January 24, 2023

Road Trip Tenerife: Complete Your Winter Getaway This Season

Following on from our recent winter warmer getaway guides to the neighbouring Canaries of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote respectively, we couldn’t possibly leave out the popular island of Tenerife as part of our trio of Canary Island road trips.

An ideal winter destination to select for your Indigo Car Hire road trip has to be the sensational Tenerife. The island in the Canaries has so much to offer: lazy night clubs; the finest Canarian food; all the exquisite beauty of nature and wild life; ever-popular gardens; black beaches; one of the world’s greatest national parks; mountainside white-knuckle rides; castles and, of course, volcanoes. You can hire a car at either Tenerife North Airport or Tenerife South Airport (we also offer debit card car hire for both locations here and here.)

Puerto de Santiago

The distance to Puerto de Santiago from Tenerife South Airport is approximately 43km by road, with the transfer time takes about 45 minutes. This is a quiet village on the southwest coast of the island and suited to the more genteel tourist rather than far out ravers. But should you be seeking a drinking den with top live entertainment, there is Route 66, both friendly and full of excitement. The venue boasts the duo/band Old Dogs New Tricks with a rep of 250 songs from the 50s to the present day.

Los Gigantes

After a night out on the town you may wish to blow the cobwebs away and freshen up with a unique experience watching whales and dolphins in their natural environment on a boat cruise from Los Gigantes. Enjoy swimming and snorkelling and dine on a lunch served onboard.

Puerto de la Cruz

Then some 34 km on to Puerto de la Cruz a good place to rendezvous is Plaza del Charco, a place of luscious greenery and freshness. You will find boutiques, restaurants and ice cream on offer plus a playground for the kids.

The Puerto de la Cruz Botanical Gardens is a popular tourist spot with a large range of native plants and huge collections of tropical and subtropical plants that have taken root here despite being rarities in this environs.

The San Telmo promenade gives way to on of the most popular beaches among residents and visitors alike. You can bliss out to the delightful smell of the sea air and other aromas include the many restaurants offering fine fayre. Plus souvenirs, cafes, ice cream vendors and, of course, the odd sneaky bar for a cocktail or mocktail..

The Playa Jardín Complex consists of Playa Jardín, Playa Chica and Punta Brava, with designs by  César Manrique. The beaches are interwoven into a selection of gardens, waterfalls and stone caves to make your stay complete. You can also shop till you drop and dine out Canarian style. For some sanctity visit the hermitage of San Telmo, a religious temple of Catholic worship under the patronage of San Telmo.

Parque Nacional Del Teide

Then on to Parque Nacional del Teide, the Teide National Park, which is a 39 minute 49 km drive. This boasts some of the world’s most stunning scenery and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In the centre of the island it has an impressive summit of 3,718 metres, the Teide Volcano that is the highest peak in Spain. With over 3 million visitors a year it is the most popular park in Spain and Europe.

The landscape is simply absolutely awesome taking in craters, volcanoes and rivers of petrified lava. To find out more background to the region there are two visitor centres, a restaurant area for replenishment and lots of trails for hiking.

Masca

Once you have explored Teide on some 47 minutes 32 km to Masca with that Indigo hired car giving you a white-knuckle ride as it twists and turns down the mountainside. But it is actually safe and allows for some simply stunning sightseeing. You may feel like 007 as your tyres grip to the tarmac at each curve, though a Bond babe is not included with your Indigo car hire, doh!

Garachico

Onwards 22km (47 mins) and Garachico is an idyllic town and particularly unspoiled. There are sea-water swimming pools cut into the volcanic rock and rock pools for the kids to explore. The Castle of San Miguel (Castillo de San Miguel) which survived the 1706 volcanic eruption and is one of the oldest buildings in the town contains displays showing the history of the town and local wildlife.

Icod de Los Vinos

Now we complete the trip by moving onto Icod de los Vinos (just 6m km 13 mins)including the amazing Cueva del Viento, an 18km volcanic tunnel. Also of interest is the Museo Malvasia which specialises in the aromatic Malvasia wine both to taste and buy. Or go back to nature with Drago Butterfly Park with more than 800 exotic butterflies from as far afield as the Philippines, Malaysia, Costa Rico and Belize. After viewing the Dragon Tree you may like to pay your respects at the beautiful Church of San Marcos and give thanks for the amazing sights and sounds you have experienced on this road trip itinerary.

So it’s back to the airport (65 km 54 mins) and hand in your Indigo Car Hire keys. But don’t get down about this – we’ve got plenty more inspiration for you in the form of the aforementioned sister blogs on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Also, be sure to check out these further articles below for even more inspiration:

• Top 10 Winter Sun Locations In Europe
• Top 5 Winter Sun Holiday Destinations
• Top 10 Winter Sun Locations In The World
• 6 Steps to a stress-free Canary Islands Car Hire
• Road Trip Madeira; 7 Day Itinerary