Tenerife packs into a single island the highest peak in Spain, one of the best places in the world to watch whales and dolphins year-round, ancient laurel forest and villages clinging to ravines. It's best enjoyed by combining the sunny south, the volcanic heart of Teide and the green north. These are the places you shouldn't miss.
1. Mount Teide and its cable car
Teide National Park, a World Heritage Site, is the heart of the island: a volcanic landscape above 2,000 m with the peak at 3,715 m. The cable car climbs to 3,555 m in eight minutes for the most spectacular views in the Canaries; reaching the crater itself needs a separate free permit.
2. Masca and the west
Hidden among the mountains of the Teno massif, the hamlet of Masca is one of the most photographed spots in the Canaries: stone houses above a ravine that drops to the sea. The road is narrow and winding, so the comfortable way is a 4x4 safari that pairs Masca with Teide.
3. Whales and dolphins
The channel between Tenerife and La Gomera is home to one of Europe's few resident colonies of pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins: they're seen all year round. Trips leave from Puerto Colón and Los Gigantes, many with swimming and snorkelling included.
Whale Watching Atlantic Cruise, 3-hour departure from Puerto ColonCheck availability →4. The big parks: Siam Park and Loro Parque
- Siam Park: the Thai-themed water park in Costa Adeje, repeatedly voted the best in the world.
- Loro Parque: in Puerto de la Cruz, one of Europe's most acclaimed animal parks, with the world's largest reserve of parrots.
- Twin ticket: there's a combined Loro Parque + Siam Park ticket that pays off if you want both.
5. Anaga and the northern villages
The Anaga massif, a Biosphere Reserve, is a world of laurel forest, ridges and hidden beaches in the north-eastern tip. It pairs well with La Laguna, the island's first capital, a World Heritage city of colonial streets.
Between volcanoes, cetaceans and cloud forests, Tenerife offers far more than sun and beach. Book the headline experiences ahead (the Teide cable car and the 4x4 to Masca) and leave room for the north, where the island shows its other face.