Things to do · Tenerife · Spain
19 best things to do in Tenerife
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
The essential sights in Tenerife are Teide National Park, Teide cable car and summit and San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town. Of the 19 picks below, 9 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 7 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Teide National Park
- Free sights
- 9
- Good on a rainy day
- Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología (MUNA)
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teide National Park | Las Cañadas del Teide | Half to full day | Free |
| Teide cable car and summit | Las Cañadas del Teide | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town | San Cristóbal de La Laguna | Half a day | Free |
| Los Gigantes cliffs | Los Gigantes | 2–3 hours by boat | Mid-priced |
| Whale and dolphin watching | South and west coasts | 2–5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Loro Parque | Puerto de la Cruz | Full day | Expensive |
| Siam Park | Costa Adeje | Full day | Expensive |
| Anaga Rural Park | Anaga | Full day | Free |
| Masca village and gorge | Teno | 2–3 hours for the village | Free |
| La Orotava old town | La Orotava | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Garachico and El Caletón | Garachico | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Drago Milenario | Icod de los Vinos | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Playa de Las Teresitas | San Andrés | Half a day | Free |
| Lago Martiánez | Puerto de la Cruz | Half a day | Low cost |
| Auditorio de Tenerife | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1 hour | Free |
| Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología (MUNA) | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos | San Cristóbal de La Laguna | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Pirámides de Güímar | Güímar | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Basilica of Candelaria | Candelaria | 1 hour | Free |
The 19 best things to do
Park · Las Cañadas del Teide
1.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. 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.
Arrive early or late in the afternoon to avoid tour coaches at the Roques de García, and bring a warm layer: it can be 15 °C colder than on the coast.
- Time needed
- Half to full day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Nature
- Views
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Experience · Las Cañadas del Teide
2.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. 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.
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.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book cable-car slots online in advance, and apply for the summit permit weeks or months ahead because daily numbers are strictly limited.
- Iconic
- Views
- Active
- Nature
Neighbourhood · San Cristóbal de La Laguna
3.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. 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.
Walk the old streets in the morning, then come back for tapas around Calle Herradores in the evening, when students fill the bars.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
Nature · Los Gigantes
4.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. 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.
Stay for sunset, when the cliffs turn orange and La Gomera is silhouetted across the channel.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours by boat
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Couples
- Outdoors
Experience · South and west coasts
5.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. 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.
Choose a boat with the regional government's 'Barco Azul' whale-watching licence, which sets rules on distance and speed around the animals.
- Time needed
- 2–5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Zoo · Puerto de la Cruz
6.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. It is on the western edge of Puerto de la Cruz, and a free shuttle train runs from the town centre.
Buy the combined ticket with Siam Park if you plan to visit both; the two parks can be visited on separate days.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Nature
Theme park · Costa Adeje
7.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. There is also a wave pool producing waves of around three metres, a lazy river and a sandy beach area for small children.
Arrive at opening to claim sun loungers and ride the big slides before queues build; a fast-pass add-on can save hours in summer.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Active
- Outdoors
Nature · Anaga
8.Anaga Rural Park
The jagged Anaga mountains at the island's northeast tip are covered in laurisilva, a humid laurel forest of the kind that once covered much of southern Europe, and form a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. 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.
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.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Free
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Active
- Free
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Nature · Teno
1.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. The barranco below drops to a cove on the sea; access to the gorge trail is controlled by the island government and needs an advance booking when it is open, while the village and its viewpoints can be visited freely.
Drive the road early in the morning to avoid meeting coaches on the hairpins, or take the TITSA bus from Santiago del Teide.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours for the village
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
- Free
Neighbourhood · La Orotava
2.La Orotava old town
Above Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava's steep streets hold some of the island's finest 17th-century mansions, including the Casa de los Balcones with its carved pine balconies and courtyard. The Hijuela del Botánico and the terraced Victoria gardens are close by, and for Corpus Christi the town lays out carpets of coloured volcanic sand in the main square.
Wear sturdy shoes: the old town climbs steeply, and the upper streets give views across the valley to Teide.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Photo spot
Historic site · Garachico
3.Garachico and El Caletón
Garachico was Tenerife's main port until an eruption in 1706 sent lava into the harbour and buried much of the town. The rebuilt centre keeps cobbled streets, the Castillo de San Miguel and old convent buildings, and the cooled lava along the shore formed El Caletón, a set of natural rock pools used for swimming when the sea is calm.
Only swim in El Caletón on calm days; Atlantic swells can sweep over the rocks without warning.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Nature · Icod de los Vinos
4.Drago Milenario
Icod de los Vinos is home to the island's most famous dragon tree (Dracaena draco), a huge many-branched specimen whose true age is disputed despite its 'thousand-year' name. It stands in the Parque del Drago, a garden of Canary Island plants below the church of San Marcos, and is also visible from the church square.
Combine it with Garachico, a short drive west along the coast, for a half-day in the northwest.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- History
- Photo spot
Beach · San Andrés
5.Playa de Las Teresitas
Santa Cruz's favourite beach is a 1.3-kilometre crescent of golden sand brought from the Sahara in the 1970s, protected by an offshore breakwater that keeps the water calm. It lies below the Anaga hills next to the fishing village of San Andrés, where seafood restaurants line the main street.
Go on a weekday; at weekends the beach and its car parks fill with families from the capital.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
Waterfront · Puerto de la Cruz
6.Lago Martiánez
Designed by the Lanzarote artist César Manrique and opened in the 1970s, this lido of seawater pools, islands of black volcanic rock and white terraces gives swimmers calm water on a coast where the Atlantic is usually too rough. The central lake has a tall fountain, and there are shallow pools for children.
It is the best alternative to the sea on the north coast for families; arrive early on summer weekends to find loungers.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Architecture
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Architecture · Santa Cruz de Tenerife
7.Auditorio de Tenerife
Santiago Calatrava's concert hall, opened in 2003, curls over the Santa Cruz waterfront like a white concrete wave and is the home of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra. The breakwater promenade beside it is the place to photograph the building against the sea, especially when it is lit after dark.
Combine a walk around the building with the Palmetum, a palm garden built on a former landfill a short walk south along the shore.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- Free
- Photo spot
- After dark
Museum · Santa Cruz de Tenerife
8.Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología (MUNA)
Housed in a former hospital in central Santa Cruz, the MUNA explains the islands' volcanic origins and wildlife and tells the story of the Guanches, the indigenous people of Tenerife before the Castilian conquest at the end of the 15th century. Its Guanche mummies are the highlight of the collection.
Pair it with lunch at the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África, a short walk across the Barranco de Santos.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · San Cristóbal de La Laguna
9.Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos
This hands-on science museum in La Laguna has interactive exhibits on physics, the human body and astronomy, a planetarium and a large radio-telescope dish outside. It reflects the island's role in astronomy: the Teide Observatory on the mountain is one of Europe's leading solar observatories.
Check planetarium session times when you arrive; it is a good half-day with children when cloud covers the north.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · Güímar
10.Pirámides de Güímar
Six terraced stone platforms in Güímar on the east coast became famous when the explorer Thor Heyerdahl argued they had a ritual purpose; excavations date them to the 19th century, when farmers piled up stones cleared from their fields. The ethnographic park around them has gardens of native plants and exhibits on Heyerdahl's ocean voyages.
Visit on the way between the south resorts and Santa Cruz, and add the basilica in Candelaria, a short drive north.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Nature
Religious site · Candelaria
11.Basilica of Candelaria
The Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria houses the statue of the patron saint of the Canary Islands and is the islands' main pilgrimage church. The seafront plaza outside is lined with bronze statues of the nine Guanche kings (menceyes) who ruled Tenerife's districts before the conquest, and pilgrims arrive in large numbers in mid-August.
Visit early in the day to see the mencey statues against the sea without crowds.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Architecture
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología (MUNA) and Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos |
| History | San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town, La Orotava old town, Garachico and El Caletón and Drago Milenario |
| Views | Teide National Park, Teide cable car and summit, Los Gigantes cliffs and Anaga Rural Park |
| Outdoors and nature | Teide National Park, Teide cable car and summit, Los Gigantes cliffs and Whale and dolphin watching |
| Food and markets | San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town |
| After dark | Auditorio de Tenerife |
| With children | Whale and dolphin watching, Loro Parque, Siam Park and Playa de Las Teresitas |
| On a rainy day | Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología (MUNA) and Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos |
What to book ahead
- 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.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Tenerife?
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.
+What can you do for free in Tenerife?
Teide National Park, San Cristóbal de La Laguna old town, Anaga Rural Park, Masca village and gorge and La Orotava old town. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Tenerife when it rains?
Head indoors to Museo de la Naturaleza y Arqueología (MUNA) and Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos.
+What is there to do in Tenerife at night?
Auditorio de Tenerife are best after dark.