Masca

Advantages: Beautiful, scenic village
Disadvantages: Not the easiest place to get to

Masca Village is an absolute must see for any visitor to Tenerife. Admittedly, it is some distance from Las Americas and Los Cristianos, the two biggest tourist resorts. But it is a trip worth making. For those of you staying in Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago or Playa de la Arena, you have a much shorter journey. THE FORGOTTEN VILLAGE I'll start by telling you a little about Masca itself. The village of Masca is often referred to by locals as ...
...everywhere else. The population of Masca Village is only around a hundred, most of who remain there to serve the increasing number of tourists, largely hikers, who visit. At the top, the village lies at 2000ft altitude. WHO GOES THERE? Nowadays Masca is visited largely by hikers. The most common Masca walk to do follows the following itinery. A coach or car drops walkers off at the top of Masca Village, walkers make their way down the Barranco ... Read review

Advantages: Quiet, picturesque and relatively unspoiled. Year round sunshine.
Disadvantages: Very hilly. Parking can be a problem. Maybe too quiet for some. Small beach.

...-catering apartments. Keying any of these resorts into Google will give you a variety of private rental options. On average, I would say that you can rent a one bedroom apartment for around £225 to £300 per week dependent on the time of year. ~*~ THINGS TO DO NEARBY ~*~ ~~ Boat Trips ~~ There are several boats offering dolphin or whale safaris from Los Gigantes marina. The Nashira Uno or Katrin offer various different cruises. You can take a dolphin or whale spotting trip from €15 per person (sadly we spotted nothing at all), or you can take a sail up to Masca Bay for a swim. On all these trips you do get the most spectacular views of the cliffs close up, and you can really appreciate how very vast and domineering they are. ~~ Masca ~~ Masca is a village high up in the Teno Mountains. The houses in the village seem to perch... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Beautiful, well kept resort
Disadvantages: Not for clubbers or those with mobility diffculties

...and they are so worthwhile. I've loved all apart from the Glass Bottom Boat. This boat used to do great trips when I was younger, but more recently there has been a notable decline in standards. The staff operating the boat were even drinking alcohol before my last trip! The Nashira Uno is my favourite. It sails three times a day, with one three hour cruise and two 2 hour cruises. I would recommend the 2pm one as the water is lovely for swimming when the boat stops in Masca Bay, but take plenty of sun cream. The cost, last time I went at least, was 20 Euros for an adult, 7 for a child from 5 - 14 and free for children under five. You get spectacular views of the cliffs, very close to the dolphins and the opportunity to swim in Masca Bay. Food and drink is included in the cost of the trip with a very relaxed lunch of chicken paella on board whilst... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Stunning scenery, wonderful cuisine, luxurious hotels
Disadvantages: Rough image of lager louts in the south

..., along with the other hotels mentioned in quality tourism. Many excursions are offered: Why not take a trip to sea the thousand year old (although more likely three to four hundred years old) dragon tree? Trips to very small villages such as Masca and Taganana (I even spotted Norman Wisdom in the latter) are also available. The most popular trip is one to Teide, which also encompasses the town of La Oratava with its traditional Canarian bulidings. Teide itself rise above the clouds surrounded by Lunar landscapes. Whatever trip you take (as long as it's not to south) you won't be disappointed. A must in one of the places above is to sample the most famous Canarian dish of small potatos cooked in their skins in salted water - papas arrugadas, these are served with a spicy red sauce or a cooler green sauce: salsa rojo y salsa verde... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful