By Peter Woodman

After two decades of rebuilding on the southern coast of the island, Tenerife conjures up images of beaches, bars, bare earth and boisterous holidaymakers.

However, go to the north of the island and you can discover its quiet, green and cultural side.

While the north, lying under 12,000-foot high Mount Teide, does get more cloud and rain than the sun-kissed south, it makes up for it with pretty coastal towns, lush vegetation and a touch of class.

Our first stop was the northern coastal resort of Puerto de la Cruz. We stayed at one of the island’s top hotels – Hotel Botanico – just by the town’s botanical gardens.

The hotel, which frequently hosts royalty and film stars, boasts an oriental spa garden and is set in lovely grounds with great views of Teide.

Puerto de la Cruz was one of the first of the island’s resorts to open up to tourism, but still retains its working town atmosphere.

One of the big attractions here is Loro Parque, Spain’s biggest zoo. It has the world’s largest collection of parrots – about 3,000 – as well as dolphin and whale shows, making it a full-day job.

At Puerto de la Cruz, we met our guide, Jose Ramos.

First, he took us on a wine tour. The island’s volcanic soil and Mount Teide-inspired weather conditions lend themselves to the production of a number of interesting wines.

After a tour of one of the Monje winery, at El Sauzal, we then looked round two picturesque small towns – La Orotava and Los Realejos.

Next day, Jose took us towards the island’s two big towns – Santa Cruz and La Laguna.

The cloud of the previous day had cleared and we had an uninterrupted view of Teide from our room.

Before going into La Laguna, Jose took us up a windy route to the mountains of the north east.

We parked and looked out on weird rock formations, sweeping hills and the two big towns far below.

In La Laguna and in Santa Cruz we saw some ornate – and priceless – church artefacts, including beautifully carved statues of the Virgin Mary encased in silver.

Tenerife loves its fiestas and religious festivals, and on those days some of the statues we saw are paraded through the streets while everyone has the day off.

We envied the locals not only their large number of bank holidays, but also their magnificent religious icons.

Another striking building in Santa Cruz is the remarkable opera house, known as the Auditorio de Tenerife.

This amazing construction makes the Sydney Opera House look ordinary.

Having said goodbye to the splendid Jose, we drove on to our second and final stop at the beach resort of Alcala, on the west of the island.

It was fiesta time here, with the main square festooned with ribbons, music playing, couples dancing and plenty of food and drink on offer. It was a fitting and fun end to a fine tour, proving there’s more to Tenerife than package holiday hell.

Info

Cadogan Holidays offers seven nights’ B&B, including four nights at the Hotel Botanico, in Puerta de la Cruz, and three at the Gran Melia Palacio de Isora, in Guia de Isora, from £973, including return flights from Gatwick and private transfers.

Ring 0845 615 6793 or visit www.cadoganholidays.com

For more information about Tenerife visit the Tenerife Tourism Corporation website at www.webtenerifeuk.co.uk