Insider Tips for Tenerife Travellers

The difficulty with travelling to a destination for the first time is knowing where all the hidden gems are and where the locals go. If only you had all the insider information on your holiday destination in a bite-size format beforehand…

Luxury holidays specialist, Sovereign.com has just launched the second in a series of Insider Destination Guides which provides just this information.

Using tips from locals, The Insider’s Guide to Tenerife inspires visitors to try new things, explaining local cuisine and highlighting Tenerife’s best kept secrets from authentic, local restaurants to the most beautiful, secluded beaches.

Produced in a PDF format the guide is available to download and print for free from the Tenerife holidays page on the Sovereign website. To give you an idea of the tips and advice available in the guide, here are a few extracts we’d recommend reading if you’re planning a Tenerife holiday:

 

Sand, Sea & Surf

The volcanic nature of the island means the land has few white, natural beaches. Those that do exist are characterised by black sand created from the island’s volcanic rocks and are widely known for their beauty.

  • For sand & surfing– El Médano Beach is the longest, natural sandy beach in Tenerife and there are lots of good fish restaurants here due to the village’s fishing heritage. Good winds and calm waters make the beach ideal for windsurfing novices.
  • Perfect for privacy -Playa de Los Gigantes,or ‘The Cliffs of the Giants’, is located on the western coast of Tenerife and is home to a busy yacht marina.  Nearby there is a very small sandy beach that doesn’t get too crowded and is perfect if you want some privacy.

Eat Local

Canary Island cuisine mixes traditional Spanish cooking with African and Latin American influences. The usual international dishes are available, but to experience real local cuisine opt for the following dishes:

·         Cazuela de Pescado – Fresh fish casserole with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and peppers

·         Truchas de batata– Puff pastry filled with sweet yams, almonds and cinnamon

·         Pulpo Gallego– Octopus boiled and sprinkled with paprika served hot, or served cold with an onion and pepper salad

 

Family Adventures

The Loro Parque is a Spanish zoo located on the outskirts of Puerto de la Cruz and is a perfect day out for the whole family. With more than 300 species of parrot it has the largest, most diverse parrot collection in the world. You can also see the gorillas, chimpanzees, tigers, jaguars, flamingos, alligators and tortoises. Thrill-seekers will enjoy the aquarium with shark tunnel and the world’s largest penguinarium that mimics the Antarctic climate with 12 tons of (real) snow falling a day! Tickets can be purchased at the gate for €32 for adults and €12 for children.

Tip:Buy tickets in advance online and save €5 off each ticket.

 

Viva la Fiesta

From music and food festivals to carnivals and religious celebrations there are plenty of events to enjoy if you’re visiting Tenerife. There are two spectacular events coming up soon, the Santa Cruz Music Festival and the Carnival of Santa Cruz.

·         Between January 7th and February 14th 2011 Tenerife will host the 27th Canary Islands’ Music Festival. The festival is an annual event which brings some of the world’s best musicians and orchestras to the island and attracts classical music lovers from afar.

·         From February 1st to the 27th 2011 it is the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Tenerife’s carnival is considered the best after Rio de Janeiro and all the islanders take part in fiesta revelry. The port area of Santa Cruz is where most of the action is, bursting with salsa dancing, music and carnival processions for a crazy 27 days.

Tip:Plan ahead and get tickets early as this event is very popular and will sell out.