I'm going to Tenerife, please help me!

[KiplingsCat]

So I'm going to Tenerife with my Astro class to look at stuff through the big telescope there, but the way flights work out, I have to spend a few extra days of not looking through a telescope while I'm there. Now, initially I was all like ah well, guess I'll have to spend a few days lying on the beach, oh darn, but meh, how bad. But then I did some research and discovered that Tenerife is icky and full of skanger tourists. And my friend was all like "yeah, that's just the way it is in Tenerife, you should embrace the experience" but I don't want to embrace it. It's sticky and smells of stale cigarette smoke and has chewing gum stuck to the carpet, who would embrace something like that?

So has anyone here been to Tenerife? Does anyone know of a nice town with a few good cafes and restaurants and a clean, quiet place to sleep at night? I really want to avoid the tourist resorts, I wouldn't like that at all.

 

[Stylo]

Maybe it won't be as bad as you hear. I've known people go there on holiday and said it was great. Course there's gonna be loads of tourists there, it's Tenerife! It's a Canary Island, tourism is absolutely rife over there.

Apparently it's mainly the South of the island that gets the tourism. I think the UK has the most number of tourists that go to Tenerife out of all the countries that do though, so if you do come across any groups close up they will probably be good old British chavs.

Also, this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU7JjJJZi1Q

 

[DEATH eVADER]

So I'm going to Tenerife with my Astro class to look at stuff through the big telescope there, but the way flights work out, I have to spend a few extra days of not looking through a telescope while I'm there. Now, initially I was all like ah well, guess I'll have to spend a few days lying on the beach, oh darn, but meh, how bad. But then I did some research and discovered that Tenerife is icky and full of skanger tourists. And my friend was all like "yeah, that's just the way it is in Tenerife, you should embrace the experience" but I don't want to embrace it. It's sticky and smells of stale cigarette smoke and has chewing gum stuck to the carpet, who would embrace something like that?

So has anyone here been to Tenerife? Does anyone know of a nice town with a few good cafes and restaurants and a clean, quiet place to sleep at night? I really want to avoid the tourist resorts, I wouldn't like that at all.

If you can hire a car, you could make the trip to the Volcano yourself (just to pass the time whilst waiting to use the observatory). I've been there myself and due to the shape of the volcano it blocks out the rest of the light from the ground, and it is an amazing place to stargaze, went at the cablecar base-station of Teide at 12:00 at night

Apparently it's mainly the South of the island that gets the tourism. I think the UK has the most number of tourists that go to Tenerife out of all the countries that do though, so if you do come across any groups close up they will probably be good old British chavs.

^This, I think when I went I was staying at Puerto de la Cruz (North) with my Parents. It is quite busy but it has a nice atmosphere, good restaurants, good shops (If I remember correctly there was an interesting Cigar rolling shop in de la Cruz, and sea food restaurant), a zoo at Punto Brava, 2miles West along the coast of the town and easy to walk to. Moped noise is a constant problem at night, but you can't avoid that unless you stay at the smaller villages higher up the islands Volcano

If you want to avoid the rowdiness and British chavs, then avoid the South like the plague

 

[Solaris]

Great spot to get pissed.

 

[CptStern]

So I'm going to Tenerife with my Astro class to look at stuff through the big telescope there, but the way flights work out, I have to spend a few extra days of not looking through a telescope while I'm there. Now, initially I was all like ah well, guess I'll have to spend a few days lying on the beach, oh darn, but meh, how bad. But then I did some research and discovered that Tenerife is icky and full of skanger tourists. And my friend was all like "yeah, that's just the way it is in Tenerife, you should embrace the experience" but I don't want to embrace it. It's sticky and smells of stale cigarette smoke and has chewing gum stuck to the carpet, who would embrace something like that?

wtf is wrong with you?

 

[KiplingsCat]

Stylo and DEATHeVADER, thanks for that, I figured that the south would be pretty crap but I wasn't sure if the north would be much better, so you've reassured me. @DEATHeVADER, The observatory is actually on the volcano so maybe I'll get a chance to wander around there. Puerto de la Cruz is about 45 mins away so I'll probably stay there when I'm not observing, it sounds pretty nice from what you've said. I also want to visit a town called La Orotava...did you see any of that while you were there? It's right next to Puerto de la Cruz and it has lots of old Renaissance buildings, looks kind of pretty.

 

[Sulkdodds]

You could always hang out with the tourists and think of it as diversifying your studies into anthropology.

 

[CptStern]

you know most tourists want to get laid on vacation right? jebus people where the hell are your priorities?

 

[Hectic Glenn]

I personally go for the architecture. So Puerto de la Cruz looks a good bet.

 

[Shakermaker]

Visit the cowboy village. It was originally built as a set for spaghetti westerns. It is also one of the few remotely interesting things to visit on Tenerife. Basically the island is one big tourist trap. Avoid Playa de las Americas like the plague.

Too bad you're not going to the telescopes on La Palma. It is a beautiful island and it has hardly any tourists. Maybe you can go there on a multi-day trip? As far as I know there is a ferry service from Tenerife to La Palma and vice versa.

 

[kazsymonds]

I go to Tenerife on holiday every year. It really isn't anything like you seem to describe, OP. The South is pretty much full of tourists, but most are mature kind of age (younger people mostly seem to tend to go to the likes of Ibiza etc).

There are some very nice restaurants, and nice places to go even on the south of the island.

 

[StardogChampion]

But if you're visiting Tenerife, you are a tourist.

 

[kazsymonds]

But if you're visiting Tenerife, you are a tourist.

Yup, and so is OP.

 

[KiplingsCat]

you know most tourists want to get laid on vacation right? jebus people where the hell are your priorities?

I have a boyfriend. Mainly my priority here is to take astronomical data. However, I also want to drink wine and eat well and, like Glenn, see nice architecture/other interesting things while I'm not peering through a telescope (or staring at a computer, being the modern equivalent). It isn't that I dislike tourists (I am one myself, after all), it's just that I dislike facilities which are purpose built for them. If I'm in Tenerife, I mainly want to do what people from Tenerife do. I have no interest in drinking at a bar where everybody is speaking English. I might as well have stayed at home.

 

[CptStern]

I dont see a wedding ring on your finger!!!

 

[NeptuneUK]

"I'm going somewhere + 'generic hearsay complaint statement'"

 

[KiplingsCat]

I dont see a wedding ring on your finger!!!

You sound like my grandmother.

 

[CptStern]

...is she hot?

 

[KiplingsCat]

Hell no. Just old and deaf.

 

[Shakermaker]

Did some research. This ferry company does trips to La Palma. It takes two hours to get there and a round trip costs about 50 euro. You arrive in the capital of the island, Santa Cruz de la Palma. That town has a beautiful old town center, including a big ass monument for Columbus. You could also do a day trip from there to the telescopes. From there you have a great view of the Caldera de Taburiente.

 

[KiplingsCat]

Thanks! It would be really interesting to see the telescope at La Palma since I spent all of last summer studying data that came from it. Is the capital of every island called Santa Cruz?

 

[Minister]

Just stay away from Bulgarian vagrants.

 

[<RJMC>]

I fond interesting how people of the north countryes of europe flock to canary island due to being the most tropical place they can go,and safest

is there so few sun north there?

 

[Stylo]

I fond interesting how people of the north countryes of europe flock to canary island due to being the most tropical place they can go,and safest

is there so few sun north there?

I can tell you that in the UK there are 3 official classes of weather that we use.

Bloody Hot.

Bloody Cold.

Bloody Wet.

These interchange erratically, ignoring seasons.

 

[KiplingsCat]

In Ireland it's mainly the last two, plus "Bloody Windy" which seems to be fairly consistent all year round.

 

[Asknoone]

My friend's mother died in Tenerife. I can't say when I'll go back.