ELTIPS AV R T
But there’s no need to pay Elon Musk’s astronomical prices to find a place that is out of this world.
Driving through Tenerife’s Teide National Park, its eerie lava-carved landscape made me feel like I was on another planet.
This dormant volcano 3,700m above sea level is a breathtaking mix of mist- covered pines trees, arid pink and orange plains and blackened rocky craters. This landscape has starred in One Million Years BC and Clash Of The Titans.
Brave sorts can blast off to the summit by cable car for around £20.
Alas, the altitude was not suitable for my toddler Ralph so instead we explored the botanical garden at El Portillo visitor centre for free.
It’s filled with hardy but beautiful utiful native species that have learned ed to adapt to the harsh conditions s of Spain’s highest peak and has as gorgeous views towards the e north of the island.
The national park also offers plentiful walking trails, while hile plenty of tour companies run un sunset and stargazing tours.
It certainly wasn’t what ti I expected from a family winter ter holiday to the largest of the Canary Islands.
The last time I’d visited was 30 years ago and my lasting ting impression was the T-shirt I won at a particularly competitive game of musical statues at the kids’ club.
I’d dismissed it as a fly-and-flop destination for the package holiday crowd and younger revellers.
But the tourist board is working hard to promote the other faces of Tenerife, from its native potatoes and carnival to the high adrenaline sports and natural wonders.
At treetop climbing centre Forestal Park in Las Lagunetas, my husband Thom had huge fun whizzing on zip wires between scented pines.
Ralph was itching to join him but he’ll have to wait a few years to tackle the family courses, which stand 13m high, while the tougher sports courses go up to 30m.
Instead he got his thrills at Siam
FOR authentic
Canarian cuisine with stunning views, dine on the terrace at La Masia del Mar in Adeje, a family-run restaurant specialising in seafood such as parrot fish.
LORO Parque in Puerto de la Cruz is home to a vast selection of birds, gorillas, tigers and orca whales. Set aside a full day for a visit.
HIRE a car from canarias.com and pick it up outside Tenerife
South airport. Park, a Thai-themed attraction that is consistently voted the world’s best water park. Ralph couldn’t get enough of the waves at the new Coco Beach area, specifically designed with young families in mind.
Sharks
While he splashed, Thom got his kicks at the Tower of Power – a 28m vertical plunge that finishes through an aquarium filled with sharks.
They also loved the pools at our hotel in Costa Adeje, a 15-minute drive from Tenerife South Airport.
Hovima La Pinta Beachfront Family Hotel lives up to its name. Its brilliant apartment-style rooms offer a kitchenette, lounge and separate bedroom, plus essentials such as cots, highchairs and bottle warmers. Ground floor family rooms have a gated terrace that leads to the pools and splash playground.
The hotel also has a kids’ club and excellent buffet restaurant that starts serving at 6.30pm – early by Spanish standards and a relief when you have a ravenous two-year-old.
We liked the hotel’s nautical look, which managed to feel stylish while also being totally toddler-proof.
Hovima La Pinta is well-located for the majority of Tenerife’s theme parks, such as Siam Park, Jungle World and Aqualand, while Costa Adeje itself has an abundance of restaurants, nightlife and shops.
But don’t miss taking a trip to the north of the island, where the locals tend to live. The landscape is lusher and the architecture has an authentic Spanish feel in places such as Puerto de la Cruz and Garachico.
But our holiday highlight was a b boat trip with White Tenerife, where we got close to families of native pilot whales and dolphins.
Our captain, Felix, a former f fisherman, was a delight and even got me cushions and a cold glass of cava when the rocking motion of the w waves sent Ralph to sleep on my lap.
It meant I could take in the g gorgeous views in absolute peace. Holiday perfection for any parent. FACTFILE: Rooms at Hovima La Pinta Beachfront Family Hotel start at £150pn, hovima-hotels.com. Ryanair has regular flights from ten UK airports to Tenerife South, prices from £9.98 per person one way.