Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Spain – Canary Islands – Tenerife – El Hierro
100% customisable for you
It’s time for your island adventure to begin. This morning, head to the airport and enjoy some nibbles in the lounge before flying directly to Tenerife – it’s around four-and-a-half hours in the air, with no time difference to adjust to.
When you land, pick up your hire car at the airport and drive north for a little over an hour along the coast to Garachico. Settle in for five nights in a corner of Tenerife that has largely resisted the pull of the south.
Today, get to know Garachico on a private guided hike through Teide National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage site is dominated by the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano, the highest point in Spain at over 12,000 feet.
The landscape here is extraordinary, with lava flows in every colour and formation and distinctive flora adapted to the altitude, including the Teide wallflower and Canarian pine. There are also more than 700 species of insect flitting alongside lizards and birds of prey. It’s a terrain that looks, in places, less like an island and more like another planet.
Come evening, head back to your hotel for a refuelling dinner – you’ve earned it.
The remaining days are yours to explore at your own pace. Garachico itself deserves a slow morning. A historic port town largely destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1706, it’s quietly been rebuilt over the centuries, with natural rock pools carved out by the lava that replaced its harbour.
If you fancy a little rest and relaxation, you’re in the right place. Spend time relaxing on the sand, taking a dip in the pool or enjoying an ice-cold drink at a beachfront bar.
One day, we can arrange a visit to one of the valley’s banana plantations, where the Canarian variety – slower to ripen, considerably more flavourful – has been grown for generations.
Today, drive south to the port of Los Cristianos and board the ferry to El Hierro – around two and a half hours across open Atlantic water, with the hire car on the deck below.
When you arrive, check in for three nights on El Hierro. The smallest of the Canary Islands, El Hierro is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in its entirety and one of the few places in Europe that can genuinely claim to run almost entirely on renewable energy. The landscape announces itself immediately on arrival: black volcanic rock, abrupt cliffs and a sense of peace and quiet that’s worlds away from Spain’s hustle and bustle.
The next two days are yours to explore at your own pace. El Hierro has no beach resorts, no tourist strip – and no particular interest in acquiring either. What it has instead is extraordinary: steep cliffs dropping to the Atlantic, wind-twisted juniper forests, natural swimming pools carved into ancient lava flows and winding hiking trails that move quickly between jagged rock and lush vegetation.
Fancy a taste of local life? Head to the weekly flea market at Frontera, where you can browse traditional handicrafts and fresh fruit to the soundtrack of live music, or visit Tinor, the island’s smallest village, where stone houses have been blackened by volcanic rock. If you’re travelling with a water baby, you’re in luck: the diving here, for those inclined, is among the best in the Canaries.
Today, take the ferry back to Los Cristianos and drive an hour north to San Cristobal de la Laguna for your last two nights.
More commonly referred to as La Laguna, this UNESCO-listed city is home to the oldest university in the Canary Islands, boasting colourful facades, cobbled streets and a tempo that perfectly suits an end-of-trip wander and wind-down. Spend the rest of the day settling in – preferably with a sundowner and some impossibly fresh seafood.
This morning, head out with a private guide to Anaga Rural Park, a mountainous massif in the north-east of the island that peaks at over 3,300 feet at the Cruz de Taborno.
As you hike along, your guide will fill you in on the local flora and fauna – the forest here is ancient laurisilva, sustained by the moisture of the trade winds, with laurels, tree heathers and ferns growing dense alongside. Cameras at the ready: the barrancos – deep ravines cutting down to the coast – open up to dramatic views, and isolated hamlets appear occasionally through the trees. It’s one of the quieter UNESCO designations, and even more rewarding for it.
This morning, wave goodbye to La Laguna as you drive 45 minutes to the airport, return the hire car and fly home. The flight takes around four and a half hours, and you’ll arrive back in the UK the same day, already plotting your next island getaway.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from checking you in for your flights to our network of local Concierges
