British Guild of Travel Writers 2010Annual General Meeting 26th to 29th January

Adventurous

spirit of Tenerife

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Tenerife offers adrenalin junkies many activities from climbing to hiking, diving

to mountain biking, canyoning to horseriding, and with the island’s year-round

warm climate it is a great place to try out these activities. Some of the adventure

highlights include:

Canyoning - There are excellent opportunities for canyoning due to the extensive

range of ravines, including the spectacular Barranco de Carrizal, in the Teno

Massif, with water and numerous short abseiling descents. One of the longest

routes on the island is the Barranco del Río, a tough course that starts at an

altitude of 2000 metres and comprises a succession of abseils through beautiful

scenery and an abundance of water. In contrast, the Barranco de Badajoz, in the

district of Güímar, is dry, very narrow with some fantastic abseiling.

Caving - The volcanic structures and formations are without doubt Tenerife’s

most splendid natural resources. Caving gives visitors a unique chance to get to

know these structures from the inside and to understand the powerful processes

that formed them. Tenerife’s rich underground heritage is made up of over a

hundred volcanic tubes, potholes and other underground formations. There are

many caving sites, the most significant being the famous “Cueva del Viento”

(Wind Cave) in the district of Icod, in the north of the island. With around 17

kilometres of galleries it makes up one of the most extensive volcanic complexes

in the world.

Climbing - The type of volcanic rock on the island, the excellent year round climate

and the large number of climbing areas for all levels makes Tenerife a popular

destination for European climbers. There are almost a thousand different routes

all over the island, the best known being Barranco de Arico and the spectacular

Cañada del Capricho in the heart of the Teide National Park, that has almost a

hundred routes around the highest mountain in Spain. Other areas good for

practising are the Mesa de Tejina with easy routes, Valle Tabares, protected

routes near the capital of the island and Martiánez, a cliff situated in the heart

of Puerto de la Cruz.

Hiking - Tenerife has a great number of tracks and footpaths in a variety of

environments, settings and climates, all with different levels of difficulty. Hiking

gives visitors a deeper understanding of the island, discovering its beauty and

the unique way of life of its people including the aboriginal population, the

“guanches,” who made the first trails through the dense laurisilva forest and the

grazing areas near Mount Teide.

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Horse riding - In Tenerife the bridle-paths cross mountain prairies, ancient trails,

volcanic beaches and meander through leafy forests. It is a different and enjoyable

way of getting to know the island and its countryside and many companies offer

the chance to ride freely, with a guide, or in small organised groups and even the

opportunity to take a ride that lasts several days.

Mountain biking – There are a varied network of forest tracks that cover the

mountains of Tenerife making the island an ideal destination for a biking

holiday. The Corona Forestal, which surrounds the Teide National Park and the

hills around La Esperanza are some of the best areas to cycle and offer tracks

of varying degrees of difficulty. Cycling is an option in Mount Teide’s protected

areas, although the use is limited to roads and paths specially designed for

vehicles. More demanding routes can be found in the north of the island or the

area around the Teide National Park.

Paragliding - Tenerife has more than 40 different launch sites and is increasingly

attracting paragliders to its shores with the great variety of flying areas located

near one another and the exceptional climate that allows flying almost every day

of the year. This sport is very popular on the island and there are many clubs that

offer courses, advice (essential to get to know the wind patterns for safe flying)

and the chance of flying tandem (a good way to get started).

Scuba diving - Tenerife is a paradise for diving enthusiasts with its great climate,

mainly calm waters, temperatures between 19 and 25 degrees centigrade and

a variety of great diving sites, all with a rich marine life, sunken ships and

volcanic tubes. There is a network of diving centres around the island catering

for beginners to advanced divers, plus a decompression chamber in the Hospital

Universitario de Canarias on the island. The most popular dive sites are off the

Southeast Coast from centres such as Radazul, Las Eras or Las Galletas where

divers can find slopes, walls and spectacular chasms.

- Ends -

Tenerife Tourism Corporation

For more information visit www.webtenerife.com or contact Raquel Fonseca

Email: raquel@humewhitehead.co.uk Tel: (0) 20 8334 7026