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Winter Sunshine Breaks For 2009 - Tenerife

It's a recognised medical condition and known to many as SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - where the lack of sunshine in winter time can have profound effects on people's well being and state of mind.

And it's particularly prevalent in northern European countries such as Britain, Sweden, Norway and Denmark where the winters can be long, dark affairs.

But happily for Europeans with SAD who have a bit of money and a week or two to spare a good natural answer is possible - sunshine while taking a holiday in Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary islands renowned for her holidays industry.

Tenerife is well known as a summer holiday destination, with winter holidays on the island becoming increasingly in vogue in recent years, and with winter holidays in Tenerife often cheaper than in the summer it's proved to be a perfect tonic for many of those suffering with SAD.

But apart from beaches and the sun, although important on a winter holiday, what else is there in Tenerife for the holidaymaker to discover?

Tenerife's capital city is Santa Cruz, which has a resident population of over 220,000. The island features two predominant areas for visitors to enjoy. The southern part of the island offers the warm temperatures and tropical settings. The northern part of the island is smaller and less populated with milder temperatures, so for those looking for the sun the southern part of the island would appear to be the best area to head for.

Icod de los Vinos (just Icod to the locals) is Tenerife's premier wine-growing region. Daily life in Icod moves at a more relaxed pace than some other places on the island. If you visit Icod, be sure to visit the Dragon Tree that the locals say is thousands of years old. The beautiful Playa San Marcos with its inviting black sand can be found nearby.

La Laguna is a great city for those who enjoy art and architecture. The Cathedral and museum there date back to 1515, and there are many breathtaking churches to explore. The city was once the capital of the island and still bears the regal air of an important place.

Los Gigantes is a city at the foot of massive cliffs which are also named Los Gigantes. The picturesque marina offers boat trips for dolphin and whale watching, while the town centre has many bars, restaurants and good shopping outlets.

Los Cristianos is located on the southern coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. A relatively small town, with a population of about 12,000, provides tourists a more private, relaxed atmosphere than some of the larger resorts on the island. Its humble beginnings as a fishing village are still evident in some areas of Los Cristianos.

For holidaymakers who have visited Tenerife before but haven't been for a while, a notable improvement is Playa de las Americas. This holiday resort, built in the 1960's following the tourist boom in Tenerife in the 1950's, has experienced vibrant growth in recent years. It has grown to include the best of what the island has to offer - vivacious nightlife, featuring numerous nightclubs and bars, as well as plenty of beaches, water sports and theme parks.

Tenerife in the winter is much more than just sunshine, and for those with SAD the island can provide a genuinely good holiday as well as the all important sunshine.

Seed Newsvine

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