Tenerife - where to stay?

wakemalcolm
wakemalcolm Posts: 663
edited November 2008 in Tour & expedition
Hi

I'm thinking about heading down to Tenerife for some rays, a bit of walking, and a few winter miles. Never having been there, I'm wondering where the best areas to stay are?

I'm looking for somewhere like Port de Soller in Mallorca ie a bit going on in terms of cafés and places to eat but not gone crazy (like Alcudia). Also need somewhere handy for the decent road cycling although we'll probably hire a car for the week.

Any (non-Playa de las Americas) thoughts?

Thanks in anticipation.
================================
Cake is just weakness entering the body

Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    wakemalcolm wrote:
    Hi

    I'm thinking about heading down to Tenerife for some rays, a bit of walking, and a few winter miles. Never having been there, I'm wondering where the best areas to stay are?

    I'm looking for somewhere like Port de Soller in Mallorca ie a bit going on in terms of cafés and places to eat but not gone crazy (like Alcudia). Also need somewhere handy for the decent road cycling although we'll probably hire a car for the week.

    Any (non-Playa de las Americas) thoughts?

    Thanks in anticipation.

    I've cycled in a few parts of Tenerife...prepare yourself....very very tough...IMO tougher than the Alpes/Pyrenees etc...(same with Gran Canaria)

    Go here:-

    http://www.cyclingcols.com/

    The hit 'my tours'...for 2008 youll see 'Tenerife'....in there youll find his accounts and photo's af 5 Day tours...brilliant.

    Also a brilliant help....Dr Leslies site...

    http://www.tenerife-training.net/Cyclin ... erife.html

    hes a great help...hes based on the quieter and cloudier Northern half of tenerife....Puerto Cruz...on the sunnier southern side it is basically Los Christianos/Las Americas...but further west you have Costa Adeje and if you really want to get away then Los Gigantes awaits...fantastic walking up there...and the Teno Mountain range is truly breathtaking (and the cycling is murderous....especially around the mounatin hamlet of Masca....one of the most beautiful places I've ever been...and one of the steepest climbs aswell:-)

    If you go then you must do Teide....do NOT do it from Chio...do it from Los Christianos up through Arona and Vilaflour...I near ruined my bike with the terrible surface on the Chio to Teide road....(its also a lovely climb from Oratova in the North)....but this climb took me over 3 hours....its 45Km long....not too steep but without any let up at all...I did it in 30+degrees and went through 6 litres of water...so hard in that weather...

    Also in the Far East you have the Anaga Mountains..never did this but they look great aswell...(and I think Gran Canaria is be even better)

    Hope this helps.

    Forget the horrible beach resorts...these Islands are gorgeous...
  • wakemalcolm
    wakemalcolm Posts: 663
    Cheers Richyboy, was thinking about renting from Tenerife Training so I'll probably drop them a line soon.

    Where did you stay?
    ================================
    Cake is just weakness entering the body
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    wakemalcolm wrote:
    Cheers Richyboy, was thinking about renting from Tenerife Training so I'll probably drop them a line soon.

    Where did you stay?

    Hi Malcolm,

    I was actually on a Family Holiday with the family(I just took my bike :wink: )....I stayed at a big complex in Playo Paraiso...when I did Teide I cycled down to Los Christianos via the TF1 (not advisable...and illegal)...but when I did the fabulous Teno Mountain range I got a big estate taxi to take me and bike to Santiago del Teide for the start....too busy a road upto there...

    The stretch of coastline bteween Costa Adeje and Los Christianos i upto Santa Cruz is very busy and I would urge you to find a quieter Area...as the rest of the Island is lovely and very quiet...the North of the Island is much greener and looks stunning...although it is not as sunny, from a walking and cycling perspective it looks far more appealling..

    A wee bit advice on the terrain....do not treat this like Mallorca or the like...I went out for a small 30mile run just to stretch my legs and the most gentle run I could find of any significance incorporated a 650meter climb....

    The Island will be somewhat quieter out of summer season and maybe better asking 'Tenerife Training' for more sound advice as I can only tell you what I experienced mate......Leslie from TT really is a great help...

    P.s I flew with Monarch Airlines and I think the cost for bike carraige was £36 for both legs in 2007.
  • videoman
    videoman Posts: 29
    Hi and welcome from Tenerife. The terrain here is very mountainous with very few easy roads as Richyboy has already explained (how are you and the family Richyboy as it seems along time since you were here last year). The other problem is the heat as last week was warm and sunny here (80 degrees in the afternoon) and it has now cooled down now from the summer. Apart from that it is a very beautiful island away from the tourist resorts as I have lived in Los Cristianos for the last two years. Lesley from Tenerife Training is the man to contact regarding cycling in Tenerife and if you are interested in walking I have a good friend who lives in Tenerife who organises walking trips www.cyberhiker.co.uk.
    If you need any further info. please let me know.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    videoman wrote:
    Hi and welcome from Tenerife. The terrain here is very mountainous with very few easy roads as Richyboy has already explained (how are you and the family Richyboy as it seems along time since you were here last year). The other problem is the heat as last week was warm and sunny here (80 degrees in the afternoon) and it has now cooled down now from the summer. Apart from that it is a very beautiful island away from the tourist resorts as I have lived in Los Cristianos for the last two years. Lesley from Tenerife Training is the man to contact regarding cycling in Tenerife and if you are interested in walking I have a good friend who lives in Tenerife who organises walking trips www.cyberhiker.co.uk.
    If you need any further info. please let me know.

    Hi Allan,

    Family fine thanks....hope all is well in Sunny Tenerife....I'm still hauling my big frame up these monstrous climbs...went to Gran Canaria this year(even tougher than Tenerife!), then in September went to Bormio for some Italian Alp treasure :wink: You can read about all my exploits this year here:-

    http://www.cyclosport.org/members/myBlo ... 773&size=5

    At the bottom of the first page you can 'expand' it all and go back to the Fred Whitton write up etc...lots of pain and suffering this year I tell you!

    Hope your wife is doing fine in the nursing dept...say hello from me.

    I'll be back in Tenerife at some point as I simply must do the Orotavo side of Teide and also the Anaga Mountain range....and of course Masca again.

    Best Regards,

    Rich
  • synchronicity
    synchronicity Posts: 1,415
    Hello,

    I can confirm that the North (La Orotava valley) is usually cloudier than the South... but Puerto de la Cruz is sunnier as it juts out into the Atlantic, escaping the cloud. The cloud layer normally hangs around Aguamansa at an altitude of 1000~1500m. It's almost always sunny above that height unless there is a storm. I am biased but I do think Puerto de la Cruz is a nicer resort than Los Cristianos / Las Americas. It mainly caters for Europeans...

    As far as places to stay, most of my clients who stay in the South stay around the Costa Adeje region as it's a bit nicer than the rest of Las Americas. That means hotels like El Duque, Gran Hotel Adeje, Jacaranda, Riu, and several others in the vicinity.

    If you're looking for a quieter holiday, then you can't go past a traditional spanish farm house, they're called "fincas". They're dotted around the island & usually located ~500m above sea level.

    Los Gigantes is also very nice, smaller + quieter, but the roads coming out of there are steeper.

    Highest road on the island = 2300m!! Higher than any point in Australia!!! :shock:

    It's probably a good idea to hire a car, that way you can make the most of it. I recommend starting in Granadilla de Abona and riding up from there... the road surface is awesome and there are way less cars than if you start from the bottom.

    From the North, it's best to start from around Los Pinos / Barroso.

    RICHYBOYcp is spot on... Masca is a very beautiful ride... probably best to start from Santiago del Teide and do that loop (Masca --> Buenavista --> Garachico) in a clockwise direction to avoid the hellish climb coming out of there...

    The Anaga range is excellent. It's my favourite place to ride on the island. :wink:
    Start from either Las Mercedes or San Andrés. :idea:

    So when are you thinking about coming?
    I've got quite a few road bikes now, but you'll need to book early if you're coming in Jan/Feb. There are already some bookings for Dec-March.

    Well that's all I can think of right now - I do hope you can make it over!
    Cheers,
    Leslie.
    vertebr.ae | precision braking & shifting

Categories