National Geographic Traveller (UK)
THREE TO TRY NORTH COAST DAY TRIPS
The north offers plenty of scope for outdoor adventures, from scaling volcanoes to spotting whales
Whale-watching and Los Gigantes
Known to the Guanches as the ‘Walls of Hell’, Los Gigantes are the 1,640fthigh cliffs that dominate Tenerife’s northwestern tip. They’re an hour’s drive from Garachico on the north coast, up a wiggly, 3,000ft-high mountain pass. At the base of Los Gigantes sits a little seaside town of the same name, with a tiny, black-sand beach and a harbour that serves as a springboard for whale- and dolphin-watching trips. November to February is peak season for encounters with migratory humpback whales, but look out for the resident dolphins, too — they’re often seen making acrobatic leaps in the shadow of the cliffs. Book with local operators Third Element Charters or Flipper Uno. losgigantes.com thirdelementcharters.com flipperuno.com
Mount Teide summit
Whether they realise it or not, all visitors to Tenerife travel in the orbit of Mount Teide — the central volcano that’s as high as four Snowdons, and whose summit is visible almost everywhere on the island. A few brave souls apply for a licence to walk to the top over a few days — everyone else drives most of the way there. It’s a 45-minute drive from La Orotava to Las Cañadas del Teide, home to a vast and otherworldly crater, whose open, dusty horizons recall the American West. The summit rises from within this crater, reminiscent of Russian dolls; to cover the last leg, you’ll need to park up and take a steep, spectacular, eight-minute cable-car ride. Savour the sublime views out to sea, but don’t linger too long, as altitude sickness can be an issue at this lofty perch. volcanoteide.com
La Gomera
Among the smallest of the main Canary Islands, La Gomera is Tenerife’s nearest neighbour — close enough to be accessible by 50-minute ferry ride from the quays at Los Cristianos. With barely 20,000 inhabitants, it’s a galaxy apart from Tenerife and its nearmillion population, and even the briefest day trip can give a sense of a little lost world marooned out in the waves. Look up to Garajonay National Park as the ferry draws closer, the forested roof of the island, dotted with volcanic monoliths. Dock at the island’s humble capital, San Sebastián, amid whose pastel-hued mansions Christopher Colombus stopped to stretch his legs en route to the Americas. Visit the Church of the Assumption, where the explorer was rumoured to have prayed for safe passage.
HOW TO DO IT
Tenerife’s two main airports, the small Tenerife Norte Airport (served by regional flights from Spain) and the much bigger Tenerife South Airport are served by British Airways, Ryanair, EasyJet and Jet2 from several UK hubs. ba.com ryanair.com easyjet.com jet2.com
Local bus operator Titsa provides a comprehensive network of routes between Garachico, La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz and La Laguna, but hiring a car is recommended. titsa.com