As the largest of the Canaries, Tenerife’s coastline stretches out for 350km. The impressive shoreline is ideal for surfing, horse riding and, of course, sun bathing.

Tenerife Coastline, Spain by Jose Mesa

Put on your walking shoes

Further land inwards, a good pair of walking boots will come in handy as you’ll be tempted to foray into tropical-forest and volcanic lava. Almost 200 km² of the island is covered by the dramatic Teide National Park, which consists of 80% of the world’s volcanic formations. Over 37 marked walking tracks snake through rough badlands, past volcanic pipes, cones and smoothly twisted rock formations called pahoehoe and lajial lava. If you’re up for a climb, head to the northern end of Teide National Park where you’ll find the highest summit: Mount Teide. The park actually owes its name to this 3718m peak, which famously casts the biggest shadow on the sea worldwide. It’s a live volcano but don’t worry, it hasn’t erupted since 1909.

Unique species of Tenerife

Teide National Park is home to 14 plant species that don’t grow anywhere else on earth and 70 species of spiders, beetles and other invertebrates that have never been spotted anywhere else. But these rather wonderful little creatures aren’t the only endemic fauna of the island. The park also is the only home of the Canary Island Lizard, the Canary Island Wall Gecko and the Canary Island Skink.

If you’re into bird watching, keep an eye out for Blue Chaffinches, Bolle’s and Laurel Pigeons, tiny Tenerife Goldcrests, Crowned Cranes, Berthelot’s Pipits, Yellow Legged Gulls, Southern Grey Shrikes, Hoopoes and Canarian subspecies of Chiffchaffs, Blue Tits, Robins, Kestrels and Grey Wagtails as well as Atlantic Canaries.

Unexplored Guanche sites

As if this isn’t exciting enough, there also are hundreds of unmarked and unexplored archaeological sites with remains from the Guanches (the indigenous inhabitants). If you’re lucky enough to stumble upon one of these sites, admire what you see and do take lots of pictures, but please leave it exactly as you found it. Even taking just a small souvenir is plunder!

The Guanches are enveloped by mystery. All we know is that they migrated from North Africa to Tenerife sometime between 1000 BC and 100 BC and that they brought wheat, barley and domesticated animals such as dogs, goats, pigs and sheep with them.

Camels and Gorillas

The camels weren’t introduced to the island until after the Spanish Conquest, between the end of the 15th Century and the beginning of the 16th Century. But when you visit the Camel Park near Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas, you can see they’ve really taken to the island.

If the Camel Park sounds exciting to you, wait till you hear this: the largest all male troop of western lowland gorillas in the world is based in Villa Gorilla on Tenerife. The natural habitat for these gorillas consists of the rainforests of equatorial Africa, but zoo Loro Parque has managed to recreate the right environment in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife. Gorillas tend to live in groups, but they usually emigrate from their natal troop when they grow up. When single males can’t attract enough females to form their own troop, they sometimes form an all-male troop. This is the situation that has been recreated in Villa Gorilla, the 3500 m2 area in Loro Parque that is reserved for the seven bachelor friends.

In March this year, the zoo keepers and vets of Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz left no stone unturned to celebrate the 40th birthday of the eldest statesman of the group: Schorsch. This is a very respectable age among gorillas, as only around 2 per cent of males in captivity reach this age. Schorsch, is only a couple of months older than the zoological park that he calls his home – Loro Parque will celebrate it’s 40th anniversary on 17th December 2012. If you want to escape Britain’s brass monkey weather this winter, book a flight to Tenerife for December and go ape at the zoo!

Experience this extraordinary beach destination for yourself. Prices for one way flights to Tenerife start at £51.49pp this January with Fly Thomas Cook.

The post Treasure in Tenerife: lunar landscapes and unique wildlife experiences appeared first on Best of European Union.

Binigaus, Menorca by Boladevidre

The Port of Mahon

The capital, Mahon or Mao, is situated at the world’s second-largest harbour. The historic town is a scenic gem, with the sapphire-blue sea providing the ideal backdrop for a remarkable collection of buildings.

If you fancy a trip out of town, visit the S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park, a huge park around three miles from Mahon, which is renowned for its range of flora and fauna. A haven for everything from turtles to olive trees, it is ideal for those seeking a change from the usual sun holiday experience.

Binigaus Valley

Another site of immense and varied beauty, Binigaus Valley is best known for Cova des Coloms, one of the island’s biggest cave complexes. Nearby is an idyllic beach, which is perfect for swimming.

Algendar Gorge

Stretching over four miles, this vast limestone gorge is one of the most impressive natural features on the island. A surprising variety of flowers and wildlife thrives in the limestone fissures, and the area is also home to a range of rare birds and reptiles. Keep an eye out for the kites and kestrels that prey on the lizards and turtles that dart from the cracks in limestone. Algendar Gorge is certainly one of the most impressive areas in the whole of Menorca.

Beaches

As a sun-holiday paradise, Menorca has all the beaches you could ever want. If you’re looking for sand and sea, Menorca doesn’t tend to be as crowded as the other Balearic Islands.

One of the island’s favourite spots for swimming and sun bathing, Son Bou is a beautiful, long beach with fine sands. Resorts and villas nearby tend to be highly popular among families. In comparison, Punta Prima is more adult-orientated, offering a range of water sports facilities, bars, and restaurants. With some of the strongest currents on the island, it is not suitable for children who want to swim.

Diving

The island is one of the most impressive places in the Mediterranean for scuba diving and offers over 15 schools for would-be divers. If you don’t have PADI certification, this could be the perfect opportunity to get it and see some amazing sea life in the process.

Menorca is one of the most naturally beautiful places in the entire Mediterranean, and, although it is famous as a sun holiday destination, it is relatively unspoiled. It represents the ideal mix of amenities and pristine beauty, something few other places can offer.

So, why not enjoy yourself and see the sites with car hire in Menorca. The island is deceptively large, so car hire means you can see the area’s natural beauty quickly and easily.

The post Explore the Natural Beauty of Menorca | Spain appeared first on Best of European Union.