3 days in Tenerife: between beach, volcano and lush forest

When we arrived in the capital of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, we were delighted to discover a small town with pleasant, typical architecture, cobbled streets and whitewashed walls.

Santa Cruz is a lively yet peaceful student town.

Rest and relaxation in the César Manrique Maritime Park

Once we arrived on the island, we preferred to get off to a gentle start by enjoying the beautiful stretches of water, to get ourselves in shape for the next few hikes. In fact, we decided to go straight to the basins of the César Manrique marine park. This complex is, in a way, Santa Cruz's municipal swimming pool... but with a twist. In the middle of the 3 crystal-clear pools nestling in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, we enjoyed a fresh fish lunch with our feet in the water.

At the end of the afternoon, we decided to take advantage of the mild weather to visit the historic centre of the former capital of the Canaries. We stroll around in the afternoon, enjoying a glass of wine as the sun peeks over the horizon.

Dinner of local specialities on Tenerife

For our dinner, we were amazed to discover that Canarian cuisine is centred around local fishing. To our delight, we sample the seafood and fish of the day in a small restaurant with the feel of a modern family-run cantina.

Where to eat in Santa Cruz de Tenerife?

Bodegon El Puntero

The authentic Bodegon El Puntero surprised us with its rich, flavoursome cuisine. The restaurant is open from 12.30pm to 10.30pm non-stop, every day except Sunday and Monday.

Once the sun has risen, we hire a car to explore the island, visiting Autos Jocar in the town centre.

Anaga Primary Forest Rural Park

After breakfast at the hotel, we're off to one of Europe's last remaining primary forests. The Anaga forest is over 7 million years old and is a real jewel of the volcanic island. We're not extreme sportsmen, and even less keen hikers, so we decided to tour Anaga by car.

If you want to explore the walks in this UNESCO biosphere reserve, we recommend heading to the Anaga rural park or take a look at our best walks on the island of Tenerife!

It takes just 30 minutes by car to reach the enchanted forest, and on the way we stop off at the Cruz del Carmen lookout point and the Pico Del Inglés lookout point, both of which are accessible by car and offer impressive panoramic views of the Teide volcano and the Atlantic Ocean.

After our walk through the forest of laurel trees, wild orange trees and lichens, we decide to take a dip in the water.

Beach and natural pool on the island paradise

On the island of Tenerife, the ocean is never far away... We head for Playa de Arenal, a magnificent black sand beach just below the TF-13 road. On the way back, we discovered the Bajamar natural pool, just 5 minutes from the beach. The beauty of the place and the golden light of sunset invite us to relax for a few hours in the Atlantic Ocean, sheltered from the waves.

Read our article on the natural pools of Tenerife. Exhausted, we grabbed a quick snack before heading home for a good night's sleep.

Full of energy, we woke up and set off on a road trip around the island. It takes us around 2 hours to cross the island to the west and reach the cliffs of Los Gigantes.

Lunch with a view

By car, we drive from viewpoint to viewpoint to discover breathtaking views. We recommend the Altos de Baracan viewpoint, which is spectacular. We decide to stop at the "El Guanche" restaurant on the way to the Teide volcano.

Very close to the TF-436 road, this small restaurant is hidden in lush vegetation and offers a remarkable view of the rocky canopy of Los Gigantes. We have lunch of local specialities and take time to admire the view.

Viewpoint of the Teide volcano: Boca Tauce

In the afternoon, we get back in the car to drive to the foot of the volcano. Taking the TF-38 national road, it takes us around an hour to climb to Boca Tauce. Boca Tauce is a viewpoint accessible by car. It's also the starting point for several hikes in the Teide park.

Our few days in the Canaries haven't turned us into great sportsmen. In fact, we took some photos of the lunar landscapes and the volcano before making our way back down.