It has often been said that Tenerife has a cloudy side and a clear side. Generally it is said that the North of the island is cloudier than the South. On our recent visit to the island we travelled from Costa del Silencio in the south of Tenerife to La Orotava in the North of Tenerife.
This stunning journey up and over Mt Teide, showed us just what is meant by this statement. . . .

Silencio was bathed in bright sunlight as we set of to visit La Orotava on the North side of Tenerife. In order to get to La Orotava we had to work our way up the side of Mt Teide, through Vilaflor, beyond the Corona National Park and into the Parque National del Teide where we travelled through Las Canadas del Teide.
The contrasts between the lush Canary Pine Forest of the Corona National Park (Forest Crown) and the harsh moon like beauty of the old crater is possibly one of the most stunning journeys ever.
On our decent from the crater we again entered the Corona National Park, it was here that we saw the spectacular sight of the ‘cloudy side’ of Tenerife as we were above the cloud level and the whole of the valley below was shrouded in cloud, stretching as far as the sea and onto the horizon.
I had to stop and photograph the scene; I took one photo of Teide behind us

Click on the photo's for a larger image 

and another of the Valley below,

as with the contrast between the Pine Forest and the Crater on the South side of Mt Teide, this scene was also stunning.
I have never seen a clearer indication of the weather difference between the North of Tenerife and the South of the island. Both sides have their own natural beauty, the lush green vegetation on the North and the barren landscape of the South, each is equally stunning in their own ways.