For scenery a visit to the northwest tip of the island of Tenerife, around the picturesque village of Masca, is hard to beat. The village is set in the Teno Mountains, clinging to the slopes of a deep green ravine beside a narrow road full of alarming hairpin bends. Until recently Masca was off the beaten track and not accessible by road. The zigzag drive from Santiago del Teide has now opened up the village and its magical setting, reputed to have once been a pirate's hideaway. Hikers have popularised a two-hour walk from the village through a gully to the sea at the base of the majestic cliffs of Los Gigantes.

On the east coast of Tenerife, south of Santa Cruz, stand six mysterious step pyramids of which archaeologists have yet to discern the origin. The pyramids were initially thought to be just remains of agricultural stone terraces, or random piles of stone cleared from fields by early Spanish settlers. However Thor Heyerdahl, the Norwegian anthropologist who lived in Guimar on Tenerife until his death in 2002, thought differently. His research indicated that the pyramids were constructed on similar principles to those in Mexico, Peru and ancient Mesopotamia. The pyramids are now enclosed in an Ethnographic Park; the site includes a museum, life-size replica of Heyerdahl's reed ship Kontiki, a cafeteria and souvenir shop.

The Parque Nacional de las Canadas del Teide was declared a protected area in 1954 and has become recognised as offering one of the most spectacular landscapes of the world, including an enormous volcanic crater with a circumference of 30 miles (48km), out of which rises the highest peak in Spain, Mount Teide. In contrast to the coastal regions of Tenerife, winter in the park, which lies at about 6,562ft (2,000m) above sea level, brings snowfall and gale force winds, while in summer temperatures can soar to above 104ºF (40ºC). A cable car carries visitors to the summit, but many prefer to hike the route to experience the flora and fauna, including rare specimens like the violet of the Teide, the Tajinastes, as well as the many varieties of lizards and birds.