Tenerife Travel Guide - Introduction

The capital city, Santa Cruz is the second biggest city in the Canary Islands and has a number of interesting tourist attractions. The island’s best museums and galleries are located here as well as some buildings and churches of archaeological interest and good tax-free shopping.

Many people are drawn to the island by its pleasant year-round climate and good beaches. Water sports such as jet-skiing, scuba diving, snorkelling and sailing are all popular activities here and there is also plenty of options for nature enthusiasts with good national parks and ecological parks, including the biggest dolphin habitat in Europe.

There is a good range of entertainment options here and it should be easy to find something to suit your pace. Playa de las Americas is the main area for big nights out, with many cabaret shows, bars and night clubs which remain busy throughout the night. There is also plenty for those looking for something quieter with local restaurants and bars, as well as English-style pubs dotted around the island.

Tenerife has a vast range of eateries with all sorts of international food readily available, for good and traditional local food it’s a good idea to head out of the main tourist areas and into a smaller town or village.