Tenerife North & South, Self-drive

On this self-drive tour of Tenerife, you will have the opportunity to explore some of the most impressive landscapes, lovely beaches and local cuisine. Walk along the streets of Orotava where culture, heritage and gastronomy are combined or discover the Teide National Park where its landscapes look like another planet or be surprised by Masca and its deep ravines and cliffs. or surprise yourself in Puerto de La Cruz and its attractions such as Casco historico or its fishing pier

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Teide National Park: Discover the breathtaking views of the highest peak in the country 

Masca: Get lost between its vegetation and its ravines of this old Pirates hiding place

La Orotava: Breathe in its streets that stately air that has never abandoned it since the conquest of the Island.

San Cristobal de la Laguna: Enjoy a leisurely stroll and admire the colonial architecture of its historic quarter.

Puerto de la Cruz: Sitting in the Plaza del Charco is a sublime pleasure. Then there is the privilege of watching the waves break on the coast of San Telmo, with the spectacular Lago Martiánez in the background. 

Puerto de Santiago: This small port was built taking advantage of a magnificent natural refuge, sheltered from the winds and with its breakwater built on a lava wash.

Day 1: ARRIVAL TENERIFE

Arrive at Tenerife airport (You can get to Tenerife North Airport or Tenerife South) and meet with a rent-a-car representative to assist you in picking up the rental car. Then Drive directly to the town of Puerto de la Cruz, situated on the northern part of the island, where you spend three nights. Puerto de la Cruz contains attractions such as its protected historic center or a large seafront, perfect for long and peaceful walks.

Overnight in Puerto de la Cruz.

Day 2: PUERTO DE LA CRUZ – OROTAVA – NATIONAL PARK, MT. TEIDE – EL SAUZAL – PUERTO DE LA CRUZ (120 km – 3 hrs)

Breakfast at your hotel. Our routing recommendation for today: Start the day driving to the evergreen valley of La Orotava. Its streets and buildings are all monuments to its past cultural splendour; don´t miss a visit to House of Balconies. Did you know that Tenerife has more than 400 volcanoes? Learn more about it driving to National Park of Las Cañadas, which is a must while on this island. Through the impressive viewpoint of Roques de García visitors will get an astonishing view of Mt. Teide, the highest peak in Spain with 3.718 mtrs. Old flows of lava, volcanic and colourful rock formations in a unique landscape resembling the moon. Descending through La Esperanza´s forest, the smell and scenes of its cool forest of eucalyptus vegetation will take visitors down to a differente landscape. Visit the lovely village of El Sauzal, a settlement that goes back to the island´s prehispanic era with its 16th century Church of St. Peter and a walk to the 16th c. estate of the former Marquis of El Sauzal; La Garañona´s viewpoint is worth visiting with gorgeus views of craggy coastline and Atlantic Ocean. It is a charming stop before driving back to Puerto de la Cruz, a popular resort with a charming atmosphere where you can discover its colonial past or stroll by its sea promenade; on your way the Lago Martiánez, the famous salt waterpool designed by the well-known canarian architec and artist César Manrique, is all a symbol of the island.

Overnight in Puerto de la Cruz.

Day 3: PUERTO DE LA CRUZ – SANTA CRUZ – TAGANANA – SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA – PUERTO DE LA CRUZ (125 km – 3 hrs)

Breakfast at your hotel. Our suggestions for today: Enjoy the interesting story of the capital of the island, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Pass by the historical buildings like San Francisco´s Church, Plaza del Príncipe and its old part of the town with La Recova, Guimera´s theatre, Casa de la Carta and La Concepción´s Church. Continue to the Anaga Country park with its impressive cliffs and laurel forest that dates back to the Tertiary period. Its untouched vegetation is bathed in a blanket of clouds practically all year round. If you follow the meandering road down, you will reach the coast and its various secluded villages, including Taganana. The charm of this village lies in its fabulous beach, steep sloping landscapes and small restaurants. Continue to San Cristobal de la Laguna and discover the magic of this town walking through the historic quarter and city center, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Take a leisurely stroll down picturesque streets to get a taste of colonial architecture close-up. Return to Puerto de la Cruz. 

Overnight in Puerto de La Cruz.

Day 4: PUERTO DE LA CRUZ – ICOD – MASCA – SANTIAGO DEL TEIDE (90 km – 2 hrs)

Breakfast at your hotel. Today you will change hotels for your stay in the southern part of the island. We suggest the following visits on route: First stop at Icod de los Vinos, known by its famous Dragon tree, el Drago Milenario. The famous "thousand-year-old Dragon" (although its age is officially 800 years) is one of the most important natural, cultural and historic symbols of the Canary Islands. The single road that links El Tanque to Santiago del Teide takes you through several beautiful hamlets as Ruigomez and Erjos. Proceed to the hamlet of Masca with its cottages lined up along the mountain ridges. They take up almost every inch of inhabitable space, balancing on the edge of the abyss created by the Island's deepest ravines. The Cherfe lookout point (on the road from Santiago del Teide) provides fantastic views. This has always been a narrow and remote place, which was only very recently supplied with electricity, and where the roads were barely more than dusty tracks up until not long ago. In fact, for years the only means of communication with the rest of the world was the trail of Camino de los Guanches, linking Masca to Santiago del Teide.

Overnight in Santiago del Teide

Day 5: SANTIAGO DEL TEIDE – CANDELARIA – GÜIMAR – SANTIAGO DEL TEIDE (180 Km – 2.5 hrs)

Breakfast at your hotel. We recommend the following visits on the southern coastline: 

Candelaria: In the late 14th century, a Gothic style sculpture of the Virgin of Candelaria was washed up on the shores of the Güímar valley, who the Guanche people worshipped under the name of Chaxiraxi. As from the year 1526, the figure was kept in the shrine built under the order of the governor Pedro Fernández de Lugo. The primitive figure disappeared as a result of the flood in 1826, so the current figure was made by Tenerife's Fernando Estévez in 1827. Candelaria is related to Guanches´memories and pilgrimage. Right by Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias stand the huge bronze statues of the nine Guanche "menceyes" (kings), created by Tenerife sculptor José Abad. Continue to Güímar, which is also an interesting stop; it lies on the south side of Tenerife, in the spectacular Güímar Valley. Its popular historic quarter is full of prominent buildings. You can set off on a walk around the streets, passing by the San Pedro de Arriba chapel or the Town Hall.

Overnight in Santiago del Teide

Day 6: SANTIAGO DEL TEIDE

Breakfast at the hotel. We recommend to enjoy some of the nice beach areas in the southern part of Tenerife or just relax at your hotel or going on an excursion through any of the stunning landscapes of the south of Tenerife, dining in a restaurant with a terrace by the sea or having a fun day in a theme park are just some of the options offered by the south of the island.

Overnight in Santiago del Teide

Day 7: SANTIAGO DEL TEIDE

Indulge in a delicious breakfast at the hotel and spend the day at leisure.

Overnight in Santiago del Teide

Day 8: DEPARTURE TENERIFE

Bid farewell to Tenerife after breakfast at the hotel and drive back to the airport Tenerife (You can take your flight back from the Tenerife North airport or the south Tenerife airport) to drop off the car. You'll be told the return procedure and exact designated area by the rent a car company when you pick up the car on arrival day

Comfortable and warm clothing is the most suitable for travelling. Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting temples, religious or official buildings. Sun protection, sunglasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.