My sister and I visited Tenerife for 5 days in Feb 2017.We stayed in Playa de Las Americas which is an upbeat resort south of Adeje. It was sunny but windy most days so jumpers and jeans were still needed. We hired a car to get around the island as we preferred to see things in our own time rather than taking any tours (and we like car singing).
Day 1
After picking up our cute fiat at the airport we headed to an apartment we found on booking.com. As we were in self-catering accommodation we visited a local store for the essentials (chocolate and beer) and unpacked a bit. As it was evening we walked into the main area and had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We then got distracted by all the shops that stay open late (win) and ended up buying new wardrobes in Bershka before heading back to the room for an early night.
Day 2
We were up and out early for a trip to Mount Teide Volcano which was actually a manageable drive. It got cooler the higher we went and unfortunately the cable car to the very top was out of action as it was too windy, but the journey up and down was really cool and kind of resembled moon craters in parts.
We decided to descend into Puerto de la Cruz and visit the black sanded beaches. It was a nice spot for food and a bit of sunbathing – great shops around too! We then drove up to Santa Cruz where we found the faces of composers chalked onto rocks!
That evening, we had tapas in a small restaurant opposite the Monkey Beach club and headed to a bar called Lava, just off ‘the strip’. We didn’t find many Spanish restaurants overall in this area but instead a lot of pizza, burger, and kebab shops.
Day 3
Pretty much spent the entire day at Siam Park enjoying the slides, wave pool, and sun. It was just about warm enough to sunbathe and a good time of year to be there as queues were short. I am quite proud to announce I went down the Tower of Power!
Day 4
Made big use of the car on day 4 by driving up winding roads to Masca Valley. It’s a bit like a mini Machu Picchu of Tenerife and was significantly cooler and misty at the top. In hindsight, taking a 1.1 punto up steep hills wasn’t the best idea, but it was worth seeing!
We then spent a long time trying to find a tree. Yes, you read that right, a tree! The Drago tree is only found in a few places on the planet so it is a big tourist attraction in Tenerife. On our way back we stopped at Playa de la arena for an ice cream and a dip in the sea.
For our final night we headed to the central area and had food and cocktails in Cafeteria Plaza, which appealed to us because they had musicians performing. Afterwards we went to Harry’s bar- a must visit for all.
Day 5
Our flight was in the afternoon so we had just enough time to visit the beach at Los Cristianos. Unfortunately, it was a bit windy so we didn’t stop too long. As soon as I returned the car at the airport the sun came out and the wind dropped altogether – classic.
Overall: Tenerife is SO fun and there is a good mix of high adrenaline and relaxing activities.
