Tenerife Weather, Nature and History
With the development of the volcanic mountains in the Atlantic, Tenerife appeared about 8-12 million years ago like the rest of the Canary Islands. Originally, there were three islands with the mountain ranges of Teno, Anaga, and Valle San Lorenzo. Thanks to the massive volcanic activity, the areas merged together and formed Tenerife as we know it today.
The original inhabitants of the island were the most fearless people of all the Canary Islands. It is said that the Guanches (the first people, which inhabited the island) were of aboriginal and northwest African origin. Over 500 years ago, they were conquered by the Spanish.
Tenerife features an extremely varied plant life. The large, wooded mountains, and extensive areas are overgrown with tomatoes, bananas, potatoes, and other agricultural products. Its rocky coast is lined by cliffs in some places, while in other areas there are beaches covered with soft black and gold sand.
Due to the volcanic nature of Tenerife, many of its beaches are not natural, but man-made. Natural beaches feature black sand. The increasing popularity of Tenerife as a tourist resort caused the development of Tenerife’s man-made golden sand beaches.
The Canary Islands are characterized by all year-round good weather. They are also known as the Islands of Eternal Spring with its lowest winter temperature of 16ºC, which rises to around 30ºC in the summer.
The refreshing Gulf air currents together with the Trade winds are the main weather factors that contribute to the climate of the island. Usually, the Teide mountain has three months of snow, however, it is still possible to enjoy sunbathing on the beach within a one-hour drive. The coastal areas, especially the south, feature most of the sunshine, the least clouds, and higher temperatures. The climate of Tenerife is influenced by its close proximity to North Africa. Thanks to its agreeable climate, thousands of tourists come to the popular seaside resorts of the island every year.
Resorts in Tenerife
The resort of Playa de las Americas is very popular with the younger tourists thanks to its vibrant playground of bars and nightclubs. Being crammed with water sports, restaurants, it is a marina for fishing trips and pleasure excursions. A family-friendly area on the edge of Playa de las Américas is San Eugenio Bajo located in twenty minutes drive from the airport. Within its walking distance, there are two beaches –Playa la Pinta beach in Puerto Colon and Fañabe beach.
To the south, Tenerife Playa de las Americas merges with Los Cristianos containing rows of Tenerife holiday apartment complexes. Los Cristianos, however, is the more laid-back destination, although it is still bursting with amenities and attractions for the tourists. The capital city of the island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is an upbeat and buzzy holiday destination. Further up the coast, there is the costal village of Adeje, which is considered to be “heaven on earth” with its rugged beauty, ample facilities, and beautiful clean beaches.
This island is the main player for those who are looking for a property in Tenerife with rental potential. Because of the attractions and agreeable year-round weather, Tenerife’s property has a long rental season and therefore great income potential. The main economic activity of Tenerife is tourism. It receives over 5 million tourists per year, mainly Spanish, British, and Germans. There are over 180.000 beds in Tenerife hotels and other establishments, which mean that the island has some of the best offers for tourists worldwide. Other economic activities of importance are the service and business sectors, maritime activity, and agriculture.
Holidays in Tenerife: Attractions and Outdoor Activities
Within a valley of banana plantations, there is a town of La Orotava. Designated as a monument of artistic national interest, there are some interesting monuments in this beautiful historical old town. The old capital of Tenerife, La Laguna, is the island’s religious and cultural center. Located in the Aguere Valley in wonderful natural surroundings, La Laguna is full of outstanding monuments and architectural buildings.
Tenerife is a perfect place for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits. There are many things to do in Tenerife. The volcanic and mountainous island has a lot of interesting routes, which head up a mountain. To tackle Tenerife’s mountain ascents, you do not have to be a skilled mountain climber. On the island, there is a great number of tracks and footpaths in a variety of settings, environments, and climates, all with different levels of difficulty. Hiking helps tourists gain a clearer view of Tenerife, see its beauty, and get to know more about the way of life of its inhabitants, who made the first steps through the pastures near Mount Teide and the dense laurel forest.
For those who want to see whales and dolphins, there are boat trips in the town of Adeje. Many companies offer boat trips for tourists, varying from a “booze cruise” on a cruiser offering drinks, lunch, and watersports to a trip around the island on a catamaran or sailing boat. One of the most popular attractions is the opportunity to see dolphins and whales in the wild. Visitors on most trips spot whales and dolphins very close to the boat. Boat trips go from either Puerto the port at Los Cristianos, or Colon in Playa de las Americas. Moreover, most operators provide their customers with a free bus service from the larger hotels in the main resorts.
Loro Parque, a full-fledged zoo in Tenerife, was created as a place for housing and breeding endangered parrots. Now, it still houses the colorful birds, but also there are other animals, including orcas, tigers, and chimpanzees. Loro Parque supports eco-friendly energy projects in Tenerife and also creates its own water with its desalination system. With a full variety of the eco-tourism and mainstream options on the islands, it is easy to have a look at the region’s smaller land masses.
The Canary Islands are known as the world’s best spot for big game fishing and many companies offer fishing trips in Tenerife. While blue marlin is the most expensive trophy fish, there are plenty of other species, including wahoo, white marlin, yellowfin tuna, dorado, mako, and hammerhead sharks.
In the town of Guimar, which is located 26 kilometers away from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, you can see the Black Pyramids of Guimar. In Corralejo, there is a professional dive center, where tourists can experience scuba diving and see the underwater volcanic rock formations. The all year-round propitious weather makes the island a popular destination for golf holidays. There is a host of excellent golf courses across the island, including Los Palos Golf, Golf del Sur, Amarilla Golf, Golf Adeje, and Golf Club Real.
Advantages of Living in Tenerife
Some people call Tenerife the Hawaii of Europe and thanks to its varied landscape, some people compare it to a small continent. Others may say that it is an exotic area exporting bananas, but we know that Tenerife is just a perfect place not only for coming for vocations, but also for living.
Tenerife is the largest island of the Canaries and is located to the southwest of Europe close to the African coast. Being a Spanish province, Tenerife is part of the European Union, complying with its laws and standards. This means that people here speak Spanish! Because of the strong influence of tourism, German, English, and Russian are also very popular languages. This is one of the good reasons why a student’s life in Tenerife is great: you can improve your foreign language skills in plenty of everyday situations.
Citizens of the EU can both live and work in Tenerife once they have completed a few formalities. For those who want to buy property in Tenerife or work in Tenerife, it is very important to obtain an NIE. It is no longer required to apply for residencia, but you still have to register your presence in Tenerife with the authorities by obtaining a “Certificado de Residencia”.
The climate of Tenerife is yet one of many good reasons for you to come here: you can combine your language course with that holiday feeling at any season of the year! Grab your grammar book to the beach while your friends are complaining about the cold, snowy winter at home. The most popular symbol of the island is the extinct volcano called “El Teide”, which is considered to be the highest mountain of Spain.
Here, you can swim in natural seawater pools or hike in the laurel forests. You can take a tour around Tenerfie by bus or by car visiting the villages or just discover them from a bird’s eye perspective. Having a car is almost a necessity on the island unless you do not mind getting the taxi or bus whenever you want to go out. Many hire car companies offer their customers discounts for long term rentals, but take your time and shop around to get the best deal you can. Generally, there are a lot of things to discover during your stay in Tenerife so that you will never get bored!
Apart from its beautiful nature, Tenerife also has a lot of urban culture. With over 900.000 residents, it is the most populous island of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna are the two largest and most important commercial and residential areas in Tenerife, while Playa de las Américas in the south and Puerto de la Cruz in the north are the two prominent tourist centers. Whether you walk along the streets of the city centers or if you prefer visiting small traditional villages, you are going to see that each has its own charm.
Be seduced by the multifaceted lifestyle of this fascinating island. The second largest Carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro is held in Tenerife! Of course, student life would not be student life without nightclubs, restaurants, and bars. Luckily for young people, there are plenty of them! The cuisine on the Canary Islands greatly differs from other regions of Spain. Fresh fish, meat cooked over a wood fire, and the prizewinning goat’s cheeses are served with the popular wrinkled potatoes called papas arrugadas.
Tenerife offers a great chance to try many fine wines too. Thanks to long years of tourism, there are also numerous international restaurants, where the prices are really low if compared to the rest of Europe. So your money goes further in Tenerife! After dinner, do no go home and hit the clubs, enjoying the Latin rhythms. Just imagine yourself sitting in a beach bar with a cocktail in your hand under the stars…