My destination Tenerife
is the largest of the Canary Islands, which are a series of Islands in the Atlantic. Located off the coast of Morocco, the Canary Islands are a nationality of Spain. They were an important stopping point for the Spanish galleons and conquistadors heading to pillage the New World. So, you know, they’re used to tourists with money to spend.
I went with my brother to Tenerife because my brother is a scratch golfer and Tenerife golf
is otherwordly. You can play next to the ocean with a volcano in sight. There are nine courses on Tenerife, we played three of them: Golf Las Americas, Golf del Sur, and Buenavista Golf. All were amazing to look at, and for me, infuriating to play. But that’s because I suck, not because they aren’t awesome. My brother, an avid golfer who rarely plays outside of the United States, was glowing the whole time.
There is way more to do then just Golf on Tenerife. For such a small Island, (about 700 square miles) there is an amazing amount of nature to see and experience. Turns out that the volcano that watched me four putt is the tallest mountain in Spain. It’s called El Teide, and it’s an active volcano that tourists are no longer allowed to descend into, but there are fantastic hiking trails as well as a cable car that takes you up it. There’s also a botanical garden, a zoo and the Parque Rural de Anaga with lots of fantastic hikes.
And then there are, naturally, the beaches. This is one of those European getaway islands, so of course beaches with people wearing barely anything are everywhere. The south side of the Island is the younger area, with the retirees congregating to the North. Water sports are popular as well, especially scuba diving, which centers around the volcanic formations on the surrounding ocean floor.