TENERIFE - CANARY ISLANDS

Affectionately known as the 'island of eternal spring', Tenerife is home to striking volcanic landscapes and open green countryside. Situated just off the West African coast, enjoy golden and charcoal grey beaches, picturesque mountain villages, pretty coastal towns and year-round subtropical climates. Beneath the dizzy heights of Mount Teide, you'll find an exceptional holiday destination. Tenerife is the largest island of the archipelago. There are most varied landscapes: a mountain range with the mighty volcanic crater Cañadas del Teide, with a diameter of 20 kilometers, and the 3.718 meters high Teide in its center; extremely fertile valleys with important vegetation and a coastline offering stunning steep coves and wide beaches of fine sand. Probably best known in the UK for the southern resorts of Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos, it is up in the greener and more lush north that you will fins the far more attractive resort of Puerto de la Cruz and it is this part of the island which plays host to a friendly, long-established gay scene.

A little bit about Puerto de la Cruz

The scene in Puerto is more intimate and villagey than in some gay destinations – think Brighton rather than London, for example – but that’s not to say that there isn’t a satisfyingly comprehensive selection of gay and gay-friendly venues, most of which are located within easy walking distance of  the accommodation offered here. There are a couple of saunas (Laurent and Sauna Puerto) as well as quite a few gay run cafés.

You’re bound to spend some time at the famous Lago Martinez, the lido complex designed by Cesar Manrique and the perfect spot for soaking up the sun, having a swim and doing a bit of cruising. As you go in, turn left for the gay area but, for something a bit more intimate, there are plenty of small nudist beaches dotted all around the coast. Great fun discovering them and even more fun once you’re there! Try Playa Bollullo, just a couple of miles outside Puerto de la Cruz, with the middle section pretty much 100% gay and some serious cruising going down by the banana plantation. And if that wasn’t enough, just at the end of Playa Bollullo there’s another beach called Los Patos which, again, is pretty much 100% gay and generally preferred by those in the know.

Aside from all things gay, there are loads of excellent restaurants to tickle your palate, and there are a number of really great days out on offer. Not to missed is the Loro Parque, a fantastic nature park covering 135,000 square metres where the main attractions are the world’s biggest collection of parrots and one of the world’s best (and acknowledged as one of the most humane) dolphin shows. Elsewhere, you might like to pay a visit to the Jardin Botanico (botanical gardens), the incredible Parque Taoro or the fascinating archaeological museum close to the Plaza del Charco.

If you decide to hire a car you simply must drive inland to the imposing Mount Teide and its surrounding parks, and from here you can unspoilt villages and towns such as Garachico, Icod de los Vinos, La Laguna, La Oratava and Masca.

Either way, however you choose to spend your time you’ll find Tenerife a gay holiday destination quite unlike any other with an atmosphere all of its own and a charm that’s difficult to ignore.

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