Whether you’re a full on thrill seeker or just looking for something a little more than a fly and flop fortnight, Tenerife’s laid on some top notch activities for you. From a quick whizz around a very impressive go kart track to a gluteus maximus clenching paraglide over valleys and forests, this Canary Island is an adrenaline boosting nook in the Atlantic that’s well worth your time.
Options are numerous, so naturally we’ve done some of the heavy lifting in terms of research, reading and deliberating. Combing the island we’ve laid out our best finds below. Hop on a quad, shin up a boulder, set a personal best on the track or soar through the air. Of course, how you get your Tenerife kicks is up to you. But it would be a shame to miss out on some of these while rifling through your poolside page turner …
Go Karting
If you’re used to racing on indoor tracks in the UK, go karting in Tenerife has a cracking outdoor circuit for you to find your racing line on. Whether you’ve spent a little too long behind the virtual wheel in Gran Turismo or this is your first time putting the pedal to the metal, the track is high spec enough to find some real thrills. Accelerate on the apex, gather your co-drivers and check it out …
Karting Tenerife
Age is almost no barrier at this 1.2km track in Santa Cruz. Ages 3 and up can take a spin – though the youngest in your group will need to hop in a two seater kart, with an adult behind the wheel. Six kart models fill the all important ‘something for everyone’ quota. But the real test is getting behind the wheel of the slick Centurion CRG racing kart. Strictly for over 18s only. Solid reviews, though we agree with some that say this track is on the expensive side of things. For safety reasons, younger drivers race on a smaller track (250m).
Quad Biking
Explore parts of Tenerife you’d never conquer in your hire car with a quad bike tour. Four wheeled fun takes on many guises, including night tours, forest safaris and volcano trips. Ultimately your quad biking in Tenerife experience depends on which terrain you’re looking to whizz across. These companies have some options for you …
Quad Safari
Pack your driving license for all of Quad Safari’s tours. You’ll be hitting the roads, so you’ll want your driving skills to be top notch. Off road, things get dusty – so bring something you won’t want to wear again during your stay. If two of you share a quad, their Teide tour comes in at a reasonable €55 each. You’ll be quad biking on Tenerife back roads to reach Mount Teide for some volcano views and off road shenanigans. A good shout for a very different way to get to see the island’s most famous attraction.
Quad Excursions Tenerife
Plump for Quad Excursions if you’re looking to add some variety to your quad biking experience in Tenerife. Their Teide Sunset tour’s a chance to see the volcano in a different light – though expect to be driving back in the dark. For us, it’s the forest trip that’s worth doing. The prices are higher than some quad biking companies in Tenerife, though you’ll benefit from a free pick up and drop off – and some wine and tapas. Which, when you’ve been quad biking for 4 hours in the Tenerife heat – is a very welcome bonus.
Paragliding
If land-based thrills aren’t quite cutting it, try paragliding in Tenerife. Although this extreme sport scores low in the workout stakes – your cortisol and adrenaline will be through the roof. Step off a suitably steep slope and let your canopy (and your pilot) do the work. Once you ’ re in the sky, you’ll be able to clue the rest of us in to what a ‘birds-eye-view’ of Tenerife is like. We’ve picked out two Tenerife paragliding companies that take their skies and safety seriously …
Tenerfly
Flights at Tenerfly start at around €90 for 15-20mins, though the whole experience lasts much longer. And while this is a great intro package, we’re tempted to go all in. Yes, their Iza ñ a flight will cost you another €100, but you ’ ll be in the air for 30 – 40 mins. That extra time (and money) buys you the highest flight in Europe. Step off Mount Teide and land on the beach – seeing everything in between. No doubt catching a few thermals on the way – depending on the wind direction – you’ll fly over the Orotava Valley checking out the entire north coast on the descent. Or you’ll soar over the Güimar Valley and Pico Cho Marcial´s Volcano. Either way, it’s pretty stunning.
Overfly Tenerife
Overfly’s basic flight competes nicely with Tenerfly at €90 – though, again, we’re going to
recommend forking out a little extra. And, this is where paragliding in Tenerife gets interesting. All options are piloted – but their €115 Performance flight lets you take control. After some suitably stern words of instruction, of course. Thrilling, and not to be scoffed at. But our inner thrill seeker can’t resist a crack at the Acrobatic flight. Expect to feel some serious G-force as you switch from wingovers to deep spirals. Tricks and stunts for €130? Count us in.
Climbing
If you know your pinches and pockets from your bolted routes – you don’t need us to tell you that Tenerife is a climbing force to be reckoned with. Conditions, landscapes and the sheer variety of walls, overhangs, slabs, cracks and boulders on offer will keep you climbing for weeks. But, if you’re just getting to grips with knots and carabiners, Tenerife’s got a climbing school that can show you the basics – or take more experienced climbers to the island’s top spots.
El Ocho Climbing School
For over a decade this climbing school has been showcasing Tenerife’s climbing spots and
training climbers who want to take on some of the Canary Island’s best walls. All of their
instructors are accredited and can take you bouldering, climbing, sport climbing or canyoning. They can cater to beginners, intermediate and advanced climbers – so no need to worry if it’s your first time at the rock face. Their beginner course is a 6 hour intro that nicely mixes Tenerife views with a grounding in climbing basics. Prices start at €150 each for two or more climbers.
