Things to do in Tenerife
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tenerife
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months overall, warm sea, thinner crowds and great hiking conditions.
Winter peak for sun, Carnival, golf and whales, north is greener and wetter.
Hottest and busiest, Siam queues peak and El Médano wind peaks for sailors.
What's on
- Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife January to February, main street week mid to late February
Queen Gala, contests and a week of street parties and parades in costume until dawn.
- Fiestas de la Virgen de Candelaria 2 February
Pilgrimage to the basilica of the Canaries patron in Candelaria.
- Semana Santa Easter week, March or April
Solemn processions especially in La Laguna, a peak travel week.
- Fiesta de la Cruz 3 May
Flower crosses and traditional celebrations across the island.
- Corpus Christi in La Orotava June, date varies
Flower carpets and a vast volcanic sand tapestry in the town hall square.
- Noche de San Juan 23 June
Midsummer bonfires and midnight swims on beaches island wide.
- Romería de San Benito July
Traditional pilgrimage fiesta in La Laguna with ox carts, folk dress, wine and food.
- Tenerife Blues Festival early July
Blues festival in Santa Cruz opening the summer open air concert run.
- Fiestas de la Virgen de Candelaria 15 August
August pilgrimage drawing tens of thousands of walkers crossing the island overnight.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Tenerife
Parque Nacional del Teide
Vast volcanic caldera and lava fields below Spain highest peak, the island defining landscape.
Teleférico del Teide
Cable car lifting you to 3555 metres in eight minutes for views across four other islands.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna
UNESCO listed former capital of colonial streets, churches and lively university plazas.
Siam Park
Thai themed water park with major slides and a wave palace, the best family day in the south.
Loro Parque
Large zoo in Puerto de la Cruz known for parrots, penguins, big cats and sea life shows.
Auditorio de Tenerife
Calatrava sail shaped concert hall on the waterfront, the capital modern landmark.
Playa de Las Teresitas
Sheltered golden sand beach at San Andrés, the city beach locals actually use.
Masca
Ridge top hamlet of stone houses and cafes over a gorge, reached by a winding mountain road.
Where to stay in Tenerife
Costa Adeje
first trip, all-round base
Calmer upmarket south base with best beaches, Siam Park and starred restaurants nearby.
Los Cristianos
car-free, ferry and value
Real town with harbour, bus hub and Gomera ferry, cheaper than Adeje.
Puerto de la Cruz
authenticity, gardens and Loro Parque
Traditional northern resort with old town and gardens, cloudier than the south.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
city travellers, Carnival and budget
Capital for Carnival, urban restaurants and cheapest good hotels on the island.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna
historic base and Anaga access
Historic university town 20 minutes from Santa Cruz by tram, good for explorers.
Los Gigantes
quiet, cliffs and whale boats
Small calm south west resorts with sunsets over La Gomera and minimal nightlife.
Think twice about
- Verónicas and Starco strip, Playa de las Américas
Hardcore nightlife blocks, loud until early hours with pickpocketing and phone scams concentrated here.
- Isolated hillside complexes above Adeje and Américas without a car
Steep 20 to 30 minute walks to the beach, thin evening options and taxi dependence.
- Golf del Sur and Amarilla Golf urbanisations as a general base
Quiet and cheap but limited beach and dining with an airport adjacent feel unless golfing.
Best restaurants in Tenerife
El Rincón de Juan Carlos
Two star tasting menu through Canarian produce, the island definitive special occasion dinner.
Restaurante M.B
Berasategui two star outpost filtering Basque fine dining through island ingredients.
Donaire
Starred pastry led tasting menu by Jesús Camacho in the Adeje fine dining cluster.
Il Bocconcino by Royal Hideaway
Starred Italian cooking rooted in Tenerife produce on an ocean terrace setting.
San Hô
One star Nikkei Canarian cooking by Adrián Bosch inside Corales in La Caleta.
Restaurante Nub
One star Canarian Italian dining at Bahía del Duque on the Duque promenade.
Taste 1973
One star dining at Villa Cortés, the starred option inside Playa de las Américas.
Haydée by Víctor Suárez
One star north outpost by Víctor Suárez, the splurge to book on a northern day.
Outdoor things to do in Tenerife
Abama Golf
Prestige hillside course at the Ritz Carlton Abama with ocean views on most holes.
Buenavista Golf
Ballesteros seaside links where holes play along cliff edges above the Atlantic.
Golf Costa Adeje
27 hole former tour venue terraced toward the sea, the best quality and value balance.
Golf Las Américas
Parkland course in the south resorts, walkable from most hotels and forgiving for holiday golf.
Golf del Sur
27 holes with black volcanic sand bunkers and an ocean side links nine near the airport.
Amarilla Golf
Value course famous for a par three played over the sea, the cheapest headline golf.
Golf Los Palos
Nine hole budget and practice option for a casual round in winter sun.
Pico del Teide
Summit at 3718 metres by cable car and permit trail or a night ascent for sunrise.
Best hotels in Tenerife
The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama
Cliff estate resort with funicular beach, Abama Golf on site and two star M.B restaurant.
Gran Hotel Bahía del Duque
Colonial grande dame directly on Playa del Duque with gardens, five pools and Nub.
Royal Hideaway Corales Beach
Adults only luxury in La Caleta holding several starred restaurants under one roof.
Royal Hideaway Corales Suites
Suite counterpart to Corales Beach with striking volcanic architecture and rooftop pools.
Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden
North luxury flagship in lush gardens with one of the Canaries best spas.
Adrián Hoteles Colón Guanahaní
Adults only Adeje hotel near Fañabé, the couples pick at half flagship luxury price.
Adrián Hoteles Roca Nivaria
Family pick in Playa Paraíso from the same well rated Adeje hotel group.
Vincci Selección La Plantación del Sur
Colonial style five star with spa and five pools, often the value outlier in Adeje.
Is Tenerife expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €50 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €100 a person |
| Splurge | €220 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Parque Nacional del Teide: weeks ahead
- Teleférico del Teide: weeks ahead
- Siam Park: a few days ahead
- Loro Parque: a few days ahead
- Cueva del Viento: weeks ahead
- Abama Golf: weeks ahead
- Buenavista Golf: weeks ahead
- Golf Costa Adeje: weeks ahead
- Teide cable car and summit permits sell out weeks ahead, leave a spare day for wind closures.
- Book Masca Gorge, Barranco del Infierno and Cueva del Viento slots as soon as dates are fixed.
- Book starred dinners two to six weeks ahead and Carnival hotels months ahead.
Is Tenerife safe?
- Check your government's current travel advice before you go.
- Watch for pickpockets and phone scams around Verónicas, markets and bus stops, emergency is 112.
- Obey sea flags and red flag closures, wild northern beaches and natural pools are the real risk.
- Use strong sunscreen year round and watch for altitude sickness above 3000 metres on Teide.
Tenerife travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Ignore timeshare and holiday club touts and scratchcard approaches on tourist strips.
- Use bank ATMs and pay in euros, avoid independent ATMs on the strips.
- Agree sunbed and promenade prices before sitting, a free welcome drink is rarely free.
Getting around Tenerife: public transport and more
- Rent a car, it is the single highest value decision for reaching Teide, Masca and Anaga.
- Use Tenerife South for southern resorts and Tenerife North for Santa Cruz and Puerto de la Cruz.
- Buses and the tram work for resorts and Santa Cruz to La Laguna but poorly for trailheads.
Who Tenerife suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Tenerife your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store