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"Tenerife, An island of lava, blossom and... " a Isla de Tenerife Travel Page by easyoar

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"Tenerife, An island of lava, blossom and... " a Isla de Tenerife Travel Page by easyoar

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Page Views: 8,015            Last Visit to Isla de Tenerife: January, 2005      

Tenerife, An island of lava, blossom and animals

by easyoar - last update: Jan 16, 2005

Carnival Queens at the Reyes Mayos pagaent
Tenerife is part of the Canary Islands, which are Spanish territory, but are down alongside Africa. They are about 2 hours by plane from Madrid, and are one hour behind (they are in the same time zone as Britain - making it a good destination for British people at New Year wanting a bit of winter sun).
Black sand on the beach
Being much further south than Spain (the weather is almost tropical), they don't tend to have much in the way of seasons, and if you visit in December, there is every chance that you will have nice bright sunny days where you can lie on the beach every day should you wish to. The down side of this of course is that you can gt caught up in a busy tourist merry go round, which won't be to everyones taste. In this case I would recommend renting a car and doing your own thing. It isn't to difficult to escape the melee.

One thing to note is that the native sand in Tenerife is black as it is made from volcanic rock. Some resorts however have imported sand from the Sahara Desert, making their beaches yellow.
Red Admiral Butterfly
Another reason to go to Tenerife is the huge amount of wildlife, both in captivity and in the wild. Please see my Tenerife General Tips for these. For me Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz was the highlight of the animal part of the island, and is well worth a visit, especially for people with young children. This park has amongst other things, Dolphins, Sealions, Parrots, Chimpazees, Gorillas, Tigers, Jaguars, Crocodiles and Penguins. All of them live in well designed habitats in a very beautiful park.

> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]

Pros:"Beautiful scenery, great animal parks - summer all year!"
Cons:"Hordes of tourists and some dodgy roads"
In A Nutshell:"Great place to escape the European winter"
easyoar's Isla de Tenerife Travel Tips

OverviewThings to Do
Tips: 22 - Photos: 22
 
Restaurants
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
NightlifeOff The Beaten Path
Tips: 6 - Photos: 6
 
Tourist TrapsWarnings Or Dangers
Tips: 3 - Photos: 3
 
Transportation
Tips: 7 - Photos: 7
Local Customs
Tips: 2 - Photos: 2
 
Packing ListsShopping
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1
 
Sports TravelGeneral Tips
Tips: 20 - Photos: 20

Comments for easyoar about Isla de Tenerife
aaaarrgh Fri Sep 4, 2009 23:16 UTC
 Really fascinating tips, I doubt I'll be able to surpass them!! BTW my guidebook said that the pyramids had been rebuilt - when they were first (re)discovered they were a crumbling pile of stones!
crosenb Tue Nov 13, 2007 23:02 UTC
 dolphins (or sea lions) don't belong inc captivity. performing tricks, jumping thru hoops, is unnatural. Especially several times a day! Let them rest, at least. I hope the water is salt water; really they should be let in the sea.
alza Fri Aug 31, 2007 18:05 UTC
 beautiful photo of San Marco!
aeaendy Sat Oct 28, 2006 11:21 UTC
 You got some really good tipps on your Tenerife page. Enjoyed looking at it!!! Thanks! Andria
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