Tenerife: the island of eternal spring

Beautiful balconies

Made from the local Canarian pine, these intricately carved balconies face both into the courtyard and onto the street. The buildings are now shops that house the traditional lace and linen work that's typical to the island. You may also find examples of the extraordinarily detailed sand pictures that are made using the different coloured volcanic sands of the area.

Penguins, whales and dolphins

Visitors are carried through the exhibit on a moving walkway and can see Chinstrap, Gentoo, Rockhopper and King penguins enjoying their icy wilderness. Machines produce up to 12 tonnes of snow daily and the penguins relish a periodic snow shower. The zoo also puts on regular shows with dolphins, sea lions and orcas performing tricks.

Conservation is highlighted at the zoo by the troop of gorillas. In the wild, gorillas live in groups with one adult male and several females and young. When male gorillas reach maturity, they leave their family group and join a bachelor troop, until they find females of their own. This has proved difficult in captivity and many young males have ended up being kept alone.

To help prevent this, Loro Parque established its bachelor group in 1992. The group create a genetic reserve, which is essential in the captive management of endangered species, and are also able to move to new zoos when the resident male becomes too old.

Away from the parks, you can still enjoy plentiful wildlife. Take a boat trip to see dolphins and whales in their natural environment. These animals can usually be found in the deep waters between Tenerife and La Gomera, a neighbouring island, and the dolphins regularly put on a show, leaping out of the water or racing in front of the boats. Most of the boat trips also include food and offer the chance to swim in a sheltered cove, so remember to pack your swimsuit.

Monarch airlines fly to Tenerife from Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester. Fares, including taxes, start from £57.50 one way or £105.50 return. Refreshments are available on the flight at additional cost. www.flymonarch.com