Tenerife Holidays To Bounce Back For 2008

Visitors to the Spanish island of Tenerife will tell you some of the many reasons which made this tropical paradise the number one destination for Canary Island visitors for many years, before tourism numbers dropped for the first time in a long while last year.

Of the seven islands that make up the Canaries, Tenerife attracts almost half of the British visitors - Tenerife's most important market - who holiday on the Canaries in a typical year.

Of those tourists, a third will return to Tenerife again. Despite the drop in visitor numbers last year Tenerife attracted nearly one and a half million tourists for 2007, and tourism made up sixty per cent of the island's GDP - showing just how important the holiday market is to the island.

Business owners have answered the call to increase the number of visitors for this year by catering to the modern demands of today's tourists - the island is rife with five star hotels and resorts that offers luxury accommodation, sightseeing packages, all-inclusive holidays as well as access to colourful markets, beaches, restaurants and clubs.

Tenerife is also home to many smaller economy hotels and guest houses, along with self catering villas.

One of Tenerife's biggest draws for tourists is her great beaches. A real mix of both man made and naturally formed beaches, the island has a location for all your fun-in-the-sun activities; from snorkeling, to scuba diving to windsurfing or just for soaking up some sun.

Whether you prefer a secluded cove or a wide open stretch of sand, tourists will appreciate the efforts made by local government, as well as private business owners, to provide visitors with high standards of cleanliness and access to facilities such as restrooms and showers.

If exploration is more your cup of tea, Tenerife is abundant with breathtaking natural beauty and opportunities for hiking and sightseeing. Tenerife has the highest mountain in Spain, Mt. Teide, which is home to an extraordinary 48 km. crater left behind by an inactive volcano. Tourists who want to make a day of it can hike to the crater - those with less time or desire to hike can catch a cable car to the summit where a magnificent view of this sublime paradise awaits.

Another of Tenerife's natural tourist attractions are the Cliffs of the Giants. These astounding rock walls drop from heights of 500-800 feet almost straight down into the sea. Tourists can soak in the sights from one of the restaurants and other viewpoints located across the small bay in the resort town of Los Gigantes. They may opt for an up close and personal look at the massive rock faces by taking a tour boat across the bay.

History and archeology buffs will appreciate the Pyramids at Gadimar. Archaeologists first dismissed their discovery as mere stone terraces similar to others across the Canary Islands. It has since been proved that the pyramids were authentic ancient structures akin in design and craftsmanship to those in places like Peru and ancient Mesopotamia. The pyramids now attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to marvel at their expert construction.

In addition to Tenerife's natural attractions, there are hundreds of man made ones too. When it's time to dine, dance and party, Tenerife has a variety of first class restaurants and night clubs. It also offers small, eclectic and even quirky places that provide an even truer picture of the culture and history of this island and its inhabitants.

If a sunshine holiday is in your plans for 2008, consider putting Tenerife on your travel agenda. The local tourism board expects that travel numbers will rise this year.

Once you've visited Tenerife, you may even count yourself in that one third who finds Tenerife too magnetic and irresistible not to visit again.