Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, has an area of 786 square miles (2036 sq km) and a population of around 889.936. It is situated 200 miles off the west coast of Africa at about 28 degrees latitude north and 16.5 degrees longitude west.
Triangular in shape, (see Map page) the island would fit into a rectangle about 90 km wide by 80 km high and has a road perimeter of about 223 miles (358 km).
It is dominated by Mount Teide, the volcano that stands at 12,198 feet high (3,718m), being the highest mountain of the Spanish territories. Fantastic views of this huge peak can be seen from many resorts on the island and from other Canary Islands. The volcanic landscape is out of this world and has been chosen as the backdrop to scenes in famous movies including ‘Clash of the Titans’ starring Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes and the 1966 film ‘One Million Years BC’ with Raquel Welch. Volcanic cones are distributed randomly over the whole island's surface and contribute to the amazing landscape.
The island’s mountainous northeast and northwest corners are very green whilst its southern shores are sunny and dry. Tenerife features a range of natural contrasts, the south being totally different, both visually and climatically, to the north. Check out more about the Tenerife weather here.
The south is a popular destination where holidaymakers enjoy time on the beautiful beaches of Costa Adeje and in the north many people stay in the bustling Puerto de la Cruz and take in the cosmopolitan capital Santa Cruz.
