3 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 and San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town, then Auditorio de Tenerife in the evening.

   1. Morning

      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.

   2. Late morning

      Teide cable car and summit

      The altitude can cause dizziness and breathlessness; move slowly at the top, and skip the ride if you have heart or breathing problems or are pregnant.

   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

      La Laguna's UNESCO-listed centre is a walkable grid of pastel mansions with carved wooden balconies, convent walls and shady courtyards.

   5. 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: Los Gigantes cliffs and Whale and dolphin watching

   Los Gigantes cliffs, Whale and dolphin watching and Loro Parque, then Veronicas and Starco, Playa de las Américas in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Los Gigantes cliffs

      Stay for sunset, when the cliffs turn orange and La Gomera is silhouetted across the channel.

   2. Late morning

      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.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Rabbit in salmorejo

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

   4. Afternoon

      Loro Parque

      Buy the combined ticket with Siam Park if you plan to visit both; the two parks can be visited on separate days.

   5. 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.

3. Day 3: Siam Park and Anaga Rural Park

   Siam Park, Anaga Rural Park and Masca village and gorge, then La Laguna in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Siam Park

      This Thai-themed water park in Costa Adeje has slides ranging from gentle family rides to the Tower of Power, a near-vertical drop that sends riders through a clear tube inside a shark aquarium.

   2. Late morning

      Anaga Rural Park

      The Sendero de los Sentidos at Cruz del Carmen is an easy, short forest walk for children; hikers can continue to Chinamada and its cave houses.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Gofio

      Supermarkets and local mills sell it in bags; escaldón, gofio stirred into fish or meat broth, appears on traditional menus.

   4. Afternoon

      Masca village and gorge

      Masca is a hamlet of stone houses on narrow ridges in the Teno massif, reached by a mountain road of hairpin bends with views into a deep ravine.

   5. Evening

      La Laguna

      Students fill the bars around Calle Herradores and the 'Cuadrilátero' near the university, especially from Thursday to Saturday.

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

With 3 nights, Puerto de la Cruz keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Costa Adeje ($$$$) suits families, luxury and beach. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 33–47 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.9 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Tenerife
• 2 days in Tenerife
• 5 days in Tenerife

Questions travellers ask