If you have only been to the arid south of Tenerife (Canary Islands) you will be amazed at the difference that Puerto de la Cruz presents, everywhere is much greener plus it might even be cloudy or raining. The north of the Island traps the clouds formed by the prevailing wind and air passing over Mt Teide giving it a completely different climate. Be warned though, you will still get sun burned, the first time I visited Puerto de la Cruz I got a burned head within hours of arriving and that was before I lost my hair! It is still enjoys a perfect climate even during the winter months and has long been a favourite Christmas and New Year destination for northern Europeans, particularly the British.

It is not as brash as some of the southern Tenerife resorts (especially Playa de las Americas), which I find more attractive. As you can drive round the whole Island of Tenerife in a day it makes a perfect base from which to explore. Or if you are content to laze by the pool or spend all day on one of the great beaches you will not go far wrong in choosing a vacation here, whether it is a traditional package holiday or you've booked your flights and hotel yourself. There is a wide choice of accommodation available in Puerto de la Cruz, certainly enough to suite most tastes and budgets, although it is not dominated by tourist apartments and hotels like most of the southern Tenerife towns.

There are plenty of places to go for a stroll in the evening including the harbour to watch the fishing boats unload their catches or you could just sit outside a pavement cafe in one of the many plazas and watch the world go by while enjoying a delicious seafood meal, a glass of sangria or even one of the huge "shorts" served there. Remember four drinks can be the equivalent of half a bottle of spirits, so if you don't want a hangover go steady on the drinks. Restaurants and bars are plentiful and in most cases offer excellent value for money, especially those away from the main tourist areas. Good advice would be to eat where the locals eat because they know where the best places are located in Puerto de la Cruz.

Flights are plentiful all year round from most UK regional airports, with times of over 4 hours depending on where you fly from. Most land at Reina Sofia International Airport which is about 50 miles away from Puerto de la Cruz, so either book a transfer before you leave the UK, hire a car or if going by taxi cab, check the price before you jump in. I prefer a hire car myself as they are very cheap and an excellent way to explore rather than take tourist day trips on a coach.