Canary Islands from Madrid...visit Tenerife?
 

Will be in Madrid in July and would love a quick island trip while I'm there. There seems to be good availability in Tenerife south shore in July. Any reason? How is weather/beach/food/safety/ability to visit neighboring islands/walk vs. car? Haven't seen recent comments and would appreciate any updates.

Tenerife is more of a non summer destination due to the good weather conditions all year round.
Northen europeans will go in winter searching for a "Caribe" weather in europe.
Beaches:
Tenerife and the other islands are all volcanic, so except in Fuerteventura the closest island to Africa and some parts of Gran Canaria, beaches are black or non golden. I find them very nice specialy the ones in Garachico within La Orotava valley in Tenerife Island, natural volcanic swimming pools, arranged for swimmers.
Tenerife has a natural Park in the center of the island with the Volcano Teide in it.
I will recomend a car.
It is easy to visit the nearby Islands by plane or ferry. But you will need a few days just to visit Tenerife.
Regarding, food, you will find more or less everything and very good quality sea food.
Safety, I have not gone now for 7 years but I do not think there is any special problem to care about, apart from the usual attention in tourist places.
There might be other travelers with better or more updated information.

Northern Teneriffe is much nicer than southern.

North Tenerife is rather beautiful, the South is vile, don't touch it!

Stay at Hotel Botanico (www.hotelbotanico.com and also at www.lhw.com) - around 150EUR a night B&B, they now have a spa, and the restaurants are all superb as is the service.

Weather won't be very hot, but pleasant and sunny.

Any more info required - please ask. Make sure you GO ! It's an underrated destination.

Thanks so much for your replies. I'm curious: why is south shore is not as nice as the north? The ferries to other islands seem to be located south, I think. I can stay in Puerto de la Cruz in northern Tenerife. Would that be close to the volcanic swimming pools and Mt. Teide? If some days I don't rent a car, is there a town for walking around, restaurants, people-watching, and shopping? Does anyone know how far is the drive from Puerto de la Cruz to ferries on south end of island? I'll have almost a week to explore. Glad to hear the weather there is not so hot. Thanks, again, for your ideas!

Puerto de la Cruz is close enough to both Teide and volcanic swimming pools (they are in Carachico in north-west). If I remember right it took an hour by bus from Puerto de la Cruz to the capital Santa Cruz. That is worth visiting. And also La Laguna, it is in UNESCO's World heritage list. The boats leave from Los Christianos (near Play de las Americas, the horror of horrors). But Puerto de la Cruz itself is a nice enough town to wander around.

Why north is nicer than south? North is lush, green and flowery, south is barren and full of huge greenhouses. And partying beer louts.

Take the bus (210 I believe) from Puerto to Santa Cruz - this place is right by the sea and has such a wonderful South American, not Spanish, feel - great little places to eat, and El Corte Ingles - as on the mainland, makes a good escape from the heat of the sun!

Hotel Mencey isn't bad either, in fact it's rather good, but if you are staying in Puerto, Hotel Botanico is the only place to stay. The prices are 4* for 5*GL (gran lujo) and the service and cuisines are of the highest standards, as well as the beautiful gardens and Oriental Spa (newly opened) it is set in - you will be impressed with the whole experience on this delightful island.

As for renting a car, the concierge will organise several trips for you which allow you to see everything worth seeing, and of course you can take the frequently timetabled buses all over the island, even to the vile and common south!

The reason that I bring this post up again, is because Northern Tenerife is such an underrated destination - people are put off by the terrible (and indeed true) images of vulgar behaviour from mainly UK/German holidaymakers in the South.

The North has a few good hotels - Mencey in Santa Cruz, Botanic in Puerto de la Cruz, and two boutique hotels in Garachico - La Quinta Roja, and San Roque. I always stay at Botanico.

I'd like to see some more posters on this board travelling here and sharing the wonderful times they will have.

I'll be visiting the Canary Islands via the QEII. If you don't have a car, Is arranging transportation at the Islands difficult? For example, you get off a cruise ship in the Bahamas and your "swarmed" with drivers at the port. I am visiting Tenerife, Las Palmas, Lanazarote, and Fuerteventura. Any input of "must do's" let me know. We will be in each port for the day.

Thanks elina, m_kingdom2, and car for all the feedback. North Tenerife seems like the place to go. From the northern airport-TFN, whichdo we need to rent a car to get to get to Puerto de la Cruz, taxi?, bus? Any areas to avoid walking or driving for safety reasons? Any personal favorite places you would recommend to visit?

I''d get the hotel to organise the transfer. Stay at Hotel Botanico, a Leading Hotel of The World, they offer fabulous packages - it is in Puerto.

Go on a tour (escorted tours are good to get an all round flavour of the place) to Mount Teide - this takes in other places enroute. Costs around 50EUR per person for a whole day, the concierge will organise this for you. Take a tour to Taganana and Santa Cruz - a contrast between the capital, and a tiny village that can only be reach through a mountain tunnel. It was here I met Norman Wisdom (did he ever make the US?) yet again!

I'd take buses to Garachico and Santa Cruz if you wish to take a trip at your own pace and itinerary. I've never felt the need to hire a car. Walk into Puerto, touristy, not too tacky, and relaxed. See the old fishing port, shops are not great. Sit by the sea, relax, watch locals fishing off the pier. Return for some relaxation in the spa- try the hotel's Italian restaurant - their Spinach and mushroom lasagne to start, followed by veal is superb - reminds me of the classic Italian restaurants that one used to find in London, now, sadly, only a handful exist, and all dreadfully expensive. A meal at the hotel will cost 60EUR for two, so reasonable. Another evening sample to Oriental - exotic, fragrant, superb once again!

Any more info, just ask!

I have had two hiking days on Teide, and on both occations I just went to Puerto de la Cruz bus station and stepped into the Teide bus. Leaves about nine in the morning, and comes back in the afternoon. Costs about 1 EUR one way. Of course it all depends on your finances. And there is a hotel up there where you can have lunch. Also couple of little restaurants a little way downhill.

I find car rental prices so good in the Canaries, that although I usually use public transportation and taxis, I usually rent a car there, at least for a couple of days. On top of Taganana and Carachico you might want to visit Masca, a little stony village (quite different from those two mentioned, they didn't even have a roas till recently) in the west. If you go there by bus or taxi you can then walk the Masca Gorge to the seaside. You can book beforehand (from local travel agency) a boat to come and pick you up from the stoney beach (there is no road to the beach). The boat will take you to Los Gigantes (spectacular cliffs), and on the way (if you are lucky) you can see wales and dolphins. From Los Gigantes you have a bus back to Puerto.

I second that suggestion, Masca is a superb excursion.