Tenerife in Spain is a wonderful place to go on vacation. The island is popular for its exotic beaches, great weather and spicy dishes. You will definitely enjoy Tenerife if you are especially looking for a nice quiet holiday away from the bustle of everyday life. However, just like any other tourist destination, there are things which you must know that will ensure that your vacation does not leave you with a bitter taste in the mouth and you leave full of regrets.

One of the tourist traps in Tenerife is the dragon tree at Icod de Los Vinos. Make sure while you are there that you do not buy a ticket next to the booth close to the car park or go inside the botanical garden to view it because it will cost you 4 euros which is a waste of your hard earned money. Instead, you should stand at the western wall of the plaza de la inglesia facing west where you will actually get a good view of the tree and you can even take good photos of it. While at Tenerife, do not visit Loro Parque. It turns out that they actually put on show animals that have nothing to do with the island like gorillas and penguins.

For nature lovers, another reason not to visit Loro Parque is that they are wiping out some of the native species of the island. A recent case is the recent escape of the Egyptian Bat (Roussettus aegyptiacus) leading to the Tenerife authorities to hunt them down and kill them. You should know that Tenerife beaches do not have the normal golden sands since it is a volcanic island and their sands tend to be black. So don’t be lured with promises of golden sands except the beach at Los Cristianos which has imported sand. Lastly avoid people selling you scratch cards because they are mostly fake and yes avoid electronic shops too.