Tenerife is a Spanish island, the largest of the seven Canary Islands, and is located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Close to a million people live on the island, the last recorded population was 852,945 according to the 2006 census.

Tenerife holidays are popular amongst Europeans, and tourism is the most prominent industry in the Canary islands–it is one of the major tourist destinations in the World. If you plan on visiting for a Tenerife, here are the top 10 places that you absolutely must see.

Teide National Park
Teide National Park was officially declared a national park in the year 1954. The Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide has a large volcanic crater that is 48 km wide. Mount Teide rises out of it and is 3.718 metres which makes it the highest mountain in Spain. Teide National Park is at about 2000 metres above sea level. In the winter months the area has snow, so some roads are inaccessible. During the summer months the area can reach temperatures above 40C. The volcano is now extinct and you can get to it either by foot or by cable car. From the peak there are views of Gran canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.

Loro Parque
Loro Parque is a park that showcases literally hundreds of colorful parrots and other tropical birds. The Loro parque is home to the world’s most important Parrot collection that has more than 300 different species. There is also a sea lion show, a dolphin show, a parrot show, an aquarium with a shark tunnel, and many other exhibits with other animals. A favorite is the ‘NaturaVision’ Cinema and the world’s largest “Penguinarium” with a reproduction of the Antarctic climate.

Barranco del Infierno
Barranco del Infierno’s name means “Hells Gorge”. Barranco del Infierno really is a very lush, green, ravine–an oasis of sorts in the harsh south Tenerife area. Barranco del Infierno is the only place where you will find naturally running water. Barranco del Infierno is area where you can take a long hike (getting there takes about 2 and a half hours). Towards the end there is a waterfall

Tenerife Beaches
Due to the volcanic nature and evolution of Tenerife, there are only a few a few natural beaches, all with a fine black shingle or sand. However, because of the incease in tourism over the years, there are now a lot of wonderful man made beaches on Tenerife. Among the best ones to visit are Los Gigantes, San Juan, Fanabe, Torviscas, and Los Cristianos.

The Cliffs of Los Gigantes
The Cliffs of Los Gigantes, also known as Acantilados de los Gigantes, are rock walls that go right into the water. They’re located about a quarter of the way down the west coast of Tenerife. These massive rock walls are actually cliffs–and they drop almost right into the water from a height of about 500m–and even 800m in some places. Across the bay is the town of Los Gigantes. The only way to get close to the Cliffs of Los Gigantes is by boat.