Around Tenerife, the island whose city Santa Cruz de Tenerife was formerly the capital of the island group, the choice of different beaches should serve up something for everyone. The natural black Tenerifan sand may not be the most aesthetic, but this is the natural Tenerife and once you get over the odd colour of the sand, these beaches can be enjoyed as much as any other. The municipal authorities have however recognised that black sand is not to everyone's taste and have used imported sand from the nearby Sahara Desert to fabricate better looking beaches of golden coloured sand in some resorts.

As far as natural beaches go the stretch at Playa Socorro is one of the most visited. It's a favourite with sunbathers and surfers too and the long promenade parallel to the beach makes everything convenient and easy. The advice here is to time your arrival perfectly, otherwise you could be faced with a long slog with the towels from your parked car. There is a car park near to the beach which quickly fills up, forcing people to park back on the approach road.

If you are in Santa Cruz then a quick drive to the north brings you to the idyllic beach of Playa de la Teresitas. This is a long sweep of yellow sand that is topped up at regular intervals by Saharan sand and is very popular with residents of the capital. Palm trees provide a canopy over the large car park and there's a good choice of food outlets and amenities. Don't however expect things to be quiet or relaxing at peak times, as this is a firm favourite.

Further around Tenerife's northern tip the coastline becomes more dramatic with jagged cliffs and offshore rocks adding to the effect. The Atlantic waves here draw in surfers and the beaches of Almaciga, Benijos and Playa Roque de la Bodegas are all popular.

In the south of Tenerife tourists are well catered for by the classic twin beaches at Los Christianos. These are both well organised and look after areas, perfect for a family day out. Safe bathing and sectioned-off play areas allow parents to chill out while young ones do what they do best on the beach.

The nearby Playa de las Americas resort is the location for perhaps the best known beach on the island at Playa de Troya, which has been host for millions of visitors to the island over the past twenty years. It's a large beach and offers room for everyone even at busy times. Finally on Tenerife we suggest trying the beaches at the newer resorts along the coast at Costa Adeje. If you are not bothered by a lack of sand then the bay at La Caleta is an interesting little spot, but sand lovers will prefer the tiny Playa de la Enramada. One last suggestion for those who like to get away from the hoards is the difficult to find bay at El Peuertito. There is not much here save for a few fishing boats, some cave houses and a wonderfully relaxing bay with a small beach.

For the more active, windsurfing and kitesurfing are both great activities on the windier east coast of the island. Tourists tend to avoid these locations as they look fairly bland, are not pretty and get blasted by onshore winds fairly regularly. But for members of the surfing community those conditions are perfect. You see, onshore winds are great for their sport as they provide the energy they need to ge moving, while the onshore wind direction keeps everything a lot safer for them. Get blown out to sea here and your next stop could be the coast of Africa almost 200 miles away.

El Medano is a regular haunt for the kitesurfers and even if your skill or physical ability is not up to having a go yourself, the activity makes an interesting days viewing. El Medano is not the prettiest of resorts with a mixture of tired and modern hotels and a odd collection of cafes and restaurants, but there's something quite unique about the place that makes it quite attractive. The town is a network of narrow streets and squares and seafront establishments that get battered by the waves. On a good day with the red mountain as its backdrop the surfer's beach at El Medano would be one of my favourites.