Most people who fly to Tenerife never leave the south. They land, check into a hotel, find a pool, and stay there. No judgment – but they’re missing most of the island, and most of the island is extraordinary.
My wife and I have been back to Tenerife more than once now, and each time we leave feeling like we’ve barely scratched the surface. There is a lot to be discovered and it’s worth the effort.
Santa Cruz: The Capital That Doesn’t Try Too Hard
We started our trip in Santa Cruz. It’s a surprisingly big city that doesn’t really feel big. The old town is a maze of narrow streets that genuinely rewards wandering without a plan. Around any given corner you might find a faded tile facade, a cozy neighborhood bar, a serene park or a funky piece of street art.
The Auditorio de Tenerife is also worth visiting. The architecture is quite unique and it always reminds me of the ubiquitous Sydney opera house. Sweeping white curves against the blue of the sky and the Atlantic. You don’t need to go inside to appreciate it. There is also a nice cafe that is open on most days.
The Anaga Forest: Fog, Green, and Something Ancient
Drive north out of Santa Cruz into the mountains and within just minutes you enter a green and lush area. The Anaga Rural Park is a primeval laurel forest – apparently one of the oldest and best-preserved in the world – and it looks like a scene straight out of Jurassic Park. The canopy is dense and dripping, the paths are narrow and mossy, and on the days when the clouds roll in thick and low, the whole forest takes on an atmosphere that’s somewhere between serene and genuinely eerie.
Those foggy days are actually the best days to go, IMHO. Don’t wait for clear skies. The mist moves through the trees in slow drifts, muffling sound, softening the light. Make sure to stand there in silence to fully absorb the whole atmosphere.
Mount Teide: Spain’s Highest Point, and a World Apart
Then there’s Teide. Spain’s highest mountain at 3,715m, an active volcano, and one of the most dramatic drives you can do on this island.
The road up passes through completely distinct ecological zones in the space of an hour — subtropical forest gives way to pine, pine gives way to high-altitude scrub, and then suddenly you’re in the caldera, a vast moonscape of volcanic rock and red-orange ash that looks like it was lifted straight from another planet. You can drive to around 2,100m into the caldera without a permit. The day we drove up there was snow on the ground and the temperature hovered around 0°C. (I was in shorts & t-shirt down by the ocean for breakfast). The caldera is actually a prime spot for star gazing. I did this a few years ago and it was simply amazing.
Even without summiting, just being inside the caldera is something. The scale is disorienting. The silence is total.
The Northwest Coast: Slow, Colorful, and Mostly Overlooked
Below Teide on the northwestern side, the island softens into something quieter. Towns like Garachico and Buenavista del Norte sit along a coastline that’s wild and rocky. It’s a far cry from the giant resort areas in the south. These are small, unhurried places with colorful facades. You can find a number of quiet restaurants with excellent food and fair prices.
Garachico in particular is beautiful, built around natural rock pools formed by an old Teide lava flow that once destroyed much of the town. While I love this town, it has risen in popularity in recent years. We found the place to be crazy busy with lots of busses dumping tourists all the time. That, however, provides an excellent opportunity to spot some influencers in the wild 😉
On Camera
I had the Fuji GFX 100RF with me again, and it proved once more why it’s earned a permanent spot in my travel kit. Light enough to carry all day and weather resistant to easily handle the moist and conditions in the Anaha forest. As discussed in my review of this camera, image quality is amazing. Exactly what you want from a travel companion.
