June 2024 Recap: Tenerife, Canary Islands

Wind and Whim contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

Hello! I hope you’re enjoying your summer. After three months in England, Steve and I were ready for some serious sunshine. We found it on the Island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

We spent five weeks there, two in Puerto de la Cruz and three in Los Cristianos. We enjoyed both stays and will be spending all of July and most of August on other islands in the Canaries.

Read on to learn more about our time on this enchanting island.

Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife

We arrived in the Canary Islands on May 28th. Our first stop was Puerto de la Cruz on the northern coast of the Island of Tenerife.

We stayed at the Hotel Rui Garoe for two weeks. The hotel and grounds were well maintained, the staff was top notch, and there was entertainment every night. We opted for half board, and the food was very good. Some days, there was a chocolate fountain at the breakfast buffet, and on Sunday, there was cava for breakfast.

The lobby smelled amazing. I was told it is a proprietary scent called Lady of the Night. I couldn’t help thinking of what that means in the U.S.

Steve and I highly recommend Hotel Rui Garoe. We booked it through Expedia.com and you can too.

On June 2nd, Steve and I celebrated our 45th anniversary. We spent most of it lying by the pool at the hotel. It was perfect.

We hiked to the defunct Puerto de la Cruz aqueduct. The ocean was never far from view.

At the end of our hike, we ran across some street art.

Agatha Christie stayed in Puerto de la Cruz in 1927. A stairway in town has the titles of 47 of her novels on the steps, and there is a street named after her.

Barrio La Ranilla is the old fishermen’s district. Now it is adorned with some street art.

The Orchid Garden in Sitio Litre was beautiful. However, there weren’t a lot of orchids. Even so, if you like exploring gardens, this is worth your while.

The Nearby Town of La Orotava

The town of La Orotava is only twenty minutes by bus from Puerto de la Cruz. We enjoyed our first visit so much that we went back another day.

We were there during the town’s Corpus Christi celebration, so we got to see the mind-blowing sand art in honor of the holiday.

The House of the Balconies was built in 1632 and was the home of several prominent families. Now it is a museum. There are carved wooden balconies on the exterior and overlooking the courtyard.

This museum is not a must-see, but if you have an hour or so, it makes for some cool photos.

The old town of La Orotava is one of the prettiest we’ve seen. As we strolled through it, we were continually delighted. This is part of a terrace garden:

Los Cristianos, Tenerife

Our second stay in Tenerife was in Los Cristianos on the southwestern part of the island. We stayed at the Hollywood Mirage, which was very different from Hotel Rui Garoe.

While the Garoe has a refined atmosphere, the Mirage has a party atmosphere. There are a lot of games, pool activities, and nightly parties. Be warned, the music is loud. We fell asleep to it every night.

Steve and I enjoyed our stay at the Hollywood Mirage, but it’s not for everyone. You can book it on Expedia.com or Booking.com.

The Mirage was inland but thanks to the hills we had a great view of the ocean. It was a short bus ride to the coast with its beautiful beaches and resorts.

Since we started traveling full-time, Steve has been looking for an opportunity to do some deep-sea fishing. He finally found it in Los Cristianos. He spent nine hours on the boat, caught a lot of fish, and came home with enough tuna for many meals. He caught too much for us to use, so he shared it with the captain and the other fishermen.

Steve went with Crested Wave and was very happy with them. All this only cost $156.

While Steve was fishing, I was relaxing at the Hollywood Mirage resort. On Saturday afternoons, they have a foam party in the main pool.

We could see a large hill called Montana Chayofita from our apartment.

This little volcano or cinder cone is between the busy towns of Los Cristianos and Las Americas. It is only 374 feet or 114 meters high and a short, easy hike of about an hour. Even Mojo made it to the top!

The following day, we took a half-day tour to Mount Teide and Las Canadas in the Teide National Park. This active volcano stands at 12,200 feet or 3,700 meters above sea level, making it the highest peak in Spain.

You can book the same tour we took with GetYourGuide.

I have tried paella several times and could take it or leave it. One day, we were walking past the Don Quijote restaurant and saw their ad for paella for two with a pitcher of sangria or a bottle of wine for around $30.

Being the thoughtful wife I am, I suggested we go there because Steve likes paella. We were both blown away. I don’t know what was different about this one, but it was so good we had it three more times during our three-week stay.

Don Quijote also has a traditional happy hour (two for one drinks). Their margaritas were marvelous. It’s nice to know happy hours still exist somewhere. We have seldom seen them on our travels, and when we do, they are usually for discounted drinks, not two for one.

Our Take on Tenerife

We fell in love with the climate, the laid-back life, the ease of transportation, and the affordability. We can see ourselves living here in the future.

Until Next Time

We’re off to La Palma, another island in the Canary Islands. This time, we’re staying at a secluded spa resort called La Palma Jardin.

Have you been to the Canary Islands? Did you fall in love with them too? Drop a comment in the section below and tell us about your island adventures.

Happy traveling,
Linda

Travel Resources

Here are handy links to services and products Steve and I like and use. If you book or purchase anything through them, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!

Book your hotel here with Booking.com or Expedia.com
Save on roaming fees with the Airalo eSIM
Schedule memorable activities with GetYourGuide and Viator