lava land tours tenerife

THE SURROUNDINGS

The Independent Board of Museums and Centres (OAMC) of the Tenerife Island Council offers a guided tour of a section of one of the largest lava tubes in the world, complete with explanations of other geological phenomena and interesting ethnographic features.

The experience transforms the visitors into direct observers of a live documentary that unfolds in an actual volcanic setting. The route begins at the Visitor Centre, in the Icod de los Vinos Town Hall, where you can watch a series of information modules that provide an introduction to the tour. Then the centre will transport you the short distance to the start of the walking tour.

The tour continues across a field of lava, the same lava from which the lava tube complex was formed, and then an ancient byway leads upwards to the entrance of the cave. The way back leads down another path that passes through threshing floors and the ruins of ancient farming vestiges, which give you a glimpse of the ethnographic wealth of the area while enjoying the beauty of its landscapes.

During the tour you will pass by two geological formations that explain the strange landforms you are crossing: a huge channel of viscous phonolitic lava that descended from Pico Viejo (Roques Blancos eruption) and the lava of the cave. At the end of the route you will see other examples of viscous lava.

This pleasant tour runs, in part, along ancient byways that were built to link up towns or the north and south of the island, or to connect populated areas with the surrounding countryside. These byways (wide enough for two mules side by side) were built after the conquest, in some cases making use of the ancient Guanche footpaths (the Guanches were the original inhabitants of the islands). In this case, part of the surface is formed by the cave’s lava flow and the stones placed underfoot are made of the very same lava.

The threshing floors were discovered during restoration work. The grain that was separated by threshing and winnowing was roasted and then milled to obtain gofio, an important staple flour from the time of the Guanches up to the present day.

visitable sections

The cave has no artificial lighting, so helmets fitted with headlamps are worn on the tour. The visitable section contains numerous formations and phenomena “sculpted” by the advancing lava as its viscosity changed. Such dynamic features make the cave feel almost like a living being that has been “petrified”. And the dark silent atmosphere brings visitors into direct and natural contact with the geological phenomena.

RECOMENDAtions

The duration of the visit is two hours and the level of difficulty is medium. In addition to the bilingual panels in the Visitor Centre and inside the cave, an expert guide will explain the features of this unique volcanic cavity. The visit starts at the centre, where a vehicle will take the group (maximum 14 people) to the vicinity of the entrance. The walking route passes through hillside farmland, pine forests and heath, lava fields, along an ancient byway, past farmsteads and threshing floors: in this way your visit is enhanced by an ethnohistorical appreciation of the surrounding area.

Basic rules for the visit:

• Wear long trousers and hiking boots or trainers.
• Always follow the guide’s instructions. Do not separate from the group.
• If you feel tired, tell your guide.
• Do not leave any litter behind you or disturb the cave. Remember this is a valuable protected ecosystem.
• No animals allowed.
• Do not disturb or remove any material.
• Each guided tour is for 15 people.
• You can book the tour either in advance through our website (https://cuevadelviento.net) or at the Visitor Centre.
• No children under 5 years, claustrophobia sufferers and people with mobility problems.

Getting there

The Majestic Volcanic Landscape of Lava Tenerife – A Must-Visit Destination for Adventure Seekers

• Post author By canariasacross
• Post date 12.12.2023

Located in the Canary Islands, Tenerife is a mesmerizing destination that offers visitors an unforgettable experience. One of the island’s most striking features is its volcanic landscape, which is a result of its explosive past. The presence of volcanoes has shaped Tenerife’s unique scenery, leaving behind a legacy of lava fields, craters, and volcanic peaks.

As you explore Tenerife, you will come across the captivating sight of hardened lava flows, showcasing the island’s immense natural power. The black, rugged terrain is a stark contrast to the lush vegetation that thrives in the fertile volcanic soil. It’s a sight that will leave you in awe, reminding you of the island’s fiery origins.

One of the highlights of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape is Mount Teide, a majestic stratovolcano that stands as the highest peak in Spain. As you ascend to its summit, you will be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of the island and beyond. The barren, otherworldly landscape that surrounds the volcano adds to its mystique, making it a must-visit destination for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike.

Whether you choose to hike through the lava fields, explore the hidden caves formed by volcanic activity, or simply marvel at the dramatic landscapes from a distance, Tenerife’s volcanic beauty will leave an indelible mark on your soul. Prepare to be captivated by the fiery energy that flows beneath the island’s surface, and immerse yourself in the raw power and beauty of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape.

Lava Tenerife

Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Islands archipelago, is home to breathtaking volcanic landscapes that showcase the raw beauty and power of nature. Lava Tenerife is a unique experience that allows visitors to explore the island’s volcanic terrain, discover its geological history, and witness the impressive sight of lava flows.

Exploring the Volcanic Terrain

One of the highlights of visiting Tenerife is the opportunity to explore its volcanic terrain. The island boasts several volcanic formations, including the Teide National Park, which is dominated by the magnificent El Teide volcano, Spain’s highest peak. Visitors can take guided tours or hike through the park to marvel at the vast lava fields, rugged rock formations, and volcanic cones.

For a more immersive experience, adventurers can venture into the unique lava tubes created by past volcanic eruptions. These underground tunnels offer a glimpse into the island’s volcanic past and are an ideal spot for exploration and spelunking.

Discovering Geological History

Tenerife’s volcanic landscape provides a unique opportunity to delve into the island’s geological history. Visitors can learn about the formation of the Canary Islands, volcanic activity, and the impact of past eruptions through educational exhibits and interpretive displays at visitor centers and museums.

The Geological and Mining Park of the Canary Islands is a must-visit attraction that offers informative exhibits, interactive displays, and guided tours that shed light on the island’s fascinating geology. Visitors can learn about the different types of volcanic rocks, the process of magma formation, and the effects of volcanic activity on the island’s landscape.

Witnessing the Power of Lava Flows

A visit to Tenerife would not be complete without witnessing the mesmerizing sight of lava flows. The island’s volcanic activity creates opportunities for visitors to witness this natural phenomenon up close.

While the volcano is closely monitored and access to certain areas may be restricted during periods of increased volcanic activity, visitors can witness lava flows from designated viewpoints safely. These viewpoints offer a unique and thrilling experience as visitors witness the glowing red lava streaming down the slopes of the volcano into the ocean.

Whether you’re interested in exploring Tenerife’s volcanic terrain, learning about its geological history, or witnessing the power of lava flows, Lava Tenerife offers a truly unforgettable experience. The beauty and energy of the island’s volcanic landscape are sure to leave visitors in awe of nature’s incredible force.

Explore the Volcanic Landscape of Tenerife

When visiting Tenerife, one cannot miss the opportunity to explore its mesmerizing volcanic landscape. The island is home to several active and dormant volcanoes, which have shaped its unique geology and created a breathtaking natural environment.

The most prominent feature of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape is the lava. Lava is the molten rock that flows from volcanoes during eruptions. As it cools and solidifies, it forms rugged and fascinating rock formations that can be found throughout the island.

One of the best places to witness the power and beauty of lava is the Teide National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to Mount Teide, the highest peak in Spain and an active volcano. The park’s landscape is dominated by vast lava fields, known as “malpaíses,” which extend for miles in every direction.

While exploring the volcanic landscape, you will come across striking colors and textures that are unique to Tenerife. The black volcanic soil, known as “picón,” is rich in minerals and supports the growth of unique flora, such as the rare Teide daisy and the Tajinaste, a tall spiky plant that blooms in vibrant red during spring.

For a truly immersive experience, you can hike along the numerous volcanic trails that crisscross the island. These trails will take you through lava tunnels, formed when the surface of a lava flow cools and solidifies, creating a hollow space underneath. Exploring these lava tubes is like stepping into a different world, with their eerie darkness and unique geological formations.

No matter where you go in Tenerife, the volcanic landscape will never cease to amaze you. From the dramatic cliffs of Los Gigantes to the lunar-like landscapes of the Anaga Rural Park, the island’s geology offers endless opportunities for exploration and discovery.

So, put on your hiking boots, grab a camera, and get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through the fiery beauty of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape!

Witness the Stunning Lava Formations

When exploring the extraordinary island of Tenerife, one can’t help but be mesmerized by its stunning lava formations. Created through the volcanic activity that has shaped the landscape over millions of years, these formations provide a captivating glimpse into the island’s fiery past.

A Testament to Tenerife’s Volcanic Origins

The lava formations found throughout Tenerife are a testament to the island’s volcanic origins. As one of the Canary Islands, Tenerife was formed by volcanic eruptions that occurred thousands of years ago. These eruptions released molten lava, which solidified and cooled to create the unique shapes and structures that can be seen today.

Awe-Inspiring Variety

Tenerife’s lava formations showcase an awe-inspiring variety of shapes, textures, and colors. From towering volcanic cliffs to intricate lava tubes and caves, each formation tells a different story of the island’s volcanic history. Some formations have been eroded by the ocean, creating dramatic coastal landscapes, while others can be found inland, nestled among lush vegetation.

One of the most famous lava formations on the island is the Roques de García, located in Teide National Park. These striking rock formations were sculpted by volcanic activity and now stand as towering pillars amidst the park’s lunar-like landscape. Visitors can hike through the park and witness the impressive power of nature up close.

The Beauty of the Black Sand Beaches

Tenerife’s lava formations have also shaped its coastline, resulting in the creation of beautiful black sand beaches. The volcanic ash and lava have been broken down into fine particles, giving the beaches their distinctive color. Playa de las Americas and Playa del Duque are just a couple of examples of the island’s enchanting black sand beaches where visitors can relax and soak up the unique beauty of Tenerife.

Whether you’re exploring the island’s volcanic cliffs, hiking through lava fields, or enjoying the tranquility of its black sand beaches, Tenerife’s lava formations are a sight to behold. Prepare to be captivated by the beauty of nature’s fiery artistry as you discover the stunning landscapes that make this island a truly unforgettable destination.

Admire the Unique Geological Features

When visiting Tenerife, one cannot help but be captivated by the island’s unique geological features. The volcanic landscape offers a truly extraordinary sight, with its stunning lava formations and dramatic cliffs.

The Caldera de las Cañadas

One of the most impressive features of Tenerife is the Caldera de las Cañadas, a gigantic volcanic caldera that stretches over 17 kilometers in diameter. This natural wonder was formed millions of years ago by a massive volcanic eruption and is now a protected area within the Teide National Park. Visitors can take guided tours or hike through the caldera to witness its awe-inspiring beauty up close.

The Roques de Garcia

Another must-see geological feature in Tenerife is the Roques de Garcia. These iconic rock formations are the result of volcanic activity and erosion, creating a surreal landscape that looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. As you explore the trails around the Roques de Garcia, you’ll be amazed by the unique shapes and colors of these massive rocks.

The geological diversity of Tenerife is truly remarkable. From its black sand beaches to its towering cliffs, this island offers a one-of-a-kind experience for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike. Whether you’re exploring the volcanic landscapes or relaxing on the shoreline, Tenerife’s geological wonders are sure to leave you in awe.

Discover the Volcanic History of the Island

Tenerife , the largest of the Canary Islands, is known for its breathtaking volcanic landscapes. The island was formed through a series of volcanic eruptions that took place over millions of years.

One of the most notable volcanic eruptions in Tenerife’s history occurred around 3.7 million years ago, when the central part of the island collapsed, forming a large depression known as the Las Cañadas Caldera. This impressive caldera is now home to the stunning Teide National Park and Mount Teide, which is Spain’s highest peak.

Mount Teide itself is a stratovolcano that has been dormant since its last eruption in 1909, making it a popular destination for hiking and exploring. The volcano’s unique geology and diverse flora and fauna make it a fascinating area to discover.

In addition to Mount Teide, Tenerife also has other volcanic formations, such as the Teno mountains in the northwest and the Anaga mountains in the northeast. These rugged landscapes offer spectacular views and opportunities for outdoor activities.

Today, Tenerife is a haven for nature enthusiasts and adventure seekers alike, thanks to its volcanic history. Whether you want to hike through ancient lava fields, explore volcanic caves, or simply admire the dramatic scenery, Tenerife offers endless opportunities to discover the fiery beauty of its volcanic landscape.

Are you ready to uncover the secrets of Tenerife’s volcanic past? Plan your trip to this stunning island and immerse yourself in its unique geology and natural beauty.

Learn about the Eruptions that Shaped Tenerife

Tenerife is a remarkable island that is home to a majestic volcanic landscape. The island’s formation and unique features can be attributed to the eruptions of its volcanoes. Over the years, these eruptions have shaped the island’s topography and created the awe-inspiring sights that draw visitors from all over the world.

Volcanic History

The volcanic activity on Tenerife began millions of years ago when the island was formed through a series of eruptions. The island is a product of the interaction between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. The eruptions from the island’s volcanoes have played a pivotal role in its formation and continue to shape its landscape to this day.

One of the most notable eruptions in Tenerife’s history occurred in the 18th century. In 1730, the volcano known as Montaña del Fuego erupted and spewed lava for several years. This eruption significantly altered the shape of the island and created vast fields of solidified lava, known as Malpaís de Guimar. These lava fields now serve as a stark reminder of the island’s volcanic past.

Volcanoes of Tenerife

Tenerife is home to several volcanoes, each with its own unique characteristics. The most prominent of these volcanoes is Mount Teide, which is also the highest peak in Spain. Mount Teide is a stratovolcano and has not had a significant eruption since 1909. However, its dormant state does not diminish the awe-inspiring beauty of the volcanic landscapes that surround it.

Other notable volcanoes on the island include Pico Viejo, which stands as a majestic peak next to Mount Teide, and Chinyero, which last erupted in 1909. These volcanoes, along with the island’s extensive network of lava tubes and caves, provide a rich tapestry of volcanic wonders for visitors to explore.

Visiting Tenerife provides a unique opportunity to witness the power and beauty of volcanic eruptions. The island’s volcanic landscape offers a vivid reminder of the forces that have shaped our planet and continues to shape Tenerife to this day.

Experience the Power of Nature

When visiting Tenerife, one cannot help but be in awe of the raw power of nature on display. The island’s volcanic landscape is a testament to the incredible forces of the Earth. From the moment you arrive, you can feel the energy pulsating beneath your feet.

One of the best ways to truly experience the power of nature in Tenerife is by exploring its volcanic formations. The island boasts several impressive volcanoes, including Mount Teide, which stands as the highest peak in Spain. Whether you choose to hike to the summit or take a cable car ride, the view from the top is breathtaking. From there, you can see the vast expanse of the volcanic landscape spreading out before you, a reminder of the immense power that shaped this island.

Another way to immerse yourself in the power of nature is by visiting the volcanic beaches of Tenerife. These unique black sand beaches are a result of volcanic activity and provide a striking contrast to the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The sound of the waves crashing against the dark sand, combined with the rugged cliffs and rock formations, creates a truly mesmerizing experience.

For those seeking a more adrenaline-filled encounter with nature, Tenerife also offers opportunities for thrilling adventures. You can embark on a tour of the island’s lava tubes, formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. Exploring these underground passages will give you a sense of the immense power that lies beneath the surface.

Overall, Tenerife is a destination that allows visitors to truly experience the power of nature. Its volcanic landscapes, from towering mountains to black sand beaches, offer a glimpse into the incredible forces that shape our planet. Whether you are a nature enthusiast or simply curious to explore the fiery beauty of Tenerife, this island will leave you in awe of the raw power that created it.

Visit the Famous Teide National Park

The Teide National Park is a must-visit destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers. Located on the beautiful island of Tenerife, this world-renowned park boasts a stunning volcanic landscape that offers a unique and unforgettable experience.

The park is dominated by the mighty Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain and the third largest volcano in the world. The volcanic terrain is truly awe-inspiring, with vast fields of solidified lava, ancient craters, and rugged rock formations. Visitors can explore these dramatic landscapes by hiking or taking a cable car to the summit of Mount Teide.

Discover the Volcanic Wonders

One of the main attractions of the Teide National Park is the opportunity to witness the raw power of a volcanic eruption. The park is lined with volcanic cones and lava flows, showcasing the violent forces that shaped the island. Visitors can walk along the lava fields and learn about the geologic history of the area.

The park also features unique flora and fauna that have adapted to the extreme volcanic conditions. Rare plant species such as the Teide violet and the Tajinaste can be found here. The park is also home to a variety of bird species, including the endangered Blue Chaffinch.

Plan Your Visit

When visiting the Teide National Park, it is important to plan ahead. The park can get crowded, especially during peak tourist seasons, so it is recommended to arrive early in the morning. The park has various hiking trails of different lengths and difficulties, so visitors can choose the one that suits their preferences and fitness level.

Entrance to the Teide National Park is free, but visitors who wish to access the summit of Mount Teide need to obtain a permit in advance. The cable car ride to the summit is an additional cost, but the spectacular views from the top are well worth it.

Remember to bring sunscreen, water, and sturdy footwear, as the volcanic terrain can be challenging to navigate. Whether you’re an avid hiker or simply enjoy immersing yourself in nature, a visit to the Teide National Park is a truly unforgettable experience.

Hike through Volcanic Trails

One of the most thrilling experiences you can have in Tenerife is to hike through its breathtaking volcanic trails. As the largest of the Canary Islands, Tenerife offers a diverse range of hiking opportunities, with trails that wind through its stunning volcanic landscape.

Explore Unique Geological Formations

As you hike through the trails of Tenerife, you will be amazed by the unique geological formations that have been shaped by the island’s volcanic activity. From craters and lava flows to lava tubes and volcanic cones, Tenerife’s landscape is like no other. Be prepared to witness the raw power and beauty of nature up close.

Diverse Hiking Routes for All Levels

Tenerife offers hiking routes for all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced hikers. Whether you are looking for a leisurely stroll or a challenging trek, you will find a trail that suits your preferences. Along the way, you may encounter lush forests, picturesque villages, and stunning viewpoints that offer panoramic vistas of the island.

For beginners, the Masca Trail is a popular choice. This 8-kilometer trail takes you through a picturesque gorge and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding cliffs and coastline. Advanced hikers may opt for the challenging climb to the summit of Mount Teide, the highest peak in Spain.

Important Tips:

• Wear sturdy hiking boots and comfortable clothing
• Carry plenty of water and snacks
• Bring a map or use a hiking app to navigate the trails
• Check the weather conditions and be prepared for changes in weather

Exploring Tenerife’s volcanic trails is a truly unforgettable experience. So, lace up your hiking boots and get ready to immerse yourself in the fiery beauty of this extraordinary island.

Marvel at the Spectacular Caldera

One of the most breathtaking sights in Tenerife is the spectacular caldera, a vast volcanic crater formed by ancient lava flows.

Rising majestically from the surrounding landscape, the caldera offers a mesmerizing view and a unique insight into the island’s volcanic history. Its sheer size and dramatic rock formations will leave you in awe of the powerful forces of nature.

Exploring the Caldera

There are various ways to explore the caldera, from hiking trails that wind through its rugged terrain to guided tours that provide a deeper understanding of its geological significance.

As you venture into the heart of the caldera, you’ll be surrounded by a surreal landscape of jagged rocks, towering cliffs, and vibrant vegetation that has grown in the fertile soil created by ancient lava. The contrasting colors and textures create a truly mesmerizing sight.

The caldera is a testament to the island’s volcanic past, with layers of hardened lava and ash telling the story of centuries of eruptions. These eruptions have helped shape the landscape of Tenerife and have left behind a rich geological heritage.

As you explore the caldera, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the geological processes that have shaped the island and observe the different types of volcanic rock formations. From striking black lava fields to colorful mineral deposits, the caldera offers a fascinating glimpse into the Earth’s fiery history.

Whether you’re an adventure seeker or a nature lover, the spectacular caldera is a must-visit destination in Tenerife. Its raw beauty and geological significance make it a truly unforgettable sight.

Explore the Caves and Lava Tubes

If you’re looking for an exciting adventure on Tenerife, be sure to explore the caves and lava tubes that dot the island’s volcanic landscape. These natural formations are a testament to the power and beauty of lava, and offer a unique glimpse into the island’s geological history.

As you delve into the depths of these caves and lava tubes, you’ll be surrounded by the mesmerizing sight of hardened lava formations. The walls of these caves are adorned with fascinating textures and colors, created by the flow of molten lava over time. Some caves even have lava stalactites and stalagmites, formed by dripping lava.

Exploring these caves and lava tubes is not only visually captivating, but it also provides a chance to learn about the island’s volcanic activity. You can witness firsthand the incredible force of nature that shaped Tenerife, as you walk through tunnels carved by flowing lava.

Be prepared to be amazed by the eerie silence and darkness inside the caves. However, don’t let that deter you from exploring further. With the help of a guide, you can safely navigate these underground wonders and discover their hidden secrets.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to bring a flashlight or headlamp to illuminate your way, as many of these caves and lava tubes are pitch black.

Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, an adventurer, or simply curious about the island’s volcanic history, exploring the caves and lava tubes of Tenerife is an experience you won’t want to miss. Witness the fiery legacy of volcanic activity and discover the hidden wonders that lie beneath the surface.

Enjoy the Breathtaking Views

When you visit Tenerife, be prepared to be amazed by the breathtaking views that this volcanic island has to offer. From the moment you arrive, you will be greeted by stunning landscapes that are unlike anything you have ever seen before.

One of the most impressive viewpoints in Tenerife is the Teide National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the third-largest volcano in the world and offers panoramic views of the island. As you hike through the park, you will be treated to sweeping vistas of the rugged volcanic terrain, lush pine forests, and dramatic cliffs.

Explore the Masca Valley

Another must-see destination for nature lovers is the Masca Valley. This hidden gem is tucked away in the Teno Mountains and can only be accessed by a winding road that offers stunning views at every turn. Once you reach the valley, you will find yourself surrounded by towering cliffs, deep ravines, and a picturesque village that seems untouched by time.

For those seeking a bit of adventure, a boat tour along the coast of Tenerife is a great way to take in the island’s natural beauty. As you sail along the crystal-clear waters, you will have the opportunity to see towering cliffs, hidden coves, and maybe even catch a glimpse of dolphins or whales swimming in the distance.

Visit the Anaga Rural Park

If you are looking for a true escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a visit to the Anaga Rural Park is a must. This remote and unspoiled corner of Tenerife offers breathtaking views of lush forests, rugged mountains, and secluded beaches. As you hike through the park’s many trails, you will feel like you have stepped back in time to a place of pure natural beauty.

No matter where you go in Tenerife, you are sure to be astounded by the island’s incredible views. From the rugged volcanic landscapes to the lush forests and hidden valleys, every corner of this island offers a feast for the eyes. So grab your camera and get ready to capture memories that will last a lifetime.

Discover the Flora and Fauna of the Volcanic Landscape

The volcanic landscape of Tenerife, formed by centuries of volcanic activity and the flow of molten lava, is not only visually stunning but also supports a unique and diverse ecosystem. Despite the harsh conditions, a variety of plant and animal life has managed to adapt and thrive in this challenging environment.

One of the most resilient plants found in the volcanic landscape is the lava tree (Phytolacca dioica), which gets its name from its ability to withstand the intense heat and toxic gases emitted by the lava. These trees have a distinctive twisted and contorted appearance, making them a fascinating sight to behold. They provide shelter and food for a range of bird species, including the endemic Tenerife blue chaffinch (Fringilla teydea).

Another plant that has found a way to survive in this extreme environment is the tephra grass (Deschampsia flexuosa), which grows in the cracks and crevices of the volcanic rocks. This grass has adapted to the nutrient-poor soil by developing extensive root systems that allow it to absorb moisture and nutrients from the rock surface. It is a vital food source for the rare Tenerife lizard (Gallotia galloti), which is endemic to the island.

The volcanic landscape also offers a home to a variety of insect species, including the lava beetle (Amphimallon solstitialis). These beetles have a shiny black exoskeleton that helps them absorb heat from the volcanic rocks, allowing them to regulate their body temperature in the harsh environment. They play a crucial role in the ecosystem by breaking down decaying organic matter and recycling nutrients.

The coastlines surrounding the volcanic landscape are home to a wide range of marine life, including the lava crab (Maja squinado). These crabs have a vibrant red color that camouflages them against the dark lava rocks. They are known for their impressive climbing abilities, allowing them to explore the intricate caves and crevices created by the volcanic formations. The lava crab is a popular delicacy in local cuisine and is often served as a specialty dish in the coastal towns.

Exploring the flora and fauna of the volcanic landscape is a unique experience that allows visitors to witness the incredible resilience and adaptability of life in the face of adversity. From the twisted lava trees to the vibrant lava crabs, every species has found a way to not only survive but also thrive in this fiery beauty.

Take a Volcano Sightseeing Tour

When visiting Tenerife, don’t miss the opportunity to embark on a volcano sightseeing tour. Tenerife is home to several breathtaking volcanic landscapes that will leave you in awe.

Discover Mount Teide

One of the must-see volcanoes on the island is Mount Teide, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the highest peak in Spain. Take a cable car ride up to the summit and witness mesmerizing panoramic views of the surrounding volcanic terrain. The diverse flora and fauna found here are also a sight to behold.

Explore the Tenerife Volcano Park

Located in the Las Cañadas del Teide National Park, the Tenerife Volcano Park offers a unique opportunity to learn about the volcanic history of the island. Walk along the marked trails and marvel at the awe-inspiring rock formations, lava flows, and volcanic craters. Don’t forget to visit the Roque Cinchado, a famous rock formation shaped by volcanic activity.

During your volcano sightseeing tour, make sure to capture the beauty of Tenerife’s volcanic landscapes through your camera lens. The contrasting colors, rugged terrain, and dramatic geological features provide endless opportunities for stunning photographs.

Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a photography lover, or simply seeking an unforgettable experience, a volcano sightseeing tour in Tenerife is a must-do activity. Immerse yourself in the fiery beauty of the island’s volcanic landscapes and create lifelong memories.

Book your volcano sightseeing tour in Tenerife today and explore the mesmerizing world of volcanoes!

Note: In order to ensure your safety during the tour, it is important to follow the instructions provided by the tour guides and adhere to any safety regulations in place.

Learn about the Active Volcanoes on the Island

If you’re visiting Tenerife, you’ll have the unique opportunity to witness the raw power of active volcanoes. The island is home to several volcanic formations that have shaped its landscape over thousands of years.

The Teide Volcano

The most iconic volcano on the island is the Teide Volcano, which is also the highest peak in Spain. Standing at an impressive 3,718 meters (12,198 feet), it dominates the skyline of Tenerife. The Teide Volcano is classified as an active volcano, although its last eruption occurred in 1909. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction, with a cable car that takes visitors to its summit.

The Chinyero Volcano

Another active volcano on the island is the Chinyero Volcano. It last erupted in 1909, and its eruption led to the evacuation of the nearby village of Santiago del Teide. Today, you can hike through the lava fields formed by the Chinyero eruption, witnessing firsthand the power of nature.

These are just two examples of the active volcanoes on the island. Tenerife’s volcanic landscape is a constant reminder of the dynamic forces that shape our planet. Whether you’re a geology enthusiast or simply fascinated by the natural wonders of the world, exploring Tenerife’s volcanoes is a must-do experience.

Experience the Warmth of the Volcanic Sands

When you visit Tenerife, one of the most incredible experiences you can have is feeling the warmth of the volcanic sands beneath your feet. The island’s unique volcanic landscape provides an opportunity to connect with nature on a whole new level.

What Makes the Volcanic Sands Special?

The volcanic sands of Tenerife are unlike any other beach you’ve visited. Created through the cooling and solidification of volcanic materials, these sands have a unique composition that makes them incredibly comfortable to walk on. They have a smooth texture and a subtle warmth that radiates through your toes as you walk across them.

While the landscape may come across as rugged and rock-filled, the volcanic sands offer a surprising contrast. They are soft and fine, allowing you to sink your toes into the warmth and relax in the natural surroundings. Walking on these sands is a truly unique sensation that will make your visit to Tenerife unforgettable.

Where Can You Experience the Warmth of the Volcanic Sands?

Tenerife is home to several stunning volcanic beaches where you can experience the warmth of the sands. One of the most popular ones is Playa de Las Vistas, located in the bustling resort town of Los Cristianos. This beach offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and modern amenities, allowing you to fully enjoy the volcanic sands while still having access to facilities like restaurants and water sports activities.

Another must-visit volcanic beach is Playa del Socorro, situated in the northern part of the island. This black sand beach is known for its powerful waves, making it a popular spot for surfing. While enjoying the thrill of catching a wave, don’t forget to take a moment to feel the warmth of the volcanic sands beneath your feet.

Whether you choose to visit Playa de Las Vistas or Playa del Socorro, experiencing the warmth of the volcanic sands is an absolute must. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect with nature and truly understand the fiery beauty of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape.

Relax at the Beautiful Beaches

If you’re looking for a place to unwind and soak up the sun, Tenerife has some of the most stunning beaches in the world. With its year-round warm climate, the island offers an idyllic setting for beach lovers.

Playa de Las Vistas

One of the most popular beaches in Tenerife is Playa de Las Vistas. Located in Los Cristianos, this beach boasts golden sand and crystal-clear waters. It offers a range of amenities, including sunbeds and umbrellas for rent, as well as beachfront restaurants and cafes.

Playa del Duque

If you’re looking for a more upscale beach experience, head to Playa del Duque. Situated in Costa Adeje, this beach is known for its luxurious surroundings and exclusive atmosphere. With its fine white sand and calm waters, it’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy the upscale beach lifestyle.

Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Whether you choose to visit Playa de Las Vistas or Playa del Duque, remember to pack your sunscreen. Tenerife’s strong sun can be deceiving, so make sure to protect your skin while enjoying the beautiful beaches.

So, if you’re in need of a beach getaway, Tenerife’s beautiful beaches are just waiting to be explored. Grab your towel, soak up the sun, and relax in this tropical paradise.

Enjoy Water Sports in the Volcanic Surroundings

Tenerife’s volcanic landscape provides a unique backdrop for water sports enthusiasts. Whether you enjoy surfing, snorkeling, or kayaking, the island offers a variety of activities for all skill levels.

With its volcanic landscape and stunning coastline, Tenerife offers a unique setting for water sports enthusiasts. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced thrill-seeker, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to enjoy your favorite activities against the backdrop of Tenerife’s fiery beauty.

Indulge in Local Cuisine

When visiting Tenerife, one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the local culture is through the delicious traditional cuisine. Known for its fresh ingredients and unique flavors, Tenerife offers a variety of dishes that will tantalize your taste buds.

One must-try dish is the famous “papas arrugadas,” which are small wrinkled potatoes boiled in salted water. These potatoes are traditionally served with a spicy red or green “mojo” sauce, made with local chili peppers and garlic. It’s a simple but incredibly flavorful dish that showcases the island’s agricultural heritage.

Tenerife is also known for its fresh seafood, thanks to its location in the Atlantic Ocean. Don’t miss the opportunity to try the “vieja” fish, a local specialty that is usually pan-fried and served with a side of “papas arrugadas” and mojo sauce. The fish is known for its delicate and tender flesh, and it’s a true delight for seafood lovers.

If you’re a meat lover, make sure to try the “conejo en salmorejo,” a traditional rabbit stew cooked with local spices, wine, and vinegar. The slow cooking process allows the flavors to develop and results in a tender and succulent dish. It’s often served with “gofio,” a toasted cornmeal that is a staple in Canarian cuisine.

For dessert, indulge in some “bienmesabe,” a sweet almond cream made with sugar, eggs, and ground almonds. It’s a rich and creamy dessert that pairs perfectly with a cup of local coffee or a glass of “malvasia,” a sweet dessert wine that is native to the island.

• Try the famous “papas arrugadas” with mojo sauce
• Indulge in the fresh seafood, such as “vieja” fish
• Savor the flavors of “conejo en salmorejo”
• Finish your meal with a sweet serving of “bienmesabe”

Tenerife’s cuisine is a true reflection of the island’s vibrant culture and history. Whether you’re a food enthusiast or simply looking to enjoy a delicious meal, exploring the local cuisine is a must-do experience during your visit to Tenerife.

Discover the Unique Culture of Tenerife

Tenerife is not only known for its breathtaking volcanic landscapes and impressive lava formations. The island also boasts a rich and vibrant culture that is worth exploring.

A Melting Pot of Traditions

Tenerife’s unique culture is shaped by its history and the diverse influences it has received over the centuries. The island has been inhabited by various civilizations, including the Guanches, the original inhabitants, who left their mark on the island’s culture. Today, Tenerife is a melting pot of traditions, blending elements from Spain, Africa, and Latin America.

The Guanches, who lived on the island before the arrival of the Spanish, left behind an intriguing legacy. Their distinctive language, known as Silbo Gomero, is a whistling language that was used to communicate across the island’s deep valleys. Silbo Gomero is still taught in schools today, preserving this unique aspect of Tenerife’s culture.

A Vibrant Carnival Tradition

One of the highlights of Tenerife’s cultural calendar is its vibrant carnival celebration. The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the most famous and spectacular carnivals in the world, attracting visitors from all over the globe. The festivities include colorful parades, elaborate costumes, music, and dancing. It is a true feast for the senses and a reflection of the island’s joyful spirit.

During the carnival, the streets are filled with music and dancing, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere. The elaborate costumes worn by the participants are an expression of creativity and imagination, often featuring vibrant colors and intricate designs. The carnival is a time for locals and visitors alike to come together and celebrate the unique culture of Tenerife.

Aside from the carnival, Tenerife also has a thriving arts and music scene. The island is home to numerous art galleries and music venues, showcasing both local and international talent. Visitors can immerse themselves in the vibrant artistic community of Tenerife and discover the rich and diverse cultural expressions that can be found throughout the island.

Whether exploring the unique language of the Guanches or experiencing the joyful spectacle of the carnival, Tenerife’s culture is as vibrant and fascinating as its volcanic landscapes. The island’s rich history and diverse influences have created a unique cultural tapestry that is waiting to be discovered.

Visit the Historic Towns Near the Volcanic Landscape

When exploring the volcanic landscape of Tenerife, don’t forget to take the time to visit the historic towns that are scattered throughout the island. These towns not only offer a glimpse into the rich history and culture of Tenerife, but also provide a charming and picturesque backdrop for your travels.

One such town is La Orotava, located in the northern part of Tenerife. This town is known for its well-preserved historic center, which features stunning examples of Spanish architecture. Stroll through its narrow streets lined with traditional Canarian houses, and admire the intricate balconies and wooden shutters that adorn the buildings. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Casa de los Balcones, a 17th-century mansion that showcases local craftsmanship and traditional textiles.

Another must-visit town is Garachico, situated on the northwestern coast of Tenerife. This town was once one of the island’s most important ports, until it was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in the 18th century. Today, Garachico has been rebuilt and is known for its charming harbor and cobbled streets. Explore its historic center and discover hidden gems such as the Church of Santa Ana and the Convent of San Francisco. For a unique experience, take a dip in the beautiful natural pools that were formed by the volcanic activity.

If you’re interested in exploring Tenerife’s religious history, a visit to the town of Candelaria is a must. Located in the southeastern part of the island, Candelaria is home to the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, a revered pilgrimage site. The basilica houses the black Madonna, the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Explore the beautiful square in front of the basilica, which is lined with statues of the Guanche kings, the original inhabitants of Tenerife.

Lastly, a visit to the town of La Laguna is a must for history buffs. This town was the former capital of Tenerife and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its well-preserved colonial architecture and wander through its historic streets. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of San Cristobal de La Laguna, a beautiful example of Canarian Gothic architecture.

As you explore the volcanic landscape of Tenerife, take the time to immerse yourself in the history and culture of the island by visiting these historic towns. Each town has its own unique charm and offers a glimpse into the past of this beautiful island.

Learn about the Indigenous Guanche People

The volcanic landscape of Tenerife is not only mesmerizing with its lava formations, but it also holds a deep historical significance. As you explore the island, you will come across traces of the Indigenous Guanche people who once inhabited Tenerife.

Who were the Guanche people?

The Guanche people were the original inhabitants of Tenerife, believed to have settled on the island around 1000 BC. They were a distinct group with their own language, culture, and traditions. The origins of the Guanche people are still debated, but it is commonly believed that they came from North Africa.

What happened to the Guanche people?

With the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 15th century, the Guanche people faced colonization and enslavement. The indigenous population gradually declined due to diseases brought by the Europeans and conflicts. Today, the Guanche people are considered extinct, but their legacy lives on through archaeological remains and cultural heritage.

If you want to learn more about the Guanche people and their way of life, you can visit the Guanche Museum in Tenerife. The museum showcases artifacts, tools, and artworks that provide insights into the customs, beliefs, and daily life of the Guanche people.

Additionally, you may also come across Guanche rock engravings known as “pintaderas” during your exploration of Tenerife’s lava-encrusted landscape. These engravings were used by the Guanche people as stamps for body painting and mystical purposes.

Exploring the volcanic wonders of Tenerife offers not only a chance to witness the raw power of nature but also an opportunity to connect with the island’s rich history and the captivating story of the Guanche people.

Experience the Vibrant Nightlife

Tenerife not only offers stunning volcanic landscapes, but it also boasts a vibrant and lively nightlife scene. Whether you’re craving a night of dancing until dawn or a relaxed evening enjoying live music and cocktails, Tenerife has something to offer for every taste.

Nightclubs and Bars

Tenerife is home to a wide array of nightclubs and bars, catering to all music preferences and party atmospheres. From trendy beachside clubs to underground electronic music venues, you’ll find it all here. Some popular hotspots include TIBU Tenerife , known for its luxurious atmosphere and top-notch DJs, and Monkey Beach Club , a beachfront bar offering refreshing cocktails and live music.

Live Music and Entertainment

If live music is more your style, Tenerife has plenty of options to keep you entertained. Head to the Magma Art & Congress in Costa Adeje for a stunning auditorium and a diverse range of performances, including concerts, dance shows, and comedy acts. You can also explore the local music scene by visiting smaller venues such as El Hada Chalada in Santa Cruz, known for its intimate atmosphere and live performances by local artists.

For a unique experience, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Tablao Flamenco El Jable , where you can enjoy traditional flamenco shows with passionate dancers and live music.

Wherever you choose to spend your evenings, Tenerife’s vibrant nightlife will leave you with unforgettable memories of dancing, laughter, and good times.

Stay at a Volcano-themed Hotel

If you’re looking for a truly unique experience during your visit to Tenerife, why not stay at a volcano-themed hotel? These one-of-a-kind accommodations offer a chance to immerse yourself in the fiery beauty of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape.

Imagine waking up to breathtaking views of a volcanic crater right outside your window. Feel the warmth of the lava as you step onto the terrace and take in the stunning surroundings. From the moment you arrive, you’ll be greeted by lava-inspired décor and design elements that transport you into a world of volcanic wonder.

Unforgettable Experiences

A stay at a volcano-themed hotel offers more than just luxurious accommodation. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in unforgettable experiences that are sure to ignite your senses.

Embark on a guided lava cave tour and explore the underground tunnels created by ancient volcanic eruptions. As you navigate through the darkness, your guide will share fascinating stories and insights into the geological history of Tenerife. It’s an adventure you won’t soon forget.

Taste the Flavors of the Earth

Delight your taste buds with a volcanic dining experience at the hotel’s lava-inspired restaurant. Indulge in dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients, many of which are grown in the fertile soils that surround the volcanoes. From volcanic rock grills to lava stone oven-baked pizzas, each bite is a celebration of the earth’s natural bounty.

Make Your Reservation Today

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to stay at a volcano-themed hotel during your visit to Tenerife. Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring beauty of the island’s volcanic landscape and create memories that will last a lifetime. Make your reservation today and prepare for a truly unforgettable experience.

Shop for Volcano-inspired Souvenirs

When visiting Tenerife, don’t miss the opportunity to bring home a piece of the island’s volcanic beauty. There are several shops and market stalls that offer a range of volcano-inspired souvenirs to take with you as a memento of your trip.

One popular option is to purchase a lava stone or volcanic ash sculpture. These unique creations showcase the natural textures and colors of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape, and make for a striking and meaningful decoration in any home. Whether you choose a small trinket or a larger piece of artwork, these souvenirs are a tangible reminder of the island’s geological wonders.

Another option is to buy volcanic-inspired jewelry. Many local artisans create stunning pieces that incorporate volcanic rocks, lava beads, or even pieces of obsidian. From necklaces and bracelets to earrings and rings, these accessories offer a stylish way to carry a piece of Tenerife’s volcanic energy with you.

If you’re looking for something more practical, consider getting volcanic rock cookware or kitchenware. These items are made from durable volcanic rock and are known for their excellent heat retention and distribution. From frying pans and baking dishes to mortar and pestle sets, these volcanic-inspired kitchen products can add a unique touch to your cooking experience.

Where to Find Volcano-inspired Souvenirs

Volcano-inspired souvenirs can be found in various places across Tenerife. Some popular options include:

Final Thoughts

Bringing home volcano-inspired souvenirs from Tenerife is a fantastic way to remember your journey through the island’s fiery landscapes. Whether you choose a lava sculpture, volcanic jewelry, or kitchenware made from volcanic rock, these unique items will always remind you of the remarkable geological forces that have shaped Tenerife.

Create Unforgettable Memories in Tenerife

Tenerife, known for its stunning volcanic landscape, offers a unique opportunity to create unforgettable memories. The island’s lava formations serve as a constant reminder of its fiery past, creating a backdrop that is both awe-inspiring and captivating.

Exploring Lava Caves

One of the most exciting ways to experience Tenerife’s volcanic heritage is by exploring its lava caves. These natural formations were created as hot lava flowed beneath the surface and solidified, leaving behind intriguing underground chambers and tunnels. Embark on a guided tour to discover the hidden wonders of these lava caves, where you can witness unique rock formations and learn about the island’s geological history.

Hiking Through Lava Fields

Tenerife’s lava fields offer a surreal and otherworldly experience for adventurers. Strap on your hiking boots and venture out into the vast expanse of hardened lava, where you’ll be surrounded by dramatic landscapes and breathtaking views. As you traverse the lava fields, you’ll be immersed in the raw power and beauty of nature, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

During your hike, keep an eye out for the diverse flora and fauna that have managed to thrive in this harsh environment. From rugged cacti to unique species of birds, Tenerife’s lava fields are a sanctuary for life against all odds.

Witnessing Fiery Sunsets

No trip to Tenerife would be complete without witnessing the fiery beauty of its sunsets. As the sun dips below the horizon, the vibrant colors reflect off the volcanic landscape, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Whether you’re lounging on a beach or standing atop a volcanic peak, the experience of watching the sun set over the lava fields is truly unforgettable.

So pack your bags, grab your camera, and get ready to create unforgettable memories in Tenerife. Explore the lava caves, hike through the lava fields, and witness the fiery sunsets that will leave you in awe of the island’s natural beauty.

Question-answer:

What are some popular volcanoes to visit in tenerife.

Some popular volcanoes to visit in Tenerife include Mount Teide, Pico Viejo, and Chinyero.

How can I reach the volcanic landscape in Tenerife?

You can reach the volcanic landscape in Tenerife by taking a guided tour or renting a car to explore the area on your own.

Are there any hiking trails in the volcanic landscape of Tenerife?

Yes, there are several hiking trails in the volcanic landscape of Tenerife, including the Sendero de los Roques and the Montaña Blanca trail.

What is the best time of year to visit Tenerife’s volcanic landscape?

The best time to visit Tenerife’s volcanic landscape is during the spring and autumn months, when the weather is mild and the landscape is in full bloom.

Can I see any lava flows in Tenerife?

While you may not see active lava flows in Tenerife, you can still see remnants of past lava flows and experience the volcanic landscape firsthand.

What is Lava Tenerife?

Lava Tenerife is a unique experience that allows you to discover the fiery beauty of Tenerife’s volcanic landscape. It is a tour that takes you to explore the volcanic features of the island and learn about its geological history.

Related posts:

• Discovering the Location of the Majestic Volcano in Tenerife
• The Enormous Tenerife Volcano That Dominates the Landscape
• Is it possible to hike up the majestic Tenerife volcano and conquer its lofty summit?
• Is Tenerife a Volcanic Island?
• Is There a Volcano in Tenerife? Exploring the Geology and Volcanic History of the Canary Islands
• When Was the Last Eruption of the Tenerife Volcano?
• Chinyero Tenerife – The Spectacular Volcanic Landscape that Must be Explored
• When Will the Tenerife Volcano Erupt? Latest Predictions and Preparations

Luxury Travel Blogger – Carmen Edelson

Visiting Europe’s Largest Lava Cave in Tenerife

Having recently climbed to the top of a volcano ( Mount Teide in Tenerife, Canary Islands), I was curious about lava flows. So when I heard that Tenerife had tours of the longest lava tube cave outside of Hawaii, I signed up immediately. The lava cave on the island of Tenerife is called Cueva del Viento (Cave of the Wind). It has over 17 km of passages mapped and there’s more to explore!

Lava tubes are an exceptional earth formation. They are the caves and tunnels in which lava once flowed. It seems that volcanic eruptions not only create the big crater on top of the volcano that is the typical image, they also explode out to the side of mountains.  This forms outlets to the side that can eventually cool off, dry out, and empty out and become lava caves.

Cueva del Viento (Cave of the Wind) lies just outside Icod de los Vinos, the same town which has the famous Dragon Tree (Drago) that is 1000 years old.

Cueva del Viento, is the fifth largest lava tube in the world and the largest lava tube in the Europe, the first four are all located in the Hawaiian Islands. The lava cave is comprised of a three layered system of galleries with a total length of 17 km.

We booked the 12:30 p.m tour.  Access to the volcanic tube is restricted to four tours per day and limited to 16 people to protect the ecosystem. They don’t allow you to take backpacks or purses into the cave so we left them behind.  I stuffed my pockets with my camera and a bottle of water.

Before we set off we listened to brief talk and watch a video. Each person was given a helmet with head lights, and a bright yellow cap.   The lava tube was sculpted by the eruption of the Pico Viejo, which is the volcanic peak which rises close to El Teide in the Teide National Park.

Our group climb aboard a mini bus and after a short 10 minute drive we were dropped off at the beginning of a clearing on the forest road.

We started our 30 minute walk through a wooded area of Canary Pines, and learned to identify different types of lava, and our guide talked about the plant life around us.

The guild told us the story of how the cave was first discovered, a lady fell through the hole.  We gather around a grating in the middle of the woods, which protects the entrance to a chasm which we lean over to see falling away into the bowels of the earth. This isn’t the entrance though.

The entrance, when we arrive, was surprising and not your typical showy, touristy place I thought it might be. We descended through a gap opening in the earth, down steps and into the yawning space beneath. We were told to be careful when we walked and follow the path as the lava rocks can be prickly.  I walked carefully and felt the lava rocks jabbing at my feet on occasions.  I was wearing a pair of converse sneakers and they certainly weren’t the right shoes to wear. Just the thought of shuffling on a rock and falling flat on my face on the prickly floor was enough to keep me alert.  The other thing you had to be aware of was not touching the sides of the cave.

The caves are completely dark with neither natural nor artificial light, hence the head lamps.  In some areas handrails and steps have been installed only where it is essential for safety, and other than that the only sign of man is the information boards at various points to illustrate and explain what we are seeing.

We stopped at various points as our guide explained how the passageways were formed. It seems that lava cools so quickly that thirty minutes after it has flowed, it’s cooled enough for people to walk through the cave.  Do you believe it? I wouldn’t like to try it.

At one point he instructs us to turn off our lights to experience what it’s like be be underground in pitch darkness.  After a minute or so, the other senses begin to stir.

Towards the end of our walk is the chasm which we had seen from above, where the lady is said to have fallen in the hole.  We got as close as we could and looked up the shaft of light and the bracken trailing over its edge.

We walked back through the lava cave to the opening where we started off.  Then continued down the forest path to where our mini bus was waiting for us to take us back to the visitors center.

Back at the visitors center, our guide explained the fossils and skeletons of the Canarian Megafauna, the Canariomys Bravoi (rat), and the Lacerta Goliath which is an extinct giant lizard.  No one knows how these animals wandered in and lost themselves in the tunnels. The animals which do live here have adapted, as cave-dwellers do, losing pigmentation, growing antennae to compensate for the lack of sight, and learning to survive for long periods when there is no food.

Visiting Europe’s largest lava cave is a unique experience, and it helps you appreciate the landscape of Tenerife. Our guide said that we would look at the land in a different way after spending time with him and we all did. I cannot recommend this highly enough, a great experience and great value.

To book a tour check out Volanco Life Experience website .

Tour: 2 Hours

How to dress:

• Wear long pants
• Bring a jacket or sweater
• Hiking boots or hard rubber shoes

Restrictions:

• Children younger than 5 years old should not be brought on this tour.
• People who suffer from claustrophobia or who have bone, knee or ankle mobility problems should refrain from this activity.

Disclosure – I would like to thank  Turisme de Tenerife  and  Volcano Life Experience  for providing us with a free tour. These are  solely my personal opinions/experiences and I was not financially compensated for this post. 

• Canary Islands
• Family Tours
• Fun Things in Tenerife
• Tenerife Adventure
• Things to do in Tenerife
• Volcano Life Experience

About the author

Ernest Hemingway House

Dubai transit: a luxurious 1-day stay in dubai before your final destination, venice italy, top 4 unique food experiences in new york city, uk residents: easiest travel destinations for a summer 2021 holiday, 7 best luxurious wellness retreats you must visit, a luxury stay in key west: marquesa hotel review, 3 beautiful european destinations you should visit in winter, my trip to remedios, also called san juan de los remedios – cuba, the hotel villa magna madrid: savor spain’s capital, 15 comments.

Great post, this is awesome! I was in Tenerife in March but didn’t get a chance to do this. Such a unique island. Next time!

Thanks Alyssa! I’ve been to Tenerife several times and was unable of this lave cave. It was quite an experience to see how large these caves are and how they found it. I hope you get to visit next time.

This looks absolutely fascinating – though I think there’s something quite unsettling about walking somewhere that was created by such a destructive force as lava. My brain would know it was safe, but my instinct would be calculating how long it would take me to leg it back outside if I needed to make a quick escape, hehe.

Great photo’s! 🙂

That thought went through my mind as well as I was walking on top of the volcano a few days earlier. Being inside the tunnel and seeing how far the lava traveled from the last eruption was impressive. I’m not sure you would make it out in time if it did erupt.

Lauren | Justin Plus Lauren

What a cool tour! I love caves. If I’m visiting some place and I see there’s a cave…I’m there! You might have noticed that from our blog as we’ve reviewed a couple of cave sites so far! This looks so neat. I’d love to go there! Great photos – it’s hard to take pictures inside a cave!

It’s very hard to take pictures when your inside a cave using only flash. I’m surprised that I was able to capture a few good shots. If you’re inside caves, you guys would really enjoy this tour. We learned a lot about the lava rocks and the lava flow.

Wow, that’s really cool, a friend of mine talked about it a while ago, but never saw pictures and we never went to this cave, as we got a podenco puppy and we basically ended up in house arrest (but that’s another story). Surely a place to go to – thanks for the great photos and article!

PS: The cactus plant is called echeveria, and they are protected here on the island, a.k.a. you can’t pick them up.

I took my cousin with me who lives in Tenerife. It was his first time going and he loved it. It was interesting for us to see the inside of a lava cave after spending the day on top of El Teide. It certainly gave us a perspective of how the lava flowed. They are still working on excavating more of the tunnel. Thanks for letting me know the name of the cactus plant.

LiveYourAloha

Beautiful! I would like to visit this cave soon! This should be a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing!

Carmen Edelson

You’re very welcome! It’s a beautiful part of the world.

Diana Stewart

Hi Carman, we are coming to Tenerife in August do you recommend booking in advance ?

I remember years ago me and some friends all drunk went running around rocky flat ground and I fell in this hole in the ground just to be saved by my arms open like it was a deep pot hole it went brown long way as we dropped stone down if it wasn’t for my friends I would have died defo wish I new where it was in Tenirife does anyone know of holes like that and what part of the island thanks

Oh wow how scary, I’m not sure of that location!

Thnaks for sharing this useful information.

Always happy to share!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please enter an answer in digits: four × 2 =

Teide Sunset and Stargazing in Tenerife

Teide Observatory - To Infinity and Beyond!

Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Tickets

• Price and availability
• Confirmation

Back to the description of the activity

Visit Tenerife’s greatest icon, Mount Teide, with a cable car ticket included. You will also have free access to our Teide Legend digital audio guide, which includes information about Teide National Park and the paths at the summit of the volcano. This guided tour (available daily with departures from Tenerife South and North, as well as from the Santa Cruz and Candelaria metropolitan areas) is the best option if you want your visit to be environmentally sustainable.

Highlights...

• Trip to Mount Teide from North Tenerife, Tenerife South and the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Candelaria + Cable Car with the Teide Legend digital audio guide and a guide
• The most sustainable way to visit Mount Teide: in group transport
• Enjoy the ‘ Science and Legend ’ exhibition at the Teide Cable Car Visitors’ Centre

What's included...

• Teide Cable Car return ticket with the Teide Legend digital audio guide for Android and iOS
• Official Spanish, English, German, Italian and French-speaking guide.
• Transportation from the north and the south of Tenerife and from the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Candelaria to visit Mount Teide in a sustainable way
• Free access to the ‘ Science and Legend ’ exhibition at the Visitors’ Centre (included in your cable car ticket and available in 8 languages with the Teide Legend audio guide)

What's not included...

• Food and/or drinks (you can bring your own snack or buy it in our restaurant-snack bar)
• Permit to access the Teide crater issued by the National Park
• Guide in other language than Spanish, English, German, French and Italian
• Access for visitors with physical disabilities or motor impairments

Information

Pick-up points and hours.

The schedule depends on the collection point. You can select it during the booking process.

Would you like to know your assigned pick-up time?

Restrictions.

• People with cardiovascular conditions, pregnant women, and children under the age of 3 are not allowed on the Teide Cable Car, because of the risks posed to their health by the altitude.
• In accordance with current regulations, persons with any physical disability or motor impairment are not permitted to make the ascent by cable car, because of the potential risks if the vehicle has to be evacuated.
• It is essential to bear in mind that in the event of the failure of the Teide Cable Car system due to unexpected technical reasons, passengers already at the upper station will have to make their descent on foot and using steep mountain paths.
• Suitcases and large bags are not permitted.
• Pets are not allowed.

Important information

• The stay at the upper station is limited to one hour. 
• It is necessary to produce the booking confirmation, either printed or displayed on a mobile device.
• Download the Teide Legend audio guide to your Android or Apple device. You just need to use the booking code from your Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Tickets reservation to quickly and easily download the guide and enjoy a contactless experience.

Prepare for your visit

When going on a Mount Teide Tour, you should be prepared for extremes in weather, both heat as well as cold, depending on the time of year in which you enjoy this Mount Teide Tour with cable car.

Teide Cable Car is located within a fragile and protected national park. Therefore we must follow a series of basic rules of civic behaviour and respect of the natural environment, such as not littering or taking rocks, plants or animals. Please remember that it is prohibited to make fire, make loud noises, stray from the signposted paths, feed the animals, or to camp.

Changes and cancellations

Reservations may be cancelled or the date of the activity may be changed free of charge up to 24 hours prior to the activity. After this period, 100% of the amount will be charged.

In the event that weather conditions impede the operation of the cable car for the ‘Teide Tour and Cable car ride’ activity, non-resident customers shall be charged €44 per adult and €22 per child, while resident customers shall be charged €26.40 per adult and €13.20 per child.

Date changes are valid for 1 year provided that the vouchers have not been redeemed. Up to 3 date changes are permitted.

Check our Terms and conditions  for detailed information on other reasons for cancellation.

Our facilities

The base station.

The Teide Cable Car Visitor’s Centre, which is at the cable car base station, is perfectly accessible by road and is located at an altitude of 2,356 m.

Its modern facilities are equipped with two cabins that travel to the top in under 8 minutes and can hold a maximum of 44 passengers, although for the comfort of our customers, we usually do not take more than 35 people on board.

The views from the base station allow you to behold the spectacular peaks surrounding the Teide volcano.

The base station offers facilities specially designed to make your visit enjoyable: the “Science and Legend” exhibition, an official souvenir  shop and a restaurant -cafeteria with a wide range of cuisine and panoramic views of the National Park.  This is also the perfect place to find out about the different routes and trails you can do from the upper station.

The upper station

The Teide Cable Car upper station is the starting point of   three spectacular trails at the summit of Mount Teide , which are directly accessible from a small hall from where you can walk outside. It has Wi-Fi and toilets.

Although there is not a café in the upper station, you will have vending machines at your disposal with drinks and non-perishable food such as snacks.

We recommend that you come prepared for all weather conditions since the upper station is at an altitude of 3,555 m.

Avoid the car.  Choose collective transportation . It is important that together we do what we can to counteract overuse of the vehicle parking areas in the National Park. As a conservation measure, they have been kept to a small size, and they cannot be extended. If you finally decide to arrive by car, please do so after 1.00pm.

The cable car base station has a car park with 220 parking spaces.

You can check the car park opening and closing times here . 

The Teide Cable Car Visitors’ Centre facilities include an information centre and an official souvenir shop.

Restaurant / Café

The base station has a café and restaurant facility with spectacular views of the Teide National Park. The restaurant offers a wide range of cuisine, with the emphasis on locally sourced ingredients.

There are toilets at both the base station and the upper station, which remain open during the opening hours of the facilities.

Special rates

In case of discount tickets for children or local residents, a supporting document is required to prove entitlement to discount.  

Book your Mount Teide Tour with cable car

Excursion from santa cruz and candelaria.

• Premium tickets
• Teide Cable Car return ticket with the Teide Legend digital audio guide for Android or iOS
• Official Spanish, English, French or German-speaking guide
• Transport from Santa Cruz and Candelaria to visit Mount Teide in a sustainable way
• Free access to the “Science and Legend” exhibition at the Visitors’ Centre (included in your cable car ticket   and available in 8 languages with the Teide Legend audio guide )
• Guide in other language than Spanish, English, French or German

Excursion from the north

• Teide Cable Car return ticket with the Teide Legend digital audio guide for Android or iOS 
• Official Spanish, English, German or French-speaking guide
• Transport from the north of Tenerife to visit Mount Teide in a sustainable way
• Guide in other language than Spanish, English or German

Excursion from the south

• Official Spanish, English, German, Italian or French-speaking guide
• Transport from the south of Tenerife to visit Mount Teide in a sustainable way
• Free access to the “Science and Legend” exhibition at the Visitors’ Centre (included in your cable car ticket and available in 8 languages with the Teide Legend audio guide )
• Guide in other language than Spanish, English, Italian , German or French

Where to find us

Getting here

When making your reservation, please indicate which hotel you are staying at and we will send you an e-mail with the pick-up point and time.

What can I do on Mt Teide any day of the week?

Check out our  weekly calendar of activities and excursions on Mt Teide which we have prepared so that you can view at a glance all the information you need about our activities.

How to go up Mount Teide by Cable Car: Comparative table of activities

Is the price of the cable car ride included in the price of the Teide Tour with cable car?

Yes, it is included. In addition, we ’ ll give you the Teide Legend digital audio guide which includes information about the cultural and natural heritage of the Teide National Park, and the 3 trails leading from the cable car upper station, as well as access to the ‘ Science and Legend ’ exhibition, available in 8 languages thanks to the audio tracks included in the Teide Legend audio guide, to make your visit even more memorable.

Are pets allowed?

No, pets are not allowed.

Does transportation include return journey?

Yes. We will pick you up at a pick-up location and we will drop you off in the same spot.

Do I need to print my booking confirmation?

No, it’s not necessary. You can download it and display it on the screen of any mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.).

Reviews of the Tenerife Volcano Tour

If you don't get to Mount Teide (or near it, if the cable car doesn't work due to the wind), you can say you haven't been to Tenerife.

Every aspect of this tour was perfect for me! I really enjoyed it and I was happy to join. •The route and the visiting points were great. I could see the great views from the Teide mountain, and even during the bus ride. Seeing the landscape from higher places than the clouds was extraordinary. And the optional hiking(optional so that if you’re tired or don’t feel like hiking, you can rest on the cable car station) was very nice enough for me. The guide kindly suggested one hour course and it was awesome and not too tiring. •The explanation from the guide was full of great information, and the English translation was perfect and equal as the Spanish version. She also recommended the local food and wine, and it was very helpful. •I appreciated the suggestion of clothes in the confirmation email. It was not too cold in the end of June, but wearing jeans and boots was a correct choice because the hiking road was very rocky and I could have scratched my skin if I didn’t wear long pants/jeans. Thank you so much for organizing such a great trip!!! Thanks to you, my Tenerife trip became amazing!!

Prompt, comfortable and cable car tickets managed well. Good communications to. However the tour needs to offer a little more of the national park, not least access to one of the small villages that other tours provide.

Up front your bus driver was EXCELLENT I would give him 5 stars. Our tour guide was more interested and friendly with Spanish speaking. When she did translate to English it was very soft spoken & short. We stopped for toilets, coffee & food but one had to eat, pee & drink quickly. You must always remember the women's line is always longer and slower than the men's. We got to the cable car and were able to ride to the top but the 1 hour we had plus 1/2 to get in line for the cable car to get us back down was to short. The two walks available based on the brochure took anywhere from 25-30 minutes one-way. The pathway was very uneven and major tripping hazard. For a kid or under 30 this is probably easy to do, however, when you get retired folks its not that easy and safe. More time was needed up at the top. We then drove to the Caldera which gave us 25 minutes and in order to climb the steps one needed more time. I noticed there was a visitor's center, which we never got to see. Not sure but there might have been interesting information in there. One other thing because the roads have so many windy, hairpin turns it would be good to let people know that before they get on the bus instead of when you are on the bus. Again the bus driver was awesome. The other thing I didn't like was when I looked the tour up it was 74 but I had to check with my kids & hubbie and when I went back a few minutes later the price had jumped to 85. Would I recommend this tour, probably not.

Good excursion and tourist guide

Everything was fine!!!

Bus trip through Teide National Park. We were picked up in Candelaria. Guide spoke three languages (Spanish, English and German). Multiple sight-seeing stops but none long enough to do any walking or hiking.

Take a public bus instead, a lot cheaper

Brilliant. Well timed and lots to see. I wish that there were more trips from Santa Cruz, but as a whole would recommend the Volcano Teide experience

The tour guide and driver were good. It should be pointed out that all trails after reaching the cable car station on top are on rugged rocks. Nothing is well paved. Not easy if you are not used to hiking. The pick up point “ Bus Stop Parque Maritimo” indication was misleading as there was no such bus stop. The coordinates we received sent us to a different spot. Hope the company can find a better pick up spot for those staying near the central bus station.

I was very happy and fully satisfied with excursion to El Teide,interesting,very well organized,great guide Lucy,proffessional,friendly and very kind !!!! I can recommend this excursion very highly to everyone who visiting Tenerife,it is worth to take this trip,unforgetable.

We had to change the bus with the English/german customer, the bus we changed wasn’t cleaned properly and the guide was very helpful.

The whole process from initial booking to being picked up on the day was effortless, our guide Jose was a fountain of knowledge with some lighthearted humour thrown in. The same goes for our driver Carlos really couldn’t fault him the entire time a true gentleman. The total experience was beyond my wildest expectations.

The same as in answear before

Brilliant trip, very well organised and the guide and driver were exceptional! The whole trip was amazing and anyone visiting Tenerife should go and see Teide with Volcano Teide - brilliant organisation and knowledge. Plus Harry our guide was funny with it too so made for a perfect trip!

Very good tour, guide was fantastic! Freedom to explore at the top of mt Teide!

Really nice trip!

It’s “must See “ on a Tenerife

A good trip well worth doing, very informative guide and Mount Teide was fascinating. Would highly recommend this trip.

Really enjoyed this trip, our guide was informative and friendly, and my family (2 adults, 2 children aged 3 and 6) had a great day visiting Mt Teide.

A good trip. The time at the upper station is limited to one hour, which was not enough for us, but I realise that this is governed by the National Park/cable car operator.

Great guide and driver, comfortable bus Beautiful location Shame we couldn’t stay at each stop longer, felt a little rushed and was slightly shorter than advertised, otherwise amazing

Excellent tour

Even though we are experienced walkers we were both hit by the effect of lower oxygen levels at 3500+ metres. Care is needed

As previous

Great experience

Looking at Teide, go to the left side of trail. It is much better. You probably will not have enough time for both sides (1h limit).

Scenery was amazing but far too short time at the cable car station. We barely had time to walk around at the top station let alone eat (as we weren't allowed to eat on the coach), queue for the toilets or visit the museum. Tour guide harshly said if we were just 5 minutes late the coach would go without us so the stress of queuing for the cable car to come down knowing we'd be late was hard work with two children.

wonderful tour and very knowledgeable guide

Cable car was not running. Highly disappointing. Would have given 0 stars if that was possible

*** guide and his driver *** or similar from the bus they were lovely and very organized. All the trip both way was so smooth and perfectly on time . We didn’t spend many hours in the bus . That what I like :) and just the Vulcano I can’t say much about it . I think it wasn’t worth that €280 . Time on Vulcano was no enough. Volcano was lovely but there was boiling hot

Excellent day trip, Julian and Domingo were brilliant 👏

Although Calima was active during my visit, the scenery was outstanding. My guides positivity and energy were consuming, without doubt the best guide I've had for any excursion anywhere

A fabulous unmissable coach trip to one of the most magical locations in Spain on Tenerife, Mount Teide.

Overall good experience guides helpful

The guide gave use complete and interesting comments about what we were seeing. The views were magnificent, especially from the paths around the top station of the cable car, and the fact that we had a different route going down (on the bus) than going up added to the overall sightseeing experience.

Extraordinary experience

Description of the trip

Description, a mount teide tour with cable car that has everything you need.

On this organised Mount Teide Tour with cable car return tickets with a digital audio guide of Mount Teide included in your booking free of change , you’ll discover Teide National Park : the most visited national park in Europe. You’ll also be visiting the park in a sustainable way.

From the comfort of our bus and in the company of an official guide , you will discover scenery that will leave you wide-eyed with wonder as you ascend towards the peak. Because Tenerife is an enormous mountain in the middle of the ocean. Its roads climb to reach the heart of the island: Mount Teide. Along the way, you will pass through different bioclimatic levels.

As you leave the coast, made barren by endless sunshine, the proximity of the sea and the lack of rain, you will enter the mid-altitude zone . This contains the finest agricultural land, chosen by the European settlers as the site for Tenerife’s historic towns. A series of towns is strung like a necklace at a mid altitude of between 400 and 500 metres above sea level: Arona, La Orotava, Santiago del Teide… All still conserve a historical legacy worth discovering.

If your Teide excursion with a cable car ticket included takes you up the north side, the likelihood is that from 600 metres above sea level you will be engulfed by dense fog. You will be in the belt below the area of direct impact of the moist trade winds that blow in from the north-east, forming a sea of cloud . Here, laurel woods clothe the scenery in a rich green colour, and you will feel a coolness that will make you reach for your coat. Soon, at an altitude of 1,000 metres, the laurel woods give way to dense, humid pine forests, that extend up to 2,000 metres. But if your ascent takes you up the south side, where the sea of cloud struggles to form, you’ll be in the pine forest from an altitude of 600 metres.

When you reach the high mountain area, you will see the sea of cloud at your feet, and you will feel as if you are flying above it. The flora of Las Cañadas comprises broom, laburnum and a vast array of other plants, most of them endemic to these peaks. Here, the extreme climate, with significant fluctuations between summer and winter, and even between day and night, determines the pattern of life. Scrub clothes the slopes of the Las Cañadas cirque, and those of Mount Teide volcano itself. But as you make your way towards the peak, it gradually disappears... Only the beautiful Teide violet survives at 3,000 metres on the volcano.

And throughout your trip to Mount Teide, you will see the volcanoes that formed Tenerife, some as old as the island itself, and others more recent.

Furthermore, since cable car tickets to go up Mount Teide are already included, you don’t have to worry about missing the chance to book your seat. We have thought of everything so that you can enjoy your Teide Tour without worrying about a thing!

Enjoy spectacular views of Tenerife and some of the neighbouring islands on this excursion to ascend Mount Teide

Our Teide Tour excursion includes tickets for the ascent and descent by cable car and, in addition, the Teide Legend digital audio guide (which features information about the volcano’s 3 open trails) to take you up to an altitude of 3,555 metres so that you can enjoy stunning views of Tenerife and some of the neighbouring islands, whilst at the same time seeing one of the world’s most extraordinary volcanic landscapes. On Las Cañadas, you will see different types of lava and volcanic rock formations, beginning with Mount Teide itself, a stratovolcano of the Vesuvian type .

Mount Teide was formed gradually, as eruption followed eruption. Each eruption added another level to the volcanic edifice. Mount Teide began as a small volcanic cone at the base of Las Cañadas 150,000 years ago, and reached a height of 3,718 metres 1,000 years ago, when its most recent eruptions occurred; these formed the current peak and the streams of black lava that flow down its slopes.

Now Mount Teide is the highest peak in the Atlantic region, the highest peak in Spain, and the third highest volcano on Earth measured from the sea bed, from where it reaches a height of 7,500 metres.

When you reach the cable car upper station, you can choose which views you’d like to enjoy and which audio guide tracks to listen to:

• Admire Siete Cañadas and the Ucanca valley from La Rambleta viewpoint
• Follow the La Fortaleza trail and enjoy spectacular views of northern Tenerife
• Choose the Pico Viejo viewpoint trail and admire views of southern Tenerife with the impressive 800-m-diameter Pico Viejo crater at your feet and, if the weather permits, the islands of La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma on the horizon.

Excursion to Mount Teide with pick-ups every day in the north and the south of Tenerife

Are you looking for an excursion to Mount Teide available every day of the week, and offering the possibility of an ascent by cable car? Then you’re in the right place!

Below, we tell you where we can pick you up to enjoy a wonderful day in the spectacular Teide National Park.

Trip to Mount Teide from Puerto de la Cruz (North Tenerife)

Trip to mount teide from southern tenerife (peripheral areas), teide tour from santa cruz de tenerife and candelaria, trip to mount teide from costa adeje.

• Trip to Mount Teide from Playa de las Américas

Trip to Mount Teide from Los Gigantes

Trip to mount teide from los cristianos.

This trip to Mount Teide from Northern Tenerife will offer pick-ups in Puerto de la Cruz, a city with lush tropical gardens, beaches of black sand, cobbled streets, welcoming squares and exquisite colonial architecture, at the point you indicate when you make your booking. We will also pick up in La Orotava.

If you are staying in any other town in the north of the island (including Garachico, Icod de los Vinos or Buenavista del Norte), your pick-up point will be La Cúpula Centro Comercial [Shopping Centre] in Puerto de la Cruz. You will need to make your own way there.

Do you need to know right now where in Puerto de la Cruz or La Orotava you will be picked up, and at what time? Please see the “Pick-up points and hours” section below to find out now.

Included in the tour:

• Transport by bus from Puerto de la Cruz or La Orotava in northern Tenerife, with an official guide, and return to the initial pick-up point
• Teide Cable Car tickets + Teide Legend digital audio guide to enjoy the free-access trails around the upper station and the ‘ Science and Legend ’   exhibition at the base station in any of the audio guide’s 8 languages. 

Not included in the excursion:

• Lunch (you can bring your own snack or use our restaurant-snack bar)
• Access to the trail which leads to the Teide crater (requires a permit from the National Park)

When our trip to Mount Teide from northern Tenerife is over, you will be returned to your initial pick-up point in Puerto de la Cruz or La Orotava, having spent an unforgettable day travelling back over millions of years of geological history.

Our Teide Tour is also offered with pick-ups in several peripheral locations in the south of the island, such as Puerto Santiago, Callao Salvaje, Playa Paraíso, El Médano, Golf del Sur and Costa del Silencio.

Would you like to find out right now where and when we will pick you up in any of these locations in southern Tenerife? The information is available in the “Pick-up points and hours” section.

• Round trip bus transportation from Puerto Santiago, Callao Salvaje, Playa Paraíso, El Médano, Golf del Sur or Costa del Silencio to Mount Teide, with an official guide
• Teide Cable Car tickets + Teide Legend digital audio guide to enjoy the free-access trails around the upper station and the   ‘ Science and Legend ’ exhibition in any of the audio guide’s 8 languages.

Not included:

Our trip to Mount Teide from Puerto Santiago, Callao Salvaje, Playa Paraíso, El Médano, Golf del Sur or Costa del Silencio will conclude after a fantastic day high up on Mount Teide, one of Earth’s most prized natural and cultural gems, a World Heritage Site since 2007 and a National Park since 1954.

We will set out on this Teide Tour from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island’s capital city, a fascinating blend of history, culture and dynamism. There will also be pick-ups in Candelaria, a place of great religious significance dedicated to the Virgen de Candelaria, the patron saint of the Canary Islands—you will select your pick-up point when you confirm your booking.

Would you like to know right now when and where we will pick you up the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz - Candelaria? All the information you need is just a couple of clicks away, in the “Pick-up points and hours” section below.

• Round trip bus transportation from Santa Cruz - Candelaria, with an official guide
• Teide Cable Car tickets + Teide Legend digital audio guide to get to know the free-access trails around the upper station and the ‘Science and Legend’ exhibition in any of the audio guide’s 8 languages. 

We will end our Teide Tour from Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Candelaria after enjoying an awesome day in the Teide National Park, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 and a National Park since 1954.

We begin the trip to Mount Teide from Costa Adeje in a paradise on the south-west coast of Tenerife, whose beaches, a perfect example of nature at its most luxuriant, are complemented by modern luxury and a buzzing atmosphere. We can collect you at the pick-up point you select when you make your booking.

Would you now like to know where in Costa Adeje you will be picked up, and at what time? Please see the “Pick-up points and hours” section below to find out now.

• Transportation by bus from Costa Adeje to Mount Teide, with an official guide, and return to the initial pick-up point
• Teide Cable Car tickets + Teide Legend digital audio guide to get to know the free-access trails around the upper station and the ‘Science and Legend’ exhibition at the Cable Car Visitors’ Centre in any of the audio guide’s 8 languages. 

We will conclude our trip to Mount Teide from Costa Adeje by returning to the initial pick-up point after a fantastic day in these idyllic surroundings, a National Park since 1954 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

Trip to Mount Teide from Las Américas

Our trip to Mount Teide will depart from Playa de las Américas, a lively, fun-filled seaside resort in the south of the island, at the pick-up point that you specify when you book.

Would you now like to know where in Playa de las Américas you will be picked up, and at what time? Find out right now, by consulting the “Pick-up points and hours” section.

Included in the excursion:

• Transportation from Playa de las Américas to Teide by bus in the company of an official guide, and return to the initial pick-up point at the end of the trip to Mount Teide from Las Américas
• Teide Cable Car tickets + Teide Legend digital audio guide, which will reveal the secrets of the free-access trails around the upper station and of the ‘Science and Legend’ exhibition at the Teide Cable Car Visitors’ Centre (to listen to in any of the audio guide’s 8 languages). 

Our trip to Mount Teide from Las Américas will end back at the initial pick-up point after an amazing day on the mountain, over 3,555 m above sea level in a natural space that has been a National Park since 1954 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.

Our trip to Mount Teide from Los Gigantes will leave from a natural landscape in the south of Tenerife that will leave you open-mouthed in awe at its extraordinary cliffs. You will be collected at the pick-up point you select when you book.

Find your exact pick-up time and location in Los Gigantes in the “Pick-up points and hours” section and you’ll have your Teide tour all arranged.

• Transportation from Los Gigantes to Mount Teide by bus + official guide + return to the initial pick-up point
• Teide Cable Car tickets + Teide Legend digital audio guide to discover the free-access trails that leave from the upper station and access the ‘Science and Legend’ exhibition at the base station, which you can listen to in any of the audio guide’s 8 languages. 

The trip to Mount Teide from Los Gigantes will end when we return you to your initial pick-up point in Los Gigantes after a fabulous day in the National Park, a geological and cultural treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This trip to Mount Teide from Los Cristianos will commence at a delightful resort on the coast of Tenerife, a charming spot offering beautiful, golden, sandy beaches and a vibrant urban scene—choose your pick-up point when you book your excursion.

Would you like to find out right now where in Los Cristianos you will be picked up, and at what time? Please see the “Pick-up points and hours” section below to obtain this information now.

• Round trip bus transportation from Los Cristianos to Mount Teide, with an official guide
• Teide Cable Car tickets + Teide Legend digital audio guide to learn about the features of the free-access trails that leave from the upper station and the ‘Science and Legend’ exhibition at the base station, which it is possible to listen to in any of the audio guide’s 8 languages. 

This trip to Mount Teide from Los Cristianos will finish after a glorious day in the National Park, a geological and cultural treasure recognised by UNESCO since 2007, and a protected natural space, which was declared a National Park in 1954.

Enjoy the digital Teide Legend audio guide for free with your Teide cable car ticket

Enjoy free of charge our Teide Legend   digital audio guide (available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Polish and Dutch). In the audio guide, you will find detailed information about the three most emblematic trails that leave from Teide Cable Car top station and run along the slopes of the volcano, as well as audio tracks in 8 languages, so that you can enjoy the  ‘Science and Legend’ exhibition included in your tour in your preferred language . 

D ownload the Teide Legend audio guide app to your   Android   or   Apple device. Use the booking code from your Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Tickets reservation to quickly and easily access the app and enjoy a contactless experience.  

Watch the Teide Legend audio guide video tutorial below, which we have prepared for you:

Come on a Mount Teide Tour with cable car and visit Mount Teide in a sustainable way

Forget the car and contribute to a sustainable Teide . By reducing atmospheric pollution, you can help in the fight against climate change.

By choosing group transport you’ll help to beat overcrowding in the vehicle parking zones inside the National Park which, as a conservation measure, are small and unsuitable for expansion.

Did you know that by choosing to visit the National Park and ascend Mount Teide by cable car on this excursion you can forget having to circle around in your car until you find a parking space? 

Can you imagine a better excursion than this Mount Teide Tour with cable car? 

We already know which will be your favourite excursion: Mount Teide Tour in Tenerife!

Live the Teide Legend at the Teide “Science and Legend” exhibition!

Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Tickets  includes free admission to the “Science and Legend” exhibition at the Teide Cable Car Visitors’ Centre, which is available in 8 languages thanks to the Teide Legend audio guide included in your tour, free of charge.

You will learn about Mount Teide’s last major eruption (around 1,000 years ago) which the indigenous Guanches probably interpreted as a fight between mythological deities —an explanation far removed from that which science now attributes to volcanic eruptions.

The characters of the legend of Guayota, both gods and humans, will show you their vision of the stages of the eruption that took place back then, and which formed the pylon at the summit of Mount Teide, known locally as “el tapón del Teide” [the Teide cap]. A magical story in which good and evil join in an epic battle.

Along with the legend, you will be shown reliable data to illustrate the scientific interpretation of the eruption. Although the two perspectives may seem diametrically opposed, they are in fact closely connected.

In addition, you can have a great time at our Visitors’ Centre, where you can find brilliant mementoes of your visit to the legend of the Teide National Park at our official souvenir shop . And you can relax and enjoy a culinary experience with panoramic views of the National Park in Spain’s highest restaurant and snack bar , whose badge of identity is the distinctly Canary Island character of its food and drink.

It is not possible to add more private charter bookings.

It is not possible to add more people to the booking. Please select a different session with more availability.

It is not possible to add more people to the booking. Please select a different date.

Minimum booking: persons

Customer service and bookings

[email protected]

• Manage your booking
• Frequently asked questions
• The Company
• Work with us
• Catalogue of services

What to see in La Orotava

Things to do in Puerto de la Cruz

What to see in Tenerife in four days

Volcano Teide offers the following safe payment methods.

Safe Purchase

Teleférico del Pico del Teide, S.A. Tourist intermediary I-003662.1 Active Tourism TA-4-0026247

For a sustainable Teide

A blog where you can discover everything you can do in Tenerife.

Tenerife and mount Teide in your mailbox

Subscribe to our blog. Be the first to find out about our newest attractions in tenerife and on mount teide, and receive useful information to help you plan your vacation in the island.

What to see in Tenerife in four days

If you’re planning a 4-day break in Tenerife, the Teide National Park is bound to be at the top of your list. And you’re spot on, because the Park is Tenerife’s number one attraction.

Teide National Park

Puerto de la cruz, useful information for your visit to tenerife (day 1), anaga rural park, las teresitas beach, useful information for your visit to tenerife (day 2).

• Icod de los Vinos

Useful information for your visit to Tenerife (day 3)

Los gigantes, whale spotting, useful information for your visit to tenerife (day 4).

• What to eat in Tenerife
• How to get around in Tenerife 
• Where to stay in Tenerife 

But there’s a lot more you can see in Tenerife in 4 days.

Cities where time seems to have stood still; natural parks where you can see the island’s volcanic origins; beaches where you can lie in the sun or bathe in the crystal-clear waters, or you can sample our delicious gastronomy—these are just some of the essentials in Tenerife.

Break free, open your mind and go and pack your suitcase, because we’ve prepared a 4-day itinerary for you , to make sure you don’t miss anything of what Tenerife has to offer. So let’s get started!

But before we start our run-down of what you can see in Tenerife in 4 days , here is a map on which we’ve marked the points of your tour, to help you feel that you’ve already arrived on the island of eternal spring.

Book the best Tenerife excursions

Day 1. Visit Mount Teide, La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz: ideas for you Tenerife tour that you won’t want to miss

Your first day on Tenerife, so get off to a flying start with the places that are bound to be at the top of your list.

To space out the power and excitement, we suggest the Teide National Park for the first half of the day, and for the second half, two delightful cities: historic La Orotava and the coastal city of Puerto de la Cruz , which could well be where you’ll stay overnight.

But think about it carefully, because the order of your visits has consequences. 

We say this because if you decide to go to to Mount Teide during the morning, you will have very clear views and be able to enjoy the morning freshness and, if it’s the weekend, you can have a delicious lunch in Spain’s highest restaurant

On the other hand, if you go in the evening, you can stay to see the sunset, as well as the star-studded sky above Mount Teide, one of Tenerife’s great highlights.

If you want to make the ascent in the Teide cable car, watch the sunset from one of the volcano’s free-access paths, and do some star-gazing with specialist Starlight Guides and long-range telescopes, we recommend you book the Sunset & Stars excursion. The most comprehensive Teide night-time experience.

So now, let’s move on with our other plans for what to see in Tenerife, because we have a lot of ground to cover.

Take me to the best Tenerife Excursions

To give you an idea of the significance of the Teide National Park, and so that you can see why it is top of our list of recommendations for things to see in Tenerife in 4 days , we’ll tell you three facts about it:

• The Teide National Park is the largest of the Canary Islands’ National Parks, and owes its name to the Teide volcano, which is...
• The third-largest volcano in the world from its base on the ocean bed. 
• At 3,718 m, it is the highest peak in Spain.

Apart from the actual experience of ascending to the summit to enjoy the views, on Teide’s lunar-like surface you can see craters, ancient volcanoes, rivers of petrified lava, and active fumaroles, making this a geological treasure-house .

As well as a feast for the senses, of course.

So how do you reach this wonder of nature?

There are plenty of excursions to Mount Teide , but to get the most from your visit, the best plan is to take the trip up in the cable car, which is physically more practical and convenient.

To make your adventure as enjoyable as possible, it is best to prepare for your visit to Mount Teide , find out beforehand all you need to know about the ways of making the ascent, prices and timetables , the minimum age requirement, the weather, suitable clothing, and so on.

Having said all that, let’s get started on Tenerife’s most popular day out, and the most important excursion from Puerto de la Cruz .

Are you coming along?

I want to book my Teide excursion in Tenerife

1. Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Tickets

As we said earlier, if there’s one experience you can’t afford to miss among all the things you can do in Tenerife, it’s a cable-car trip up Mount Teide.

The ascent up the sides of the volcano is an experience in itself, and travelling above the geological remains of the world’s third-largest volcano with views of the Canary Islands’ biggest National Park is a never-to-be-forgotten adventure.

One idea that cannot fail to succeed in Tenerife is the organised Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Tickets —one of the island’s top excursions because, over the course of a few hours, you will explore the Teide National Park with no thought for anything but enjoying yourself.

The excursion includes bus pick-up at a point near your hotel, and you will be accompanied by a guide who will tell you about all the wonderful sights to be seen on the tour.You also have the option to book your tickets for the ascent and descent on the cable car.

The perfect early-morning excursion that will leave you with plenty of time to enjoy other activities in Tenerife for the rest of the day.

Take me to book this Teide excursion in Tenerife

2. Evening excursions to Mount Teide

If you prefer to visit Mount Teide later in the day, you can choose whether to visit during the evening or at night—there are several excursions that may interest you:

The first is a trip with transport provided that will take you to watch the sunset from one of the viewing points in the National Park, and then do some stargazing with Starlight guides and long-range telescopes. This excursion is called Mount Teide Night Tour , and is especially popular. 

You could also go up the side of the volcano at twilight to see how the sky undergoes a transformation from the clearest blue through a countless series of darkening shades until night fall.

If you fancy a sensational evening on Mount Teide after travelling up in the cable car outside normal hours, followed by stargazing, the Sunset & Stars excursion is for you. This excursion includes bus pick-ups in both the north and south of Tenerife, a ticket for the cable car at twilight, the use of long-range telescopes , an accredited Starlight guide to accompany your observation of the stars, and a picnic if you wish.

And if you love science and astronomy, you should definitely book the Astronomic Tour , which includes a visit to the Teide Observatory, and stargazing with the help of a Starlight guide , as well as transport from a point near your hotel, naturally.

No matter which option you choose, getting a sense of the vastness of the universe using long-range telescopes from Mount Teide is one of the activities that Tenerife offers which is available in very few places in the world—in fact, it can only be compared with certain parts of Chile and Hawaii.

So are you going to book one of these excursions for your 4-day trip to Tenerife?

Take me to book my night-time Teide excursion in Tenerife

3. Excursions to the summit of Mount Teide 

As we have already said, there are lots of ways to discover the Teide National Park, and one of them is to visit the summit, an experience that requires a degree of preparation—we suggest therefore that you check this complete guide on how to get up Mount Teide Peak .

The first thing to bear in mind is that to make the ascent to the peak of Mount Teide, you need a special permit from the National Park authority , because visitor numbers are restricted in order to protect the site. You need to apply weeks or even months beforehand, depending on the time of year.

Making the ascent with an organised excursion has several advantages: 

• You will be accompanied by an expert guide who will show you all the secrets of the volcano.
• You will save the stage of applying for the permit, and of obtaining cable car tickets to fit in with your designated visiting slot. The company will take care of this process for you. 
• The excursion includes transport from the north or south of the island, and your ticket for the cable car ascent and descent.

You won’t need to worry about a thing!

And if you’d like to go one step further, you can book a VIP ascent to the peak with an exclusive guide who will go at a pace that suits you.

The plan for this Tenerife activity is to take the cable car at the base station, at an altitude of 2,356 m , which will leave you at La Rambleta, the departure point for the trails at the summit of Mount Teide (there are three distinct paths high up on the volcano that you can take with a manageable degree of difficulty; the path that leads to the crater requires a permit) and from there you ascend on foot to the top of the volcano. 

Take me to book this Tenerife excursion to ascend to the peak of Mount Teide by cable car

If you’re fit enough and keen enough to dedicate more time to Mount Teide, you can climb with a guide along the Montaña Blanca trail and then make the descent by cable car. But bear in mind that this adventure will take at least 6 hours, and that you will have to miss other things you could do in your 4 days, such as discover La Orotava, which we are just about to discuss.

But don’t worry, because whichever way you choose, Tenerife’s Mount Teide Peak is one of those adventures that is never the same twice —as the time of year and the atmospheric conditions make the landscape appear different every time.

We continue with our list of things to see in Tenerife in 4 days, moving on to La Orotava, the island’s biggest municipality—and one of its most attractive.

You will find plenty to see in this town, 8 kilometres north of Puerto de la Cruz: architectural heritage, fascinating gardens and a stately air, thanks to the excellent state of preservation of its streets and old houses. 

With good reason, it has been designated a Historic-Artistic Site since 1976.

With most of its area lying inside the Teide National Park, La Orotava is pure, undiluted, Canary Island history, something that can be seen in its historic quarter and its steeply climbing streets.

The Casa de los Balcones [House of Balconies] is one of Tenerife’s not-to-be-missed attractions, as it is one of the most traditional buildings in this town, with its magnificent wooden balcony and its well-preserved interior.

Other famous buildings are the Canary Island Baroque-style church Iglesia de la Concepción, and the Town Hall ; the square on which it stands is also worth seeing.

Another place to visit in La Orotava are the Marquesado de la Quinta Roja Gardens , also called the Jardines Victoria . The gardens are worth seeing, not just for their flowers (although that is reason enough) but also because of the views offered by their location at the highest point in the town.

If you plan carefully, this is the perfect place to visit just before, or just after, Mount Teide. Moreover, you can even visit Puerto de la Cruz on the same day, as it is very near.

Puerto de la Cruz lies on the coastal side of the Valle de la Orotava. The city has been synonymous with tourism since the tourism trend began in the Canary Islands—although it is Tenerife’s smallest municipality.

Puerto de la Cruz is the ideal place to stay on the coast , because the range of hotels is huge, the city has good communications, and it offers every possible service and convenience. What’s more, it has a historic quarter and an authentic working port .

If you follow this itinerary of places to visit in Tenerife in 4 days, you could spend a couple of hours in Puerto de la Cruz, which should include a stroll around its historic centre.

See the Casa de Miranda and the Casa de la Real Aduana [Customs House], sit and have a meal in the Plaza del Charco , and watch the waves breaking on the Costa de San Telmo—these are the essentials for any traveller keen to discover Tenerife.

After this, the first of your 4 days in Tenerife, it’s quite possible that you won’t have the energy to go out in the evening but, if you do, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Puerto de la Cruz. And if you start your day with La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz, and leave it until the evening to enjoy your visit to the National Park, Mount Teide and its star-filled sky, you still have no shortage of options.

Otherwise, go to bed, and prepare for the second stage of your 4-day visit to Tenerife.

Check all your options for excursions from Puerto de la Cruz here

Click on the following links to see the information you’ll need to prepare for the first day of your Tenerife tour:

• Guide to the Teide National Park
• Prepare for your visit to Mt Teide
• The best excursions for discovering Mount Teide
• Price list and timetable for the Teide cable car
• Complete guide to your ascent to the summit of Mount Teide
• All you need to know about access permits to Mount Teide
• How to ascend Mount Teide from Montaña Blanca
• Information about La Orotava’s Historic Quarter 
• Information about Puerto de la Cruz
• The main excursions from Puerto de la Cruz

Day 2. Visit La Laguna, the Anaga Rural Park and Playa de las Teresitas 

We’re going to spend our second day in Tenerife exploring the north-east of the island and seeing stunning scenery along with one of the island’s most characterful cities, San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

We will also stop off at a wonderful beach to unwind: Playa de las Teresitas .

Just like your first day in Tenerife, you can do urban sightseeing first, and then move on to nature, or vice-versa, whichever you prefer.

If you accept our recommendation, however, you’ll start in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, because after a visit to the Anaga Rural Park and the beach, you may not have the energy.

Off we go on our second full day of places to see in Tenerife.

We can assure you that La Laguna is one of the essential places to visit in Tenerife, because it is an idyllic city, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 , due to its excellently preserved colonial architecture.

The island’s former capital, it is evident in the city’s fifteenth-century streets and buildings that this was the cradle of this Canary island’s aristocracy and its culture.

Mansions such as the Casa del Corregidor and the Casa de los Capitanes Generales amply demonstrate the city’s splendour, as does the Plaza del Adelantado , which is home to one of its most iconic buildings, the Palacio de Nava .

And, of course, a city such as this must have a suitably glorious church, a role perfectly fulfilled by the Baroque Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción , whose tower commands a view of the entire city—another Tenerife sight that no visitor should miss.

Take advantage of your stay in San Cristóbal de La Laguna to recharge your batteries in one of its restaurants and get ready for Anaga, another fabulous stop on your 4-day tour of Tenerife.

To help you get the most from your trip, a tour is a great idea, because it takes you from the north of Tenerife—Puerto de la Cruz—or the south—Playa de las Américas—to San Cristóbal de La Laguna, and from there to the Anaga Rural Park, Las Teresitas beach, and other places well worth a visit.

What more can you ask?

I want to book a tour to Anaga and La Laguna

The Anaga Rural Park is a haven for hikers and, if you enjoy hiking, you’ll find no end of possibilities in Tenerife. But everyone can enjoy the park’s beauty and its obvious geological splendours. What’s more, there are trails suitable for all types of visitor.

Whatever route you choose in the Parque Rural de Anaga, you’ll find spectacular mountains, beaches with volcanic sand, and Europe’s biggest range of endemic plant species .

Moreover, in Anaga you’ll find the largest forests of laurel—the island’s native species par excellence. This natural wealth is complemented by the area’s geology, as here you can clearly see rock formations such as the famous Roques, volcanic chimneys, the walls of gorges and deep ravines.

For this activity, you are advised to dress as if for the jungle, as you can move from dense forest to the beach in just a few minutes.

One of the advantages of going on a minivan tour , as we suggested a few moments ago, is that you can take clothing to change into if you get wet.

Book your tour to Anaga now

And so we end the second stage of your four-day trip to Tenerife, with one of the most photogenic sights of your tour.

We are sure that, when you see the Playa de las Teresitas, you will want to show the world that you are there: the turquoise waters, the golden sand beneath your feet, the palm trees watched over by the little village of San Andrés on the side of the hill—all fit for a postcard.

The perfect end to a day in Tenerife that has provided both culture and exercise.

Click on the following links to see the information you’ll need to prepare for the second day of your Tenerife tour:

• Information about La Laguna
• Information about the Anaga Rural Park
• Information about Las Teresitas beach

Day 3. Visit Icod de Los Vinos, Garachico and Los Silos

Ideas for a day exploring the north-west of Tenerife , one of the island’s most fascinating areas thanks to its landscape, its wines and its flora, the highlight of which is a dragon tree that is at least 800 years old, el Drago Milenario , a rara avis that can only be found in Tenerife.

This will be a day dedicated to the culture of the Canary Island and of Tenerife, a day of strolling, eating well, taking photos and sampling the area’s wines, which are different from anything you may have drunk until now.

Wearing comfortable footwear and with camera in hand, we set out for Icod de los Vinos on the third of our 4 days in Tenerife.

Icod de los Vinos 

The great thing about Icod de los Vinos is that its manageable size allows you to explore it without worrying that you’re going to miss anything. What’s more, we recommend you follow your nose through its narrow streets lined with brightly-coloured houses , pausing to admire its whitewashed hermitages and churches .

During your stroll through the town, stop off at the Plaza de la Pila which (in addition to being a very pleasant square) is home to a place where you can try the area’s wines, particularly the Malvasia—a native variety of grape vine—along with Canary Island mojo sauce at the Museo de Malvasía .

And, of course, you can meet the Drago Milenario in the Parque del Drago .

And from one delightful town to another, where you can stroll along marvelling at its structure—a cliff divides the historic quarter from the rest of the town: Garachico .

On the way to this town, which was granted the title of Burg and Port by King Alfonso XIII , you can see a large number of banana plantations and huge tracts of Canary Island pine forest that give the area an immense environmental value.

The interesting fact about Garachico is that, in 1706, it disappeared almost completely beneath lava that poured from the Trevejo volcano, but the town sprang up again, more beautiful than ever. It is astonishing to see how humanity recovers from natural disaster.

We end the day in Los Silos which, while it may not appear in the rankings of places to see in Tenerife, we can recommend it because it imbues visitors with a great sense of calm, and shows the importance of agriculture in the island’s economy .

In fact, Los Silos owes its name to the three cereal stores that were built when the town was founded.

To make the most of your visit, the best plan is to start in the Plaza de la Luz , as you can walk out from here and see the streets built around it long ago (which are still well preserved today).

After this third day, filled with Tenerife culture, it’s a good idea to rest, because the last day of this 4-day tour of the best of Tenerife will be action-packed.

Click on the following links to see the information you’ll need to prepare for the third day of your Tenerife tour:

• Information about the Drago Milenario dragon tree in Icod de los Vinos
• Information about Garachico
• Information about Los Silos

Day 4. Visit Los Gigantes and Masca, and enjoy the thrill of whale spotting

To complete our tour of recommended sights in Tenerife, we now make our way to the south-west of the island , to another place that is full of life with accommodation to suit all tastes, from which there are plenty of excursions to Mount Teide .

But we’re not taking you out shopping or partying, although we could: we’re going to focus on the natural world.

Here, you can sail past imposing volcanic cliffs, enjoy a Jeep safari adventure through Masca, a landscape of immense geological interest , and see dolphins and whales in their natural habitat.

Are you ready?

The fact is that swimming under the Los Gigantes cliffs is an experience not to be missed in Tenerife. And if you can sail a kayak, surf board or a boat, all the better.

The thrill of seeing these spectacular, vertical, 600-metre-high cliffs from the water is difficult to describe—hundreds of metres of volcanic rock standing out of the water like a black guillotine. Impressive to say the very least.

Los Gigantes is in the Teno Rural Park, which is also the site of our second visit today: the Masca Gorge.

In Masca, the word ‘hiking’ is synonymous with a tour of deep gorges, cracks caused by water erosion down the centuries , which allows you to see materials from different ages in the vertical walls.

A hiking trail through the Masca Gorge offers two other attractions: the Caserío de Masca, a hamlet in an incredible setting, and the beaches of black sand at the end of some of the paths.

You will feel like an explorer discovering another world. If you’d like to undertake this hike in Tenerife, remember that to visit the Masca Gorge you need to book online beforehand, as access is restricted.

I want to book my hike through the Masca Gorge

And to end this packed day of things to see in Tenerife, another natural spectacle that will leave anyone open-mouthed with wonder: cetacean spotting , which you can do from Los Gigantes and other points along the south-western coast, such as Costa Adeje.

Watching bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales in the wild unleashes a whole torrent of emotions—all of them good ones!

A boat trip is always a pleasure, but when you see something break the surface of the water, and realise it’s a dolphin or a whale, followed by another, and you watch them jump and play, you could stay there for ever.

And here we finish our comprehensive recommendation of things to do and places to see in Tenerife in 4 days.

Now, all that remains is to go through practical matters : places to eat, transport and accommodation, so that you have all you require on your stay on the island of eternal spring.

Click on the following links to see the information you’ll need to prepare for the fourth day of your Tenerife tour:

• Excursions to Mount Teide from southern Tenerife
• Information about the Los Gigantes Cliffs
• Information about Masca
• Information about cetacean spotting in Tenerife

What to eat in Tenerife 

Tenerife’s gastronomy is one of the island’s most highly-appreciated aspects, as it is flavourful, seasonal, based on locally-grown produce and, although simple, has great character.

Examples of typical Canary Island cuisine include papas arrugadas [‘wrinkly’ potatoes], gofio [a toasted flour grain], almogrote [a pâté made from hard cheese], and sancocho [a traditional stew], all made with ingredients from the Canary archipelago, and which you will find in any of Tenerife’s many restaurants.

There is also an abundance of fish dishes, a true reflection of the Canary Archipelago’s marine diversity: grouper, horse mackerel, red-banded sea bream, yellowfin tuna, to name just a few.

As you can imagine, Tenerife has thousands of restaurants where you can eat and drink the classics of the local gastronomy.

Click here to see restaurants on the island.

Having resolved the question of what to eat and drink, let’s turn to the best way for getting around Tenerife.

How to get around in Tenerife

Let’s start by saying that the best way to conveniently, reliably and sustainably discover all there is to see in Tenerife if you only have 4 days, is with an organised excursion .

Convenient because you don’t have to worry about how to get to places, or parking, or filling up with fuel, or planning.

Reliable because you know for certain where you are going and at what time you will arrive.

And sustainable, because you will be sharing a vehicle with other people, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and not contributing to vehicle congestion in the areas you will be visiting, especially the protected natural spaces such as the Teide National Park.

Having said that, to plan how to get around Tenerife , you need to know that buses or guaguas (as they’re known in the Canary Islands) serve almost every corner of the island, and that you have the option of public transport and an endless range of organised excursions. In Santa Cruz-La Laguna, there is a tram network, and all the towns have taxis .

Show me organised excursions in Tenerife

Where to stay in Tenerife

Where can you stay so that you get to see everything in Tenerife in 4 days?

As you might imagine, the range of accommodation in Tenerife is enormous : hotels, holiday cottages, apartments, guest houses, houses with a swimming pool... the island offers all types of accommodation, and for all budgets.

To help you orientate yourself, we would say that the areas offering the broadest range of hotels and services are:

• In the north, Puerto de la Cruz and the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna.
• In the south, Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje.

We suggest you look for somewhere to stay in a place that suits you in any of these resorts or cities, and use it as a base from which to set off every day.

If you are travelling as a family, the perfect solution is to stay in a hotel in the south on half board or on full board, and in the north, in a hotel located close to public transport services.

And that brings us to an end of our recommendations on all you can see and do in Tenerife in 4 days .

You could follow this 4-day Tenerife itinerary closely, or adjust it to your personal circumstances and preferences—every traveller is different, and holidays are for getting to know new places and people, but they’re also for resting body and mind. And for that, there is nowhere like Tenerife.

But whatever you do on your tour of this orchard in the Atlantic, there’s one thing you really mustn’t miss in Tenerife if you only have 4 days, and that is a visit to the Teide National Park , in any of the ways we told you about at the beginning.

The only thing you need to bear in mind is to book your excursion in advance because places fill up quickly, especially if you want to go up to the peak .

So now do you know how you can see all the essential sights of Tenerife in 4 days?

A good way to start is by booking your excursions and activities.

Book your Tenerife excursions here

Tags : What to do in Tenerife , excursions to Tenerife

Related Posts

If you’re looking for things to do in Tenerife, you’ve come to the right place, because the island offers a host of activities.

Postcards sent from Tenerife often show idyllic sandy beaches, perfect blue skies and the vast ocean.

You’ve decided: the next time you go on holiday you’re packing your bags and heading to Tenerife—you deserve it!

The great day is approaching: the day of your visit to Mount Teide with the Cable Car, when you will enjoy being on the highest volcano in Spain, ...

Are you travelling to Tenerife with your children in the near future and looking for a Mount Teide family excursion?

If you’re looking for the best Tenerife excursions for your next holidays, this is just the article you need. In Tenerife there’s so much to see and ...

• Teide Cable Car (17)
• What to do on Mt Teide (15)
• Hiking (11)
• Mount Teide (11)
• What to do in Tenerife (7)
• Family plans (5)
• Teide Observatory (3)
• excursions to Tenerife (3)
• Booking management (2)
• Excursions à Tenerife (2)
• Sostenibilidad (2)
• Carnival (1)
• Cruises (1)
• Giveaways (1)
• Relaxation (1)
• Roads to Teide (1)
• Romantic plans (1)
• Volcano Teide Experience (1)

Latest Posts

Popular posts.

Customer service and bookings

• Manage your booking
• Frequently asked questions
• The Company
• Work with us
• Catalogue of services
• Volcano Teide offers the following safe payment methods.

• Safe Purchase

Teleférico del Pico del Teide, S.A.

For a sustainable Teide

• Legal notice
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Sustainable Teide
• Terms and conditions of collaboration

This website does not organise or sell combined trips

Complaint forms are available to Customers in our offices located in Calle San Francisco No. 5, 4th Floor, CP 38002, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm

Tenerife: Lava, Sea & Stars

Tenerife is a magnificent volcanic island located within the Canary Island archipelago 100km off the coast of Africa. Expect an unforgettable week of impressive lava, coastal and mountain walks.

“…but having traversed the banks of the Orinoco, the Cordilleras of Peru, and the most beautiful valleys of Mexico, I own that I have never beheld a prospect more varied, more attractive, more harmonious in the distribution of the masses of verdure and rocks, than the western coast of Teneriffe.” ---Alexander von Humboldt, 1799, German naturalist and explorer

Do you feel like a winter getaway? Jose and Nancy have enjoyed traveling to Tenerife, part of the Canary Island archipelago, over the years as a family and a couple. We would love to share this spectacular island with you. We have created a unique tour designed to bring you into contact with the remarkable variety of landscapes on this special island that once was an essential stepping stone for all New World journeys and exploration of the Americas and beyond. Located 100km off the coast of Morocco, Tenerife enjoys a privileged climate making hiking and walking a pleasurable year round activity.

Tenerife rises out of the ocean and climbs to an impressive 3718m (12,198ft) at its summit, the volcano Mt. Teide, which dominates views of the island no matter where you are. Mt Teide is the highest volcano that rises out of the ocean floor outside of the Hawaiian islands. Jose and I have planned walks in the vast range of microclimates and landscapes including the steep, lush semi-tropical laurel forests of the Anaga Peninsula where the variety of flora make it a botanist’s paradise; the barren, lunar landscapes encircling the base of Mt Teide remarkable for their colors and habitats where the toughest flora and fauna eke out an existence; coastal walks through black volcanic "aa" (malpais in Spanish) rock and flower-laden, cliff paths that give stunning views to the azure waters below. We will also enter the great volcano’s innards and become cavers for an afternoon as we explore the famed Cueva del Viento (Cave of the Wind).

As always Nancy and Jose will weave the history of the island into our walks to understand the aboriginal inhabitants of the islands (the "Guanches"), their conquest at the hands of the Spanish on path to the new world and the remarkable economy of wine and sugar that resulted from the conquest. We will also enjoy the unique Canarian cuisine and their wines which once were the pride of European tables and referenced by Shakespeare himself. Due to Tenerife's unique conditions, the national park around Teide contains one of the world's most important astronomical observation centers. As part of the tour we will explore the heavens from our privileged vantage point with a local expert. January in Tenerife, depending on where you are on the island, can have highly varying temperatures. We will also be going, over the course of the week, from sea level to the summit of Teide (mostly via cable car!). In January it often snows on Teide but at the coast you can be in shorts and swimming in the ocean. Consequently, it's a fun tour with great variety in which you'll want to prepare for several seasons.

• Tour Information
• What is and isn’t included

Tour duration: 7 days & 7 nights

Walking Level: Medium to Medium Hard. We have tried to select walks suitable for a medium level ability but it is important to keep in mind that the island is volcanic which makes for steep, irregular landscapes that will require stamina, stability, confidence on uneven terrain and, on one walk, control of vertigo. We will be walking between 3km and 11km (1.8mi to 6.8mi) on a daily basis Walking poles are highly recommended for this tour.

Walking Days: 7 total

Distance: 46km/28mi

Tour Start/End Point: La Laguna, Tenerife. The Tenerife Norte airport (TFN) is located very conveniently to the small town of La Laguna where we start and end the tour. Daily direct flights are available from Madrid (MAD).

Group Size:  For sustainability purposes the tour is limited to 7 participants.

Tour Dates: This tour will not be offered in 2023. Please send inquiries for 2024 and requests for private group trips to [email protected]

Tour Price:  TBA

Single Supplement:  TBA

Click here for Discount Information *

What is and isn’t included: Trip price includes accommodations (double occupancy), all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) each day except 2 dinners (Days 3 & 5), pre-departure information, all transportation during the trip, entrance fees to museums and activities as designated in the itinerary is included and Jose and Nancy will accompany the group.

Tour does not include: Airfare to Spain or Tenerife is not included nor is required health/travel insurance or transportation to and from the starting and end point (San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife, Spain). Personal amenities such as drinks and snacks at end of walks or in free time are not included.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 - La Laguna - 6.2km/3.8mi

We’ll meet at our hotel in the town of San Cristobál de la Laguna located 10 minutes from the Tenerife Norte Airport. After our orientation we’ll shuttle east to the coastal loop walk of the Malpaís de Güimar and get our first exposure to different types of lava including “malpaís” or “aa” for its rough, irregular surfaces as we ascend the Montaña de Mar and loop around the Montaña Grande, two young (10,000 year old) volcanoes. We will also enjoy the rich flora that ekes out an existence in these harsh yet beautiful habitats. We return to La Laguna for dinner enjoying Canarian cuisine. (6.2km/3.8mi)

Day 2 - La Orotava - 7.7km/4.8mi

The day starts with a guided visit of the beautiful colonial town founded by the Spanish when they conquered the Canary Islands and Tenerife at the end of the 15th C. Designed on a grid-plan La Laguna (550m) became the model for future colonial architecture in the New World and became an UNESCO World Heritage City in 1999. (1km/.6mi). We then shuttle to the Anaga Natural Park and we will hike from Cruz de Carmen (1018m) to Chinamada (663m) descending through the special laurisilva (laurel forest) characteristic of the lush, humid sub-tropical climate of the northern part of the island.(6.6km/4.2mi) In Chinamada we’ll have lunch at one of the cave houses and then shuttle to the Casa del Vino (House of Wine) in El Sauzal. The Spaniards brought wine culture to the Canary Islands and became major producers and exporters of wine to European tables and the New World. The islands still have a strong wine tradition and we will enjoy the history and a tasting on this visit. We spend the next two nights in the lovely town of La Orotava. Tonight we’ll have dinner together here in a local restaurant.

Day 3 - La Orotava - 7.9km/4.9mi

La OrotavaIn the morning we’ll shuttle to the hamlet of Afur (270m) also in the Anaga Peninsula. Today we do a spectacular, yet hard, hike from Afur down to the Tamadiste beach and then to the village of Taganana. From Afur we descend a beautiful, fragrant canyon full of native plants (cacti, flowering plants, wildflowers) to the beach. We enjoy the beautiful views of the dramatic coastline at Tamadiste and then make a steep ascent back to the cliffs and then progressively ascend along the high cliffs (342m) and then drops into the village of Taganana (226m) affording constant stunning views of the coast. The old terraced vineyards surprise for their location and variety. (7.9km/4.9mi) In Taganana we’ll have lunch at Canarian restaurant and then shuttle back to La Orotava. In La Orotava we’ll visit The Teide National Park visitor center. Afterwards you’ll have free time to explore La Orotava on your own and to have dinner.

Day 4 - Santiago del Teide - 5.1km/3.1mi

Santiago del TeideAfter breakfast we shuttle down to Puerto de la Cruz where we’ll do a lovely cliff-walk to the Mirador de San Pedro (172m). This paved walkway connects two points along the coast weaving in and out of small settlements and seeking always to give you stunning views of the coast and the pounding deep blue sea below. The walk ends in an original Canarian palm grove surrounded by banana plantations. (4.1km/2.5mi) After our walk and a refreshment, we’ll shuttle to the spectacular Cueva del Viento (Cave of the Wind) to learn about the volcanic island from the inside. On the visit we’ll become cavers and wear special equipment to descend into the bowels of the earth and this large lava tube. (1km/.6mi) After lunch we’ll visit the coastal town of Garachico, once the major port in the north, but whose fate changed when a volcanic lava flow destroyed part of the town and its port in 1706. Shuttle to the high small town, Santiago del Teide (1000m), and the hotel where we’ll spend two nights.

Day 5 - Santiago del Teide - 10.7km/8.2mi

Santiago del TeideFrom the hotel we’ll shuttle to our trailhead that starts at the small agricultural town of San Jose de los Llanos. This wonderful loop hike combines a very interesting array of landscapes from the cultivated fields outside of San Jose de los Llanos, to the lapilli (small lava stone gravel) paths within the peaceful Canarian Pine forest and then opens up to the black ‘aa’ (malpaís) lava flows of the 1909 Chinyero eruption, the last one to trouble Tenerife. Meanwhile we get great views of Teide imposing above it all before we loop back through the forest and the fields to San Jose. (10.7km/8.2mi) We’ll have our picnic at the end of the walk and the return to the hotel where you have the option to have a free afternoon or take a boating excursion to see the famed Gigantes cliffs and hopefully spot the whales and dolphins that thrive in the waters around the Canary Islands. The waters off the southwest corner of Tenerife are an internationally well-known cetacean observation area.

Day 6 - Parador de las Cañadas – Teide National Park - (2.8km/1.7mi)

Parador de las CañadasFrom Santiago de Teide we shuttle to the Teide National Park and the lower cable car (teleférico) station (2356m/7729ft).*** The cable car will whisk us up to the station (3555m/11663ft) near the top of the Teide Peak crater (3718m/12198ft). According to Guanche beliefs, Guayota, the god of evil and darkness inhabited Teide, one of the gateways to hell and the underworld. We will we ascend to the crater as well as Pico Viejo. (2.8km/1.7mi). After we return back down by cable car we’ll shuttle to the Parador located at the foot of Teide and set in the midst of this high, open and desolate lunar landscape. Today we’ll dine in the Parador and then enjoy a look at the heavens with a local expert from this privileged viewing area. Tenerife’s unique conditions as an island with relatively little light pollution and a latitude favorable for seeing much of the visible sky, has made it a mecca for astronomers and has important international observatories.

La LagunaDay 7 - La Laguna - 4.3km/2.7mi

After breakfast we’ll walk from the Parador to the wonderful Roques de García (2160m/7086ft) rock formations on a loop walk through the native flora and volcanic rocks which then steeply descends through different types of lava as we encircle these monumental formations left behind after eons of erosion wore down the softer surrounding rocks. (4.3km/2.7mi) Shuttle to the Montaña Blanca to see the lunar landscapes and white lapilli lava stones. We leave behind the lunar landscapes of highland Tenerife and descend back through corona forestal (belt of dense pine woodland) to La Laguna. We’ll have our farewell dinner in La Laguna and spend the night there.

• Tenerife: Lava, Sea & Stars
• The Story Teller
• On Foot in Spain Family Part I
• On Foot in Spain Family Part II
• On Foot in Spain Family Part III
• On Foot in Spain Family Part IV
• Camino de Santiago
• Galicia: Water, Walking, Well-Being
• Camino Portuguese
• Galicia: Food & Wine Journey
• Galicia: Sea to Mountain Hiking
• Via de la Plata
• Basque Country
• Picos de Europa
• Tenerife Island
• Basque & Pyrenees
• On Foot in Spain Groups
• On Foot in Spain 2013 Year in Review
• Articles by Nancy
• What is a Cold Water Immersion?
• What is Breathwork?
• In Praise of Walking
• Walking your Blues Away
• Walking with Focused Awareness
• The Camino is Life Affirming
• Tips for Walking Disconnected
• Blooming in Lockdown
• Pilgrimage in the Internet Age
• Walking to Presence
• The Smart Camino: Pilgrimage in the Internet Age
• Pilgrimage with Simon Reeve
• Nancy’s Interview with PBS’s Burt Wolf
• Three Decades on the Camino
• Dee Nolan - Food Writer
• Marina de Almeida Prado - Photographer
• Virginia Havens - Camino Walker
• Maggie Beer On Foot in Spain
• Serra do Courel
• Galicia: Coastal Corner
• R&K Know Before You Go Galicia
• Reading List
• Legends & Stories
• Download Brochures
• Year 2016/17
• 2013 Year in Review
• Years 2009/10/11
• Years 2007 / 2008
• General Information
• Cuisine & Lodgings
• Calendar 2025
• Booking 2025

Barceló Experiences

Suggestions for you

Dominican Republic

Riviera Maya

Fuerteventura

Gran Canaria

San Sebastián

Cueva del Viento: a maze-like volcanic tunnel in Tenerife

Whether you’re a fan of caving or not, the Cueva del Viento [Wind Cave] is one of those places that you just won’t be able to resist. Whether it’s because of the adrenaline rush you get from going deep underground, or simply due to visiting one of the great vagaries of nature, what’s for sure is that Tenerife’s caves deserve to be seen. And it’s no wonder, as the inside of the cavity is a maze-like series of galleries that were excavated by lava flows thousands of years ago.

A visit to the Cueva del Viento is, therefore, one of the best things to do in Tenerife. Although there are no official records of the cave before the eighteenth century, the ancient Guanches —the indigenous people of the Canary Islands—had extensive knowledge of it. Since the 1970s, successive expeditions into the cave by experts have contributed to the creation of a topographic map of the volcanic formation. The geological wealth that they discovered was such that, in the nineties, reconditioning work began so that part of the volcanic tunnel could be visited.

The Cueva del Viento uncovered

With 18 kilometres mapped out, the Cueva del Viento in Tenerife is the fifth-largest volcanic tunnel in the world, only behind the four situated on the archipelago of Hawaii. Its maze-like network of subterranean passageways makes you wonder if further sections will be open to the public in the future, although what is known up to now is enough to include it among the caves of Tenerife most worth visiting.

Origins of the Cueva del Viento: Volcanism in its purest state: this is what the Cueva del Viento in Icod de los Vinos represents. The volcanic tunnel, which owes its name to the intense air currents that pass through its interior, was formed 27,000 years ago. The first eruptive phase of Pico Viejo—the volcano considered the second-highest peak on the island of Tenerife—gave rise to this volcanic tunnel, which boasts three overlapping levels, unique in the world.

The inside of the Cueva del Viento presents geological wonders in the form of lava stalactites, lava cascades, lateral terraces and even lava lakes, among others. Its subterranean fauna has astonished countless experts over recent decades and, to this day, it is still a source of new discoveries.

Visiting the Cueva del Viento in Tenerife

Although there are various caves open to the public in Tenerife, the Cueva del Viento is one of the most recommended. Not just because the route allows you to discover in-person the incredible features of the tunnel itself, but because your visit includes much more than just time spent in the volcanic cavity.

The Cueva del Viento tour starts at the Visitors’ Centre where a theoretical explanation, supported by different informational resources and modules, allows visitors to immerse themselves in the history of one of the most popular caves in Tenerife. The eruptive phenomenon in general, and that of the Canary Islands in particular; Pico Viejo, and the unique features of volcanoes are just some of the aspects addressed in the comprehensive introduction.

Once you’ve learnt some theory, it’s time for the journey to begin. From the centre itself, the organisers take visitors within range of the Cueva del Viento where a fascinating walk begins. Crops including potatoes, onions and vineyards dot the fertile land across the volcanic landscape leading to the mouth of this cave in Tenerife—an image that, on the way back, includes the ruins of former farm buildings typical of the area’s ethnographic heritage.

Entering the Cueva del Viento in Icod de los Vinos may be daunting, as visitors are only accompanied by the light from the torches on their helmets—that and the detailed explanations of the guide on the strange relief carved out by the lava flows within the tunnel. Darkness, silence and nature in its purest state, however, will no doubt captivate all those who enter.

Recommendations for the visit:  The route through the Cueva del Viento in Tenerife is of medium difficulty, lasting some two hours, and no specific preparation is required. However, bear in mind that it is not recommended for children under five years of age, people who suffer from claustrophobia and those with mobility problems. In any case, the guides will provide all the necessary indications, which must be followed to make the most of the experience and to make sure it is free of any nasty surprises.

When visiting this or any other caves in Tenerife you should bear in mind certain basic recommendations such as wearing appropriate clothing (long trousers and suitable boots or sports shoes), not littering or altering the cave in any way, not taking anything from the natural environment away with you, and always informing the guide of any incidents.

Icod de los Vinos, much more than caves

The Cueva del Viento is situated in Icod de los Vinos, a town that boasts numerous attractions beyond the volcanic cavity. Set across roughly 90 km 2 in northern Tenerife it provides magnificent views of Mount Teide. The town is also home to the Drago Milenario [Thousand-Year-Old Dragon Tree], declared a National Monument in 1917.

San Marcos beach is just another of the many beautiful landscapes that are dotted all over the city, whose historic centre boasts interesting cultural and artistic heritage. Plaza de América, the church of San Agustín, the former convent of San Francisco and the church of San Marcos are just a few places of interest that could round off a visit to the Cueva de Viento .

And if all that leaves you feeling hungry, there’s nothing like enjoying some of Tenerife’s cuisine and local traditions!

Make your trip unforgettable

Discover all the experiences in Tenerife

You can not lose this

What to see in Tenerife: 22 not-to-be-missed attractions

Tenerife Auditorium: the great cultural icon of the Canary Islands

Loro Parque, an environmentally-friendly tropical zoo

The top 10 experiences.

Flipper Uno 3 horas - Avistamiento de cetáceos

from 36,00 €

Half-Day Teide National Park Tour + Cable Car Ticket

from 85,00 €

Visit to the San Blas Environmental Reserve

from 15,00 €

Entrance to Siam Park

from 42,00 €

Entrance to Loro Park with transfer

from 61,00 €

Entrance to Loro Park

Nashira Uno 3 Hours

Masca Express - Whale Watching trip

from 12,50 €

Siam Park entry ticket with bus from Los Gigantes

from 53,00 €

4WD Jeep Ride: Teide National Park & Surroundings

from 64,00 €

Related plans

The island of Tenerife concentrates so many attractions that the best thing to do is to follow a list of essential places so as not to miss anything. Take good note!

Designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, the Tenerife Auditorium is one of the leading concert halls for opera and classical music in Spain.

Come and discover this ‘parrot paradise’, which has been attracting visitors since its opening in 1972. Now recognised as the ‘Best Zoo in the World’, Loro Parque also houses a world famous science centre.

Discover Tenerife with our hotels

Royal Hideaway Corales Resort

Barceló Santiago

Barceló Tenerife

Allegro Isora

Occidental Santa Cruz Contemporáneo

We have received your request correctly.

You will receive an email with a summary of your bookings.

Can't find it? Leave us your email and we'll send you a summary of your bookings.

La Palma & Tajogaite Volcano Day Trip

• 8.90 / 10 651 reviews | 5,508 travellers The activity is wonderful, it is very well planned and you make the most of every second of it. Our guide did not leave any question unanswered or doubt unresolved. I would definitely go back. 10 Virginia
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the service starts
• X (Twitter)

Witness a volcanic eruption happening before your eyes on our La Palma & Tajogaite Volcano Day Trip. We'll set off from Tenerife to see the lava flows and smoke plumes produced by this volcanic eruption, which began on 19 September 2021, from a safe distance.

La Palma & Tajogaite Volcano Day Trip

At the scheduled time, we'll see you at the  Port of Los Cristianos  in South Tenerife. We'll board a ferry and set sail for the island of La Palma to get a close-up view of the most recent volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands, the Tajogaite eruption.

After two and a half hours on the boat, we'll arrive in Santa Cruz de La Palma and you'll have half an hour of free time to explore the old town on your own. Afterwards, we'll get on a bus that will take us to the Mirador de la Concepción , located in the highest part of the Caldera volcano , where we'll get breathtaking views of the capital of the island. 

From here we'll head over to the Time Tunnel . During the trip, we'll see how the vegetation of the island changes as we get closer and closer to the Tajogaite volcano , which used to be known as Cumbre Vieja. We'll talk about volcanology and explain how the Canary Islands were formed . We'll learn about how locals lived the fateful  Teneguía eruption in 1971  on the island of La Palma.

We'll visit the Tacande neighborhood , where we'll get an unbeatable view of the volcano. The excursion will also take us to Tazacorte , where we'll see the lava flows that emerge from the Tajogaite volcano .

In Tazacorte we'll enjoy a delicious lunch . The menu will consist of two typical Canarian dishes . Once we've replenished our strength, it'll be time for a visit to the Mirador de Tajuya to see the majestic volcano for the last time.

Finally, we'll return to Santa Cruz de La Palma and finish the tour by boarding the ferry that will take us back to Tenerife , where we'll arrive at approximately 7:30 pm. 

More Information

10 hours 30 minutes - 11 hours 30 minutes.

The activity takes place with a guide that speaks in English, Spanish, German and Dutch.

Boat and bus transport.

English speaking guide.

Food and drinks.

When to book?

You can book up to the start time, as long as there are places remaining. Book now to guarantee your spot.

Type of voucher

Electronic. Show the voucher on your phone.

Accessibility

Most areas are accessible. An accompanying person is required. This must be indicated in the reservation. Accessible toilets.

Sustainability

All services published on Civitatis are carried out in accordance with our Sustainability Code .

Our providers commit to:

• Provide a safe and satisfying experience.
• Reduce, reuse, recycle.
• Incorporate eco-conscious technologies.
• Uphold fair employment standards.
• Foster the growth of local communities.
• Preserve the integrity of local culture.
• Safeguard both cultural and environmental heritage.
• Ensure ethical treatment of animals.
• Operate with honesty and transparency.
• Encourage sustainable behaviors among customers and staff.

This particular activity contributes as follows:

• No printing of documentation required.

Get Holiday Show more

Corporate name: Get Holiday SC

Not permitted.

Frequently asked questions

Q - And what if some areas of the island are closed to traffic or tourism?

A - The tour is subject to change due to the volcano's activity. The visit to the Cumbrecita viewpoint or other points of the tour could be affected and replaced with other locations.

Q - Will we be able to see the lava of the volcano?

A - Being a variable geological process, the visibility of lava will depend on the state of the volcano. Sometimes you'll be able to see rivers of magma and, other times, you'll see columns of smoke and ash, depending on the volcanic activity at the time of the excursion.

Q - Why do this activity with Civitatis?

A - At Civitatis we guarantee the best quality and prices, click here if you want to know how we select our activities .

Q - How to book?

A - To reserve the activity, choose the date and complete the form on this page. You will receive your confirmation immediately.

If you have any other questions please contact us.

Free cancellation

Meeting point.

Port of Los Cristianos

You may also be interested in

Teide Day Trip + Cable Car from South Tenerife

Southern Tenerife Submarine Experience

Teide Buggy Tour

Login to add activities to your favorites and access them from any device

This site is reCAPTCHA protected and Google's privacy policy and terms of service apply.

Basic information regarding personal data protection

Person responsible for the processing: CIVITATIS TOURS, S.L. (CIVITATIS). Purpose: Provision of the services requested; Sending commercial communications about CIVITATIS products and services, for which commercial profiles of our customers may be drawn up; Sending surveys in order to assess the services offered and their degree of satisfaction, as well as the publication of opinions about the service received; Compliance with accounting, legal, fiscal and administrative obligations; Publication of customer images and processing of data for statistical purposes. Rights: You have the right to access, rectify and delete data, to limit its processing, to oppose its processing and to its portability. Additional Information: You can consult additional information on Data Protection in the General Terms and Conditions .

Log in to rate the opinions of other travelers

Breadcrumbs

Contact us now.

Explore Europe’s Largest Lava Cave in Tenerife

What are Lava Tubes?

If you’re not sure what lava tubes are, you’re not alone. When a volcanic eruption happens, it not only spills from the top of the volcano (as most imagine), but also to the sides. These outlets formed eventually cool off, dry out, empty and eventually form into lava caves.

The Cueva del Viento, the Wind Cave

In simpler terms, they are caves and tunnels in which lava once flowed. Shaped by lava flows from Pico Viejo, part of Mount Teide, is The Cueva del Viento. Also known as the Wind Cave, this lava cave is Europe’s largest lava tube and the fifth largest in the world. The top four largest are all located in Hawaii.

The Location

Just outside of Icod de los Vinos, the Cave of the Wind is on the northwest side of the island. If you want to experience another major Tenerife landmark nearby, visit the famous Dragon Tree (Drago), which is also in the same town. Fifty-nine feet tall and 1,000 years old, the Drago tree is also a must-see on the island of Tenerife.

Spend the Day Exploring

Maybe you want to travel alone, or maybe you’re looking for an interesting and informative trip for the family. Whatever the case, the Wind Cave is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a unique and educational activity for the day.

It’s time to spend the day seeing all that the cave has to offer. Over 17 KM long (12m), you can take a guided tour and explore more than 800 feet of the tube. A visit offers insight into the role of lava flows and you will be able to experience a unique sight – the quirky forms sculpted by the lava.

The beginning of the two-hour tour starts at the Visitors Center, which is filled with information about how they’ve been recently been explored since a woman fell in a hole in the 20th century (1950’s) and how they were formed. The guide also goes into depth explaining the unique sounds of the water, rock movements and rare species of insects and predators that live without any sunlight – including the remains of one of the largest lizards in Europe!

The fascinating geological wonder then continues with a quick presentation by the guide of the volcanic origin of the island, explanations on lava tube formations, and the different type of lavas provided by Mt. Teide. You’ll then begin the actual visit where the guide shows the different types of lava and then continue on to study the cave. After equipping you with helmets, a headlamp, and battery pack, you’ll proceed through beautiful gardens to the main entrance of the cave through a rocky path in line formation.

A highly educational activity for travelers of all ages, you’ll learn plenty of interesting facts and tidbits of information from the knowledgeable guides. Be sure to book in advance, groups are limited to sixteen people – and they sell out quick!

Across from visitor center, have an authentic Canarian lunch with Tortilla Espanola, Carnas del Fiesta, great salads, local cheeses, and potatoes with traditional red & green Mojo sauce and olives. Don’t forget to save room for desert – cactus ice cream with palm honey. Sit back, relax and treat yourself to a glass of local Listra Bianoc.

So put on your hardhat, hiking boots and turn on your lights, it’s time to explore.

Request a Free Quote

View our brochures.

GeoWorld Travel Canary Islands Tour Geology Trip and Holiday

Geology tours and holidays, scenery explained, canary islands, volcanic island hopping, tenerife to tenerife, exclusive small group tour. number of participants : 4-14, 8 - 16 december 2025  *11 spaces*, 9 days/8 nights  , * * * * * * *, prices are per person, based on 2 people sharing a room, bed & breakfast accommodation.  single supplement applies, please make contact for details..

Rising 5-7 km from the floor of the Atlantic and related to a mantle hotspot, the Canary Islands are the largest volcanoes in Europe. These islands are popular with tourists but few venture into the interior of the islands to explore this volcanic wonder land. The rocks reveal all the stages in the growth of ocean island volcanoes, and the islands  show the scars of some of the largest landslides ever to have occurred on Earth. This tour takes in the three islands of Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma.

Click to open larger map

Inside the Cueva del Viento lava tube, Tenerife (Day 2)

Inside Las Canadas Caldera, in the Teide World Heritage Site. The peak of Teide is in the background with Pico Viejo in the foreground (Day 3)

On the summit of Teide, 3718m above sea level, Tenerife (Day3)

Boca Cangrejo cone which was spotted erupting by Christopher Columbus in 1492, Tenerife (Day 3)

Pico Viejo   which is a parasitic cone of the main Teide volcano, the fissure in view here formed in 1798 Chahorra eruption, Tenerife (Day 3)

Examining pyroclastic flow deposit from Plinian eruptions in Tenerife's past (Day 4)

Fossilized sand dunes (pale) onto of bright yellow palagonite tuff of the Amarilla cone, Tenerife (Day 4)

James and a dyke cutting through compacted backed scoria on La Gomera (Day 4)

Rocque de Agando a 5.1 million year old trachyte dome,in the Garajonay National Park World Heritage Site, La Gomera (Day 5)

Los Organos columnar jointing, La Gomera (Day 5)

Teide seen from the ferry en-route to La Palma (Day 5)

Mirador de La Cumbrecita, La Palma (Day 6)

James Cresswell  in  Barranco de las Angustias points to pillow basalts that formed when they erupted on the summit of a seamount. The seamount eventually broke the surface and erupted subaerially to become La palma island (Day 6)

Benjando volcano, La Palma (Day 7)

Teneguia cone   which erupted in 1971, La Palma (Day 8)

Llano del Banco eruptive fissure, which emitted lava flows that formed coastal lava deltas in 1949 (Day 8)

Day 1 - Arrive on the island of Tenerife. (Tenerife has two airports: our hotel is located a short distance from Tenerife South Airport - TFS).  Our hotel, where we will be staying for the first three nights, is a 10-minute taxi ride from Tenerife South Airport (TFS), and around a 1-hour taxi ride from Tenerife North Airport (TFN). There are many direct flights to Tenerife South from Europe, including with budget airlines.

Day 2 - The creation of Tenerife and the Ceuva del Viento lava tube.  Our first stop is in the town of Adeje, here we get views of the oldest rocks in Tenerife which were formed by a Miocene volcano. We then move on to a view of spectacular 600m high cliffs known as Los Gigantes , which are made from lavas of the slightly younger Miocene volcano, Teno, which formed on the flanks of Tenerife’s original central volcano. From here we travel to the Mirador de Cherfe , where there are magnificent views into the interior of the eroded Teno volcano. We then reach the town of Garachico which was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1706. We first take in an overview of the lava flows from the  'Monument of the Canary Emigrant' which used to be the main departure point for people emigrating to the Americas, before visiting the harbour for a closer inspection of the lava. We then have our lunch in the neighbouring town of  Icod de los Vinos where we can see the famous Dragon Tree before taking a 2-hour tour inside Cueva del Viento lava tube . This lava tube is the longest in the world outside of Hawaii and is rich in fossils of the 'Canarian megafauna'. We return to our Tenerife hotel for a second night.  

Day 3 - Teide National Park World Heritage Site , Tenerife . We spend today in the magnificent Teide National Park which is also a World Heritage Site on account of Teide’s sheer majesty - a 3,718m high peak rising from a collapsed caldera – and the fact that the volcano has produced some very rare, evolved types of lava. Our first stop is to look at some phonolite lava balls . These ‘balls’ formed rather like snowballs accumulating material as they rolled down a lava flow. Our next stop just inside the wall of the Las Canadas caldera is to look at some radial dykes and cone sheets. We then head west along the caldera floor to reach the Mirador de Chahorra , here we get excellent views of Pico Viejo which is a parasitic cone of the main Teide volcano, and see where lava erupted from it in the 1798 Chahorra eruption. We then head west along the island's north-west rift zone, firstly to examine lava from Mna Reventada before then stopping at the Boca Cangrejo cone which was spotted erupting by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Next, we take a walk to Chinyero cone  to see the site of Tenerife's most recent eruption which occurred in 1909.  We then return to the caldera stopping at Los Azulejos to see colourful hydrothermal formations before moving on to the Mirador Roques de Garcia , and get great views of rock outcrops which may have formed the headwalls of previous calderas. We then reach the base of Teide volcano itself. This impressive volcano is of global geological importance. Here we ride the cable-car to an altitude of 3500m, just 200m below the summit. We will then take an optional hike to the summit. This hike requires a permit which must be obtained 3 months in advance so please inform me if you want to join the hike at the time of booking . Those who do not wish to climb can enjoy the views at the cable car station. After returning from the cable car we visit a site where pumice used to be quarried and also see obsidian before visiting the National Park Visitor Centre at El Portillo. We then return to our Tenerife hotel for a third night.

Day 4 - Tenerife and La Gomera.  Our first stop today is the Amarilla scoria cone . Here we see a volcanic cone that initially began erupting in shallow water but completed its eruption sub-aerially with Strombolian activity. The cone is a striking yellow colour due to the ‘palagonisation’ (hydration) of the volcanic ash that was erupted into the sea water. On the margins of the cone there are also spectacular fossilised beach dunes. Our next stop is to learn about the violent Plinian eruptions that occurred on Tenerife between 2 million and 200,000 years ago. Several cycles of very violent caldera-forming eruptions have occurred, producing pyroclastic flows . The deposits they created, known as ignimbrites, can be examined here. Then on the edge of Los Cristianos we will stop at the Caldera de Rey crater, which was formed by felsic lava exploding with water (phreatomagmatic eruption). This violent eruption produced pumice fallout and pyroclastic flows. We then take an early afternoon ferry over to the island of La Gomera . Here we will visit an enormous 5m wide dyke and a former quarry where baked red scoria has been mined as a building stone, before spending the night at a beautiful hotel which is built from the same red scoria.

Day 5 - Garajonay National Park World Heritage Site and Los Organos, La Gomera.   We spend our morning driving through Garajonay National Park, World Heritage Site . The park is so designated due to its unique vegetation with relic forests that are remnants of what would once have covered much of Europe and North Africa. The National Park is also full of many volcanic dykes and plugs. Our first stop is the Roque de Agando a 5.1 ma trachyte plug. We then continue to Mirador de los Roques where we can look back at great views of the Roque de Agando. Our next stop is the Mirador de Igualero where we get great views of a mushroomed-shaped intrusion called La Fortaleza, which is a trachyte intrusion with a flat top. We then arrive in the harbour village of Valle Gran Rey for a boat trip to the spectacular cooling columns of Los Organos, which resemble Scotland's Fingal's Cave and Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway. These columns are the interior of an eroded trachyte dome. We travel 12 nautical miles each way and have views of imposing valleys and bays. There is also a good chance of seeing whales and dolphins en route. ( NB : this trip is weather dependent). After our boat trip we visit a National Park visitor centre to see some of the trees that are so unique to this World Heritage Site. We then take an evening ferry to La Palma where we will spend the next three nights.

Day 6 -   Caldera de Taburiente National Park, La Palma. Our first stop is the National Park   Visitor Centre for an initial overview of the Caldera de Taburiente. This caldera is famous for being the place where the term 'caldera' was first coined, and it was formed by a giant landslip followed by fluvia erosion. Our next stop is the Mirador de La Cumbrecita where the Bejando volcano can be seen forming the eastern wall of the caldera. Here we leave our vehicle and take a 800m walk (in each direction) along the caldera collapse wall for impressive views into the caldera. We then visit the town of Los Llanos to get some lunch before going to Barranco de las Angustias. The barranco or gorge is the entrance to the Taburiente caldera. We will take a gentle walk into the base of the caldera and will get the extraordinary opportunity to observe the deep structure of the submerged stage of development of the island, a seamount . We will see pillow basalts, dykes and low level metamorphism along the side of a beautiful stream that is eroding out the gorge. After an hour and a half of walking we will turn around and retrace our steps back to the vehicle.  We spend a second night in the same hotel near Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Day 7 - Rocque de los Muchachos and La Caldereta, La Palma. Today we drive to the highest point on the island, Rocque de los Muchachos,  on the summit rim of the Caldera de Taburiente. On the way we stop to observe reddish scoria beds that are rich in the mineral hematite and resemble Martian rocks. Eventually we arrive at the summit of the caldera rim, where the views are amazing. On a good day Teide on Tenerife is visible, as is the island of El Hierro. Here we walk for about an hour enjoying the spectacular views into the caldera itself. We then return to Santa Cruz de La Palma visiting La Caldereta which is one of the largest tuff (volcanic ash) cones in the Canary Islands. We then have some free time in Santa Cruz de La Palma before heading back to our hotel.

Day 8 - San Antonio and Teneguia cones, La Palma.   Today we visit the south of the island and the most recently volcanically active areas. Our first stop is to examine lavas that erupted in the Martin eruption of 1646 AD. This is followed by he Volcan San Antonio Visitor Centre . Here we can see original video footage of the 1971 Teneguia eruption. We then take a walk along the rim of the San Antonio crater, looking inside, as we go. On the far end of the crater we look down onto the  Teneguia cone which erupted in 1971, and is Tenerife's most recent eruption (except for one submarine one). We then drive down to the southern tip of La Palma to observe lavas emitted in the Teneguia eruption and the Fuencaliente lighthouse. Our route then takes us up the western coast of La Palma and we stop to observe the lava from several recent eruption that have erupted from the ridge of the Cumbre Vieja volcano which forms the southern half of La Palma island. Eventually we reach Puerto Naos and can see where lava from an eruption in 1949 spilled over the sea cliffs to make new land in the form of lava deltas . These lavas deltas have had soil added to them and now host banana plantations. We then descend onto the lava delta to see a lava flow that displays levees on either side. Our final stop  situated in the interior of the island, high up on the Cumbre Vieja volcano, is the Llano del Banco eruptive fissure. It is from this fissure that the 1949 lavas were emitted. We then take a late afternoon ferry back to Tenerife.

Day 9 - Departure.  The tour ends this morning. Our hotel is a taxi ride from Tenerife South Airport (TFS) where you can take a flight home, or to another one of the Canary Islands.

Geological guiding from James Cresswell

Transportation from destination to destination, hotel accommodation, normally 3-4 star with en-suite bathrooms, breakfast in the hotels, boat trip to los organos, lava tube tour in    ceuva del viento, cable car up teide, hiking permit for teide summit (please request at time of booking), ferry crossings, not included, lunches and dinners, transportation to and from airport at start and finish of tour, volcano photo gallery, this tour is packed with volcanoes, hover your cursor over the image to view the caption or click on an image to view the an enlarged version , carbon generated by this tour.

We purchase carbon offsets through   Carbon Footprint.

= 0.353 tonnes of c02 , (calculated at  https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx ), at no additional cost to you, geoworld travel will offset the carbon created by this tour using carbon offsetting company   carbon fo otprint . a certificate for this offset will be supplied to you after the tour is completed., it is your responsibility to book your travel to and from the start and finish of the tour, so if you would like to also carbon offset this cost please use our carbon offset calculator   here ., trip diaries, photo galleries and reviews of previous trips, trip diary 2024, a day-by-day account of the trip with captioned photos.

PHOTO DIARY 2023

The 40 best photos from our 2023 trip, with captions.

Trip Diary 2022

A day by day account of the trip with captioned photos.

Trip Diary 2019

 this current trip is slightly modified from this version of the itinerary.

Photo Gallery from 2018

The canary islands - volcanic island hopping (2024).

" A real treasure; the type of vacation you’ll remember for years to come. Besides the breathtaking views, which you expect on volcanic islands, the trip was a scientific journey into the past. The tour was led by James Cresswell and he and his wife Abby have designed the tour to see all aspects of volcanic activity from the summits to ground level - from ancient volcanoes to the 2021 eruption - Dikes, lava flows, ash, rocks from shield and strato eruptions. The group consisted of fellow scientists and we were all on a first name basis the first day. Practical highlights were (1) 50 page handout James gave out describing what we would see each day, (2) the minibus where we could bring extra clothing and lunch and leave them on the bus during our outings, (3) the modern hotels, unusual in a rural setting, (4) organized plan Bs for unexpected closures and interruptions, (5) many hikes (optional) so we didn’t have to sit on a bus all day. I would definitely recommend this tour to physically active people with an interest in earth science."

Ellen B., California, USA

Review was posted on google , march 2024, the canary islands - volcanic island hopping (2023).

"Joined Geoworld Travel on the trip to the Canary Islands. It was a small group of 12 including two leaders which worked very well. It was a full itinerary with a good length of time at each site. Good hotels and a great trip for an amateur geologist or somebody with interest but little knowledge."

David B., Chichester, UK

Review was posted on google , april 2023.

"Our first trip with GeoWorld Travel but it certainly won't be our last. The organisation was very good, before and during the trip. I'm not a geologist but it was very accessible and the scenery is spectacular. James was an excellent guide/tour manager and I learnt a great deal from him and also from the discussions between our fellow guests and James (and Martin). The hotels were all comfortable with good food - Hotel Playa Sur's (Tenerife) a la carte restaurant on first and last nights was especially good. Geological highlights included ascending El Teide (reaching the very top was optional!), walking across the volcanic ash of the 2022 eruption on La Palma and the sheer beauty of La Gomera (and a great town square for Mediterranean evening life). This was the side of the Canaries we wanted to see, rather than the big resorts. Travel round the islands was in comfortable vehicles. Thoroughly recommend GeoWorld Travel and James."

Anne B., Chichester, UK

Review was posted on tripadvisor , march 2023, the canary islands - volcanic island hopping (2022).

"I really enjoyed the trip to the Canaries. James and Abby planned, organised and delivered everything brilliantly. James' geological guidance was very educational and professional - we visited many sites of geological ( and cultural) interests, listened to James' geological stories, descriptions and explanations, took a lot of pictures with stunning views, had many exciting walks/museum visits/boat and ferry journeys also examined various outcrops and took some rock samples. In the evening, we had took our time to go out and enjoy food in the local restaurant. James is a very responsible, knowledgeable and dedicated to his job. He looked after us very well, paid attention to individual needs, was very supportive and inclusive. He and Abby provided us with a great trip to the Canary Islands. Thank you both James and Abby and thanks to our group for being great mates during our volcanic trip!"

Lyudmyla B., Kent, UK

Review sent to us by email, january 2022.

"The GeoWorld Travel (GWT) visit to the Canaries is now the 3rd tour I have made with the company. James Cresswell is a very experienced geological guide and the trips are suitable for the complete range from professional to hobby geologists. GWT tours are very good value for money, they are well paced and the itineraries and hotel selection are spot on. James's blogs and pre tour guides are really helpful and accurate. 5 star rating (again)"

Andrew M., Warwickshire, UK

The canary islands - volcanic island hopping (2019).

"Our trip to the Canary Islands with GeoWorld (and James Cresswell as the guide) was excellent. Since we arrived few days earlier, James picked us up (my wife and i) straight from our hotel where we met part of the tour members (7 in total). Prior to boarding the ferry to La Palma, we had the time to go to the Amarilla scoria cone where we walked for an hour and took some amazing pictures. All sites visited during this 9 day guided tour were very good to Excellent; from Amarilla scoria cone, Teide on Tenerife, Los Organos columnar jointing on La Gomera, Roques de Garcia on Tenerife and Viento lava tube and many more. The "Ruta de los Volcanes walk" on La Palma was also excellent and provided us the opportunity to go through different ecosystems as we climbed up in altitude.  The hotels that were selected were excellent. We particularly loved "Parador de La Gomera" which is a colonial style hotel in a garden setting perched on top of a hill.  James is an excellent and knowledgeable guide/geologist and will make sure you/the group is happy with all aspects of the tour."

Jacques L., Doha, Qatar

Review was posted to   tripadvisor,  january 2020.

WELCOME TO LAVATRAX

Mountain bike guided tours in tenerife since 2006.

Here you will find all the information you need to plan and make the most of your holiday, whether that is a mountain bike specific holiday or just cramming a day or two of mountain biking into your family holiday.

Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary Islands which are located just off the coast of Africa and a few degrees north of the Tropic of Cancer. This location pretty much guarantees year round sunshine to our visitors, giving you a taste of dry dusty mountain bike trails when the rest of Eurpoe is in the grips of winter and the mud and gloop associated with that time of year.

Based in the south of Tenerife we operate our guided rides from mid September through to late July each year, closing only for the hottest days during the months of  August each year when often it is just too hot to ride and there are also often closures to the forested areas due to the high fire risk posed by the high temperatures. 

We can offer you a package of 5 days guided and uplifted riding for only 330€ per person.

That means that you're then free to choose the type of accommodation to suit your budget and your families needs. Just take a look at our pick up zone to see the areas that we cover with our daily pick up service for the rides.We also realise that not everyone enjoys the luxury of being able to take a dedicated Mountain Bike Holiday, so we still offer the opportunity for riders to enjoy a day or two riding our incredible trails as part of their family beach hoilday.

Just take a look at our itinerary and book as few or as many days as you would like. 

What type of mountain bike trails do we have in Tenerife and why should I go mountain biking in Tenerife?

Tenerife is a relatively undiscovered gem for mountain bikers. The many trails offer a real feeling of wilderness mountain biking in a foreign land whilst being only a short flight (around 4 hours) from most of europe.

The trails on offer are a real mix with relatively easy jeep tracks suitable for new riders into ultra technical rocky single tracks for the enduro experts out there. What we don't have are rolling hills, flat trails and meadows, so if you don't like a bit of a climb or a long descent then Tenerife possibly isn't the mountain biking destination for you. But if you long for challenging 30 kilometre descents then what are you waiting for! Mountain biking in Tenerife will almost definately see you returning to your regular home trails as a better rider, with challenges on the trails which can help to improve your riding and confidence.

We have separated our rides into two distinct styles to help you choose the right package for your riding style and ability, with the longer and less technically demanding rides being found under the banner of XC or Cross Country and the more technically demanding rides being found under our Enduro heading. Our weekly schedule is usually made up of Enduro rides, but please ask if you'd prefer XC and we will do our best to accommodate you.

So whatever you are looking for, from a single days guided mountain biking to a full weeks guided and supported riding, please feel free to contact us for more details. While you are here, why not take a look at our guest book and see the feedback from our many satisfied customers. We look forward to showing you around this island of contrasts very soon! Mountain Biking in Tenerife really is the haven from the cold, rain and mud that you have been looking for!

GUIDED RIDING SERVICES GUIDED RIDING SERVICES

Qualified guide

Bike hire available only for our guided rides

SHUTTLE SERVICE

Mechanical assistance.

Full mechanical assistance during the ride

HOW TO BOOK HOW TO BOOK

We don't offer a website based booking service as we prefer to chat with you first via email to make sure that we are offering the correct trip for you. So to make a booking please simply send us an email to  [email protected]  and include the following information:

  The dates of your proposed trip

How many days you would like to ride​

The type of riding you are hoping to participate in (XC or All Mountain / Enduro)​

Wether you need bike hire and which size (better specify the height and weight)​

Where you will be staying on the island (Hotel or apartments name if possible)​, our  pick up zone

What sort of riding you are used to, trail centre, bike park, natural trails etc ​

Your age and your skill/fit level according with our grading system​

Your Phone number  

We will then get back to you with availability and also clarify any questions you may have.

 LAVATRAX PICK UP ZONE

We are based in the south of Tenerife, close to the south, Reina Sofia airport and around 15 minutes drive from the main resorts. We will pick up our clients on each riding day from any of the areas within the shaded area of the map below.

Natural Pools in Tenerife You Need to Visit  "> Natural Pools in Tenerife You Need to Visit 

About Tenerife  

There’s never a bad time to make your way to the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands , with pristine weather all year long, stimulating hikes , volcanic beaches (even some nudist ones ), and of course, natural pools, all awaiting exploration! And not to mention, the microclimate diversity in Tenerife is simply spellbinding: find yourself among volcanic plains before wandering along mossy cliffs fringed with palm trees.

Speaking of getting around, you’ll be happy to know that the island has an excellent network of roads which are also in great condition, meaning that renting and driving a car in Tenerife is easier than you may think! They don’t shy away from the local highlights either, taking you deep into Teide National Park and along spectacular coastlines.

Read More on Tenerife 

• Tenerife itinerary: How to spend 5 incredible days in Tenerife

20 best villas in Tenerife you need to rent on your next holiday

9 best hikes in tenerife.

• The Best Nudist Beaches in Tenerife    

Why visit natural pools in Tenerife  

At first glance, a natural pool doesn’t look too dissimilar to a mountain pond, surrounded by greenery, rocks, and maybe even a pleasant waterfall. But travelers will quickly realize there is much more than meets the eye to a natural pool in Tenerife. Ignore for a moment your classic swimming pool laced with chlorine! Tenerife natural pools were created centuries ago by volcanic eruptions that quickly transformed the island’s landscape, carving such intricate natural spots along the way.

Clear of artificial chemicals, they provide a pristine environment to explore, with refreshing water creating a thoroughly holistic and unique experience. Therefore, while on your Tenerife trip , I recommend you forget about mundane resort pools – swimming in a natural pool can be complemented by exciting surges of sea spray and snorkeling beneath the surface!

What to bring with you to natural pools in Tenerife? 

Many of the staples accessories you bring to the beach or a public swimming pool will come in handy here, from towels and sunscreen to swimming goggles and even chairs – if there is appropriate space. But swimming in a natural environment provides several other things to keep in mind. Let’s dig further.

Some of the most popular natural pools in Tenerife will come with rocky outcrops and bottoms. So, it’s important to wear adequate footwear, such as aqua shoes , to maintain grip and keep your feet safe from scraps and cuts. Furthermore, thanks to the stunning scenery, you may want to bring along a waterproof GoPro or even a drone to capture the beauty of Tenerife’s landscape in its entirety. Below, I overview some recommendations on what to bring with you to natural pools in Tenerife:

Swimsuit – A no-brainer, pack a few pairs of swimsuits , especially when visiting Tenerife in the summer and if your Tenerife itinerary is flooded with natural pools and beaches. 

Sunscreen – Sun protection is always important, and this Sun Bum Original SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion is not only highly effective but also vegan and reef friendly.

Sun Hat – For when you’re soaking up the sweltering sun, a trusty sun hat won’t let you down. This wide-brim straw hat boasts a UPF50+, meaning that it’s exceptionally protective against UV radiation.

Aqua Shoes – As I mentioned above, the natural pools in Tenerife can be quite rough on the feet. So, come prepared with a pair of sturdy aqua shoes to avoid any injuries while on holiday. 

Quick Drying Towel – If you’re not provided with a towel from your villa or accommodation, this microfibre towel is a compact and lightweight option, perfect for traveling with.

Snorkeling Gear – Tenerife is home to an abundance of marine life that you wouldn’t want to miss just because you didn’t pack a pair of snorkeling goggles !

Reusable Water Bottle – With its sub-tropical climate, it’s crucial to keep hydrated in Tenerife. This collapsible water bottle not only saves you space but also keeps your water cooler!

Go Pro – A Go Pro is a great waterproof camera option for taking high-quality underwater pictures. I use the GoPro Black 7 , which can be submerged up to 10 meters. However, I’m keeping my eye on the newest GoPro on the market, GoPro 11 Black . 

Drone – Although an investment, drones capture unique angles, elevating your travel photography! I love them for high-quality photos and videos, plus they’re light and compact. As you’ll see below, Tenerife’s rugged coastline makes for incredible drone footage!

Best natural pools in Tenerife North

Garachico Natural Pools

The Garachico Natural Pools take their worthy spot as the first mention in our guide to the top natural pools in Tenerife. Garachico provides a series of eye-catching natural pools along the northwestern coast, where crystalline water glistens and the hardened lava flow from the early 18th century shimmers in the sun’s rays.

A number of pools provide swimmers with an abundance of options, some deep and some shallow. This makes the Garachico Natural Pools a popular destination for the whole family, with pools even calm enough for toddlers due to the rising rocks protecting swimmers from the rolling waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Best Garachico Tours :

Garachico: City, Icod de los Vinos Tour with Wine Tasting – Explore the historic center of Garachico and Icod de los Vinos with a local guide, plus sample fine wine and cheese in the Museo de Malvasia! From Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Masca & Garachico Private Trip – See the Garachico Natural Pools and the spectacular ravines of Masca on this private tour! Tenerife: Teide National Park Full-Day Scenic Tour – Combine a sightseeing tour of Garachico with other iconic Tenerife villages and spots like Masca and El Teide. 

Easily combine the Garachico Natural Pools with a tour of La Masca village!

Charco del Viento

Next up is Charco del Viento, just a moment’s drive from the charming town of La Guancha. Travelers will first need to drive a narrow road shrouded by banana plantations where a small car park awaits. Unlike Garachico, the environment here feels wild. There are four natural pools, all surrounded by tall volcanic rocks.

From your relatively safe spot in the pool, you can watch the deep blues of the Atlantic rise and fall. Waves crash against the rock formations with an almighty thump, creating ocean spray and waterfalls on the other side. As the afternoon transitions to evening, stick around for a mesmerizing sunset.

Charco de La Laja

Best natural pools in Tenerife South 

 Los Gigantes Natural Pool

Strong winds can often miss this southern section of the island’s coast, and after a few (man-made) steps down to the pool, you’ll be met with memorable views and the booming sounds of the crashing waves. The lava creates a natural barrier to the open ocean below, offering a seat to marvel at the infinite horizon and watch waves break. From the same spot, you can witness a breathtaking sunset that falls behind the nearby hills, creating silhouettes in many directions.

Best Los Gigantes Tours : 

Los Gigantes: Whales and Dolphin Watching Cruise with Lunch – Witness whales and dolphins in their natural habitat and savor a lunch onboard.  Tenerife: Los Gigantes Whale Watching Cruise by Sail Boat – Aboard a beautiful sailing boat, spot whales, and see the cliffs of Los Gigantes from the sea! From Adeje: Cliffs of Los Gigantes Guided Cycling Tour – Discover the Cliffs of Los Gigantes via a guided biking tour. 

Los Abrigos Natural Pools

Travelers seeking a local spot should add the Los Abrigos Natural Pools to their ever-expanding Tenerife itinerary .  Jutting out along Tenerife’s barren southern coast and just steps from the small town itself is a spacious pool where the baby blue contrasts with the harsh but impressive rockscape.

When the tide is high, the pool can reach depths of 10 to 13 feet (3-4 meters), allowing for a dive in, but be sure to test the depths before doing so. The scenery is impressive, but it won’t take long to realize the power of the ocean as strong waves crash in and rush out, so be aware but have a blast.

Go beyond the Los Abrigos Natural Pools and embark on a snorkeling adventure in the volcanic bay of Los Abrigos !

Playa del Puertito (Adeje)

Last on our list is a different kind of natural swimming pool in Tenerife. Playa del Puertito is a beach just north of the charming town of La Caleta. It offers a series of smaller rock pools that are captivating to explore, with numerous colorful fish and crustaceans.

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by 🅰️LESSIA ZANETTI 🐉📿🌻🎒 (@alessia_zanetti23)

Best Adeje Tours :

From Adeje: Whale and Dolphin Watching Cruise with Lunch – Explore Tenerife’s west coast on a guided cruise from Adeje. Adeje: Paratrike Flying Tour with Hotel Pickup and Photos – Discover the thrill of flying over Tenerife on a tandem paratrike tour! Tenerife: Costa Adeje and Farm Tuk-Tuk Tour – Admire the sights of Costa Adeje and the beaches, villages, and typical Canarian farms in the south of the island. 

Don’t miss a whale and dolphin-watching tour in Tenerife!

Whale and dolphin watching along Costa Adeje in Tenerife

Where to stay for natural pools in Tenerife?

I believe the best complement to a Tenerife itinerary is a stay in a villa. This way, you’ll be immersed in the pristine nature and authenticity of the region and have greater access to the wide range of natural pools in Tenerife. 

Make note that it is recommended to rent a car if staying in a Tenerife villa: not only will it be easier to get around, but you’ll have more flexibility in your Tenerife itinerary .  I cover a range of villas in the north and south of Tenerife in my blog post on the 20 best villas in Tenerife . However, I’ve narrowed it down below to where to stay for natural pools in Tenerife.

Hacienda El Socorro – I fell in love with this cliffside villa during my 5 days in Tenerife , where a sweeping seascape and swathes of banana trees are the norm. Although the main draw to Hacienda El Socorro is that getting to the natural pools in Tenerife North requires only a short drive. Charco de la Laja, the closest, is about a 10-minute drive, and the furthest is the Garachico Natural Pools, which are only 20 minutes away.

Click here to book a stay at Hacienda El Socorro!

Villa El Risco, Hacienda Cuatro Ventanas by Be Tenerife – An alternative option to Hacienda El Socorro , this villa shares an ideal place on the north coast, encircled by local fauna. Villa El Risco , however, finds itself just a tinge closer to the natural pools in the north of Tenerife. After a day of wild swimming, end your evening at Villa El Risco with a spectacular sunset! 

Check the availability at Villa El Risco!

Hacienda El Cardon – Hugging the coastline of the Barranco Ruiz natural reserve, where an ecological banana plantation stretches to the cliff’s edge, Hacienda El Cardon fuses untouched nature, traditional Canarian architecture, and uninterrupted ocean views. The best part? It’s a six-minute drive to Charco de la Laja!

Villa8 – In Puerto de Santiago, this villa stands within easy reach of Los Gigantes Natural Pool, only 16 minutes on foot! When you’re not chasing natural pools in Tenerife, head to the quaint garden area at Villa8 to soak up some sun. 

Casas Bioclimaticas Iter – Unplug amidst a rugged Tenerife landscape with an eco-stay at Casas Bioclimaticas , surrounded by a wind farm. The villa is closest to Los Abrigos Natural Pools, under a 20-minute drive.

Book an eco-friendly stay at Casas Bioclimaticas Iter!

Villa Paraíso – Located in Santa Úrsula, the natural beauty of Playa del Puertito is a stone’s throw away – 6 minutes by car , to be specific. Here, bask in an intimate oasis with a laguna-style pool, direct ocean vistas, and a manicured garden as perks!

Read my thorough guide on the 20 best villas in Tenerife for more tips and information on accommodations in Tenerife.

Are you ready to take the plunge into the natural swimming pools in Tenerife? Hopefully – thanks to this travel guide – you have a better idea of where to base yourself in Tenerife and which incredible pools you’d like to add to your Tenerife itinerary .  Have you got any other Tenerife natural pools recommendations? Any additional tips for visiting natural pools in Tenerife? Feel free to comment below! 

Looking for more Spain travel tips? Check out these guides!

• Your Fuerteventura holidays: places you can’t miss!
• Madrid 2 days: the ultimate itinerary!
• Postcards from Menorca
• The best of Benidorm

Marta is the author of Where Life is Great - travel blog featuring unique adventures around the globe, travel tips, funny travel stories & one of a kind flight hacking course. She teaches how to live a life full of travels and how to find the sweetest deals for flight tickets.

Related Posts

This easy night routine guarantees early morning success

In the last blog post, I shared with you my morning routine and the benefits of waking up at 5 am. It is important to mention that waking up so early wouldn’t be possible if Read more

Living in Tenerife: 2023 Expat Guide

Are you thinking of working remotely from another country? Is Tenerife in your sights? If you’re in need of more convincing or more insight into living in Tenerife, you’ve come to the right place!Tenerife has Read more

Whale Watching Tenerife: All You Need to Know

Whale-watching in Tenerife? Who would have thunk it?When you envisage whale-watching, the likes of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and even Iceland and Sri Lanka spring to mind. When in fact, the southern coast of Tenerife Read more

The Best Nudist Beaches in Tenerife    "> The Best Nudist Beaches in Tenerife   

Luckily, beachgoers don’t have to venture far in search of nudist beaches in Tenerife. Although not as popular as on its sister island Fuerteventura; home to the most nudist beaches in the Canary Islands, Tenerife’s shores Read more

Tenerife is an undisputed destination in Europe for some of the best hiking trails. As the largest of the Canary Islands, the sheer amount of hikes in Tenerife will leave you spoilt for choice! More Read more

Going to the Canary Islands you need to rent one of the unique villas in Tenerife. Staying in a big resort is a mistake. Point. Or maybe exclamation mark! Yes, staying in a big resort Read more

Leave a Comment

Cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Flight hacker, adventurer, camera addict. Leave your comfort zone far behind, I will show you how!

wherelifeisgreat

• Destinations
• Blogging tips
• Canary Islands
• Flight hacking
• Indian Ocean
• Inspiration
• North America
• Tips & stories
• Presets Bundle

Recent Posts

11 best islands to visit in 2024

The Ultimate Mykonos Itinerary (for 1 to 3 days)

The Best Mallorca Itinerary for 3-10 days!

The 14 best things to do in Tenerife, from ground-breaking galleries to Spain’s highest peak

Jun 17, 2022 • 9 min read

When it comes to activities, Tenerife packs a big punch ©️ Jose A. Bernat Bacete / Getty Images

Crammed with volcanic peaks, primeval laurel forests and Atlantic-washed shorelines, soulful Tenerife tempts with much more than its balmy weather and beach-vacation buzz.

On the largest island in Spain’s Canary Islands , you can meander around lively neighborhood markets and linger at low-key terrace cafes before diving into forward-thinking art, brightly painted architecture or cliff-hugging hiking trails. And it's all set against a spectacular natural backdrop that feels unlike anywhere else on earth. 

From the cultural thrills of the dynamic capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife to tricky-to-find foodie delights and otherworldly hikes, here’s our pick of the top things to do in Tenerife. 

Discover Canarian flavors at Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África

Settle into Tenerife life at Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África , the capital’s fresh produce market . The scents of c innamon, cumin, paprika and other spices waft through the air as you wander past subtropical plants, mountains of colorful fruits, towers of Canarian cheeses and counters piled high with fresh seafood. The peach-orange building was built back in 1944 with Islamic-style arches and a sky-reaching clocktower. 

Delectable local treats range from olive oils and wines to toffee-colored palm honey, specialty coffee from La Orotava and tubs of almogrote (a cheese-based paste from La Gomera). Don’t miss the chance to buy your fish at the market and then have it cooked up at one of the cafe-bars dotted around its edge.   

Get creative at Santa Cruz’s Tenerife Espacio de las Artes

Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron – in collaboration with Canarian Virgilio Gutiérrez – are behind the boundary-pushing design of Tenerife Espacio de las Artes , the island’s unmissable art gallery housed in a bold concrete-clad building inspired by the surrounding volcanic landscapes. The free expert-led tours offer a detailed introduction to the TEA’s wonders, which include works by the Tenerife-born surrealist Óscar Domínguez, an astonishing collection of 20th- and 21st-century Canarian art and a 24-hour glass-walled library. 

Right opposite stands one of Tenerife’s oldest churches, the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (built in the 1490s and later remodeled), and a 10-minute stroll south takes you to the sweeping wave-shaped Auditorio de Tenerife , designed by Santiago Calatrava. 

Hike through age-old laurel forests in the Anaga mountains

Welcome to the oldest (and arguably most spectacular) part of the island. Shrouded in mist and ancient laurisilva (laurel forest), the isolated Anaga mountains stretch across the northeasternmost tip of Tenerife, protected as both the 144-sq-km (56-sq-mile) Parque Rural de Anaga and, since 2015, as a Unesco Biosphere Reserve. The best way to explore this natural paradise is on foot, hiking between clifftop hamlets along the 400km (249 miles) of pathways, which you can learn more about at the Centro de Visitantes Cruz del Carmen . Standout routes include the PRTF3 through the laurel forest and willow trees (8km/5 miles round trip) and the PRTF8 linking Afur, Taganana and Tamadite beach (14km/8.5 miles round trip). 

On the south side of the range, gold-sand Playa de las Teresitas is one of Tenerife’s most beautiful beaches, perfect for cooling off post-hike. 

Cool off in the Atlantic sea pools

One of Tenerife’s greatest joys are its twinkling natural sea pools, where you can join the tinerfeños for a dip in the emerald Atlantic. Rough weather and high tides can make swimming dangerous, so time your visit for low tide. 

On the north coast, Bajamar has a duo of calm, restored salt-water pools set into a concrete terrace right by the waves, and they're perfect for families. Venturing southwest, you’ll find wilder north-coast swim spots at Charco de La Laja and Charco del Viento, located between Puerto de la Cruz and Icod de los Vinos. And then you reach Garachico , one of Tenerife’s most fascinating historical towns, with a string of tempting rock pools created by an 18th-century volcanic eruption. 

Over in the west, jump in at Charco de la Jaquita in Alcalá (which has views of La Gomera), Charco de Isla Cangrejo (overlooking the Los Gigantes cliffs) and hidden-away Playa Abama. On Tenerife’s less-touristy eastern shoreline, low-key Radazul has ladders plunging into the Atlantic beneath soaring magma-molded cliffs.

Explore Spain’s most beloved national park

Few visitors can resist the pull of Spain ’s highest peak, 3718m (12,198ft)  El Teide , which rises at the core of the eerily beautiful, Unesco-protected  Parque Nacional del Teide , the country’s most-visited national park. Sidestep the crowds by hitting the rewarding walking trails that plunge across a silent lava-shaped valley or track up near-deserted volcanic cones.

If you’re planning to hike up to El Teide’s summit, you’ll need to book permits and (if needed) cable car tickets as far ahead as possible. It's around 40 minutes to the top from the upper cable car station at 3555m (11,663ft) along the Sendero Telesforo Bravo path or five hours (9km/5.5 miles) if you hike all the way up from the foot of Montaña Blanca at 2349m (7707ft) without using the cable car. 

But there are endless other exhilarating (and permit-free) trails through this astonishing lunarscape, including hikes up 3135m (10,285ft)  Pico Viejo and around the Roques de García . 

Join the winter Carnaval

Rivaled only by Cádiz as Spain’s greatest Carnaval city , Santa Cruz bursts into riotous, sequin-clad fun for three weeks each February, with street parties, colorful parades, fashion competitions and galas spilling out across town. With roots in the 16th century, Tenerife’s Carnaval was banned during Franco’s dictatorship but powered on by recasting itself as a “winter festival.” Book accommodations far in advance. The dates change each year depending on when Easter falls. For those who can’t make it during the festivities, Santa Cruz’s Casa del Carnaval offers a taster. 

Ride the waves in El Médano

With rainbow-colored kitesurf sails rippling across the waves and a sprawling golden Blue Flag beach, bohemian-feeling El Médano ranks among Europe’s prime kitesurfing destinations. Well-established 30 Nudos Kite School runs two-hour kitesurfing sessions for beginners, along with more in-depth three-day courses for a variety of ability levels. They offer classic surf classes too. The best months are November to March and June to September, though conditions are good almost year-round. Don’t miss refreshingly undeveloped Playa de la Tejita overlooked by the Montaña Roja volcano, both part of a protected nature reserve.

Taste volcanic Canarian wines 

Tenerife’s distinctive climates and abrupt geology mean wine-making here is all about rare, autochthonous pre-phylloxera grapes, such as malvasía , negramoll and listán negro . Ancient vines have been grown across the mineral-rich, lava-flow slopes since at least the 15th century, and most are still harvested by hand in the island’s five Denominaciones de Origen (DOs; Denominations of Origin). 

Drop in for a tour and tasting at the award-winning Bodegas Insulares Tenerife , a 660-member cooperative in the northern DO Tacoronte-Acentejo or (with advance booking) at family-owned Suertes del Marqués in the DO Valle de La Orotava, which prioritizes traditional, sustainable production techniques. For a deep-dive into small, artisan tinerfeño vineyards, Tenerife Wine Experience offers private bodega-hopping tours. 

Feast on Tenerife classics at a guachinche

Beloved by tinerfeños , Tenerife’s guachinches are simple, great-value food spots specializing in traditional home-cooked cuisine, typically set in repurposed garages, garden shacks or country fincas (estates) whose owners make and serve their own wine. 

The best area to hunt one down is northern Tenerife, particularly around La Orotava, where you’ll be digging into garbanzas (chickpea stew), grilled meats, ultra-fresh fish, ropa vieja (a meaty stew), Canarian cheeses and other favorites. It’s best to get recommendations locally, but you can find a few online guides.

Enjoy watersports and whale-watching in Los Gigantes

Plunging into the Atlantic from 600m (1969ft) above, northwestern Tenerife’s basalt cliffs of Los Gigantes make up one of the Canaries’ most spectacular coastal landscapes. The dreamiest views are from out on the cobalt-blue water, which means kayaking and paddle-boarding are a delight, especially at sunset. It’s also Tenerife’s top spot for diving and snorkeling, with stingrays, barracudas, sea turtles, endangered Canarian lobsters and other creatures bobbing around the cliffs.

In 2021, a 2000-sq-km swath of ocean surrounding western Tenerife and neighboring La Gomera was declared Europe’s first Whale Heritage Site , recognizing local efforts to develop responsible whale-watching tourism and the area’s unique populations of short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and 27 other cetaceans. Make sure you book with an ethical, low-impact operator that prioritizes the animals’ welfare, limiting numbers and always keeping a good distance.

Marvel at Canarian architecture 

Lush green interior patios await discovery behind the candy-colored facades, wood-carved balconies and shuttered windows of La Laguna ’s Canarian mansions, just north of Santa Cruz. This town was the island’s original capital until 1723, with most of the palatial homes dotted around its Unesco-listed old town built between the 16th and 18th centuries, particularly along Calle San Agustín . Many remain private residences open only to visitors on free guided tours . It’s a similar scene over in La Orotava, the historically prosperous town clinging to northern Tenerife’s slopes; here you'll find the 1632 Casa de los Balcones ,  a jewel of Castilian-style Canarian architecture. 

Tackle the Barranco de Masca hike

One of Tenerife’s most thrilling hikes threads through the sheer-walled Barranco de Masca gorge , protected by the 80-sq-km (31-sq-mile) Parque Rural de Teno in the rugged northwest of the island. Following restorations, this spine-tingling trail reopened in 2021, linking Masca (among Tenerife’s most scenic hill villages) with a wild volcanic beach at the mouth of the ravine. It’s a 10km (6.5-mile) round trip, walkable in about seven hours. To help with preservation efforts, the barranco is open to the public only on weekends and there’s a daily cap on visitor numbers (currently set at 125) – you’ll need to book a permit far in advance. 

Dine among the stars

Over the last few years, Tenerife has stormed onto Spain’s gastronomic stage, shining a spotlight on the Canary Islands’ fabulous produce, on-the-up wines and distinct culinary heritage. The island now hosts four Michelin-star restaurants, including the Canaries’ only two-Michelin-star venture: M.B. by top Basque chef Martín Barasategui at the luxe, Morocco-inspired Ritz-Carlton Abama hotel. Also at the resort is Japanese-inspired Abama Kabuki , with one Michelin star. La Caleta’s Canarian-fusion spot El Rincón de Juan Carlos (by the tinerfeño brothers Juan Carlos and Jonathan Padrón) and nearby Italian-Chilean Nub (at the five-star Bahía del Duque hotel) joined the club in 2022. 

Stars (and price tags) aside, you’ll dine well all over the island, whether you fancy a lunch of fresh fish at a no-fuss chiringuito (beach bar) or a gomero -cheese tapa with a glass of Tenerife-made red.

Roam around blissful Canarian gardens

With their unparalleled lava-molded geography and hugely varied microclimates, the Canary Islands are an astonishingly biodiverse natural wonderland, with 500 endemic types of flora. Tenerife alone has around 140 plant species that exist nowhere else in the world. Get a taste at the peaceful Palmetum in Santa Cruz, a 12-hectare (30-acre) landfill now ingeniously reborn as a one-of-a-kind botanical garden devoted to palms from all over the globe.

Explore related stories

Sep 11, 2024 • 7 min read

These 10 sunny destinations in Europe’s southern reaches provide a welcome respite from long nights and biting cold.

Jul 24, 2024 • 7 min read

Jul 19, 2024 • 5 min read

Jul 18, 2024 • 8 min read

Jul 8, 2024 • 10 min read

Jun 26, 2024 • 6 min read

Mar 25, 2024 • 6 min read

Mar 20, 2024 • 8 min read

Mar 7, 2024 • 10 min read

Feb 28, 2024 • 3 min read

• Puerto Ayora
• Private tour with Land To...

Private tour with Land Tortoises Lava tunnel and sinkholes

About the Activity

• Pricing and Availability

Inclusions & Exclusions

More activities in puerto ayora, meeting and pickup, additional information, language and guide, ticket details, cancellation & refunds, reviews from travelers, availability and prices.

Travel Itinerary

• Exclusive to travelers from this booking.

Locations in the itinerary

Pickup details.

• Travelers can choose a custom pickup or meeting location.
• Normally we start picking up the different travelers half an hour before the excursion starts. all travelers must wait at their hotel for a maximum range of 30 minutes
• Travelers will be picked up 30 minutes before departure time

Pickup points

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Tour Guide Available In

• Mobile or paper ticket accepted
• One per booking

Ticket Redemption

• All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
• Suplier may cancel the activity on account of bad weather conditions.

• Destinations & Attractions
• Activities & Tours