Welcome back to my Tenerife Diaries – if you missed out on the first part then click HERE and give a good old-fashioned read to it, I’ll wait.
Done?
Great, so let’s get going – today’s first stop is going to be…

Masca

A small beautiful village hidden in the Teno Mountains at an altitude of 750m. This gem is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful towns in the Canary Islands, and their answer to Machu Picchu. It’s only 5km from Santiago del Teide, but the drive feels a lot longer. The road is verycrazysuper narrow, and there’s quite a traffic on it, especially during the summer season – I was hyperventilating the whole drive, not gonna lie… But this journey itself is part of the whole Masca experience. I promise the views are breathtaking everywhere you look.

There are two things that can go wrong during your daytrip to Masca, and I feel like I have to mention them so I can sleep better tonight.
The first one is parking – it’s a tiny village with very limited parking options, so try to arrive early if it’s possible – and just hope for the best. We had to drive around in circles for 10-15 minutes – it wasn’t only us using this method to wait for someone to leave.
Second, unfortunately… is the weather. Check the weather app for Masca before you leave, because if it’s cloudy… it is indeed cloudy. This is the video of my friends arriving at Masca after I hyped them up about how amazing it is…

Masca Beach

The village’s remote location – there wasn’t any road here at all before 1991 – and the difficulty of access made it a perfect hideout for pirates. Yeppp – pirates! Legend has it that they hid their treasure in the caves along the mountainside. Also, the village became a safe-haven for those who were looking to disappear off the map. This is why Masca is known as the ‘forgotten village‘.

The trail from the village down the Masca Gorge to the beach is a popular but demanding hiking route, which takes around 6 hours – both ways. You must be in good shape to do it, but I assure you that it’s well worth it! Some parts can be a bit on the beaten path, and a little tricky, but in general, the trek is easy to follow.
It’s possible to do just the downhill walk to the beach and then get a boat to Los Gigantes – you MUST pre-book your boat ride in advance, you can do it HERE.
Honestly, this is something to think about if you want to hike and see the surrounding jungle, but 3 hours is enough for you. In the previous part of my Tenerife Diaries I wrote more about the cliffs of Los Gigantes but I tell you again, it is well worth seeing from the water – if you get lucky beside the 800m high cliffs you can see some dolphins and whales too.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife – La Laguna

The capital of Tenerife and home to the carnival which is one of the most spectacular in Spain, and the second largest in the world, after Rio de Janiero – held each February or March, depending on the year. We didn’t spend much time here in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, today it was just a quick stop for lunch – but honestly, I fell in love with this island, so high chances are we are gonna be back in the future. So maybe one day in an upcoming Tenerife pt. 3 episode I will tell you more about it…

San Cristóbal de la Laguna is located not far from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. We visited the city only for a quick afternoon stroll, but I loved it so much already – much more beautiful and authentic than Santa Cruz – also it’s giving some strange Mexican-Latin American vibes…
Absolutely love it. La Laguna is considered to be the cultural capital of Tenerife, and was once the actual capital too, before this title was transferred to Santa Cruz in 1821. La Laguna is the oldest city on the island and has a well-preserved, authentic city center which is a real step back in time with some of the buildings dating back to the 15-17th centuries. In 1999 was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you can, visit during Easter and the Holy Week when La Laguna has the largest Holy Week festival in the Canaries. 

Anaga Rural Park

This UNESCO Biosphere Reserve offers wild, untamed black sand beaches, mountain peaks, dramatic rocks, lush green forests, incredible hiking trails, and traditional villages untouched by mass tourism. 

Anaga mountains are volcanic and were formed by an eruption about seven million years ago. It’s one of the oldest and most beautiful parts of Tenerife –  especially if you love nature walks.
Hiking conditions and temperatures here are comfortable during all seasons. Generally speaking, this area is the wettest spot on the island – just be prepared for rain at any time and always check the weather app. Honestly, this cloudy weather is not even a bad thing, because the forest can look even more stunning, and you feel like you’re stepping into a fairytale. 

The most popular hike is the Trail of the Senses, which once connected the towns of Anaga and La Laguna. As the name suggests, this route is a multi-sensory experience full of sights, smells, sounds, and textures. There are three paths you can choose from:

• Trail 1 is the easiest – a 400m wheelchair-friendly path.
• Trail 2 is a circular path about 600m, and it’s also easy. It’s a good choice if you’re short on time but want to see some of the forest.
• Trail 3 is the longest and also the most beautiful one, it allows you to go deeper into the forest and get away from the more touristy area. This loop is about 1.3km long and includes Trails 1 and 2. You’ll pass by the Cruz del Carmen and the Llano de los Loros viewpoints.

Benijo Beach is one of the best beaches in Anaga. Okay… It’s not great for swimming, but it’s a very beautiful and quiet place. Plus, you can see the formations called Roque Benijo and Roque La Rapadura.

Siam Park – Loro Park

Siam Water Park is a Thai-inspired water park in Costa Adeje with impressive attractions and rides – such as the world’s largest wave and a shark-filled aquarium slide. The park has been recognized five times as the best waterpark in the world. We didn’t go – I’m not a big fan of slides and rollercoasters and stuff… Also, when I saw how full the swimming pools can get – obviously summer is the peak season, but still… I was like… naaah, not for me.

I don’t mean to put you waaay off with this information, I guess for families with kids and teens or for adrenaline junkie adults is a must-visit place – it’s just not my kind of thing.

Loro Park is a zoo and aquarium park in Puerto de la Cruz with animal shows, and attractions. Loro Park has been criticized by a number of organizations, mostly for its use of orcas – I don’t want to copy-paste a whole section of Wikipedia here, so I just leave a screenshot – just in case if you feel like reading it. I warn you it’s a bit disturbing.
Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with this topic… Aquariums are my soft spot… I have my own 30-liter little ocean in my living room … – I’m an active member of an ocean-cleanup organization. I really love and care for the never-ending ocean, and the fish and other animals in it. So yea… look, these parks are really beautiful, and maybe they are comfortable for small species, but… I don’t think orcas, whales, sharks, dolphins, and seals are having fun in a fish tank, really. Have you heard anything about Lolita?

quick stops around the island

Pyramids of Güímar
In the town of Güímar, you can find six 12m high pyramid-shaped – terraced structures. They were built from lava stone without the use of any mortar. There are a lot of speculations going around about this place, you can read more about it HERE

Icod de los Vinos
In this town, you can find one of the symbols of Tenerife, which is the oldest and largest living 1000-year-old dragon tree – declared a national monument in 1917. A botanical garden called Parque del Drago has been created around the tree if you want to see it up close, you can – for 5€ entry fee. If it’s enough for you to see it from a little distance just go to Plaza de Andres de Lorenzo Casares – there is a viewpoint, but don’t tell anyone I told you 🤫

Another must-see in Icod de los Vinos is Cueva del Viento – Cave of the Wind. This is the largest – 17 km – lava tube system in Europe. It was created with lava flows from Pico Viejo next to Mount Teide.

Staircase of Agatha Christie
The writer stayed at Puerto de la Cruz, and there is a beautiful area with a street dedicated to her memory and a special staircase in which the steps have drawings and the titles of each of her books.

Casa de los Balcones
This historic house and museum is located in La Orotava. It was built in 1693 and it’s one of the most emblematic artwork complex in Tenerife.

Food, food, glorious food

I can’t finish my Tenerife Diaries without talking a bit about the food here on the island.
The south part of the island is a mess – mostly around Playa Las Americas – it’s filled with the typical tourist places, you know with the 1€ beer signs, and a tapas menu that starts with nachos, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks.

I’m sorry but I can’t trust a restaurant that has Pizza-Pasta-Paella-Steak-Tapas in their name and billboard. You can just slightly assume that you are not getting an authentic food experience in a place like this.

God forbid – this is not a promotion for Sun King. It was just the first picture I found, and ironically it completely represents what I was trying to say.

If you want local flavors and a pure Canarian authentic food experience then look for a Guachinche – in these restaurants, you get served locally produced wine accompanied by homemade and traditional food, stews, meats, and desserts.

🐷

Barraquito

I guess cheers to Tenerife, then!

See you at the next one,

Noémi

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