TENERIFE TOP EXPERIENCES • LOCAL LIFE • MADE EASY Josephine Quintero 00--titlepage-contents-pk-ten1.inddtitlepage-contents-pk-ten1.indd 1 330/10/20150/10/2015 99:40:30:40:30 AM In This Book 16 Need to Know 17 18 119 Before You Go Arriving in Tenerife Getting Around Puerto de la Cruz Need to Your Daily Budget There are two airports in Tenerife: Tenerife Tenerife has an efficient and comprehensive Tenerife (p60) Sur (Reina Sofía; %922 75 95 10; www. public transport system, primarily compris- A gracious resort town Know Budget less than €75 aena.es), located 20km east of Playa de las ing of a bus service that runs a spider’s web with top-notch X Hostal or pensión doubles €35 to €45 Américas, and Tenerife Norte (Los Rodeos; of bus services all over the island, as well as restaurants, tapas bars QuickStart within Santa Cruz and other towns. If you and nightlife, plus X Three-course menú del día €7.50 %922 63 56 35; www.aena.es), located 11km For more information, want to explore further afield, renting a car is beaches for swimming west of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. see Survival Guide (p143) X Plan sightseeing around ‘free admission’ highly recommended. and a leafy central plaza. times, generally on Sundays A From Tenerife Sur Airport If you’ll be travelling a lot by public transport ] Top Experience Santa Cruz de Currency #\ La Laguna X Markets for self-caterers in Tenerife then it’s worth investing in a Bon- Tenerife (p22) Euro (€) Destination Best Transport Jardín Botánico Santa Cruz Via or Bono Bus card (www.titsa.com). Valid de Tenerife The Canarian capital in Costa Adeje TITSA bus (111, 450) #\ Midrange €75–€175 on all TITSA buses throughout the island as every sense with great Language X Double room in midrange hotel €65 to €85 Los Cristianos TITSA bus (343, Express) well as the city tram network, they give a shops, restaurants and Puerto Spanish (Castilian) 30% discount on standard fares as well as sights. X Lunch in decent restaurant €15 to €25 Puerto de la Cruz TITSA bus (343, Express) #\ de la reduced entry to some tourist attractions. Cruz ] Top Experiences Visas X Use the excellent bus service, not taxis Santa Cruz de TITSA bus (107, 108) Cards cost from €7.50 (12 trips) to €45 (a #\ Museo de la Naturaleza Generally not required for stays of up to 90 Tenerife monthly ticket for frequent users) and can Top End more than €175 La y el Hombre days (and not at all for members of EU or Tenerife Norte TITSA bus (343, Express) be bought from any bus or tram station as La Orotava (p76) Orotava Tenerife Espacio de las Schengen countries). Some nationalities X Double room in top-end hotel from €140 well as some newspaper kiosks. Check the One of the prettiest La Laguna (p46) Guide need a Schengen visa. Artes (TEA) X Fine dining for lunch and dinner from €35 website for more details. towns on Tenerife, with A fascinating Unesco A From Tenerife Norte Airport great souvenir shopping World Heritage town Mercado de Nuestra Money Destination Best Transport J Bus and traditional famed for its compelling Señora de África ATMs widely available. Credit cards restaurants and bars. historic architecture and Useful Websites Los Cristianos TITSA bus (343, Express) Tenerife has an impressive bus transport sys- accepted in most hotels, restaurants and sights, with a lively X Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/ tem that covers the whole island. Frequency, ] Top Experience Parque shops. Puerto de la Cruz TITSA bus (343, Express) canary-islands) Destination information, hotel however, varies enormously from a regular Nacional student-geared nightlife. Casa de los Balcones del Teide bookings, traveller forum and more. Santa Cruz de TITSA bus (102, 107, 108) service between major towns to a couple of ] Top Experience Mobile Phones runs a day for transporting workers and school Tenerife Museo de la Historia de Local SIM cards can be used in British/ X Todo Tenerife (www.todotenerife.es) children to/from the capital. Always check Tenerife Sur TITSA bus (343, Express) Tenerife European and Australian phones. US and Official tourism site with comprehensive the TITSA (www.titsa.com) timetable carefully other travellers’ phones need to be set to information on all aspects of the island. before you travel, especially at the weekends roaming. X Reservas Parques Nacionales (www. A At the Airport when most lines run a reduced service. Your keys to under- reservasparquesnacionales.es) The latest on Tenerife Sur Airport This airport receives Time climbing El Teide. the most traffic from tourists visiting the K Car The Canary Islands are on Greenwich Mean popular southern resorts. There are excellent All the big international car-rental companies Time (GMT/UTC), plus an hour in summer Los Cristianos airport facilities, including a tourist office, car are represented in Tenerife and there are Playa de las for daylight-saving time. Advance Planning (p90) hire, a VIP lounge, duty-free stores, gift shops plenty of local operators, as well. If you’re stay- Américas & Costa Costa Superb beaches and Three months before Reserve your hotel and boutiques, as well as a pharmacy, news- ing for any length of time, consider reserving Adeje Worth a Trip Adeje (p102) \# lots of sights and Plugs & Adaptors early, especially in the southern resorts. agent, three bars-cum-restaurants and that a car online in advance, especially with the A buzzing nightlife and activities for children ] Top Experience Plugs have two round pins; electrical current all-important ice-cream stand. There are also smaller car firms,:they have a limited number #\ One month before Buy tickets online for a some of the island’s top Playa #\ make this one of is 220V/230V. Parque Nacional del world-class performance at Santa Cruz de several ATM machines and car-hire offices. of cars available, especially in peak seasons. restaurants and hotels de las Los Tenerife’s top family Américas Teide Tenerife’s Auditorio de Tenerife. Tenerife Norte Airport The first airport to make this one of the Cristianos destinations. Tipping U Tram standing the island – One week before If you’re planning to open on the island, Tenerife Norte caters to most popular stretches Top Experience Small change (€1 per person in restaurants) A convenient 12.5km (7.8 miles) tram (www. ] climb to El Teide’s summit, you must re- tourism to the north of the island as well as of coastline for tourists. DQGURXQGLQJXS LQWD[LV LVXVXDOO\VX՘FLHQW metrotenerife.com) links the main bus Watersports serve your place in advance. Allow a week, local business travellers. Facilities include station in Santa Cruz de Tenerife with Avenida to be sure of a space. a tourist-information desk, duty-free shop, we help you decide pharmacy, car hire and ATM machines. de la Trinidad in La Laguna. what to do and how Need to Know Regions to do it Tips for a What’s where smooth trip 8 Top Experiences 9 12 Local Life 13 Tenerife Tenerife Top Experiences Local Life Parque Nacional del Teide (p116) ,QVLGHUWLSVWRKHOS\RXÀQGWKHUHDOLVODQG CHRIS HEPBURN/GETTY IMAGES © The awesome Pico del Teide (3718m) is the highest mountain in the Canary Is- lands, the highest mountain in Spain and, along with its extraordinary surround- ing national park, will undoubtedly be the highlight of your trip to Tenerife. To really get under the skin of this island, take to the streets to experience such evocative and typically Tenerife delights as early-morning markets, chic shopping streets, shady squares and seafood as fresh as the morning’s catch. Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (p45) Other great places Explore to experience the Puerto de la Cruz (p60) A Taste of restaurants and a steady Timeless Tascas & join the locals in the island like a local: Traditional Santa stream of pilgrims. Crafts (p80) pretty main plaza before Playa de las Teresitas Cruz (p30) X Traditional craftsmanship exploring the cobbled Foodie La Laguna (p36) X Old-fashioned stores X Tascas (tapas bars) lanes and coastline, dis- X Traditional dishes (p50) Admire La Orotava’s covering convents, crafts colonial-style buildings Bodeguita Canaria Santa Cruz is a traditional X Gourmet Markets and even a castle along (p36) working city. For travellers X Lively Bars and traditional crafts (and the way. grown weary of souvenir Markets are an important tascas) untouched by time. La Noria (p40) tat and bland internation- part of daily life in La Exploring the al fare, there are plenty of Laguna, just as bars are Backstreet Los THEFISH WIFE, BY NIETO, JULIO TRAVELSTOCK44 - JUERGENHELD/GETTY IMAGES © Anaga Mountains Rastro (p43) small family-owned shops an important part of post- Cristianos (p94) to explore, and authentic dusk partying. Experience (p122) Guachinches (p71) Tenerife GONZALO AZUMENDI/AGEFOTOSTOCK © X Local bars X Isolated Hamlets spots to sample tradi- them both over a long day X Independent shops tional Canarian cuisine. (and night) out. Los Cristianos’ old fishing- X Countryside Hikes Bar Dinámico (p73) A world away from the CULTURA RM EXCLUSIVE/TIM E WHITE/GETTY IMAGES © village centre still has a clamour of the coast, A Fishy Trail (p64) pueblo atmosphere with Churreria Perdomo Holy Candelaria this mountainous region its no-frills tapas bars and (p72) (p44) X )UHVKR՗WKH%RDW6HDIRRG still has hidden corners X Seaview Terraces quirky independent shops. El Médano (p93) X Religious Traditions A former fishing village, to explore, as well as tiny X Tapas Trail Puerto de la Cruz still pueblos with a handful Visit this extraordinary Village Life in Kiosco San Telma retains a strong seafaring of inhabitants and coastal village over- (p113) tradition with superb fresh Garachico (p120) breathtaking views.