5 Great Reasons Why Tenerife North will make you smile!

If you always head to the south of Tenerife for you holiday, I have to say that it is pretty amazing and packed full of things to do, stunning golden beaches and plenty of bars with lively entertainment. It offers everything for a fun holiday in the sun but what about the holidaymakers that like a different style of holiday. Not everyone likes the same thing!

I want to offer you a snippet of the different times I have travelled to the north of Tenerife, my experiences and what to expect. One of the times when travelling to the capital Santa Cruz with friends, I stopped off at the beautiful Cruz Del Carmen. This is a small village with scattered coloured houses dotted around and very green mountains, which is refreshing to see on the island.

REASON 1: The wild side of a ‘greener’ Tenerife

What I noticed when I visited the north of Tenerife is the greenery, wild flowers and palm trees which is so incredible in contrast against the volcanic mountains. It gives a sense of life, growth and warmth about the place and if you are into photography or just great walking treks, then this is a good place for visiting.

With the blue skies, volcanic mountains, palm trees and spectacular shimmering coastline, there is so much to see and capture within your eyes, thoughts and camera lens. I really loved visiting the north and my only regret I have not visited it enough, even though I have been several times.

It is true, that this part of the island has more rain than the south but do not be put off by this! The sun shines regularly and it still has a great climate for sun lovers. There are some truly colourful flowers and plants to see which brings even more beauty and character to this part of the island.

REASON 2: The hidden gem of Santa Ursula

Heading back from Puerto De La Cruz and towards Santa Cruz, I was lucky to be taken to look at the view of Santa Ursula. Wow what more can I say! I would never have noticed this place if it was not for my good friends Nita and Ani who wanted me to see the stunning scenery from La Baranda café in calle Acevino. High up and looking down to the sea, it was so peaceful and unspoilt, natural and a great way to experience the ‘real Tenerife’. The day in which we visited was a little cloudy and so the skies were slightly greyer than I would have liked it to be but it was really warm and breathtakingly beautiful to me.

This hidden little gem of a place is somewhere you can take yourself away from the crowds and create a different feel of holiday from the usual tourist’s sun loungers, cocktails and parties.

REASON 3: Local food at great prices

I feel blessed that I travelled with great local friends, so they know the good places to eat and of course, a lot cheaper than the tourist areas. Finding some good local restaurants for tapas or main dishes is really easy as there is plenty to choose from. Puerto De La Cruz offers some great fish dishes and lots more variety of food so it is worth putting this in your planner if you are wanting to eat out.

We stopped at a great little restaurant in Santa Ursula which was the perfect pit stop for me (Guachinche El Primero, calle Malpais) and it is a place where if you did not know it was there, you would drive right past it. The main room is painted terracotta walls with checked tablecloths, the thatched interior roof gives it that little more character.

El Primero is typical of a local style restaurant, simple décor, clean and delicious food. If eating out, think! Eat where the locals eat and you will get great value, excellent quality food and nice local wine.

REASON 4: Invitation to Puerto de La Cruz

My adventure to Puerto de La Cruz was an invitation to look around Hotel Botanico & Oriental Spa Hotel. I am so glad I made this journey as it put a big smile on my face, a sense of excitement and I think Puerto de La Cruz captured a bit of my heart!

As I stood on the balcony at Hotel Botanico (which once Michael Jackson had stood), I was overlooking the mountains. This hotel has been a favourite amongst many famous guests over the years, including Bill Clinton, Julio Iglesias and even royalty of the King and Queen of Spain. I had an amazing experience this day!

The balcony view was spectacular and I could see in the distance, Hotel Mirador Las Aguilas which is perched high on the hilltop.

Puerto De La Cruz offers lots to explore, restaurants and bars. There is a good bus route from Santa Cruz which took me around 20 minutes.

REASON 5: The charming San Cristobal de La Laguna & Santa Cruz

You have it all here, the variety of the old town La Laguna and the more urban part of Santa Cruz. Both have lots to offer and to see so I made sure that I visited here on different days and spent a day in each area.

La Laguna has old style streets, quaint little shops and appealing buildings which gives you a real feel for a historical Tenerife. The different coloured buildings consist of yellow, terracotta, green, blue and creams and make up the character of this antique little town.

Strolling around the old town with my friends Nita, Ani, Guaci and Yara, we enjoyed peeping into the shops, eating hot chestnuts from the local seller and making the most of the day until darkness fell. Lots of places to eat and chill out and a really ‘lazy Sunday’ feel about this place.

Santa Cruz has lots of shops to visit, a University, and new science museum. The place is usually buzzing with commuters coming and going to work and it a nice vibrant city to visit. It might be worth checking out the bus tour that is available so that you make the most of the site seeing. It still has good places to eat, little hidden cafés to grab a coffee and cake so lots to explore in Santa Cruz.

So its not just the south that has great hotels, fine restaurants and holiday happiness.  You can get all this from the north too. Top up the suntan with plenty of places to sunbathe and you will be a lot closer to great places of interest to visit such as Loro Park, Botanic Gardens and the Auditorium.

There is so much to see, adventure and plenty to make you smile so don’t forget to check out the hotels and ensure your flight lands directly to Tenerife north (TFN).