An Unexpected Holiday Destination25 November 2011  As the largest and best known of the Canary Islands, Tenerife has a reputation for great beaches, and even bigger parties. Whilst huge numbers of the more traditional package holidays in Tenerife are still sold by the likes of Thomas Cook, in recent years a different type of tourist has been attracted to the Island, drawn by the true nature of the Spanish island.
It's easy enough to get away from the sun-drenched resorts of the south western part of the island. Tenerife isn't large, but it's not small either, and has over 350km of coastal walks that can be enjoyed at more or less any time of year.
In fact, for people who like hiking, there are few better destinations – although you may not get the feeling of remoteness that you do in other places – you do get access to one of the most remarkable landscapes to be found in Europe. Tenerife is a volcanic island, and the highest mountain in Spain is found at the centre of the island. The enormous Pico del Teide stands at 3718m (roughly two and a half times the height of Ben Nevis) and has an extraordinary mixture of colours that are guaranteed to captivate.
Alien landscapes are not all that the island has to offer, however, it also has a small but rich tropical forest, which is a wonderful place to pass a day or two. Unlike more or less anything on mainland Europe, a walk through a tropical paradise is an excellent addition to any holiday in Tenerife.
In terms of city life, it's all there as well. The capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is largely ignored by the majority of tourists and offers great traditional Canarian cuisine, and a surprisingly green and lush city centre. There are designer shops, high class restaurants, and, most conveniently of all, a really good bus system.
Tenerife's annual carnival is the second biggest in the world and is absolute chaos but in the best way. Of course, if you want to visit the carnival you'll need to plan a long way in advance because accommodation on the island is practically non-existent during the course of the festivities.
One of the best things about Tenerife is that holidays aren't particularly expensive, with so many cheap flights around taking sun-worshippers out to the southern beaches, it's easy and cheap to get across to the island. Once you're there, things become a touch more expensive, but it's well worth it for the fantastic experiences that the island offers to those who choose to look a bit further than the coastal resorts.
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