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Tenerife is the largest (2034sq km) and highest (3718m) in the archipelago of the Canary Islands, with an estimated population of 655,656. The Canary Islands are split into 2 Spanish provinces; The Westerly Islands of Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera and Hierro from the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (chief town Santa Cruz) while the Eastern Islands of Gran Canaria, FuerteVentura and Lanzarote from the province of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Tenerife's central mountain, Mt. Teide, stands at 12,200 feet, and is the highest in Spain. A cable-car ride to the summit offers unrivalled views of the lunar-like landscape of the volcanic slopes. The view from its peak on one of the frequent crystal clear days is simply breathtaking. Colors from the different types of volcanic rock are seen clearly hues of ochre, orange and rust, green, black and beige, an entire color palette in fact! On the higher slopes grow a variety of plants like the bushy clumps of Teide daisy flower.
The northern coast of Tenerife is bordered by steep cliffs, but the southern part of the island slopes down to one of the few regions of level coastal plain in the volcanic islands of the archipelago. Tenerife has traditional rural towns, hillside villages and extraordinarily unusual landscapes formed from the twisted lava-rock of Mount Tiede. It is indeed a paradise for tourists and makes an idyllic holiday destination.
The resorts of Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos have all but merged to form one big playground for the younger tourists, with bright lights and vibrant clubs and bars. Puerto de la Cruz is, quieter and cooler, and more popular with the older crowd. The island s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, is an upbeat town geared for tourism. Its port, where once the first shots of the Spanish Civil War were fired, is today a morass of ferries, jetfoils and freighters.
According to some scientists the name Tenerife means snow-capped mountain in Guanche language. Tenerife is also referred as the island of two faces, an island with a 'north-south' divide. The island enjoys perfect climate with markedly little change in the average temperatures between summer and winter -- varying between 15 and 24 There is only very occasional rain. With lush forests in the northern part, mountains, deserts, volcanoes, exotic plant and animal life, and spectacular beaches (with black volcanic sand), it s everyone s dream holiday. Heaven on earth!
On warm, sunny days, you can just bask around on the beach, and take occasional cooling dips in the sea. Activities like ball games, water sports, surfing and beach volleyball are also popular. You can also enjoy hiking, climbing, paragliding, cycling, photography or any other outdoor pursuit that benefits from the wonderful climate and diversity of topography and landscape.
For some exercise and exploration, one can walk along the lesser populated stretches of the beautiful shorelines. Tenerife offers the unique experience of swimming and sunbathing on beautiful beaches while just a few miles away is glistening snow on the crest of Mount Teide.
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