Top 10 Tenerife Picnic Sites
Top 10 Tenerife Picnic Sites
To Brits, packing a hamper and heading into the woods to enjoy al fresco butties and apple pie is a summer treat, to the Tinerfeños it's a national weekend pastime. Tenerife is littered with the perfect places to practice the art of pinic-ing, here's our pick of the best.
Chio
If the entire island decided to take a picnic at the same time, it's quite possible you'd still manage to find an empty table at Chio. Okay, I'm quite clearly exaggerating, but you get my drift. Rustic tables in endless forest set in the red volcanic earth of Teide National Park, with awesome views of La Gomera and La Palma and just a barbecued sausage's throw from the Chinyero walking trail.
Las Lajas
Probably the most perfect picnic zone on the island. Not only is Las Lajas gloriously situated in the pine forests above Vilaflor on the outskirts of Teide National Park and has wooden tables and benches scattered across a site the size of several football pitches, but it also has a great little restaurant which serves succulent steaks and savoury rabbit stews. It's the perfect stopping off point en route to, or on the way back from a trip to Mount Teide.
Santiago Del Teide
Quite possibly the most picturesque of all Tenerife's picnic zones, the tables and benches of Santiago del Teide congregate in the shade of eucalyptus trees, opposite the fabulous Casa Del Patio in one of Tenerife's most picturesque villages. And the best part of all is that you don't even need a picnic to enjoy it as the little kiosk serves everything from burgers to beer.
La Caldera
Tables and chairs dotted around the perimeter of a vast crater in the shade of the pine forest of upper La Orotava. The de rigeur way to arrive here is on horseback and tether the steeds to posts provided especially for the purpose. For the non-cowboys amongst us, there's plenty of parking available. There's also a log cabin restaurant alongside which has good home cooking and just about completes the Wild West picture.
El Palmar
One of Tenerife's best kept secrets, the pretty hamlet of El Palmar is characterised by a giant pie with slices cut out of it, opposite which is a path leading to the scattered benches of its picnic zone. Intimate tables sequestered on little terraces brimming with fruit trees and, when the clouds permit, the peak of Mount Teide rising above the El Palmar pie. If you find it, please don't tell anyone else...
Los Llanos
In the heart of the rural hinterland of San Jose de Los Llanos, in spring this woodland spot is a mass of scarlet poppies, purple statice and yellow broom beneath the pine trees. Fresh, cool spring water flows from standpipes, there are really nice toilets and lots of trails lead off into the woods for a post-picnic ramble. It's the country retreat of the picnic world.
Las Arenas
The dirt track road that leads to this woodland zone is a test for the exhaust pipe and the tyres. But hold your nerve and you'll be rewarded with complete tranquillity, the company of woodpeckers, fresh spring water pumps and a wonderful walking trail into a wonderland of lava and pine.
Las Raíces
My favourite of all Tenerife's picnic zones, just breathing the hot, pine scented air of Las Raíces loosens the shoulders and sends the endorphins into overdrive. More alpine than The Sound of Music, the forest setting above the clouds is simply breathtaking and the fragrant carpet of pine needles beneath your feet is like nature's Axminster.
Buen Paso
A recluse from the standard picnic zone trail, the little park of Buen Paso lies on the road between Icod and San Juan de la Rambla. Nestling amongst the landscaped floral displays and hidden from the road by trees, half a dozen tables and benches offer a lovely stopping off point on a Garachico trip at which to unwrap the egg butties and crack a beer.
Barranco de Ruiz
At the foot of the cliffs in the Barranco de Ruiz, a crescent-shaped park in a large lay-by is home to a kiddies' adventure playground, barbecue areas and rustic tables beneath the palm and drago trees of the lovely Los Realejos coastline. A row of permanent kiosks alongside the picnic zone do a brisk and steady trade in snacks and hot drinks, handy if the crisps run out.
