Travel guide · Spain
Tenerife travel guide
Mount Teide, year-round sunshine and black-sand Atlantic beaches
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands, sits in the Atlantic off the coast of West Africa and is dominated by Mount Teide, a 3,715-metre volcano at the centre of a UNESCO-listed national park. The dry, sunny south holds the main resorts — Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos — while the greener north has the colonial towns of La Laguna and La Orotava, the original resort of Puerto de la Cruz and the laurel forests of Anaga. Mild weather all year makes it a classic winter-sun escape. Plan 7 days for a first visit; the best months are May–June and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Spain
- Best time to visit
- May–June and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 7 days
- Main airports
- TFS, TFN
- Mid-range daily budget
- $130–$230 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Mount Teide, Year-round sunshine, Black-sand beaches and Whale watching
Why visit Tenerife
- Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak at 3,715 metres, rises from a UNESCO-listed national park of lava fields you can cross by road or ride up by cable car.
- Coastal temperatures stay roughly between 20 and 29 °C all year, which makes the island a reliable winter-sun escape.
- Pilot whales and dolphins live year-round in the channel off the southwest coast, a short boat ride from the resorts.
- Beyond the resorts, La Laguna and La Orotava keep colonial streets, carved wooden balconies and guachinche wine houses.
- Anaga's laurel forest, the Masca ravine and the Los Gigantes cliffs offer serious hiking and scenery within an hour's drive of the beaches.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 19 things to do.
Park · Las Cañadas del Teide
Teide National Park
The national park surrounds Mount Teide, at 3,715 metres the highest point in Spain, with a vast caldera of lava flows, pumice fields and the twisted rock towers of the Roques de García.
- Time needed
- Half to full day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Nature
- Views
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Experience · Las Cañadas del Teide
Teide cable car and summit
The cable car rises from its base station at about 2,350 metres to La Rambleta at 3,555 metres in around eight minutes.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Active
- Nature
Neighbourhood · San Cristóbal de La Laguna
San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town
La Laguna's UNESCO-listed centre is a walkable grid of pastel mansions with carved wooden balconies, convent walls and shady courtyards.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
Nature · Los Gigantes
Los Gigantes cliffs
The Acantilados de Los Gigantes are sheer basalt walls several hundred metres high that drop straight into the Atlantic on the island's west coast.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours by boat
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Outdoors
Experience · South and west coasts
Whale and dolphin watching
The deep channel between Tenerife and La Gomera is home to resident short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins, which are seen on most trips throughout the year.
- Time needed
- 2–5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Zoo · Puerto de la Cruz
Loro Parque
Loro Parque opened in 1972 as a parrot park and still holds one of the world's largest parrot collections, alongside gorillas, tigers, sea lions, an aquarium tunnel and Planet Penguin, a chilled enclosure with artificial snowfall.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Nature
Where to stay
Puerto de la Cruz is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$$ · Best for families, luxury and beach
Costa Adeje
Upmarket resort strip of Playa del Duque, Fañabé and Torviscas on the sunny southwest coast
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, beach and solo travellers
Playa de las Américas
Package-holiday hub with surf breaks, the Veronicas bar strip and the Golden Mile
$$ · Best for families, budget and beach
Los Cristianos
Former fishing port with calm beaches and the ferry terminal for La Gomera
$$ · Best for couples and quiet stays
Los Gigantes and Puerto de Santiago
Quiet west-coast base below the sheer cliffs of Los Gigantes
What to eat
- Papas arrugadas con mojo — Small potatoes boiled in their skins in very salty water until the skins wrinkle and turn white with salt, served with mojo rojo (red pepper, garlic, cumin and paprika) and mojo verde (coriander or parsley).
- Rabbit in salmorejo — Rabbit pieces marinated overnight in garlic, paprika, thyme, wine and vinegar, then fried and simmered in the marinade.
- Gofio — Flour made from toasted cereals, usually maize or wheat, eaten on the islands since before the Castilian conquest.
- Grilled goat's cheese — Thick slices of local goat's cheese grilled until golden and topped with green or red mojo, or with miel de palma, the dark palm syrup made on La Gomera.
- Fresh local fish — Vieja (parrotfish) is the local favourite, grilled or simply boiled and served with potatoes and mojo; cherne (wreckfish) and sama are other common catches.
- Carne fiesta — Cubes of pork marinated in garlic, paprika, oregano and vinegar, then fried until crisp.
When to go
Tenerife works year-round. For the best mix of warmth, lower prices and quieter resorts, go in May, June, September or October; the sea is warmest from August to October. Winter (November to March) is high season for sun-seekers from northern Europe, with mild coastal days but cold nights at altitude and possible snow on Teide.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | December–February | Mild, often sunny coast around 21 °C with the sea near 19–20 °C; peak prices at Christmas and Carnival, and snow or ice can affect the roads up to Teide. |
| Spring | March–May | Green northern hills, wildflowers in the national park and comfortable hiking weather; May is quiet and good value. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot and dry in the south, cloudier in the north, with Spanish and European family holidays filling the resorts in July and August. |
| Autumn | September–November | The warmest sea of the year, fewer crowds in September and October, and the first rains in the north by November. |
Getting there and around
Tenerife South (TFS) is about 15–20 minutes by car from Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje, and TITSA buses link it with the resorts and Santa Cruz. Tenerife North (TFN), near La Laguna, handles mainly inter-island and Spanish flights and is about 15 minutes from Santa Cruz and 30 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz.
Tenerife is about 80 km long. The TF-1 motorway along the south and east coasts and the TF-5 in the north link the resorts, Santa Cruz and both airports. TITSA buses (guaguas) cover the island and a tram links Santa Cruz with La Laguna, but mountain areas such as Teide, Masca and Anaga are far easier with a car.
Plan your days
Four days covers Teide, a whale-watching trip and a day in La Laguna and Santa Cruz. A week, the usual stay, adds the north coast, Masca and Anaga, proper beach time and a ferry day to La Gomera.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- Spanish
- Plugs
- Type C and F sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is treated, but much of it is desalinated and quality varies by town; many residents drink bottled water, so ask at your accommodation.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- Tipping is not expected.
Petty theft is the main concern: break-ins happen at busy viewpoints and trailheads, so leave nothing visible in hire cars. The Atlantic can be dangerous, especially on the north coast, so respect beach flags and stay out of the water when waves break on the rocks. At Teide, altitude, strong sun and cold nights catch visitors out.
Flights to Tenerife
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Tenerife?
Four days covers Teide, a whale-watching trip and a day in La Laguna and Santa Cruz. A week, the usual stay, adds the north coast, Masca and Anaga, proper beach time and a ferry day to La Gomera. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Tenerife?
Tenerife works year-round. For the best mix of warmth, lower prices and quieter resorts, go in May, June, September or October; the sea is warmest from August to October. Winter (November to March) is high season for sun-seekers from northern Europe, with mild coastal days but cold nights at altitude and possible snow on Teide.
+What is Tenerife known for?
Mount Teide, Year-round sunshine, Black-sand beaches, Whale watching, Carnival, Stargazing and Papas arrugadas. Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak at 3,715 metres, rises from a UNESCO-listed national park of lava fields you can cross by road or ride up by cable car.
+Is Tenerife expensive?
Tenerife is moderately priced for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $130–$230 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Tenerife?
Not for a beach stay in the south, where buses and promenades work well. To see Teide, Masca, Anaga and the north at your own pace, hiring a car for a few days is the most practical option.