Tenerife – summary of vacations in the Canary Islands

We spent a total of two weeks each in the Canary Islands. Most of the time in Tenerife, but we also became more familiar with Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Which one did we like best? Which one do we recommend? What can you do on them?

We will try to summarize everything in this post. You will also find here some practical tips…. as always :)

What is worth seeing in Tenerife?

Tenerife, in our opinion, offers the most of the islands we visited. What is worth seeing? A few suggestions in telegraphic shorthand, in random order:

• Anaga Mountains – an area neglected by guidebooks, but worth at least a ride through the serpentine ascents and the peaks themselves. There are also walking paths and scenic views and towns like Taganana.
• Las Teresitas beach – in our opinion, one of the best beaches in the Canaries located just outside Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz itself is admittedly one of the capitals of the Canary Islands, but it is not an outstandingly recommended city. By the way, passing through, you can stop. …and shop at the local big mall ;)
• Teide volcano! – is one of those “obvious obvious” things. While in Tenerife, it is essential to tick off this point on your map. The points to explore on Teide are many, as are the ways to do so. There is definitely something for everyone.
• Loro Park (zoo) and Siam Park (the largest water park in Europe) are also, in our opinion, a ‘must have’ in Tenerife (not just this season!). Using the combined ticket you can save a lot of money, and for two days you have fun to your armpits :)
• Masca – a charming little town on the west side of the island near Los Gigantes. The road leading to it and the views are worth even a day trip.
• Volcanic beaches – also, to be in Tenerife and not feel the black sand on the beach is like being in Wadowice and not eating a creampuff ;)
• If you want to go to the top of Teide itself, keep in mind that a free pass is required, which must be ordered in advance (well in advance), on the website.
• …and I would forget the most important thing, Primark is also in Tenerife! ;-)

We have returned to Tenerife once more so far. You can read about it in the whole section about the Canary Islands:)

What’s worth seeing in the other Canary Islands?

What about the other two/three?

In Gran Canaria, we especially recommend visiting the old town of the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, as well as Agaete, Arucas and, of course, Maspalomas with its Playa del Ingles and sand dunes.

As for Fuerteventura, I personally could recommend it all :) This island simply has its own special atmosphere. Of the places, we certainly recommend Corralejo park, Cotillo beach in the north of the island, the picturesque town of Betancuria in the center of the island and, of course, Morro Jable with its entire resort and mega-sized beach. It is also worth sailing to Isla de Lobos, which guarantees us unforgettable views. You can also read about Fuerte here.

We were also recently in Lanzarote. It is also worth a visit! It surprised us all over, so we can safely recommend it to you. Together with Fuerteventura it makes a nice vacation package :)

Some practical tips

The Canary Islands are so near and so far at the same time :) What to keep in mind before flying out?

• One of the basics, electrical outlets are no different from our Polish ones. Also the voltage is the same, also the equipment will work ok.
• The Canary Islands are safe by design. Simply put, thieves do not have much of a place to escape :) Although during our second stay we got into a not very nice situation(which you can read about here), so we warnyou that you should always be careful. Especially on vacation :)
• Renting a car is relatively cheap, and the best way to explore the Canaries is this way. The drivers are cultured and baaarious :) Check out our post on how to rent a car.
• As for payments, we mainly used a card (in EUR) and there was never any problem with it. This is, in our opinion, the best solution.
• When traveling between islands (if you have such plans) consider an airplane. The trip is up to 10 times faster than by ferry, and often costs the same. The exception is the Fuerteventura trip<>Lanzarote.
• Prices in the Canary Islands are similar to those in Poland, slightly higher.
• Before you leave, it’s a good idea to get an EHIC (issued by the National Health Service for free) and insurance. It came in handy for us during our delayed flight:)

Don’t forget our tips, too:

• What is the best way to fly to the Canary Islands?
• About whether you can find canaries in the Canaries;)
• A few words about food in the Canary Islands.
• Whether and how to drive in Tenerife and other Canary Islands?
• Which island should you choose for your holiday sojourns and how are they different?
• And our TOP 10 from the Canaries:)

You can see all the posts about Tenerife here.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask in the comments. We will try to answer them all! :)

(The entry was originally from June 2015, we updated it a year later, in June 2016, after our next visit to the Canary Islands :-) )