vegetation found on the northern slopes.
The south of the island has developed purpose built resorts that have become the play ground for sun seekers such as Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos with their nightlife, theme parks and sunshine.
In the north of Tenerife is the islands oldest resort, the historic Puerto de la Cruz, which is surrounded by old towns and banana plantations. This resort is much quieter than the resorts of the south.
Tenerife's beaches can be a bit of a disappointment as they are in general made of black volcanic sand. However there are beaches that have been made with imported golden sand from the Sahara desert at Playa de las Americas and Plays de las Teresitas near Santa Cruz.
Tenerife's capital is Santa Cruz, which is a large and modern city with and international port. It was here off the coast of Santa Cruz than Admiral Nelson lass his arm trying to capture the town from the Spanish. The historic town of La Laguna is just to the west of Santa Cruz, and here is the home of Tenerife's university.
With so many interesting attractions, it is good to know that Tenerife has excellent roads with a motorway going most of the way around the island. Car hire is readily available and cheap, and the bus services are good.
Tenerife Holidays
By: Paul Ackford
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