Tenerife

Tenerife is the Canary Islands' powerhouse: Mount Teide's volcanic crown, year-round sunshine, and some of the Atlantic's best whale-watching waters. The island packs surprising variety into 80km — pine forests, lunar landscapes, dramatic cliffs, and beaches both black-sand and golden. The headline experience is an eco-yacht whale and dolphin watching tour off the south-west coast, where pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins are resident year-round. Boats are small, departures are frequent, and the success rate for sightings is over 95%. Inland, Mount Teide National Park is a stargazer's dream; the cable car gets you within walking distance of the summit. With children in tow, Siam Park (consistently rated the world's best water park) is unmissable. Most visitors base themselves in the south (Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos) for beach access; the north (Puerto de la Cruz) is cooler, greener, and more Spanish-feeling.