Tenerife is home to plenty of unique places and activities that make it an attractive destination in Spain. To truly experience the depths of Tenerife’s offerings. consider exploring the following attractions.

The snow-topped Mount Teide is a wonderful place to explore. While permits are required to hike, you can have the easier option-an eight-minute cable car that takes you far enough up the top for appreciating views over this national park. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and a jacket as it can get cold.

Along the north coast lies the former fishing village of Puerto de la Cruz. After you’ve finished checking out the dark volcanic sand beaches, you can step into the pretty botanical gardens and get some breaks under the trees. If you’re still feeling the heat, cool off in Lago Martiánez, the town’s public saltwater pool.

Casa de Los Balcones in the old town of La Orotava in northern Tenerife is an unusual historic treasure. It’s a 17th century house with fine carved wooden balconies. The inside features a typical patio (露台) that shows the Canary Islands’ handmade traditions.

Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín seems to come out of the waters in its seafront location, and it always has an exciting evening of musical and dance performances for you. It also has an annual programme of famous operatic productions that celebrate classical opera.

Gear for Sleeping Outdoors

Whether you’re camping or backpacking, how can you increase the odds (n.机会) that you’ll sleep soundly in the outdoors? A good start is to have the right gear:

·Car camping bags are typically cut wider, offering homelike and more roll-around room but less efficiency for retaining body heat (not so good on extra-chilly nights).Some rectangular (adj.长方形的) styles can be unzipped (adj.未拉上拉链的) to use as a quilt on milder nights.

·Backpacking bags are mummy shaped for a closer, warmer fit, and are usually lighter in weight. Many are filled with goose or duck down, which compresses (v.压缩) more readily than synthetic( adj.合成的) fill.

Sleeping pad: There are three types of sleeping pads — self-inflating (adj.充气的), air and closed-cell foam (n.泡沫塑料). When car camping, weight is not an issue, so you can enjoy a thicker, wider pad or mattress for comfort. When backpacking, weight is crucial, so a super-lightweight air pad or closed-cell pad may be your first choice.

Pillows: Bring one from home or use a small foam or inflatable camp pillow. Some sleeping bags have a pocket to hold a pillow or folded up clothing, such as a down jacket or fleece sweater.

Eye mask and earplugs: Eye masks are especially helpful when camping in northern latitudes (n.纬度) in summer or in campgrounds with surrounding light. Earplugs block out noises ranging from your tent mate’s snoring to rustling sounds in the bushes.

There may be a slight chill(寒冷) in the air, with temperatures staying around 15℃ in March, but Spain’s handsome capital is slowly starting to warm up. Even more attractive are the cultural events.

A new exhibition on the living and working spaces of Spain’s greatest artist, Picasso, has just opened in the studio at the Fundación Mapfre at Paseo de Recoletos 23. It runs until 11 May with rarely seen pieces borrowed from his family.

Later this summer, the 400th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance(文艺复兴) painter El Greco will be marked with an exciting exhibition at the Museo del Prado at Paseo del Prado from 24June to 5 October.

The widest range of flights is offered by EasyJet—from Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Liverpool and Luton. British Airways and its sister airline Iberia combine forces from Heathrow and London City. Ryanair flies from Manchester and Stansted; Air Europa flies from Gatwick.

Barajas airport is 13km north-east of the city centre and is served by frequent trains on Metro line 8, but the shortest underground journey is a bit complex with at least one change at Nuevos Ministerios station and takes about 30 minutes. The fare to any station in the city centre is ∈4.50. The airport express bus runs every 15 to 35 minutes around the clock; ∈5 one way. It takes 40 minutes to reach the city centre. A taxi takes half the time. A flat rate of ∈30 covers most of central Madrid.