Although the south of Tenerife is relatively dry and barren the rest of the island has an enormous variety of verdant plant life for those budding botanists amongst you.
Many visitors take advantage of the organised excursions to take in the wealth of flora and fauna and we have provided some links to the best gardens in the Canaries
Canarian Gardens
Parque Exoticos
The Cactus and Animal Park is a botanical garden specialising in cacti and plant life from the arid regions.
The animal park houses a variety of species from marmosets to terrapins. Next door is Amazonia, a 7000 sq m of tropical rain forest.
Exotic birds fly freely and there is s a beautiful collection of hummingbirds and a whole host of other game birds, parrots and reptiles.
Open daily from 10.00 - 18.00 with a free bus from the resort of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas.
Bananera
Perhaps more suited for visits on a cloudy day are the Jardines de Atlantico situated just outside Los Cristianos.
They are open daily from around 10:00 and offer a free bus from the resorts of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas for the short trip to the nearby village of Buzanada.
This excursion includes commentary by an English speaking guide and lasts around an hour. In amongst the banana plantations there is a model of Tenerife that explains the water system.
At the end of your visit there is small shop selling banana related products and a cafe.
Designed to promote knowledge and respect for the environment, the Jardin Botanico is a protective oasis containing some of the most diverse and exotic plant life on the planet.
