Training in Tenerife

The beautiful island of Tenerife, of volcanic origin, is known for relaxing, sun-soaked holidays accompanied by the ocean. Situated in the Atlantic Ocean, around 100 km from the coast of Morocco, Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary archipelago. For centuries, the Canary Islands were the crossroads between Europe and America. Tenerife boasts warm, sunny weather all year round, and the dormant Teide volcano offers some of the most picturesque landscapes in the world.

Tenerife is a fantastic destination, offering a variety of beaches and many sporting activities. The island has a large number of beaches (70 in total), and a tourist’s dilemma when faced with such variety is which type of beach to choose. The choice is yours: if you wish, you can choose the beaches in the north of the island, which are rocky beaches with black sand, or those on the south coast, which are fine-sand beaches in bright shades.

The gastronomy of Tenerife showcases locally produced ingredients, combining the best traditional recipes with contemporary ones. Canarian cuisine has culinary influences from Africa, Latin America and Spain, alongside recipes that are the islanders’ own creations. This archipelago is renowned for its variety of seafood and fish, as well as healthy dishes. Simplicity of flavour is the hallmark of Canarian cuisine.

Less well known is the fact that the topography and climate of this island make Tenerife an ideal training destination for many elite athletes, from professional cyclists and competitive triathletes to world-class Olympic athletes. Tenerife is more than a “sleepy” island. Mount Teide, a volcano 3,718 metres high, is Spain’s highest peak (close in altitude to Austria’s highest peaks) and is considered well suited to those who enjoy mountain excursions. Tenerife is also a delightful place for surfers and windsurfers.

The island is an excellent destination from the point of view of physical activity and sport. Warm all year round, whichever accommodation you choose, you are close to both the ocean and the mountains, which gives you a wide range of options for training and relaxing at the same time.

Accommodation options on the island are varied. You can enjoy your holiday while incorporating your favourite sport. You can choose an active holiday in the hotel gym, or a break with additional movement options such as mountain excursions, mountain biking or running on the beach. There is also the option of choosing a more dynamic plan for an organised bootcamp holiday or intensive training in your favourite sport.

In this piece I will highlight the training options in the La Caleta area. La Caleta, situated in the south-west of the island, not only has 300 days of sunshine a year, fine beaches and lush nature surrounding the area, but also incorporates a typically Spanish fishing village that has preserved its traditions. We can say that this region captures the essence of the island.

From a practical perspective, I chose to highlight this area because it is close to Reina Sofía airport, situated in the south of the island, where the weather is more welcoming than in the north. What is more, this area also has an abundance of hotels, with many options for spending your free time, including a high-performance training centre.

Below I will present two destinations in the La Caleta area, which are only a few metres apart: the Royal Hideaway Corales Beach hotel and T3 Tenerife Top Training.

I will start with the “hard” part, in case you want to experience dynamic training. T3 Tenerife Top Training (tenerifetoptraining.com) is an international-calibre fitness facility offering a range of sporting activities, including:

If you want to start swimming lessons in an outdoor Olympic pool

Three gyms

Including a separate outdoor CrossFit area

T3 Tenerife Top Training has a range of training facilities for football and rugby and for other sports, and many of the people training at this centre are part of a sports team.

For those looking for a more relaxed kind of holiday, just a few metres away is the new Royal Hideaway Corales Beach hotel, a hotel with remarkable architecture and suite-style rooms, pools and restaurants, with the beach five minutes away.

The hotel is next to Teide National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site known as a “Starlight Destination”, a title awarded to locations recognised as among the best places on earth for stargazing.

The resort is divided into two distinct areas: an adults-only zone and a zone catering to families. The whole hotel enjoys ocean views. Relaxation is essential at the Royal Hideaway Corales Resort, and the Spa and Wellness Centre is the perfect place to unwind.

The hotel’s fitness facilities are more than sufficient for an intensive workout, which can be combined with other activities on the island, such as swimming, running on the beach or mountain climbing.

For rest and recreation, the island offers numerous alternatives, including many ways to recover at the end of your training. If you want to try a new sport, halfway between the hotel and T3 Tenerife Top Training there is a golf course where you can practise and take golf lessons.

For the more adventurous, there is the possibility of parasailing, jet skiing or skydiving. After a week or two of training in Tenerife, whatever its intensity, combined with relaxation and delicious food, you will feel refreshed, healthy and rejuvenated.

We can say with certainty that TENERIFE is a destination with a charm all of its own.