This is the second part of a series trying to give Tenerife the appreciation it deserves. If you missed the first part you may want to check it out first: Part 1
Eventually, we spent our entire trip on Tenerife alone and were absolutely captivated. Today I'd even go so far as to say that no other place on earth has such unique diversity of landscapes within such a small geographical area. Black-sanded beaches, rugged mountains, a volcanic desert and ever-moist cloud forests all within an hours drive.
This series covers 24 unique places on Tenerife Island in random order. Here are the second six.
Full information about any place listed can be found on my open source travel guide backtotheroutes.com.
7. Playa de Benijo (North East)
This black-sanded beach with yellow speckles is very popular with locals. With the Anaga mountains towering dramatically in the background you feel like at the end of the world.
8. Chinamada Trail (North East)
This hike is a good primer to explore the exciting wonders of the Anaga mountains. The landscape is extremely varied with lots of endemic plants and sweeping views of the ocean. You can also see ancient cave dwellings that in part are still inhabited today.
9. Siete Canadas (Teide National Park)
While wandering along the edge of the primeval volcanic crater, you come across yellow rock formations, impressive views of Mt. Teide and the Guajara mountain range and a variety of endemic plant species. The trail takes about 4-5 hours and is physically demanding, even though it is mostly flat. The effort is rewarded with one of the most alien landscapes on our planet.
10. Pino Gordo (Vilaflor)
This is the biggest pine tree on the island with a trunk circumference of 9 meters. Just stop there when going up to the Teide National park.
11. Playa del Medano (South)
Stroll along the beach and watch the numerous windsurfers or take a course yourself (the conditions are said to be excellent). Further down you can explore the unspoiled dunes that give El Medano its name or climb the 200m high Montana Roja in the nature reserve.
12. Arenas Negras Garachico Volcano (North West)
The hike takes about 3 hours and leads on a more or less flat path around the 'Garachico volcano' also called 'Montana Negra'. The most striking feature is an area of black sand ('arenas negras') contrasting with young pine green. You'll also encounter very alien rock formations within wide lava fields. You may also have superb views of Mt. Teide. The loneliness is overwhelming.
And 12 more amazing places are waiting for you in the next parts of this series. Follow me, so you don't miss it.
If you're planning to go to Tenerife and have any questions feel free to ask me in the comment section.
Who I am?I'm Marcus from Munich - a voluntarist and travel enthusiast always trying to find the hidden gems on the lowest possible budget. I love to collect as much information about the places I've been to and share it with the world on my open source travel guide backtotheroutes.com - so anybody can get the most out of travel even on a tight budget. Follow me to get the latest @mcsvi.
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