North Tenerife Tourist Attractions

Tenerife North Airport provides an important gateway to the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, known as Tenerife. It is the smaller of the two airports on the island, and handles mainly traffic from the other Canary Islands, and from mainland Spain. Tenerife South, the larger of Tenerife's airports, serves the majority of international destinations and arrival flights. Tenerife is famous for its vast array of tourist attractions, and its exceptionally pleasant weather, especially during summer, is one of the reasons why hordes of local and international tourists flock to the island for their holiday break. The island is know for its beautiful golden beaches, as well as its more natural darker beaches, originating from the area's volcano, of Mount Teida, which is actually the third largest volcano in the world.

The airport of Tenerife North is well located just 11 km from the island's capital city, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, one of the island's main resort areas is also. Puerto de la Cruz is another popular area for visitors along the northern coastline of Tenerife, but the main holiday resorts are located on the southern side of the island, such as the famous and extremely popular Playa de las Américas, as well as Costa Adeje and Los Christianos. The island of Tenerife has a vibrant nightlife, with many large and popular night clubs, plenty of shopping opportunities and numerous hotels and other types of accommodation from which to choose.

Water-related activities are a favourite among locals and visitors alike, as the clear and calm waters surrounding the island provide the ideal location for scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing and all other kinds of boating pleasures. Under the waters superb volcanic landscape can be enjoyed, and colourful reefs and old wrecks are favourite areas for exploration. The marine life in the warm waters of Tenerife is also plentiful. Since that Tenerife is the perfect location for scuba diving, many schools offering lessons for this sport are available, and they also provide equipment for hire. Guided tours are another option from the professionals. Popular spots for snorkeling include the Playa San Juan area and the rocky Puerto de Santiago Cove. For those who prefer to be above sea level, excellent whale-watching spots can be found all around the island.

Some of the most well loved beaches in Tenerife include the Los Christianos Beach, perfect for families and small children, the Las Américas Beach, comprising of several smaller sandy beaches, the Jardin Beach, El Bullullo Beach, which is fairly quiet but the ideal spot for surfing, and the Teresitas Beach, one of the most popular beaches nearby Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and around 1,500 meters in length.

One of the main attractions on the island of Tenerife is Loro Parque, with the largest and most extensive collection of parrots in the world. It is also a zoo with a large number of other animals to see, including sharks, tigers, alligators, monkeys, dolphins, gorillas and sea lions. The zoo features a wonderful penguin enclosure and huge aquariums filled with all kinds of fish. Visitors thoroughly enjoy the regular shows and feeding displays held throughout the day. The park's main attractions also include a couple of captive-bred killer whales in the Orca Ocean area and a Porcelain Museum. The Loro Parque is found in Puerto de la Cruz. Another major attraction in Tenerife is the Aqualand Costa Adeje, with an excellent Dolphinarium. It is one of the largest in Europe, and has a number of friendly bottle-nose dolphins. Regular shows are held which show off the dolphin's playful natures.

The El Drago Butterfly House, or the Mariposario del Drago is home to around 100 different species of butterflies, and is found in Icod de los Vinos, and the Miniature City of Pueblo Chico is simply an amazing sight to see. It is a beautifully crafted little city with numerous buildings of extreme detail. It also comprises of moving models and special effect sounds which add to its appeal. The miniature city is found in Valle de la Orotava, and has a gift and coffee shop. More wonderful animals can be seen at the Aguilas del Teida Ecological Park, with penguins, hummingbirds, reptiles, crocodiles, hippos and pelicans, and is also well know for its spectacular birds of prey, such as eagles and hawks. The park is located in Los Christianos, in an Amazonian tropical rain forest area. In Tenerife, Los Galletas provides one of the most unusual water attractions, which has become very popular. From the harbour area, submarine trips are offered at hourly intervals on most days, and last for up to 45 minutes. In the submarine is a superb and safe way to get closer to the island's marine life.

Landmarks and monuments in Tenerife include the mysterious Güimar Black Pyramids, which are similar to those in Mexico and Peru, as well as the unusual red rock formations known as Los Roques de Garcia. The rocks can be found within the Teida National Park, an area of the island which attracts more than four million visitors each year. It is located in the heart of Tenerife, and features Mount Teida, Tenerife's tallest mountain. It is also home to fourteen plants which are not found anywhere else in the world. Many people also enjoy the hiking trails in the mountains of Tenerife, and other spectacular natural wonders of the island include the magnificent gorge of the Barranco del Infierno and the dramatic cliff faces of the Cliffs of the Giants, or the Acantilados de los Gigantes. Visitors can take one of the regular boat trips available to fully appreciate the wondrous scale of the cliffs.

By boat, or by plane, from Tenerife North Airport, tourists can travel to the other Canary Islands, which also have numerous attractions to offer. Gran Canaria is very nearby Tenerife, and features some lovely theme parks, while Fuerteventura is known for its spectacular beaches and holiday resort areas. Further tourism information is available from the information desks at Tenerife North Airport, and from the many tourism bureaus in the towns and cities of the island.