Our hints for excursions during your internship on Tenerife
1.Teide Nationalpark
With 3718 Meter the Pico del Teide is the highest mountain of Spain. The Teide is the 3rd highest island volcano of the earth and a must see during your internship on Tenerife.
You can climb up the Teide over a well signed trail. At 3260 Meter height there is a shelter named Refugio de Altavista. The historical building was renovated and offers a simple place to stay a night for a fairly price. It’s impressive to be on top of Teide especially before the sun rises. Another option is the Teleférico del Teide, a cable car which brings you up to 150 high meters below the crater.
To climb up the top of Teide, you need a permission which you can get either on the Internet or in the national park administration’s office in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. We recommend you to apply for the permission early when you plan your trip during your internship on Tenerife because the Teide is a popular destination in general and the amount of permitted mountaineer per day is limited to a certain number.
2. Garachico
A small town which you should visit during your internship on Tenerife is Garachico. It used to be a great economical trade point with the most famous harbor on Tenerife. After the volcanic eruption of the Montaña de Trebejo, Garachico lost its status and economical value but remained its beauty through a combination of old and new buildings. The Mirador de Garachico offers you a great view over the small town and its coastline. Near the Castillo de San Miguel is where you can take a bath in the famous „piscinas naturales”- natural pools. Garachico has a cozy, rural character and offers an experience you shouldn’t miss during your internship on Tenerife. You can enjoy the combination of having fun in the sea and relaxing during a walk through the village.
3. Anaga Mountains
Do you like hiking? Tenerife offers many hiking opportunities and one of them are the Anaga Mountains. Go for a trip to the Anaga Mountains in the north-east of the island during your internship on Tenerife and let natures beauty amaze you. About seven to nine million years ago, the mountains were formed due to volcanic activities. Typical for Anaga are the caves in the volcanic rocks whose fronts and interior decors look like typical local single-family houses, like in Afur and Chinamada. They are great subjects for your pictures. The Anaga Mountains are one of the most beautiful regions on Tenerife with their bright green landscape, deep canyons, and stunning views on the Atlantic Ocean. There are many well signed hiking trails that lead you through the enchanted forests and show you a unique ecosystem. A must see within the Anaga Mountains during your internship on Tenerife is the Camino Viejo al Pico del Inglés – a road that leads you in between high, moss-covered walls with an overgrown laurel forest roof. From here you can easily reach the Mirador Pico del Inglés and enjoy the stunning view all the way to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Anaga Mountains are definitely worth a visit during your internship on Tenerife.
4. Loro Park and Siam Park
Loro Park is a huge zoo which is worth a visit during your internship on Tenerife. It is also located in the north in Puerto de la Cruz and has parks, tropical gardens, aquariums and areas for shows. At the Loro Park you find the biggest number of parrots gathered in one place; with the 4000 animals, you find 350 species and some very rare ones, too. You can also watch tigers, crocodiles, gorillas, and even bats. An African market, a Thai village, a house full of orchids as well as restaurants and cafeterias complete the offer. The price for a ticket is 42 Euro. You can also buy a combination ticket together with Siam Park for 74 Euro. Visiting the Loro Park during your internship on Tenerife will be a great experience. Here is the link to the web page for more information: www.loroparque.com.
Siam Park is an attraction in the south of the island and offers a great waterpark experience during your internship on Tenerife. It is the biggest water park in all of Europe and arouses the old Thailand around the theme of water. On the area of 185km² you can find temple and big dragons as well as 8 waterslides. One special waterslide, the Tower of Power with a height of 28 meters, leads you through an aquarium full of sharks. In an artificially bay with white sand, there are 3-meter-high waves which offer you and your friends lots of fun during a day off on your internship on Tenerife. The admission charge is 42 Euro. Find more information at: www.siampark.net.
5. La Laguna
La Laguna, officially named San Cristóbal de la Laguna, is located west to Santa Cruz and offers you an interesting stay on your trip to the north during your internship on Tenerife. The city is crowned as an UNESCO world heritage site, offers you many characteristics of the colonial architecture and is home to the University of La Laguna which has over 30,000 students. Due to its many students and for having been the first university city of the archipelago, there is the habit of La Laguna being called the “City of the anticipated ones”. La Laguna also offers you wide pedestrian zones and many art historical and historical routes that lead you through the city. You can find many historical buildings like Igelisa del Cristo, Palacio de Nava, Palacio de Salazar or Convento de Santa Catalina and Convento de Santa Clara and really get to know the history of La Laguna during your internship on Tenerife.
6. Icod de los Vinos
In Icod de los Vinos has been known for its wine since the 16th century. Not only can you still visit Icod de los Vinos on Tenerife for its good red wine during your internship on Tenerife but you can see the „Drago Milenario“, the most famous dragon tree of the Canary Islands. People used to think the tree would be more or less 3000 years old; due to recent findings the age of the dragon tree is now assessed at 800 years. This tree is even found in the city’s coat of arms.
Next to the Drago Milenario you should visit the Parque del Drago, the botanical garden, as well as the old town with all its sights. The Museo de Guanche which is the ethnographic museum of Tenerife’s native people, will give you a deeper insight into Tenerife’s history. The Cuerva del Viento is the longest lava tube Europe’s and another must see while visiting Icod de los Vinos during your internship on Tenerife.
7. Pirámides de Güímar
If you are interested in Tenerife’s history and its ancient civilization, the ethnographical park Pirámides de Güímar is another highlight for you while doing your internship on Tenerife. There are six rectangular, stepped pyramids made of lava rocks that reach up to four meter in height. The park was founded in 1998 by Thor Heyerdahl to protect the pyramids in Güímar. Due to the arrangement of the pyramids and the measurement of their position it was assumed that besides for ritual uses they were also used for some astronomical reasons. Inside the Casa Chacona, the museum of the ethnographical park Pirámides de Güímar, you can find further theories on the origin and purpose of the pyramids alongside many other exhibitions focused on the ancient civilization.
8. El Médano
El Médano, Spanish for “sand dune”, offers you the longest beach area on the island to soak up the sun, watch the many wind- and kitesurfers or get active yourself by taking lessons at one of the many surf schools. The sand on the beach has a dark brown color with a touch of bright Sahara sand. On a day off during your internship on Tenerife you can also visit a lot of nice cafes along the promenade of El Médano. You can find the best creperie in the town center as well as other small restaurants, and typical Spanish tapas bars. On Saturdays you can visit the market that takes place at the Plaza, the big town square, located right by the beach.
9. La Candelaria
Candelaria lies on the south-east coastal side of Tenerife and is one of the most important catholic villages of pilgrimage of the Canary Islands. In the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria – Basilica of Candelaria – you can find the figure of the patron of the Canary Islands, la Virgen de la Candelaria. The inside of the church is designed with Mudéjar-style wooden ceilings in petrol-blue and a grey-white color. Directly opposite across from the church, at the beachside of the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias, are nine huge statues of the most famous Guanche Kings.
The Calle Obiso Pérez Càceres offers a pedestrian zone with many fish restaurants and boutiques to enjoy and buy some souvenirs. Not far from the pedestrian zone you can find colourful boats on the ocean and the city hall Ayuntamiento which you should visit in La Candelaria while you are doing your internship on Tenerife.
10. Playa de las Teresitas
In the North of Santa Cruz in San Andrés is the Playa de las Teresitas. The perfect beach for one of your free days during your internship on Tenerife. The Playa de las Teresitas is a 2-kilometer-long beach which was created in the 1970s by spreading light yellow sand from the Sahara and building an artificial reef to lower the strength of the current. The beach is known as one of the most beautiful beaches on Tenerife and is as popular for tourist as it is for locals. If you get the chance to visit San Andrés while you do your internship on Tenerife, definitely visit Playa de las Teresitas!
