What to see and do in Tenerife
From Teide to Anaga
A guide to Tenerife with 61 hand-picked places. Each one with how to get there, useful tips and any permits you need.
- Nature & scenery (18)
- Adventure & sport (14)
- Camping & vans (3)
- Towns, heritage & food (18)
- Nightlife (3)
- Fiestas & tradition (5)
Upcoming events in Tenerife
Nature & scenery
Viewpoint
Mirador de Cruz del Carmen
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
Gateway to Anaga: laurel forest, drifting mist and, on clear days, Mount Teide in the distance. The easy Sendero de los Sentidos trail starts here, great with kids.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Mirador de La Garañona
El Sauzal, Tenerife
A balcony over the northern cliffs, with the Acentejo coast below and Mount Teide peeking out behind.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Beach & cove
Playa de Benijo
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
Black sand, Anaga sea stacks rising from the water and unforgettable sunsets. Afterwards, fresh fish in Taganana or Almáciga.
📷 Best light: at sunset
⚠️ Strong currents: better enjoyed from the shore.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de Las Teresitas
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
Golden sand and calm water behind a breakwater, next to the village of San Andrés. The go-to beach for Santa Cruz locals.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de El Bollullo
La Orotava, Tenerife
Black sand beneath cliffs and banana groves, reached on foot along a path. Wild and beautiful.
Directions: Park up among the banana groves and walk down a path of about 15 minutes.
⚠️ Strong currents: better enjoyed from the shore.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa Jardín
Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife
Black sand with gardens designed by César Manrique, facing the northern sea with Teide behind.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de El Médano
Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife
A long golden beach beside Montaña Roja. It’s almost always windy: windsurf and kite paradise.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de La Tejita
Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife
One of the largest natural beaches in the south, with golden sand at the foot of Montaña Roja.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de Las Vistas
Arona (Los Cristianos), Tenerife
Light sand, calm water and accessible entrances. An easy city beach for the whole family.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa del Duque
Adeje (Costa Adeje), Tenerife
Golden sand and calm water in Costa Adeje’s most elegant area, with a seafront promenade.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de Almáciga
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Anaga), Tenerife
Black sand, Anaga rock stacks and good waves. A favourite with local surfers.
⚠️ Strong currents: better enjoyed from the shore.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de Antequera
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Anaga), Tenerife
An isolated Anaga cove with no road: a beach for those who want to be far from everything.
Directions: By boat from Santa Cruz or San Andrés, or via a long, demanding trail.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Rock pool
El Caletón rock pools
Garachico, Tenerife
Pools formed by the lava of the 1706 eruption, right by the old town. On calm days, a picture-perfect swim.
⚠️ Check sea conditions before swimming.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Charco de la Laja
San Juan de la Rambla, Tenerife
A hidden rock pool at the foot of a cliff, reached by a stairway. Wild and beautiful.
⚠️ Access is closed in rough seas: do not go down.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Lago Martiánez lidos
Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife
A complex of seawater pools designed by César Manrique, among lava, palm trees and sculptures.
⚠️ Paid entry.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Photo spot
Roques de García
La Orotava (Parque Nacional del Teide), Tenerife
Roque Cinchado with Teide behind it: the island’s most iconic photo. Come at sunrise or at night for empty paths and the best skies.
📷 Best light: at sunrise
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Los Gigantes cliffs
Santiago del Teide, Tenerife
Walls hundreds of metres high plunging into the sea. Shoot them from the harbour or Los Guíos beach at sunset.
📷 Best light: at sunset
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Punta de Teno lighthouse
Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife
Tenerife’s north-western tip, with cliffs and La Gomera and La Palma on the horizon.
📷 Best light: at sunset
⚠️ Car access is restricted at times: check before you go.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Adventure & sport
Hiking trail
Barranco de Masca
Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife
One of the most spectacular trails in the Canaries, between sheer walls down to the sea. Demanding and stunning.
Directions: Leave your car in Santiago del Teide or Buenavista del Norte and take the TITSA bus up to Masca.
⚠️ Mandatory booking on the official website; access by bus. Limited places.
📝 Permit or advance booking required: apply here.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Chinyero trail
Santiago del Teide, Tenerife
A loop through pine forest and the lava of Tenerife’s last onshore eruption (1909). Easy and very photogenic.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Climbing to the Teide summit
Teide National Park, Tenerife
The highest point in Spain, at 3,715 m. Hike up from Montaña Blanca or combine it with the cable car.
⚠️ The final stretch to the crater requires a free National Park permit. Mind the altitude.
📝 Permit or advance booking required: apply here.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Surf, windsurf & kite
Surfing at El Socorro
Los Realejos, Tenerife
A black-sand beach in the north with powerful waves. Best for experienced surfers.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Surfing at Playa de las Américas
Adeje · Arona, Tenerife
Several reef breaks off the promenade, with waves most of the year and schools to learn.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Windsurf & kite at El Médano
Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife
One of Europe’s best wind spots. Schools and gear rental in the village.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Skatepark
La Granja skatepark
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
One of the island’s most popular skateparks, with a street area and a ramp area inside La Granja park.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
El Médano skatepark
Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife
A varied set of obstacles right by the beach: skate with sea views.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Punta del Hidalgo skatepark
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
Recently renovated, with ramps and steps facing the Atlantic at the tip of Anaga.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Sport
Paragliding from Taucho
Adeje, Tenerife
Tandem flights from the heights of Adeje down to the coast, with views over the south and La Gomera.
⚠️ Always fly with licensed companies and pilots.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Cycling up to Teide
Teide National Park, Tenerife
One of Europe’s great cycling climbs: from the coast to over 2,000 m through pine forest and lava.
⚠️ Open road at altitude: bring water, a jacket and lights.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Snorkelling
El Puertito de Adeje
Adeje, Tenerife
A small, calm bay where turtles and fish are easy to spot. Perfect for your first snorkel.
⚠️ Look, but never touch or feed the wildlife.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Playa de La Arena
Santiago del Teide, Tenerife
Black sand, clear water and rocky edges to explore with mask and snorkel on calm days.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Activity
Teide cable car
Teide National Park, Tenerife
Ride up in minutes to La Rambleta at 3,555 m and walk to the La Fortaleza and Pico Viejo viewpoints.
Directions: Via the TF-21 road inside the National Park. There’s also a TITSA bus to the cable car (check times).
⚠️ Paid; closes in strong winds.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Camping & vans
Campsite
Las Lajas campsite
Vilaflor de Chasna, Tenerife
Canary pine forest at almost 2,000 m, with tables, barbecues and a sky full of stars. Nights get chilly, even in summer.
⚠️ Free booking on TenerifeON (up to 21 days ahead).
📝 Permit or advance booking required: apply here.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Campervan
Campervans in the island’s campsite network
Several municipalities, Tenerife
The Cabildo’s campsites accept motorhomes and campervans with prior authorisation, for up to 7 consecutive days. The legal way to sleep in your van in the wild.
📝 Permit or advance booking required: apply here.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
La Guancha campervan service area
La Guancha, Tenerife
The first free public service area for campervans in the north of Tenerife: waste water emptying and rubbish disposal.
⚠️ This is a service area: check on site whether overnight stays are allowed.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Towns, heritage & food
Charming town
La Orotava old town
La Orotava, Tenerife
Steep streets of mansions, churches and gardens like La Victoria, with views over the whole valley.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Garachico
Garachico, Tenerife
A town rebuilt after the 1706 eruption: squares, convents and the San Miguel castle by the sea.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Masca hamlet
Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife
Stone houses and palms clinging to the Teno mountains. The road itself is an adventure.
⚠️ Narrow, winding road: drive slowly or take the bus.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Taganana
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Anaga), Tenerife
White houses among the Anaga mountains on the way to Benijo and Almáciga. Fresh fish in Roque de las Bodegas.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Vilaflor de Chasna
Vilaflor de Chasna, Tenerife
One of the highest villages in Spain, surrounded by pine forests and vineyards at the gates of Teide.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Heritage & museums
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, World Heritage
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
A World Heritage city: straight streets, mansions with courtyards and a lively student scene.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
La Laguna Cathedral
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Los Remedios, with a neoclassical façade, in the heart of the historic city.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Candelaria Basilica & the Guanche kings
Candelaria, Tenerife
The Basilica of the Canaries’ patron saint by the sea and, in the square, statues of the nine Guanche kings.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Auditorio de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
Santiago Calatrava’s building with its great white “wave” by the sea. A city icon and concert hall.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
The Ancient Dragon Tree
Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife
The most famous dragon tree in the Canaries, huge and very old, in its own park by Icod’s old town.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Pyramids of Güímar
Güímar, Tenerife
An ethnographic park with stepped stone structures and a botanical garden, linked to explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
⚠️ Paid entry.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
MUNA – Museum of Nature and Archaeology
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
Guanche mummies, ancient pottery and the natural history of the Canaries, in a former hospital.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Museum of Science and the Cosmos
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
An interactive science and astronomy museum with a planetarium. Perfect with kids.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
TEA Tenerife Arts Space
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
A contemporary art centre designed by Herzog & de Meuron, with exhibitions, cinema and a library.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Casa de los Balcones
La Orotava, Tenerife
A 17th-century mansion with carved wooden balconies and a picture-perfect Canarian courtyard.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Local flavours
Guachinches in the north
North of Tenerife, Tenerife
Simple eateries where the grower serves their own wine with home cooking. A true Tenerife tradition.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Our Lady of Africa Market
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
The capital’s market: flowers, fruit, fish, cheese and kiosks for a drink among the stalls.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Tenerife Wine House
El Sauzal, Tenerife
A museum and wine shop with tastings of the island’s wines, in a manor with views of Teide and the sea.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Nightlife
Nightlife
Las Verónicas
Playa de las Américas (Arona · Adeje), Tenerife
The south’s most famous party strip: dozens of pubs and clubs, from house and electronic to reggaeton, until sunrise.
⚠️ Venues change often: check their socials before you go.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
La Laguna’s Cuadrilátero
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
Narrow streets with over a hundred bars and pubs and a student vibe. The weekend meeting point.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
La Noria
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
A street of bars and restaurants in the capital’s historic quarter, ideal for dinner and drinks before heading out.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Fiestas & tradition
Romería (pilgrimage)
Romería de San Benito Abad
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife
Decorated ox carts, locals in traditional dress and folk music through the streets of La Laguna. One of the island’s best-loved romerías.
📅 Usually held in July
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Romería de San Roque
Garachico, Tenerife
Garachico fills with carts, livestock, folk music and offerings for its saint. A summer tradition with real village flavour.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Patron saint fiesta
Feast of the Virgin of Candelaria
Candelaria, Tenerife
Thousands walk from all over the island on the night of the 14th to reach the Basilica. The big day of the Canary Islands’ patron saint.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
San Andrés night: dragging the pots
Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife
New wine, roast chestnuts and kids dragging tin cans through the streets to wake the saint. Pure northern tradition.
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Cultural event
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife
Satirical choirs, dance troupes and days of street party. One of the biggest carnivals in the world.
📅 February or March, depending on the year
📍 How to get there: By car By bus (guagua) On foot
Opening hours, access and permits can change: always check official sources before you go and respect natural areas.
Other islands
- Gran Canaria118 places · A continent in miniature
- Lanzarote44 places · Land of volcanoes
- Fuerteventura34 places · Dunes and wind
- La Palma32 places · The Beautiful Island
- La Gomera28 places · Forests and ravines
- El Hierro25 places · The meridian island
- La Graciosa11 places · The eighth island