Season guide · Tenerife · Spain
Tenerife in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
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. Expect highs up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 15°C (59°F), with about 15 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 15°C (59°F) to 22°C (72°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 15
- Sea
- 19°C (66°F) to 20°C (68°F)
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21°C (70°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 5 | 10.5 h | 4/5 |
| February | 21°C (70°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 4 | 11.2 h | 4/5 |
| December | 22°C (72°F) | 16°C (61°F) | 6 | 10.4 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 21°C (70°F) against a yearly 25°C (77°F), and 15 of the year's roughly 31 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Cabalgata de Reyes — Three Kings parades (5 January)
- January: Festival de Música de Canarias — classical concerts (usually January–February)
- February: Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife — parades and street parties (usually February, sometimes early March)
- February: Almond blossom around Santiago del Teide (usually late January–February)
- December: Nativity scenes (belenes) in town squares through December
- December: New Year's Eve fireworks over Santa Cruz and the south-coast seafronts
Make the most of the weather
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 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
- Iconic
- Views
- Active
- Nature
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
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
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
Day trips in winter
- La Gomera (About 50 minutes by ferry) — Tenerife's small neighbour is a steep, green island of ravines and terraces whose centre is Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO-listed laurel forest often wrapped in mist.
- Gran Canaria (About 80 minutes by fast ferry) — The neighbouring island has Las Palmas, the largest city in the Canaries, with the historic Vegueta quarter and the long city beach of Las Canteras, while the mountainous interior rises to the rock pinnacle of Roque Nublo.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Tenerife?
It is a trade-off: 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. The best months overall are May–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Tenerife in winter?
Highs of up to 22°C (72°F) and lows around 15°C (59°F), with about 15 rainy days over the season.