Tenerife’s Teide volcano and Playa Jardin Tenerife volcanic sand beach are two of the island’s natural wonders.
Spain is one of those countries that leave no one indifferent. Apart from the architectural sights, the nature is stunning, especially on the islands. Today, the natural beauties of Tenerife – the largest (area 2034.4 km2) and most populous (about 900 thousand people) island in the Canary archipelago with the capital city of Santa Cruz.
During our trip to Tenerife, we stayed in Puerto de la Cruz in the north of the island. Right away, there are excellent transport links between the towns of the island (Titsa buses).
Playa Jardin Tenerife
Designed by the Canarian artist César Manrique, Playa Jardin Tenerife, besides its volcanic black sand and clear water, is also fascinating with its park full of cacti and palm trees of different shapes. Nearby there is also a playground, several beach bars and restaurants and a fountain.
Playa Jardín is one of the beaches in Tenerife that has been awarded the European Blue Flag, as it has all the necessary indicators for a safe and comfortable holiday: showers, a sports field, surfing area, observation points, toilets, restaurants, tourist information point, confirmed clean water, etc.
And what a place to take pictures, including of Peak Teide! Playa Jardin Tenefife is probably the most photogenic spot on the island.
The beach is about 700m long, so even in the high season you’ll never run out of room. The Loro Parque theme park is within walking distance of Playa Jardin beach.
Another Spanish-loved natural attraction is Tenerife’s volcano Teide, a Biosphere Reserve, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.
Volcano Teide Tenerife
We drove to Teide volcano in Tenerife from Puerta de la Cruz on line 348. Check the price, current timetable and departure points on the official Tenerife Bus Company website: www.titsa.com. Very convenient – you leave at 9.30 and get back at 16.00.
So, early in the morning we came to the bus stop to wait for the bus. After a while the ubiquitous Koreans showed up 🙂 And by the time of departure had already gathered an impressive crowd. So a piece of advice if you’re planning to travel by public transport – come to the bus stop in advance.
Volcano Teide in Tenerife is the highest peak (3718 meters) in Spain. The constant average temperature is 23 degrees. However, the weather on Teide (like everywhere else in the mountains) is very deceptive. We were in January, and in the course of a day, all seasons of the year seemed to change.
The summit of Teide volcano in Tenerife can be reached either by car or by the Volcano Teide cable car. This is the most popular option. At the foot of the cable car station is a statue of Jesus Christ, free car parking (for 220 cars), ticket office, bar and buffet restaurant. The top station at La Rambleta, at 3555 metres, offers views of Tenerife and the entire Canary Islands archipelago.
The cable car to Tenerife’s Teide volcano has a capacity of 40 people. After the exit we headed to the Mirador de la Rambleta, an unreal view of “lunar-space scenery” with frozen lava and sparse vegetation. White clouds in the bright blue sky seem to be just outside the crater of the volcano. Yes, more than 5 million people come to admire these pictures every year for a reason.
We didn’t see any wildlife, although official sources state that over 1400 species of invertebrates, including endemics, are found in the territory of Teide volcano in Tenerife.
The air is quite rarefied, so you have to be careful of people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. In fact, we saw a young woman faint in the cable car and she was revived afterwards…
In terms of hiking, in addition to the road to Mirador de la Rambleta, there are other official hiking routes around Teide volcano in Tenerife: the Telesforo Bravo route (no. 10), the route to Mirador-de-la-Fortaleza (no. 11) and the route to Mirador Pico Viejo (no. 12).
However, in order to follow the Telesforo Bravo route to the crater, a special permit, free of charge, must be obtained from Teide National Park. The permit must be arranged in advance (due to very high demand) on the official website: https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/real/ParquesNac/usu/html/listado-actividades-oapn.aspx?ii=6ENG&cen=2.
We walked around Teide volcano in Tenerife until 15.00 and then headed down. This way we managed to get in line amongst the first to catch the return bus.
Useful information about Teide volcano
1. The Teleferico del Teide cable car is open from 9:00 to 17:00. The last ascent can be made at 16:00.
2. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office or on the official Teide Tenerife website. The cost of the cable car round trip is 27 euros.
3. For those wishing to stay longer on Tenerife’s Teide volcano and do all the hiking, there is a three-star hotel with the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide telescope at 2,000 metres. The cost for a double standard room per night starts from 140 EUR.
