Why Tenerife is Perfect for a Family Holiday

March 14, 2014

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There are lots of ingredients that could go into the mix to create that perfect recipe for a special, fun-filled, family holiday, and some popular holiday destinations can offer more of them than others.

The Canary Island of Tenerife is one of them.

The perfect climate

It might sound like holiday brochure speak, but Tenerife basks in about as perfect a climate as you’ll find anywhere. The more time spent outdoors under a hot sun, the greater the chance there is of everyone having a smile permanently fixed on their increasingly tanned faces.

On Tenerife you can sunbathe and swim in the sea every single month of the year. Lying on the beach on Christmas Day feels particularly surreal. Summer is hot, but not fry-you-alive levels, and winter is simply a sun-kissed paradise compared to the rest of Europe.

Safe Bathing for Families at Playa de las Teresitas

Safe Bathing for Families at Playa de las Teresitas

Beaches and swimming pools galore

When it comes to choosing the ideal beach, take your pick! There are long, golden and black sand resort beaches with water sports, bars and restaurants; remote, wild beaches favoured by surfers and nudists, and there are exotic beaches where most sun-seekers getting prone on the sands are locals.

Alternatively, sea pools along the north and west coasts, like the lava ones at Garachico, are perfect for exploring, floating lazily in or diving into from volcanic rocks.

Nature doesn’t hold all of the ace cards. The man made Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz is a wonderland of palm trees and pools; the largest being the size of a small lagoon, with fountains so powerful they explode into the sky like volcanic eruptions.

Lago Martianez, Puerto de la Cruz

Lago Martianez, Puerto de la Cruz

Plenty of things to do

A problem all families face at some point in Tenerife is deciding what to do from a long list of exciting and enticing activities. Watching whales and dolphins at play in their natural environment is extra special, whilst camel riding along subtropical trails is loads of fun. But so is diving under the ocean in a mini submarine, visiting one of the island’s zoos, flying through the trees on a zip line at a forest adventure park or taking a cable car to almost the summit of Spain’s highest mountain, Mount Teide.

Topping the list is the Thai themed Siam Park. It is possibly the most exciting water park in Europe with gorgeous hi-octane rides that range from screaming down the Tower of Power’s near-vertical chute to being spun mercilessly around the Dragon’s lair. If that sounds too much, there are plenty of less nerve-shredding rides for smaller family members.

The Dragon at Siam Park, Costa Adeje

The Dragon at Siam Park, Costa Adeje

Tenerife amable

Community and family are still of the utmost importance on Tenerife. Local traditions and customs involve everyone from toddlers to grandparents, so that at fiestas children stay up as late as everyone else as families celebrate together.

The Canarios dote on children and subsequently they are greeted in restaurants across Tenerife with open arms and beaming smiles. Being made to feeling welcome, no matter how many toddlers you have in tow, makes a massive difference to a holiday experience.

Tenerife is a destination that offers warm weather all year, sincere friendliness and absolutely tons of activities to keep everyone happy. In short, an unbeatable family package.

About the author

Jack Montgomery

Jack Montgomery is a travel writer, guidebook author and photographer who lives in a banana plantation in the north of Tenerife. He specialises in writing about the culture, food and people of the Canary Islands, concentrating especially on the Canarian world that exists beyond the islands' resorts.

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