To the beach in winter - Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands. It offers its guests loose sand from the Sahara, the possibility of watching dolphins, a trip to the stratovolcano, as well as juicy fruit and aromatic spices.
Winter in Europe does not let go - unless in Poland, where it gave up already at the beginning of the season. The society has divided into those who are overjoyed that they can finally go skiing or even make a snowman with their whole family, and those who fantasize even more about holidays in warm countries. The latter can move in their mind to sunny Spain and find themselves in their imagination on the beach of Tenerife. In January, the temperature in the largest of the Canary Islands reaches around 20 degrees, so it is not hot, but it is pleasantly warm.
Although the island is geographically located in Africa, it is an integral part of Spain. It is paid in euros, and the languages in which you can communicate are Spanish, English and German.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The largest city and also the capital of the island is Santa Cruz de Tenerife . It is the second largest resort in the Canary Islands, located just behind Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. One of the main attractions of the area is the nearby (in San Andrés) Playa de las Teresitas, a beach considered by many to be the most beautiful on the island. It resembles Caribbean beaches, and it was created from over 4 million bags of sand brought from the Sahara.
Another place worth seeing after arriving on the island is the Sydney opera house, Auditorio de Tenerife . This large, fancifully-shaped building is a symbol of the city, eye-catching with its pure white, clearly standing out against the blue sky.
It is definitely worth taking a walk to Mercado de Africa - a pink market hall in the Moorish style. After crossing the entrance gate, you can feel intoxicated with the wonderful mixture of aromas flowing from the stalls with spices, fruit, vegetables and sweets. Shopping can continue on Calle Castillo, a street with popular shops and boutiques from renowned global brands.
Wandering around Tenerife
There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Tenerife. One is the historic city of La Laguna, and the other is the Teide stratovolcano , part of the Teide National Park. Up to an altitude of approx. 2000 m above sea level, you can go by car or bus from Santa Cruz and Perto de la Cruz. Later, you can go up route number 9 to the top station of the cable car or route number 7 to the hut.
During the trip, we will be able to admire truly lunar landscapes, passing unnoticed into areas covered with frozen lava, into climates straight from the Wild West, and finally sprinkled with snow.
La Laguna , on the other hand, is one of the oldest cities in Tenerife. It houses the oldest church on the island - Iglesia de la Concepción, as well as a few other pearls of sacred architecture. Visit the Iglesia de San Miguel de las Victorias, which houses a Gothic wood carving, and see the beautiful paintings in the 17th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo. An unforgettable experience will also be a walk in the old quarter - charming, richly decorated houses stand along narrow streets.
To meet nature
Nature lovers will surely visit the south-west coast of Tenerife. Dolphins and whales swim so close to the shore that the site is one of the most important places in Europe for whale watching.
In Santa Cruz itself, it is worth taking steps to Parque Garcia Sanabria , a park with exceptionally rich vegetation with stone benches decorated with ceramics arranged here and there.
Another attraction is Loro Parque, a zoo connected to a beautiful park. It is the largest private zoo in Europe. We will see giant turtles, chimpanzees, jaguars, as well as orcas, flamingos and several thousand parrots there. There is the world's largest aquarium - "OrcaOcean", which has an underwater glass tunnel, which you can wander through the shark pool to the gorilla jungle, bat cave and rooms with other zoo residents.
As you can see, Tenerife offers not only great beaches and sunshine. If someone wants to get away from the cold and snow, they will find a place for a winter-summer holiday there.
A writer by profession, a passion of a cat. One day he will see what is behind the Urals - good to Vladivostok. So far, when he can, he enjoys the sun of the countries of southern Europe. And it's also fun;)
