What to do in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife gathers across its four main islands a concentration of natural environments ranging from low-altitude volcanic badlands to the highest point in Spain. Teide (3,715 m) dominates the centre of Tenerife from within the National Park, accessible on foot via seven marked routes crossing lava fields, white tajinaste scrubland and viewpoints above 3,000 m. The summit crater and Pico Viejo require advance permits, but the perimeter trails of the park, such as the Las Cañadas traverse, are open year-round. The ocean channel between Tenerife and La Gomera concentrates one of the most active cetacean corridors in the Atlantic: short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and sperm whales are permanent residents, and catamaran or zodiac trips from Los Cristianos or Puerto Colón offer high-probability sightings on all 365 days of the year. The same southern coast hosts surfing at El Médano, venue for world windsurfing and kitesurfing championships: the northeast trade wind blows steadily at 15–25 knots in summer, generating quality waves at Playa Grande and El Cabezo. The Anaga Biosphere Reserve, in the northeast of Tenerife, preserves the most extensive laurel forest in the Canary Islands: 60 mapped trails cross deep ravines, mist-covered ridges and almost-deserted rural hamlets. La Palma island adds high-altitude volcanic mountain routes (Ruta de los Volcanes, 22 km) and astrotourism conditions ranked among the best on the planet thanks to the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory.