Why a holiday home Tenerife for vacation, living and/or retirement is good is exposed here.

Tenerife means good holidays.. Having a holiday home on the biggest of all Canary Islands is delightfully different. Be it for renting yourself, for letting out, for buying, selling or, just for living.

There is of course, always the option of investing with additional mortgages.

But, never buy a property with strings attached...
You can flip houses, but, should know all kinds of property law.

Most popular attractions with shows and, other attractions Gastronomy, living and economy; Flowers, landscapes and regions; About flights, tours and, excursions;

Sports and recreations; Free port, imports/exports; Weather and timezone; Museums and Sciences Infrastructure, public transport restoring your health. map for biggest of all Canary Islands

The most important, general facts in the island's favor are:

Tenerife Information on the island for basic facts such as size, number inhabitants, economy with exports, agriculture, dairy, wine and fisheries, subsidies, political constitution with autonomy, on taxes and tax heaven, island's climate, people, schools for English education, property situation or availability but, without homes offered to buy or rent, you name it, you will find all under the topic information.

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Most popular attractions with shows and other attractions:

What sort of attractions does the biggest of all Canary Islands have ?

Lago Martianez/Lido Martianez Tenerife

(Photo: by César F.Real.Real.)

in Puerto de la Cruz

is one of the island's popular attractions.

This is where I had a lovely holiday in 1997 while we were hunting for property. We saw luxury apartments and, even, a couple of penthouses.

Villas or chalets were not too many around, then, in the area that interested us, except for one villa in Santa Ursua which is quite a lovely area to live.

Loro Park entertainment:
Another of the islands best attractions is the immaculately clean and well laid out theme park Loro Park with its Thai entrance building.
Once inside, you immediately encounter a fairly large pond with huge
multi colored ornamental fish. All are Koi carps.
Loro park is also in Puerto de la Cruz at the end of Playa Jardín.
It has many different rustic stalls for refreshments from where you enjoy subtropical plants and flowers.
You hear Loros sing who come in all sizes and colors.
The overwhelming excitement and applause from frequent dolphin, sea lion and Orca shows within the park can often be heard.

To find out more about entertainment by Loro park which includes a video on very exciting shows with dolphins, orcas and...

The best landmark of the island which is Santiago Calatrava's Auditorio and Opera House is not only one of the best attractions but, also a means hearing and seeing selected world music celebrities.
That reminds me a classic music and opera show I saw in 2008 at the Abaco in Puerto Cruz which was fantastic. That place is better to be invited to, by the way.

Other attractions:

Example of week-end shopping:

You may go on a best general shopping tour while sight seeing in Santa Cruz.
The capital is known for best electronic
shops.

In the quaint historical town of Garachico
shopping surrounded by art and history awaits you. The shop El Limonero is only just one of the town's finest.

Hyperstores on the biggest of all Canary Islands are Carrefour , with 2 stores, Ikea for House and Garden, with 1 store, only.

Mango and Zara are shop franchises for clothes and other. For more shopping online as well as information on Mango Home shops, please go to Tenerife online.

Gastronomy, living and economy:

• Restaurants and bars are varied and plentiful.
• Eating out in Tenerife is much cheaper starting with EU 4 for a proper lunch dish (cheapest prize seen in 2008).
• It is rather affordable because Spaniards eat out so much more often than people in the north of Europe.
• Because of the high competition of so many eating places food quality is generally high.

Living in Tenerife must be seen under many conditions such as:
Climate for health; recreation facilities and attractions with its carnival; as well as fiestas and festivals such as Romerias, clubs and churches available for socializing; entertainment facilities;Spain's economy; retirement where ( Claude who is a typical retiree in Tenerife gives advice, too.) or, living while working employed or unemployed, hence job availability; health care of which you will find an example and living costs.

A marvelous vacation in a welcoming and diversified Canary island may, virtually, be taken for granted.

You will enjoy yourself where fiestas, music, folklore, the arts, great shopping, good restaurants, sports, and recreations are almost priorities. All types of music are found and very often played live on the island.

Flowers, landscapes and regions;

Plants and flowers in all shapes and sizes on this most blessed of all Canary isles include immense subtropical and, indigenous varieties. Endemic fauna and flora on all Canary Islands amount to more than 4000.

No snakes in Tenerife, by the way... Only birds, wild cats and dogs, wild rabits, lizards and the most peculiar looking goats.

The natural beauty and diversity of the island which has different climate zones going from sea level to 3718 meters with mount Teide is amazing.

It's closeness to the African continent is to be felt although it does not have its heat.

Volcanic conditions render it more charming and unusual. Often, also, more fertile...

Regions with different landscapes are:

• The dense Mercedes Forests are loved for their pine trees as well as for their bird life. These forests are not far from the North Airport. They go over into the Highland region that joins into the Canadas del Teide 'plateau' which is a large, sunken crater of 15 km length at one point. Some areas are almost bare and remind of pictures seen in moon landings. Others almost remind of Arizona. But most are absolutely unique with all kinds of weird rocks such as seen in science fictions. Except for snow white rocks colors are mainly hints, but varied. They all depend on minerals contained in the stone or magma.

• Teno mountain range with its partly fragile and on the other hand menacing face and the most romantic village of the Canary Islands.

About flights, tours and, excursions:

Tours and frequent flights take you from virtually all cities in
Europe to your Tenerife vacation and many tours are done on the island.

Island hopping is possible by ferries as well as by Binter Canarias Airlines who also take you to Morocco.

Once in Tenerife, you can also pick up bargain flights to mainland Spain. You could have a marvelous short holiday in Valencia to see the famous Fallas Festival, for example. The Valencia Guide will also show you good flights from London to Spain.

Sports and recreations

• You can practice just about every sport in the Canaries.
Tenerife water sports with diving clubs and schools in north and south as well as golfing and, of course, tennis are highly thought after.
• Winter sports are not possible because of the unsuitable and protected terrain around Spain's tallest peak Teide.
• Gocarts are used in southern Tenerife.
Crazy rallies would be too dangerous but, all kinds of other national and sometimes international motor and cycling races take place.International cyclist champions train here for endurance performance in high altitude.

Here is the office for Bike tours
38004 Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Terra Incognita Ramon y Cajel
Tel: + 34 922 29371928

• More and more gyms are being opened up.
• Sports clubs for just about everything exist.
• I once met a German guy who told me that he had the most fantastic holiday on the biggest of all Canary Islands. How? He was touring it with his motor bike. He enjoyed biking in the highlands by mount Teide and its Cañadas most.

Football or soccer as the English say is, of course, also National Spanish sport on the Tinerfeños' island.
Certain bars like the one opposite my house called Tapas Longuera are full to the brim with fans watching an important Spanish or local match on TV or satelite TV.
Hotel Panoramica Gardens erected a drive-in size TV screen during the last European soccer champion ships by its bowling hall.

Free port, imports and exports

The Free Port Santa Cruz has docking facilities for all types and sizes of vessels, even for oil tankers. Luxury ocean liners stop over in Santa Cruz which is the capital on their way to West Indies.

Why can much money be saved by deviating from a free port?

The capital has a great nightlife, also, due to auditorium, port and many other attractions.

Weather and timezone

• moderate weather from 15C to 35C
  with winter and occasional rains from November to April while also sunny winter days will be between 25C and 30C.
• Snow falls only by mount Teide (more information above regarding sports)

For Canary Islands weather forecasts, please, go to BBC weather. You may then select 'Tenerife Norte' (for North) or Sur ( for South alternatively)daily forecasts on the island.
• The timezone of the largest of all Canary Islands is the same as the London time zone for being on the same longitude.

  (Meridian)

Water supply

• The largest of all Canary Islands receives its water from rains as well as from much moisture caught by the clouds in the forests by pines.

Museums and Sciences

• Many museums, mainly for history and culture,
  as well as ecology and mankind.
  Here is a list of the most important museums of the former island of the Guanches:
• Santa Cruz museum of man and nature (Museo del hombre y de la Naturaleza
  is the most interesting out of all museums in my mind.
The island is great for restoring your health and, your energy.

Walking in high altitudes where you may also get to by organizing your own Canadas trips may benefit certain heart diseases. The greenery of its forests is good for the eyes. So is the iodine rich air by Tenerife beaches and shores.

Walking in Tenerife like the Guanches
did on beaches, in towns as well as in
forests is not only ideal for health for the elderly. The Guanches were the owners of the island before Spain took over.

Spas, beauty and, massage salons will pamper you.

The island's 2 most contrasting climate zones mean that you may have a real snow battle in the morning (not in summer, though) and go to beach for surfing in the afternoon. You may be by the Teide within a bit more than an hour from Los Gigantes or las Americas

However, the island is not really suited for winter sports. The terrain in the Cañadas del Teide, where snow falls, doesn't really permit it.




The beautiful, golden sand beach in the picture is Playa Teresita 20 min from the capital Santa Cruz. Sorry, Playa las Teresitas... Warm Playa Las Teresitas is very popular in the north for its quiet waters.

The correct name is Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

There are other towns by that name in the world, you know...

In fact, shopping in Santa Cruz with its commercial centers is obviously best in the island.

Infrastructure and public transport in Tenerife:

Infrastructure for roads is fairly good.


Public bus and electric tram transport is being provided by Titsa.
Click for Tenerife information bus tips to save money by Titsa Bonobus to get around on the island and within towns...

Other means such as Binter Canarias Airlines for short distance flights as well as the inter island ferry Fred Olson were mentioned above under the topic flights and tours.

You may use Titsa also to get around with major bus lines listed from the island's oldest resort to see attractions in its environment or in towns in the south or vice versa which applies for organizing your own walking on the island, as well.

For do it yourself Teide excursions bus lines and possibilities to start off such trips from different points taking different routes also come with bus lines listed which help, of course also for walking on the island outings.

Influences by other countries and cultures

Much is reported about such influences in history Santa Cruz

English is slowly becoming one of the main languages in Tenerife. Government is doing everything that every child learns it from small on, nowadays.

In the South like on this beach los Gigantes you will almost feel like staying in a province of England as far as language is concerned.

In the North of the island you will also be pleasantly surprised at how many people
wilL understand you. Especially, in international shops such as Ikea or, in electronic outlets.( More on Ikea at Santa Cruz shopping.)

Playa (beach)La Arena by Los Gigantes was always very popular with the British. Now, more and more people get attracted by this sea side resort with yacht harbor because, the town of giant cliffs has much to offer.

Several Canary Islands had wildfires in 2007.
However, there is no problem with fires and a holiday home, unless you want a holiday close to forests or within forests.

Fire protection for property in a wildfire zone is not that hard, by the way because, indigenous plants such as Canary pines are naturally fire resistant.

And, while we are at it... What 'it'? Talking about forests and danger, please, check out rural properties (fincas).

Holiday home direct from owner Los Gigantes Puerto de Santiago

Would you like to see a VIDEO on a vacation which is showing the whole island?

We, once, looked at a potato finca. Don't laugh... It really had potential. Renovator's dream potential. You know...

But, you should not live somewhere on another continent far away if you want to face that kind of an investment involving too much renovation.


















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