Tenerife facts for kids

Tenerife

Tenerife is one of the seven Canary Islands. It is part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the province being on the island. The other province in the canary Islands is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. With 899.833 inhabitants, Tenerife is the most populated island of the Canary Islands and Spain.

The flag adopted by the island is that of a white St Andrew's cross on a navy blue background this is due to St Andrew being the patron saint of the island.

Geologically it grew up from a volcano, the Teide. This volcano has had many violent eruptions over its very long history, the most recent of those eruptions took place in 1909. Island capital is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, other important cities are Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, Arona, Adeje and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, all in the north of the island. Also important town of Candelaria, where they worship the patron saint of the Canary Islands, the Virgin of Candelaria.

The island is currently dependent on the tourism industry for much of its income.

Tenerife has two international airports, one in the south near the centres of tourism in Playa de Las Americas, Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos, and one in the north near Santa Cruz, which is where the world's worst plane disaster happened on March 27, 1977. Two Boeing 747 planes collided on the runway and killed 583 people.

The biggest tourist attractions are the volcano Teide (top is more than 3,000 m above sea level) and the Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz.

panorama view of Las Cañadas del Teide

Images for kids

Satellite photography of Tenerife
Territorial map of Tenerife before the conquest
Alonso Fernandez de Lugo presenting the native kings of Tenerife to Ferdinand and Isabella
Amaro Pargo (1678-1741), corsair and merchant from Tenerife who participated in the Spanish treasure fleet (the Spanish-American trade route)
Admiral Nelson wounded at Tenerife
Palm tree canyon in inland Tenerife
Tenerife formation
The uneven contours of the Anaga massif
Teno massif—Cliffs of the Giants area
Panorama of Valle de La Orotava
Map showing the classification of protected areas in Tenerife
Building of the Presidency of the Canaries Autonomous Government in Santa Cruz
left
Harbour
Puerto de la Cruz, in the North, during winter, featuring background snowy mountains
Evening sunset at the beach Playa De Las Americas, Tenerife
The Botanic Gardens in Puerto de la Cruz
View of fields around Anaga
Castle of San Andrés, declared of National Tourist Interest Center
Tomás de Iriarte y Oropesa
Canarian timple
Pyramids of Guimar
Auditorio de Tenerife, icon of architecture in Canary Islands
Traditional costume
Annual performance to honour "Our Lady of Candelaria" at Socorro Beach, Güímar
Soil Tapestry in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Town Square) in La Orotava
Basilica of Candelaria, sanctuary of the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of the Canary Islands
Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur, franciscan missionary in Guatemala born in Tenerife. It was the first canary to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. This saint is very venerated in Tenerife.
Cathedral of La Laguna
University of La Laguna, the oldest and largest university in the Canary Islands
Teide Observatory, part of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (Astrophysics Institute of the Canaries)
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Teno, the westernmost point in the island
TF5 motorway approaching Santa Cruz
Tenerife North Airport
Tramway servicing between Santa Cruz and La Laguna
Hospital Universitario de Canarias
Canarian wrinkly potatoes, with red mojo
Gofio escaldado
Gallotia galloti, a wall lizard species endemic to Tenerife
Canary Islands dragon tree
Tenerife bugloss
Skull of Canariomys bravoi
Mummified specimen of Gallotia goliath
Fossilized femur of Geochelone burchardi
Fringilla teydea
Dracaena draco
Panorama of the La Orotava Valley with Teide in the background
Teide and Roque Cinchado
Playa de Las Teresitas in San Andrés (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
Masca
Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Valle de La Orotava
Playa Torviscas—grey sand beach, Tenerife
Complejo Lago Martiánez
Casa de la Aduana
Fishermen's Museum by (Bernard Romain)
The sun setting over Los Gigantes