Visitors to Tenerife can enjoy easy access to a variety of natural environments – both on land and at sea. Over 1,000km of signposted hiking trails and 300km of forest cycling tracks are ready to be explored.
More than 48% of the island falls inside 43 protected nature areas and sustainable, low-impact tourism practices are widespread. That includes ethical whale- and dolphin-watching cruises in a region of the Atlantic Ocean that regularly records more than 20 visiting species a year. That includes orcas and minke whales, plus resident pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins
Regulating the speed and noise level of boats, as well as the distance and time spent near cetaceans, helps operators ensure that trips will depart long into the future.
A natural high
Undoubtedly one of the island’s highlights, Teide National Park was created in 1954 Mount Teide’s summit is Spain’s highest point, 3,715m (12,190ft) above sea level, and is accessible with a permit.
The park spans a volcanic, lunar-like landscape that was used to test the European Space Agency’s planetary rovers. Fittingly, the night sky’s clarity helps make 83 of the 88 constellations visible to stargazers in an area recognised as a Starlight Destination.
Expert guides facilitate stargazing sessions, using telescopes set up to view celestial bodies and tailoring the level of sessions to participants. Additionally, private tours are a way of accessing the Teide Observatory during the daytime. The complex houses Europe’s largest solar telescope.
More than 200 years before the area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, the acclaimed naturalist Alexander von Humboldt famously studied the varied climate zones and vegetation on Mount Teide’s slopes. The wealth of endemic species includes the Tenerife blue chaffinch, Teide violet and red bugloss – which flowers in springtime.
A network of trails offers hikers access to the national park’s rugged landscape, including views over the vast Cañadas del Teide caldera. Guided walks set off from the Cañada Blanca and El Portillo visitor centres, giving solo travellers opportunities to hike in groups.
Travellers with limited mobility have the option of riding the cable car to the top station to view the surrounding landscape and neighbouring islands.
Rural gems in Tenerife
UNESCO’s Anaga Biosphere Reserve, on the island’s northeast tip, is notable for dramatic ravines and jagged peaks in a lush region also known for its dense and ancient laurel forest.
Local hamlets are ideal for taking refreshments after long walks on the network of marked trails that bring opportunities to spot wildlife, including the likes of the Tenerife speckled lizard.
To the northwest, Teno Rural Park occupies a verdant upland region with trails making accessible the natural beauty of the heathland and forest. Los Gigantes’ cliffs rise to 600m (1,970 ft) above the waves and Punta de Teno’s lighthouse is one of the best points for sunsets.
