2 days in Tenerife

Day by day

1. Day 1: Teide National Park and Teide cable car and summit

   Teide National Park, Teide cable car and summit, San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town and Los Gigantes cliffs, then Auditorio de Tenerife in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Teide National Park

      It was listed by UNESCO in 2007. The TF-21 and TF-24 roads cross it, with roadside viewpoints and short trails such as the loop around the Roques de García, about 3.5 km.

   2. Late morning

      Teide cable car and summit

      From the upper station, short paths lead to viewpoints over the Pico Viejo crater and, on clear days, La Gomera, La Palma and Gran Canaria. The final climb to the crater rim on the Telesforo Bravo trail needs a separate free permit from the national park.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Papas arrugadas con mojo

      Almost every Canarian restaurant serves them as a starter or side; guachinches in the north often use local heritage potatoes.

   4. Afternoon

      San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town

      Highlights include the Iglesia de la Concepción and its bell tower, the rebuilt cathedral, Plaza del Adelantado and Calle San Agustín. The tram connects it with central Santa Cruz in about 35–40 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      Los Gigantes cliffs

      They are best seen from the water: boat trips from Los Gigantes marina run along the base of the cliffs, often combined with whale and dolphin watching and a swim stop in the bay below Masca.

   6. Evening

      Auditorio de Tenerife

      Combine a walk around the building with the Palmetum, a palm garden built on a former landfill a short walk south along the shore.

2. Day 2: Whale and dolphin watching and Loro Parque

   Whale and dolphin watching, Loro Parque, Siam Park and Anaga Rural Park, then Veronicas and Starco, Playa de las Américas in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Whale and dolphin watching

      Boats leave from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colón and Los Gigantes; trips last two to five hours and range from large catamarans to small sailing boats.

   2. Late morning

      Loro Parque

      It is on the western edge of Puerto de la Cruz, and a free shuttle train runs from the town centre.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Rabbit in salmorejo

      Guachinches and rural restaurants in the Orotava Valley, Tacoronte and La Matanza.

   4. Afternoon

      Siam Park

      There is also a wave pool producing waves of around three metres, a lazy river and a sandy beach area for small children.

   5. Late afternoon

      Anaga Rural Park

      The Cruz del Carmen visitor centre has short forest trails, and roads wind down to the hamlets of Taganana, Roque de las Bodegas and Benijo on the wild north coast.

   6. Evening

      Veronicas and Starco, Playa de las Américas

      The island's main party strip, with British-style bars, live music and clubs that stay open into the early morning.

Before you go

• Teide cable car and summit: Book cable-car slots online in advance, and apply for the summit permit weeks or months ahead because daily numbers are strictly limited.

If it rains

• Swap in Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología (MUNA) (Santa Cruz de Tenerife): Pair it with lunch at the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África, a short walk across the Barranco de Santos.
• Swap in Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos (San Cristóbal de La Laguna): Check planetarium session times when you arrive; it is a good half-day with children when cloud covers the north.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 31–44 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.9 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Bus. TITSA's green buses connect the airports, resorts, Santa Cruz and most towns, with fast services on the motorways and slower village routes; a limited service reaches Teide National Park.

More or fewer days

• One day in Tenerife
• 3 days in Tenerife
• 5 days in Tenerife

Questions travellers ask