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Black and gold beaches, Tenerife

Tenerife’s authentic beaches, just like those in Hawaii, come in black sand form - the result of a volcanic basaltic coastline being eroded by the sea. Visit the dramatic and beautiful Playa Bollullo in La Orotava or Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz. You can also choose Playa del Socorro or Playa de San Marcos. Remember that black sand absorbs the sun’s heat and retains it. In winter months that keeps the beach pleasantly warm but in summer, it can burn your feet - don't forget your flip flops!

Playa de Las Teresitas, located north of the village of San Andrés, is one of the few on Tenerife that do not have the volcanic sand. Originally the beach, bounded by the ravine of Las Teresas, consisted of mostly rocks and a small strip of black sand. In 1973, 270,000 tons of white sand was shipped from the Sahara Desert. Two piers and a kilometre long breakwater located 150 meters from the beach were constructed to prevent waves from carrying the sand out to the sea. In 1998 another 2800 tonnes sand from Sahara was added to replenish the sand lost in the beach's 25 first years of existence. Another white sand beach, Las Vistas in Los Cristianos is also artificial.

The Fire Mountains (Montañas del Fuego), Lanzarote

Lanzarote boasts extremely unusual vistas. Thanks to its volcanic history, most of the island has treeless landscapes with different coloured soils, craters, and weird rock formations. During six years in the 18th century, more than thirty volcanoes violently exploded, spilling huge masses of magma onto the surrounding landscape. The Timanfaya National Park is now one of the core areas of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Lanzarote.

Feel the heat coming from the rock of the dormant volcano and see how a dry branch, thrust into a hole, will immediately burn. Watch how a bucket of water, tipped into a hole, will erupt back into the air as steam. Be sure to try a BBQ chicken, grilled in the heat from the volcano!