Days Out in Tenerife

When you are on a holiday you may not want to spend every day at the beach. Fortunately Tenerife provides a wide range of options for days out. There are lots of articles about enjoying a day out in Tenerife with children, however very little has been written about enjoying a day out in adult company.

Recently we decided to take my elderly parents out for the day. Needless to say, they are not into theme parks, go-karts, waterslides or hang gliding. We needed a slightly more sedate type of day out.

After a fair amount of deliberation we decided to visit the Pico de Teide. The majestic Mount Teide is the tallest point in Spain and towers over the island of Tenerife. From its summit you are above the cloud level and in the clear crisp air.

We set out from Fañabé at about midday and follow the signs to Arona from the motorway. From the moment you leave the TF1 the road starts climbing. As you leave the town of Arona, you pass through rocky ground and cacti.

The road keeps winding upwards and before long you will find yourself in Villaflor, which is the highest village in Spain. At this altitude some people start to feel their ears pressurised. Villaflor is a nice village with restaurants and it is a nice place to stretch your legs.

Despite the appeal of the village we pressed on. Just as you pass the village limits you will notice that scenery dramatically changes. Cacti are replaced by tall conifers and other trees. This altitude is called the forest line.

Not far along this road is a popular picnic area and that is where we decided to stop for our lunch. We did not bring the standard fare of boiled eggs and sandwiches, our basket contained pork chops, hamburgers, rinse and salad.

The great thing about this picnic area is that there are lots of barbecue areas set up in the forest. Sometimes would is supplied with which to make your fire but we had brought our own charcoal just in case the supplies had run out. We settle down at the picnic table and thoroughly enjoyed our lunch.

Picnic areas like this are open all year round in Tenerife, but in the height of summer there can sometimes be bans on lighting fires. It is advisable to check first at your hotel reception so you know whether to pack sandwiches or sausages!

After a leisurely lunch we decided to set off again for the summit of Mount Teide. Just a short drive from the picnic area you round a corner and you will find yourself in the Caldera which is a huge basin that surrounded an enormous ancient eruption.

Driving through the Caldera you will see rocks of different colours, died green by the minerals within. You will also see a Parador hotel which is apparently a very nice place to stay. You can get out of the car and look across the magnificent Caldera which is a stunning sight.

After a few photographs we then got back in the car and continued a couple of minutes further along the road until we got to the cable car. The cable car takes you very close to the summit of Mount Teide, but it was a trip that my mother chose not to take as she is scared of heights. It does not actually take you to the very top of the mountain, so that you need to have applied for a pass and possess fitter legs than mine. Nevertheless the view is spectacular.

Indeed the whole day was full of spectacular views. The drive up we had passed through the clouds and now we began our journey to plunge back through them. Mount Teide genuinely feels like a different planet, and is certainly worth visiting.