Tenerife is the largest island of the Canary archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean.
In winter the temperature on the island usually does not fall below +18 °C, and in summer does not rise above +30 °C, so Tenerife is called the island of eternal spring. Tourists come here all year round.
The island is divided by a volcanic ridge into two parts: south and north. The scanty landscapes of the desert south differ from those of the north, where everything is green and blooming.
To admire the unusual scenery, we rented a car and drove all over the island. In two weeks we had time to sunbathe on black sand, climb to the top of a volcano, pet lemurs and eat seafood. But there is so much to see there that it is simply impossible to explore everything in one trip.
I will tell you about the main attractions, resorts and beaches of Tenerife. The article contains a lot of useful information about food, accommodation and rental agencies, so it is easy to navigate your trip.
Introductory data
- Country: Spain.
- Where: Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Morocco and Western Sahara.
- When it’s in season: year-round, but it can be chilly to swim in January-February.
- Average temperature: +27 °C in summer, +24 °C in spring and fall, +18 °C in winter.
- Currency: euro, 1 €.
- Language: Spanish.
1. Weather
You can come to Tenerife all year round – and you can swim too. But the best time to go swimming is from April to November, when the ocean water temperature reaches +23…24 °C.
In July and August, Tenerife experiences a phenomenon called calima: the fine sand of the Sahara rises into the air and the wind carries it across the ocean. During this period the temperature can reach +35°C, sand suspended in the air and strong winds blow. But this does not happen every year.
Between October and March there are fewer clear days: about 50% instead of 70-80%. But the specialty of the island is that you can almost always find a place where the sun shines. For example, Playa de San Juan has more sunshine than Adeje. In January and February, water temperatures can drop to +18°C, but not always.
Precipitation on the island is rare, with light rain a few times a year. Rain is slightly more likely in the north than in the south. When there are high waves on the ocean, beaches are closed for swimming, but this rarely happens in tourist areas.
2. Money
The currency in Tenerife is Euro. Cards are accepted everywhere except markets and public transportation. It is better to take cash and change it into small bills – 10, 20 or 50 euros. Otherwise, the seller may not have change.
The Canary Islands are a free economic zone. Import duties are low and taxes are four and a half times lower than in mainland Spain. This means that goods in Tenerife are cheaper than on the continent, especially alcohol and perfumes.
3. Road to Tenerife
Tenerife has two airports, a southern and a northern airport. The southern airport, Reina Sofia, receives flights from Europe and the UK. The northern one, Los Rodeos, is used only by planes from Spanish cities and other islands of the archipelago – Gran Canaria, Palma and others.
From the airport, you can get to your accommodation by rented car, cab or comfortable local buses. For example, a ticket from the northern airport to Costa Adeje and Playa de las Americas costs 12.40 €, from the southern airport 3.70 €.
4. Resorts and beaches
When I vacationed on the island, 12 of Tenerife’s beaches were awarded the Blue Flag. In 2024, there are 16 of them. This means that the coast has crystal clear water and well-developed infrastructure. The award is given once a year: each season the commission checks the beaches again for compliance with high standards.
Playa de Las Americas is the most popular resort on the south coast. It is always warm because the mountain range protects the city from the winds and vagaries of the weather.
In my opinion, Playa de Las Americas is a branch of Turkey in the Canary Islands. There are high-rise modern hotels and entertainment for all tastes: loud parties, catamaran rides and lounging by the bar.
Next door, Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos have hotels for a relaxing vacation.
From the port of Los Gigantes there are pleasure boats to the famous “hell walls”. This is the name of the powerful sheer cliffs of Los Gigantes, formed from basaltic volcanic rock. On a boat trip you can meet dolphins and whales. Still from the water you can see the picturesque Masca Gorge, where the mountain settlement is located.
I didn’t swim in Los Gigantes because our goal was to take a boat ride and take pictures with the whales. I didn’t manage to take selfies with them, but meeting a pack of dolphins made me really excited.
Playa de la Arena is a small cozy beach with volcanic sand. I really liked it there: there are fewer tourists in this area, so you can sit comfortably and meditate. But the beach has a disadvantage: on a hot day, the black sand gets so hot that you can burn your heels.
Puerto de Santiago. Volcanic activity in Tenerife has created many open natural pools. This is the part of the ocean off the coast that is enclosed by solidified lava.
One of these pools is El Tancón, it is located in the city of Puerto de Santiago. Swimming in the pool is allowed when the ocean is calm. During waves, the pool is hidden by the water.
Puerto de la Cruz is one of the largest northern cities of Tenerife. We walked through the narrow streets of the Old Town and admired the mountainous landscapes of the island. There is always a fresh breeze from the ocean, so the resort will be comfortable for those who can’t stand the heat.
More Puerto de la Cruz will suit those who like a quiet vacation. One of the main attractions of the resort is the “Costa Martinez”, a complex of eight outdoor seawater pools on the ocean.
San Andres is a pretty village at the foot of Mount Anaga. In the eastern part of the village are the ruins of the fort of the same name, which protected the inhabitants from pirates since 1706.
San Andrés is famous for Las Teresitas beach. The sand for it was specially brought from the Sahara. It is comfortable to swim on the beach: the cliffs protect the village from the wind, and the waves break on a specially built stone dam.
Benijo is considered one of the most beautiful wild beaches on the island. It has black volcanic sand, strong waves and rocks that resemble crocodile teeth. On Beniho there are no changing rooms and showers. From the infrastructure only garbage cans. But this is where you should go for the most incredible sunsets on the island.
Before traveling, I advise you to pay attention to the tide schedule. The beach is gentle, so at high tide it is almost completely hidden under water.
5. Attractions
There is a lot to see in Tenerife. For example, the island’s cultural capital, San Cristobal de la Laguna, is home to the main cathedral.
In Santiago del Teide, almond orchards blossom and in La Orotava there are 16th century buildings. Near Icod de Los Vinos there is a huge volcanic Cave of the Winds, 18 km long. There are also several parks and reserves on the island where animals roam around. There I fed lemurs from my hand for the first time in my life.
The dormant Teide volcano. It last erupted in 1909. The scenery on the way to Teide is called Martian because of its reddish hue and the relief created by the solidified lava.
The volcano is located in a national park. There you can walk along hiking trails and climb to the top of Teide. Compared to the coast, the volcano is cold: maximum +15 °C. I prepared myself and brought a jacket and a hat. In the cable car other tourists looked at me with curiosity and at the top with envy.
The park is open 24 hours a day and is free of charge. In 2024, climbing the volcano by cable car will cost 23 € one way. It is better to buy tickets in advance on the official website to avoid queues.
“Loro Park” is the most popular park on the island. It was once home to thousands of parrots: “loro” means parrot in Spanish. Today it is a whole entertainment complex. The territory of the park resembles a tropical forest, where in addition to birds live crocodiles, chimpanzees, jaguars and other exotic animals. For more details, visit the park’s website.
Siam Park has many slides, including scary and unusual ones. For example, “Kinnari” – a 200-meter pipe with a funnel and a very fast landing into the pool – or “Tower of Power” 76 meters high. From it you fly almost vertically downwards, and if you keep your eyes open, you can see above you the aquarium tube with sharks. Tickets can be purchased on the park’s website.
The dragon tree is the biggest tree I’ve ever seen. It’s 20 meters tall and 10 meters in circumference. The tree grows in the town of Icod de Los Vinos. Scientists argue about its age: some say the tree is 1,500 years old, others say 3,000. The exact age cannot be determined because the Dragon Tree has no annual rings.
You can see the tree in the “Drago Park” for 5 €. If you don’t want to spend money, take a look in the square opposite: the tree is clearly visible even from a distance.
Garachico is a northern town rebuilt on solidified lava after the 1706 eruption of the Trevejo volcano. There are many El Caleton lava pools here. When the lava flowed out of the volcano, it collided with the water and solidified, so all the bathing pools are unusually shaped. It is interesting to admire the city from the observation deck, or mirador: from there it can be seen as in the palm of your hand.
6. Housing
The island has hotels for all-inclusive lovers, such as Barceló Santiago in Puerto de Santiago in the west or Hotel Best Jacaranda in Costa Adeje in the south.
A good four-star hotel on the front line in Costa Adeje, such as the H10 Gran Tinerfe, will cost about 30-50% more than a similar Bahia Principe Sunlight San Felipe hotel to the north, in Puerto de la Cruz.
7. Food
Cafes and restaurants. It is better to try local food in small cafes away from the tourist areas. Good and inexpensive fish restaurants in Tenerife can be found in the fishing town of Los Abrigos and in the village of Tachao.
Traditional dishes are simple but delicious. For example, potahé, a thick vegetable soup, and carne de cabra, a roast goat with vegetables and wine sauce. Islanders love “wrinkled” potatoes: they are boiled raw in heavily salted water, which by the end of cooking completely boils away and leaves salt crystals on the thin skin.
In restaurants, at the request of customers, leftovers are put away in a container and given away. Some tourists are embarrassed to take the food away, but for nothing: this is how Spaniards realize that the client liked the food.
There are buffet-style Chinese cafes on the island. There you get unlimited access to tables with appetizers, hot dishes, sushi, jamon, seafood and desserts. You have to pay separately for drinks. This is probably why some of the dishes are quite salty.
National Products. A well-known Canarian product is goat’s cheese. Tenerife sells semi-hard and hard varieties of the brands Arico, Montesdeoca and Benijos.
The warm climate of Tenerife allows you to grow different kinds of fruits, including exotic ones, all year round. I advise you to try local sweet and plump bananas and sweet and sour fruit nispero. In local stores and restaurants a lot of different fish and seafood, although the latter in the Canarian cuisine historically almost not used. Now many of them are also imported.
I am a seafood fanatic, so I used to eat a year’s worth of seafood. I cooked mussels with blue cheese sauce at home, and at the restaurant I ate grilled octopus or oysters. It sounds like a luxury vacation, but in fact the prices were quite affordable.
Stores. There are famous European chain stores on the island: Lidl, Hiper Dino, Hiper Trebol, Spar. But the most popular supermarket is Mercadona, it is located in every resort of Tenerife. There is a good choice of products and prices are lower than in other stores.
8. Transportation
Auto. In my opinion, the best way to explore the island is to rent a car. I advise you to book it in advance online, because it’s more cost-effective. You’ll also be able to choose a good car, rather than settle for what’s left in the fleet.
There are many major car rental companies in Tenerife: PlusCar, Europcar, Hertz, Avis, Goldcar, Autoreisen, Cicar. Before booking, check whether you can use your debit card to rent a car: many rental companies require a credit card.
One of the most popular companies on the island is PlusCar. It is famous for its affordable prices and no deposit, and it accepts debit cards. But it also has its drawbacks. For example, they may give you an old car or not the one you booked in advance. The company directly writes about it to clients by e-mail. But we were lucky: they gave us a new Mazda instead of the reserved Toyota. Although it was of a higher class, they didn’t charge us any extra money.
Public transportation in Tenerife includes a streetcar running between Santa Cruz and La Laguna, as well as buses and cabs.
The buses are called “gua-gua” in local slang. The service is very well developed, with comfortable, bright green buses passing through the island’s most popular beaches and attractions, and reaching secluded towns and valleys.
You can check schedules and ticket prices on the Tenerife public buses website. You can buy a ticket at the ticket offices and stores at the bus stops or with cash from the driver when you board.
If you plan to ride the bus frequently, it’s better to buy a Ten+ card. It costs €2 and can be topped up for single rides at the ticket office. You can also use the card for season tickets. For 10 € you can ride all over the island for a day, for 50 € – a whole week. It is profitable: one trip from the northern airport to the southern resorts will pay for itself. If you don’t want to pay for a card, you can buy a season ticket via the Ten+ Movil app.
9. Internet and communications
There are several mobile operators on the island with favorable mobile internet tariffs. The most popular are Orange and Vodafone. Their SIM cards are sold in supermarkets and post offices, and a passport is required to purchase one.
Wifi works in cafes, hotels, apartments, entertainment venues and buses. In a rented apartment, there may be problems with it. For example, our apartment nominally had wifi, but in fact it was constantly switched off. The speed was also very slow.
10. Souvenirs
Every souvenir shop in Tenerife sells candle holders, boxes, ashtrays and magnets made of solidified lava. Prices start from 1€.
Another popular souvenir is a jar of honey harvested from the tahinaste rojo plant. These red flowers grow only in the Canary Islands. The honey is considered medicinal and has a unique flavor – I loved it.
If you like sauces, I advise you to bring mojo – a traditional Canarian sauce based on olive oil with the addition of spices, herbs and herbs. The locals season almost everything they eat with it.
11. Safety rules
In general Tenerife has a safe and friendly atmosphere, but there are petty thieves in the popular resorts. When leaving your car, I advise you to put all your belongings in the trunk. Insurance will not cover broken glass if someone is attracted by your jacket or iPhone charger.
