Turning 35 felt like a pretty good excuse to do something memorable. After spending eight months living and working in Gran Canaria, I knew I hadn’t seen nearly enough of the Canary Islands. So for my 35th birthday this year, I decided to take a Tenerife birthday trip and change that
This trip ended up being the perfect combination of road-trip adventures, beautiful scenery, good friends, wildlife, and plenty of moments where I stopped and thought, Okay…Spain really does this?
Wanting to See More of the Canary Islands
Living in Gran Canaria gave me the chance to experience island life in a way a short vacation never could. But one thing I kept thinking about was how little of the rest of the Canary Islands I’d actually seen. So for my 35th birthday this year, I decided to change that.
Tenerife seemed like the perfect choice. I wanted somewhere I could explore, take plenty of pictures, and experience something completely different from my everyday life in Gran Canaria.
And because apparently turning 35 means renting a car and driving around an island with friends, that’s exactly what I did!
A Reunion With a Familiar Friend
One of the best parts of the trip was getting to see a familiar face again.
I originally met this friend while traveling in Copenhagen, and somehow we kept running into each other in different cities afterward. Turns out it’s a small world after all! LOL
For Tenerife, he and two other friends rented a car, and the four of us made our way around the island from north to south. We stopped constantly for pictures because, honestly, Tenerife made it very difficult to not stop for pictures.
There was something especially fun about experiencing the island with people I already knew while still getting to explore somewhere completely new together.
Puerto de la Cruz
Our first stop was Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz, an outdoor seawater swimming pool complex right along the coast.
Admission was €7, and it was a pretty great way to kick off the trip. After spending so much time surrounded by the scenery of the Canary Islands, getting to actually enjoy the water felt like the right way to start my Tenerife adventure. Lounging in a chair by the pool on a nice, sunny day with a cold drink was the picture of relaxation. After that, we were officially ready to hit the road.
From there, we continued exploring the northern part of the island, making frequent stops at the miradors whenever something caught our attention.
Garachico
Next up was Garachico. We walked around, grabbed some ice cream, and took pictures while enjoying the scenery. It was one of those stops that didn’t need a complicated itinerary. Sometimes you just need a pretty place, something cold to eat, and enough time to wander around.
But as beautiful as Garachico was, the next stop ended up being one of my favorites.
Masca
If I had to choose one place from the road trip that really stood out, Masca would be it.
The drive itself was an adventure. The roads wound through the mountains, and at one point, fog made it difficult to see much of anything around us. Then we drove through it.
Suddenly, the sunshine came back, and the views opened up again. The trees and mountains were incredible, and there were moments when it genuinely felt like we were above the clouds. We stopped to take pictures and eventually stayed to watch the sunset.
The sky changed into those pink and orange colors that make you wonder how something can look that unreal without being edited. It was the perfect way to start my birthday trip.
Playa de las Américas
After exploring the northern and mountainous parts of Tenerife, we made our way toward the southern part of the island. We stopped in Playa de las Américas, which felt much more touristy than some of the places we’d visited earlier. There were black sand beaches, plenty of people, and lots happening around us.
We grabbed some food before heading to our hostel for the night, Los Amigos Nest Hostel. After a full day of driving, sightseeing, and stopping every five minutes because someone wanted another picture, we were definitely ready to call it a night.
A Funny Visit to the Monkey Park
The next day brought one of the more entertaining stops of the trip: Monkey Park.
We walked through the different exhibits and got to feed the monkeys. There were also guinea pigs, turtles, birds, crocodiles, and other animals to see.
But the funniest part involved one of my friends. One monkey in particular happily took food from everyone else. Then it was his turn. He tried to feed it. The monkey basically said, Absolutely not. He tried again. Still ignored.
At that point, we were all laughing because apparently this monkey had already decided he wasn’t worth the effort. LOL It was definitely one of those random travel moments that you remember long after the trip is over.
Whale & Dolphin Watching in Los Cristianos
After Monkey Park, we headed to Fisherman’s Wharf at the Port of Los Cristianos for a whale and dolphin-watching tour. The tour lasted about two hours, and while tours like these are usually hit or miss when it comes to actually seeing something, we were lucky enough to see multiple whales and dolphins that afternoon.
There’s something completely magical about seeing these animals in the middle of the ocean rather than behind glass or in an enclosed space. Watching these huge creatures move freely through such a massive body of water really makes you feel small!
It was one of those experiences where I didn’t need to do much other than sit there and take it all in.
Mount Teide
For our final day, we headed to Mount Teide National Park.
I want to make one thing clear: I did NOT climb Mount Teide. LOL We explored the area, walked around, and took plenty of pictures.
The landscape immediately reminded me of the American Southwest. The colors and rock formations gave me flashes of places like the Grand Canyon and the desert landscapes I’d seen in the United States.
But then the sun started going down. We stayed to watch the sunset, and the sky turned pink and orange until it looked almost like a painting. By the end of it, the temperature had definitely dropped, and I was feeling the chill. I was also not appropriately dressed for this. LOL
One of my friends had the great idea to stargaze for a bit and adjusted his phone to capture the stars and our silhouettes against the night sky. It was a pretty incredible way to end the trip.
What My Tenerife Birthday Trip Gave Me
Looking back, this Tenerife birthday trip was exactly the kind of experience I wanted for my big day. I wanted something special. What I got was so much more than a night out at a club or a dinner with awkward singing.
I got winding mountain roads, unexpected stops, sunsets, black sand beaches, monkeys with questionable opinions about my friends, whales and dolphins in the open ocean, and landscapes that looked like they belonged on another planet. I also got to explore another part of Spain with people I genuinely enjoyed being around—which, after spending so much time living abroad, made the experience even better.
After living in Gran Canaria, I already knew the Canary Islands had a way of making everyday life feel a little more beautiful. But seeing Tenerife for the first time reminded me that every island has its own personality, scenery, and surprises. I got to celebrate another year of life by doing something I’ve always loved: going somewhere I’ve never been and seeing what happens.
And if this is what 35 looks like, I’ll take it!