Tenerife boasts a diverse natural and cultural heritage and countless records.
Let's take a look at some interesting facts!

The Canary Islands are located in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, geographically they belong to Africa, administratively they belong to Spain, administratively they belong to Spain, but they are an autonomous community, meaning they have their own government and legal system.

Of the 8 islands of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is the largest. Other islands: Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Graciosa, La Gomera, La Palma, El Hiero.

Tenerife has an area of ​​2,034 km², for comparison, Hungary is 93,026 km2, so about 45 times larger than Tenerife, in other words, Tenerife's area is about 4 Budapests or 3 Balatons.

Tenerife is home to 43 percent of the Canary Islands' population,with a population of about 960,000 people, while Hungary has ten times that, with about 9.6 million people.

It is interesting Tenerife is visited annually by about "Hungary's" number of people, i.e. about 9 million tourists

Tenerife's population density is 442 people/km2, Hungary's is 105 people/km2. 2/3 of the local population lives in the northern part of the island and in the capital.

Tenerife is located 300 km from the west coast of Africa, 3738 km from Budapest .
Tenerife is a 5 and a half hour flight from Budapest, a similar distance to Dubai or Nigeria.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas on Gran Canaria alternately hold, every 4 years the title of “Capital of the Canary Islands”.

The name of the island means “white” (teni) “mountain” (ife), which comes from the people of La Palma and the Spanish added an “r” between the words. One of the indigenous kings here was also named “Tinerfe”. The Canary Islands (including Gran Canaria) were named after dogs (island of dogs) by the Romans and only much later the Canary bird was named after the islands. So the island was not named after the Canary bird, but vice versa. The local people born here are called “Canarians”.

Did you know that Tenerife and Scotland have the same national flag?It is a white cross on a blue background, the reason for this is that both have Saint Andrew as their patron saint. The 3 colors of the Canary Islands flag are also associated with Tenerife, blue symbolizing the ocean, yellow the sun, and white symbolizing the snowy Teide.

Tenerife is also called the island of eternal spring, but we would rather call it the island of eternal summer, because here you can swim in the ocean all year round.The water is of course not as warm as, for example, the Aegean Sea, but it is definitely refreshing. Never take weather forecasts at face value, because Tenerife has dozens of microclimates.So it is natural here that one minute you are on the beach in the ocean and half an hour later you can find yourself in the mountains in autumn weather, or even see the snowy peak of Teide. All this on this tiny little island in less than 1 hour…

Teide The jewel of Tenerife isnot only the highest peak in Spain, but also in the Atlantic Ocean region. Including its height below sea level , it is the third largest volcano in the world.Teide National Park is not only home to the volcano, but also to a unique flora and fauna, as well as unique volcanic landscapes. The park welcomes over 3 million visitors a year and is one of the most visited national parks in the world.

Interestingly, Teide is 3718 meters high, and the distance between Tenerife's capital Santa Cruz and Budapest is almost the same at 3738 kilometers.

Tenerife has the largest water park in Europe, with an area of ​​185,000 m². Siam Park boasts numerous records and has been voted the best water park in the world several times according to TripAdvisor votes. It also has the world's largest slide and an artificial wave pool, which can create waves up to 3 meters high.

Tenerife is home to the longest volcanic tunnel in Europe, the Cueva del Viento, with a length of 17 km, making it one of the longest volcanic cave systems not only in Europe but also in the world. The lava formations and cave ecology here are unique.

The Macizo de Anaga Biosphere Reserve, located in the Anaga Mountains, is the oldest point on the island and where, thanks to its isolation, the vegetation from 5 million years ago is found in an almost untouched form. 

The second largest carnival in the world is the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year. The carnival is only surpassed by Rio in terms of size and attractions. The event lasts for more than a week and includes programs such as the election of the “Reina” carnival queen and the “Coso” main parade. During the 1- month festival, about 400 thousand people party in the streets dressed in costumes!

Loro Park is the best zoo in the world and is home to the world's largestIt also has a collection of parrots, with over 350 different species and 4,000 individuals. The park is also an important conservation center that works to save endangered species.

Due to its exceptionally clear skies, virtually zero light pollution and its high altitude (2,400 m), the Teide Observatory is the third most visited astronomical observatory in the world, after Hawaii and Chile. It also houses the world's largest solar telescope.

Tenerife also offers divers a unique underwater world and spectacular volcanic formations. The most popular places include Los Cristianos, Los Gigantes and El Puertito, Alcala.

In Puerto de la Cruz is the Jardín Botánico, the largest botanical garden in the world,covering 25 hectares and home to thousands of plant species from different parts of the world. The garden is particularly famous for its palm trees and tropical plants.

.Canyons and ravines are called Barranco, which can be 3 meters or 300 meters deep. In Tenerife, about 2000 such cracks were created as a result of volcanic activity or erosion. Notable ravines include Masca, Ruiz, Güímar, Infierno.

Tenerife has extremely good transport and road quality. There are about 200 km of motorways on the island, which can be crossed in just over 1 hour (TF1). Most of the roads are motorways, and the rest are serpentine mountain roads, which are not recommended for novice drivers. A tunnel connecting the north and south will soon be completed.

Almost everything in Tenerife is cheaper than in Hungary,thanks to the 7% VAT, among other things. The motorway, parking, and public transport are free for locals on the island.

The quality and freshness of food in Tenerife far exceed the average and they also cost less than in Hungary. Spanish cuisine is deservedly world- famous. You should definitely not miss the small restaurants serving local dishes, called Guachinche, and the pubs are called Chiringito.

Did you know that in Tenerife, it is legal to smoke weed under certain conditions and that you can drive with an alcohol level of 0.05%?

Did you know that Shakespeare's favorite wine was Tenerife wine?

Did you know that Agatha Christie came here to relax and recover from her depression and wrote some of her novels here?

Did you know that Tenerife is a favorite training place for athletes?Athletes from all over the world come here, such as the Bayern Munich football team, cyclists, triathletes, swimmers such as Kristóf Milák or Katinka Hosszú. In addition, rally and iron man competitions are also held on the island. Tenerife is also a paradise for golfers, with more than 10 exclusive golf clubs here.

Did you know that Tenerife is a favorite location for filmmakers?Thanks to its special geographical features, countless large-scale films have been filmed here, such as The Great Heist, Clash of the Titans, or Fast and Furious. Tenerife has been visited by countless world stars who not only came to work on the island, but also regularly return to relax or own their own property on the island.

Did you know that the Canary Islands government was the first in Spain (in 1991) to abolish bullfighting.

A little history

Before the Spanish conquest, the indigenous people living here, the "Guancos", whose origins are still a mystery to archaeologists. They do not know for sure where they came from, as they have Berber blood in their genetics, but they still had European features, so research does not rule out Viking, Celtic, or Basque bloodlines. In 1492, Christopher Columbus set off from the neighboring islands of Gran Canaria and then La Gomera to explore the western waters, and reached the Bahamas a month later. Thanks to his first voyage and the currents, this became the main route to America, which significantly increased the role and influence of Tenerife on overseas development. The Canary Islands are closely linked to Latin American countries, as many people have emigrated over the past 500 years and brought their customs, architecture, or, for example, the Canarian dialect, which is much closer to Latin American Spanish than to Spanish. The streetscape of the island's old capital, La Laguna, is very similar to certain parts of Havana, Colombia, Venezuela, and Costa Rica, because the architect who designed and shaped La Laguna was put on a ship so that he could design similar cities on the American continent.

Tenerife offers a lot of interesting things and attractions, whether it's a natural wonder, a cultural event or an entertainment program. Which information was the most interesting for you?