With Winter weather well and truly here who can blame us for starting our search for Tenerife getaway deals. With the draw of all year round sunshine, Tenerife is one of Britain’s most favoured holiday getaway destinations.

Avoid an avalanche

I will start by telling you what you mustn’t do while visiting Tenerife. The centrepiece of the island is magnificent El Teide; the volcano. Whilst in the resorts the temperatures can be soaring, the cloud-shrouded volcano can still have snow on the top.

We ventured out when there was a little bit of rare rain, much needed by the farmers and a blessing to those that hadn’t washed their dusty cars in a while. Taking the opportunity of the only wet weather day to travel to the top of El Teide in the hope of capturing some great photo opportunities.

What we didn’t realise with the rain turning dramatically torrential, the force of the water can often bring down heavy rocks. Add to that the heavy cloud cover and drifts of snow and you would be forgiven for thinking you were in a blockbuster disaster movie.

Read: Top 5 places to visit for some incredible Winter Sun

Having hair-raisingly reached the summit, as far as driving is concerned, we were met with a road blockade and police turning everyone around as so many loose rocks had fallen across the road it had become impassable. The conditions were hazardous as we wended our way back down, avoiding a stream of falling rocks and swerving around those on the road.

The snow drifts at the sides of the road were sometimes around 5 or 6 feet and absolutely magnificent. But with the weather conditions the way that they were it was just a relief when we reached the bottom. Our Sunday sightseeing drive turned into a mini adventure and not one to be repeated.

Climb the Volcano (when there are no falling rocks)

I have travelled to El Teide in good weather and it is an absolutely amazing sight. Top of my ‘must do when in Tenerife’ list. The views are magnificent and the lava fields are incredible; think futuristic Armageddon, a cable car runs to the summit. It is a stunning day out but do make sure you check out the forecast first!

Try a waterpark

Siam Park; voted number 1 water park in the world on Trip Advisor, is another absolute must when in Tenerife. The water rides are sensational, the wave machine is the best I have experienced. The lazy river is awesome and everyone is carefully supervised by terrific staff. The man-made beach is beautiful. Admission is about €35 for an adult, if you visit again you get your return entry at half price. Alternatively, it is far cheaper to purchase tickets before you travel and the cheapest online can be found here.

While you can only take into the park water and fruit the food that they sell inside is reasonably priced for a theme park. Even if you aren’t travelling with children this water park is wonderful and you can easily see why it is No. 1. Probably not recommended for smaller children they will enjoy Aqualand more.

Aqualand has a great dolphin show. Although a little dated this saltwater park is currently undergoing a bit of a makeover. Great for younger ones. Again tickets are much cheaper pre-bought than on the gate.

Go North

If you are staying in the extremely touristy south side of Tenerife and you get the opportunity you should visit the North side and head towards Puerto De La Cruz.

You may want to take a sweater as it can sometimes be considerably cooler in the Winter months. From the barrenness of the Southside, the North is green and luscious, it is also home to another tourist attraction; Loro Parque which is the animal park. Transport is available between Loro Parque and Siam Park.

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Beach Day

If you just want to kick back and relax on the beach there is plenty of magnificent coastlines to explore. As you would imagine from a volcanic island the sand is black and some of the coastline is particularly rocky. There are hundreds of sunbeds on offer.

Alternatively, grab one of the magnificent beach wraps from the beach sellers. Make sure you try some water sports. Make sure you haggle well for any of your beach purchases and don’t worry if you don’t strike a deal you like, just leave it and another seller will appear within minutes.

Tenerife is a people-watching paradise, full of activity and fun and generally some really great weather. Be warned there are a lot of steps and ups and downs to navigate given the nature of the rock that everything is built upon. It’s a miracle when you see the barren volcanic views how any building work ever got started.

Try out THE best mojito

With a great selection of bars, restaurants and entertainment right along the seafront and in the towns you could probably visit Tenerife for decades and still not manage to get around every bar and restaurant. I have fortunately discovered a great beach bar serving up the best mojitos; Punta Vista Chiringuito, on the front at Playa De Las America’s, don’t just believe me go try it out for yourself!

You can fly directly to Tenerife from most major UK airports. Check out Skyscanner for the best prices. If you’re looking at how to find the cheapest flights then you might want to read ‘How to get the best deals on flights and holidays’.

What are your recommendations for visiting Tenerife?