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.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Bruno Girin

Whales

One of the most dramatic and moving daytrips anyone can do in Tenerife is a whale and dolphin spotting cruise, which is a truly memorable experience for all the family. Numerous companies offer whale tours on the island and the south-west of Tenerife is considered to be the best place to see them. There are up to twenty-one different species in the stretch of sea between La Gomera and Tenerife, they range from the iconic blue whale to the notorious killer whale, with the most prevalent species being pilot whales which reside in the sea off the south coast.

Tenerife is enormously fortunate to have the leading whale migration route on its doorstep, which allows the mammals to travel towards the nearby island of La Gomera. This is why the majority of the boating trips will leave from the south-west of the island and visitors staying at places like the Costa Adeje Gran are well placed to organise a trip. Although most large boat companies will provide coach trips from spots all over the island, so there will always be access to this most absorbing of nature trips.

Volcanic Scenery

Those who prefer to stay on foot when on holiday will have some wonderful opportunities to enjoy the island’s volcanic landscapes. One of the most rewarding methods of exploring the island is by car and travelling past the island’s volcanic peak is a unique experience. Mount Teide is the highest peak in Spain and rises to 3718 metres and provides Tenerife with perhaps its most iconic landmark. Teide National Park is a must visit with the landscape dominated by the old lava eruptions of the past two millenniums; the area was officially declared a World Heritage site in 2007. Some of the birds spotted at the national park include kestrels, chaffinches and canary birds, and there are up to 168 species of plant in this outstanding area of natural beauty.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by unukorno

While driving along the island’s scenic roads, a detour pass the Anaga Rural Park comes highly recommended. Visitors to the park will enjoy a magical forested paradise, which literally hasn’t changed for thousands of years and captures the raw primitive beauty of the island.

A world of Parrots

Another colourful place to visit is the Katandra Treetops nature reserve that resides inside Loro Parque. Situated on the pretty outskirts of Puerto de la Cruz, the parrot park is an oasis of colour and is home to some of Spain’s most beautiful birdlife.

Visitors arriving at the bird reserve can expect to see loris, cockatoos and parrots when walking along the tree top trails and jungle pathways of the bird reserve. Loro Parque isn’t just about birds, however, there are Flipper style dolphin shows and adorably cute penguins on display too. Offering a wonderful excursion for all the family.

A beautiful island home to some magnificent bird life, sea mammals and volcanic landscapes, Tenerife is a perfect destination for nature lovers. It’s almost like stepping back in time with the old lava flowing beneath the world’s surface. An otherworldly destination surrounded by a cocktail sea blooming with wildlife, if there is ever a time to invest in a digital camera then it’s a week before a holiday in Tenerife.

Written by D.Agnew, part of the travel writers team on the easyJet holidays website.

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If you’re on the hunt for somewhere which offers plenty of year-round sunshine, top of your European wish-list should definitely be the Canary Islands.

While they’re owned by Spain, making them part of the European Union, the Canaries are located just off the north-west coast of Africa, which explains the great weather they experience.

Sun, sea and sand are what you’ll get if you head to the island group, which comprises Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, among other destinations.

Whether you’re into lazing around on a beach – perhaps after spending the night in a tent under the stars, or snorkelling along the shoreline, there’s something on offer to you in the Canaries.

For the adventurous types, Tenerife may well appeal as it boasts Spain’s biggest mountain – Mount Teide – which you can ascend through the Canadas del Teide National Park.

En route, you’ll pass the Chinyero volcano, which last erupted in 1909, and you’ll be able to check out some stunning views once you reach the mountain’s summit. Perhaps you might want to consider pitching up tents to watch the sunrise in the distance from the peak the next morning.

More than 12 million tourists head to the Canaries each year, so they’re clearly an extremely popular location. And this is with good reason since they have the weather, beaches and natural attractions to boot.

Average sunshine hours vary throughout the year, but even in the British winter, the Canaries see temperatures of around 17 to 18 degrees C, making for a balmy springtime climate.

If you’re a fan of exploring marine life on your holiday, you’re bound to fall in love with everything on offer on the island group.

The waters boast everything from loggerhead sea turtles to sharks and stingrays, so you’ll see a whole host of different beings under the sea. If you head out on a boat trip there’s a chance you’ll encounter the common or bottlenose dolphin, or even a short-finned pilot whale on your travels.

Whatever you’re after from your holiday, the Canaries are bound to offer it to you, all the year round.

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