Overview : Tenerife and La Gomera Directions gives you the best the islands have to offer - from the finest beaches to the pick of the hotels and bars. The "Ideas' section is bursting with things to do from cultural highlights to romantic hideaways and from outdoor activities to late night bars. The "Places" section is all you need to explore the island, with every attraction, walk, restaurant, bar and beach given a lively and opinionated write-up and organised by geographical area so you always know what's immediately around you and what's worth making a special trip to see. All the listings are referenced to easy-to-use maps pinpointing their location and are complimented by hundreds of specially commissioned photos. Tenerife, a Spanish island, is the largest of the seven Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. The island's population is 852,945 (2006 census). Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the second biggest city in the archipelago, the capital of the island and the head of the cabildo insular (island government); it is also officially co-capital of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands together with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with whom it shares governmental institutions such as Presidency, Parliament and ministries. The island is home to La Laguna University founded in 1792.