In addition to being a perfect winter holiday destination, Tenerife is also a favourite location for many specialist holiday providers. This group of holiday packagers focus on niche market sectors and provide Tenerife holidays that cater to certain types of people, or people with special interests or hobbies.

Cookery holidays, walking holidays, photography holidays, birdwatching holidays and painting holidays are all examples of specialist holidays that now use Tenerife as their base. Holidays of this type are usually provided for smaller groups of people and feature either a guide or tutor as part of the package…

Birdwatching provides popular Tenerife holidays that appeal to many English visitors. The island, like others in the Canary Islands, provides opportunities to spot seabirds and native species that are not found elsewhere. Indigenous varieties include the Blue Chaffinch, which is a common sight, and the more elusive Bolle’s Pigeon and Laurel Pigeon. Another obvious native is the Tenerife Goldcrest which is non-migratory and so is only found on Tenerife and the nearby island of La Gomera.

Tenerife is famous for its warm winter climate and watersports enthusiasts can take advantage of this weather to extend their season. Ample and accessible coastline, and spectacular Atlantic surf, make it a favourite destination for surfers, windsurfers and kite surfers.

Scuba diving is also a popular aspect of Tenerife holidays. There are several scuba training schools which take advantage of the underwater volcanic rock formations and the abundance of sealife. For around 500 euros, which covers tuition and accommodation, novices can undergo a 3 to 4 day long course leading to the PADI Open Water Scuba certificate. Comfortable average sea and air temperatures, which make scuba diving a year-round sport in Tenerife, has led to several specialist Dive Schools setting up base on the island.

Warm weather training camps are the preserve of any serious athlete who finds their off season months spoiled by cold wet weather. Sportsmen from the UK and northern European countries have long appreciated the warmer winter climate of the Canaries. Tenerife has plenty to offer athletes, triathletes and cyclists looking for early season training facilities. Los Cristianos, in the south of the island, boasts an Olympic sized swimming pool for swim camps and a modern synthetic track for track and field athletes.

Tenerife holidays also provide a fine winter base for cyclists, both amateurs and professionals. The area was made famous recently by the visit of Lance Armstrong and his Astana team, who used the island as part of their preparations for the season ahead. Mountainous roads, pine forests and warm weather make Tenerife a perfect choice for cyclists looking to train in the months of December and January. The mountainous regions, high altitude routes and forests also make the island great for off-road cycling and several companies provide mountain bike tours and holidays.

For the true adventurer, one company is now providing the ultimate sporting challenge on Tenerife. The four day challenge involves traveling from sea level using a combination of canoeing, walking, mountain biking, rope descents and overnight camps in the company of experienced guides, culminating near the 3800m peak of Teide Volcano. Participants are limited in numbers and are expected to be both fit and flexible.

So, Tenerife holidays offer a wealth of options and opportunities for the specialist holiday maker. Travel to the island is made easier by a wealth of low cost airlines who fly to the island’s two airports on a year-round basis. Tenerife Airport South, or Reina Sofia, is the larger of the two airports and is the one most frequently used by flight providers. The other smaller airport is called Los Rodeos, is located in the north of the island and is used more as an inter-island hub.

Michael Baker

http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/specialist-holidays-in-tenerife-699310.html

Also in Your Affordable Holiday

A Fuerteventura Holidays Guide

Tenerife Holidays Guide – Holidays In The Canary Islands

A Guide To Gran Canaria Holidays In Puerto Mogan

A Guide To Lanzarote Holidays

Technorati Tags: activities, Canary Islands, cycling, enthusiasts, holidays, package, scuba diving, special interest, Tenerife, watersports