Tenerife

The beaches of Tenerife deliver more drama than you might imagine: from midnight black shores whipped by the bad tempered Atlantic to cliff-clasped coves reachable only on foot and flour-soft sands imported from the Sahara. In the north, where wild, forest-cloaked mountains dive abruptly to the ocean, the coast is thrillingly remote and serene, a far cry from the “party island” clichés of the south.

Having erupted from the Atlantic 30 million years ago, the sun-toasted Canary Islands host an irresistibly diverse clutch of protected landscapes, with soulful Tenerife leading the way thanks to its 43 designated natural areas.

Once known for its wild all-night parties, Tenerife now enthralls with even wilder landscapes – and a million and one ways to embrace them.

Tenerife gives you the feel of traveling to a far-flung land without breaking the bank – off the coast of Morocco but part of Spain, it can give you a surprising amount of mileage for your euro.

Tenerife is an island, but it’s a big one, particularly when you venture off the autopista (highway) and onto the narrow roads that rollercoaster into the remote mountains rippling across the north.

Culturally, geographically, and spiritually, Tenerife is a one-off. There is nowhere else in Europe where you swing from cliff-clasped, black-sand beaches battered by Atlantic waves to whale-visited bays, mountain wineries, and time-lost villages that are every bit as lovely as when the Spanish rocked up 500 years ago.