Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, is a beacon of beauty, adventure, and unforgettable memories, especially when shared with friends. Its unique blend of stunning landscapes, year-round sunshine, and a plethora of activities make it an ideal destination for a long weekend getaway. In this article I'll describe our experiences on spending a long weekend in Tenerife with our friends.
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Arriving on the Island
After a scenic 5.5-hour flight from Budapest, filled with breathtaking views of Morocco's rugged landscapes beneath the clear skies, our excitement was palpable. The moment we touched down in Tenerife, the warmth of the island greeted us, along with our friends who were eagerly awaiting our arrival with a rental car ready.
Tenerife, a jewel in the Atlantic, is serviced by two airports – one nestled in the northeastern tip and the other in the south. This strategic choice allowed us to optimize our journey, heading towards Los Realejos in the north, where a charming rental awaited us. The drive, bathed in the golden hues of sunset, offered us a mesmerizing view of Teide's summit, a majestic sight that promised the start of an unforgettable long weekend in Tenerife.
Our first evening unfolded in the cozy town of Puerto de la Cruz, where the Spanish atmosphere was as inviting as the cool sea breeze. At a quaint local restaurant, we savored the local calamari specialty, our laughter mingling with the tranquil night air of the port town. This serene setting was the perfect introduction to our long weekend in Tenerife, setting the tone for days filled with exploration, camaraderie, and the discovery of the island's hidden gems.
Day 1 - An eventful day on a long weekend in Tenerife
The rocky beaches of San Juan de la Rambla
The morning woke us up to a beautiful natural phenomenon. Clouds covered the peaks of the mountains surrounding our house, while the town of Puerto de la Cruz below us was tickled by the sleepy rays of the rising sun. The March morning air was still a little nippy, but standing on the roof terrace and contemplating the view below, I wasn't cold at all. Although the location wasn't ideal for taking pictures (there are quite a few electrical cables running back and forth across the rooftops), I did click a few while sipping my morning coffee. Then everyone slowly woke up and we set up on the roof terrace for breakfast, unaware of what the day had in store for us on the long weekend in Tenerife.
Coming down the mountain by car is an adventure in itself. The Spaniards don't seem to have much trouble with the roads, they just push it up the slope, producing some serious gradients, and I was almost scared in the car. I could almost see the car skidding and going off down the slope out of control. Somehow we managed to get into town and headed down the coastal highway towards San Juan de la Rambla. Here you will find a very nice stretch of beach called Los Roques on the map. Beautiful black rocky oceanfront countryside, with a footpath leading down to it along cottages with a real authentic feel. You can't get there by car, there is no road down there.
Although I was clicking my way there, I finally got my photography equipment out on the rocky beach and started taking pictures. I could use Alex, my son, as a model, or our host friends, so I could get some good shots of them with the ocean waves crashing up and down in the background. I even got out my ND1000 filter to get some long-exposure shots of the waves crashing into the rocks in the harsh daylight.
We headed towards Garachico
After the rocky oceanfront hike, we continued our long weekend in Tenerife to Garachico, where we first visited the coast. In Garachico, there is a rocky coastline formed by nature, with natural pools among the rocks with sunbathing areas and steps leading into the water. Next to it, on the beach, you can see the Castillo de San Miguel, a museum and not identical to the Castillo de San Miguel, which is located in the south of Tenerife, near Los Cristianos.
The small castle dates back to the 16th century and was originally intended to protect the town, given that the town of Garachico was the largest commercial town on the island of Tenerife. Although we didn't go into the natural pools due to the strong waves (they were closed), we enjoyed the March sunshine and admired the crabs crawling on the rocks.
After lunch we headed up to admire the town of Garachico from above. During our walk, we visited the "Puerta de Tierra", a stone gateway that originally served as a gateway from the port of Garachico to the city until the early 16th century. In 1706, it was destroyed by the eruption of Teide along with the rest of the city, but its remains are still preserved today.
From the "Puerta de Tierra", we walked through the narrow and colourful streets of the city to the main square, Plaza de la Libertad, where charming restaurants and tall church spires awaited us. The square is as beautifully tidy as the town itself. Finally, after climbing lots of stairs and climbing up steep streets, we finally reached a place where we could see the whole town with the church tower of Santa Ana and the small island in the ocean, declared a nature reserve (Monumento Natural de Garachico).
After seeing the red, yellow and white buildings of Garachico, we decided it was hot enough for a beach holiday, so we headed for the tourist paradise of Costa Adeje.
Visiting Costa Adeje on a long weekend in Tenerife
On the sandy beach of the popular tourist paradise of Costa Adeje, jumping into the waves is great fun, and the locals have become experts at it, so we learned the tricks of the trade and tried it ourselves. My son and I had a lot of fun, while the waves threw us overboard and pulled us back into the deep water. You have to be careful though, these waves are much bigger and stronger than the usual waves on the beach, and they hurt my shoulder.
After the beach you can sit in one of the small beach restaurants or have a nice ice cream. Walking along the sandy beach with ice cream, we could explore further afield, where nature was showing a completely different face. On the black beach, we were first greeted by a landscape of black sand-like gravel, then, moving away a little, we encountered an endless landscape of balanced stones. Balancing stones is both a therapeutic and spiritual activity, and in this place it seems that many people have given their minds to it.
The secret of Zen stone art, which is both meditation and creation, is to find the inner balance and the possible point of connection through which the seemingly precarious structure can be created, despite the seemingly chaotic forms. If this is so, then many here have been searching for inner equilibrium!
In any case, the stones provided a great subject for some sunset photography, which I made good use of. Finally, we got our stuff together and went in search of a beach restaurant that suited us, where we ordered some of the local seafood again. At the end of the long day, we returned to our little shelter and all fell into bed exhausted.
Day 2 - A relaxing day on a long weekend in Tenerife
City tour in Puerto de la Cruz
While our hosts were busy extending the car rental, I wandered around the colourful narrow streets of Puerto de la Cruz. These streets remind me a little of Prague's Golden Lane or Rue Cremieux in Paris. There, these colourful houses are a sight to behold, but in Tenerife, wherever I go, every town is full of colourful houses. As a bustling city kid, I simply enjoy the Spanish atmosphere of the quiet narrow streets. I had a little time to linger in the main square of the fishing pier (Playa del Muelle) and admired the statue of the fisherwoman (Monumento a la pescadera).
Once we were done with the car rental arrangements, we headed over to Puerto de la Cruz beach (Playa del Castillo), where there was a small castle on the black rocky beach. Here, the beach and the foreground of big waves crashing on the pier offered a great opportunity to get some good shots, so I set my son up as a model and snapped a few shots, waiting for the real big splash.
After the photo session was over, La Orotava was our next destination, at the suggestion of our friends.
La Orotava and the Marquesado de la Quinta Roja Garden
Also known as the Jardín Victoria, these French-influenced 18th-century gardens cascade in terraces down the hillside and are crowned by a small marble mausoleum, built as a tomb for the Marqués de la Quinta Roja. However, apparently his wife and mother disagreed about where to lay his body when he died, so the crypt was not used for its original purpose, and no one knows what (or who) lies within.
Nevertheless, the beautifully arranged fountains of plants and flowers in the garden and the panoramic view from the garden provided a wonderful backdrop to our little getaway. From the garden, we could see the spires and dome of the Church of Our Lady of Conception, the endless ocean in front of the city and, looking sideways or backwards, the mountains surrounding the city. Finally, we visited the neighbouring botanical gardens before heading towards Los Gigantes.
The ocean cliffs of Los Gigantes
Although we didn't have time to try the dolphin and whale watching boat tours offered in the port of Los Gigantes, we still had a spectacular view of the sunset-bathed cliffs of Los Gigantes from the Mirador Archipenque, a café and restaurant, as we sipped our delicious coffee.
Los Gigantes takes its name from its main attraction, the Acantilados de Los Gigantes, the sheer cliffs that rise 500-850 metres above the coast. Between the cliffs and the marina, which serves small boats, is a small black sandy beach with a pedestrian street and many restaurants. The cliffs of Los Gigantes are one of Tenerife's main tourist attractions. There are three viewpoints in the town: one on the main road to Tamaimo (Mirador Archipenque), another above the sports club and the third on the coastal path near the Barcelo hotel.
Day 3 - Our last day on this long weekend in Tenerife
On our last day, before getting ready for the return journey, we took a short beach hike around Playa San Juan, where we walked around the palm grove to admire wild parrots, and found an abandoned oceanfront house and even a ruined church-like building built on the rocks. Listening to the roaring ocean, we wondered what had happened to these buildings and what life must have been like while they were still in use.
When we had finished our little tour and were sufficiently rested, we looked for a cosy little local restaurant where we could have our last seafood lunch. We were sorry to have come to the end of our trip, and there was so much we hadn't seen: we didn't get to Siam Park and we didn't see the orca show at the Loro Parque. We didn't get to Playa de las Américas and we didn't even get to climb Teide. I think there is plenty more to discover on this magical island, there will certainly be more to come from this long weekend in Tenerife.
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