The island of Tenerife is the largest of the
Canary Islands at 2,053 square kilometres
- and it has the shape characteristic of a
triangle. It is called the island of eternal
spring because of its wonderful climate .
The island is full of huge contrasts
and has a great variety of scenery in the
different regions. A mountain chain runs
through its centre fro Anaga to Teno and
on both of its slopes there are large, fertile
valleys, among them especially La Orotava
and Gumar. In the heart of the chain there
is a gigantic, natural crater, called Las
Cañadas del Teide, which is about
29 km across and has officially been declared
a National Park. It lies over 2,000 m above
sea level. North of the crater stands El
Pico del Teide, a 3,718 m high mountain,
which is the highest point in Spain. It
is snowcovered in the winter and marks the
island with its unique silhouette.
Tenerife has an extremely varied plant life,
large, wooded mountains, extensive areas
where banana, tomato, potato and other agricultural
products are grown. Its coast is rocky and
lined by cliffs in some places, while in
others there are beaches with soft, clean
sand, which are sometimes black and sometimes
golden.
The capital of the island and of the province
is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which has 220,000
inhabitants. It is a cheerful, light-filled,
modern city on a gentle slope and it is
open towards the wide plains in the south.
It is the seat of the military headquarters,
La Capitanía General de Canarias,
and Santa Cruz is known as a hospitable,
cordial city. Beautiful gardens, especially
García Sanabria, the Municipal Park,
and busy streets make it easy for the visitor
to feel at home there. The port in a large
bay surrounded by the steep cliffs of the
Anaga mountain chain is an important sea
traffic and communications centre between
Europe, Africa and America.
Get involved
- Send in your comments on this island - Click
here
e-guide, Tenerife, Lanzarote,
Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, EL
Hierro, La Palma, forecast, conditions, report,
Canary Islands, Canaries, Canary Isles