The vast majority of holiday makers in Tenerife get ferried from the airport directly to their resorts and never stray much from it for the duration of their holidays and then it is back to the airport. All they have seen was the hotel pool, the beach and a few restaurants, perhaps even the odd leisure park. They do not know what they are missing. Tenerife is much more than a giant holiday resort. As the largest of the Canary islands, Tenerife is full of contrasts in culture, climate, topography and its population. But to explore even a tiny fraction of this one will need to get around by hire car. There is an abundance of car rental companies on the island and its two airports. Car rental and fuel is cheap by UK standards. Typically, a small car can be rented for around €100 per week with unlimited mileage and comprehensive insurance. Many people who have not driven in right hand traffic are apprehensive about it. Let me put your mind at rest. It is far less daunting than one imagines. Once on the road, one adapts almost naturally to the traffic flow. A word of advice, however: when entering the road from driveways, forecourts etc be careful to go onto the right side of the road you are entering. It is these moments when there is a tendency to automatically move to the left hand side of the road.
When deciding where to go, one needs to set priorities as a one or even two week holiday will never be anywhere near enough time to explore the island. Of course, the most popular destination is Mount Teide, with 3718 m Spain's highest mountain. Whilst there are a lot of coach operators ferrying tourists up the mountain, it is much more rewarding to go by car and spend a whole day there. There are a number of walking and hiking tracks in the huge crater at around 2200 m. Make sure to take some water when embarking on a walk. The peak can be climbed from the crater level, but you need to be reasonably fit. It is a steep climb and requires walking sticks. There is, of course, a cable car going up the mountain from the crater level. A word of warning: the air at 3600 m is noticeably thinner and not everybody can take it. When at the top, move slowly as you will be quickly out of breath.
In winter it can be surprisingly cold, even at crater level temperatures in the morning are sometimes near zero degrees. So make sure you have adequate clothing. When walking the tracks in the crater, one can, at times, experience total silence which can be quite eerie. You may have rented one of the rural Tenerife holiday villas and, therefore, may be better prepared for your Teide adventure.
When driving up towards Teide from your accommodation, you experience several climate and vegetation zones the higher you go. The dry desert vegetation soon changes into pine forests before finally reaching the bare volcanic rock landscape of the crater. I recommend taking a different route down the mountain. If you came up from Las Americas on the TF21, carry on through the crater, still on TF-21, take a right turn onto TF-24 and eventually turn right towards Arafo and Güimar. It is a picturesque drive with spectacular views. You won't have time, however, to visit the pyramids and the Thor Heyerdahl museum in Güimar. Leave these for your next trip.
Keywords: tenerife holiday villas, tenerife car rental
Exploring Tenerife by Car