An Essential Guide to Visiting Tenerife
TRAVEL GUIDE
If you are considering a trip to Tenerife, you already have the right idea. Not only does it have beautiful beaches, but the local food, the people and the stunning nature will make you fall in love with it. Here’s an essential guide to Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
The stunning landscape of Tenerife and the Teide volcano looming in the background
How to get there?
We arrived at Tenerife Sur Airport. There are two airports, one in the island's northern part for local trips across the different Islands and one in the south for international flights. We booked the car in advance from Topcar in Tenerife Sur Airport.
When to visit?
We visited from the 3-12 May. It was still chilly in the shade but boiling in the sun. Tenerife has good weather all year round. However, the ocean water was still icy (but manageable for a swim in the afternoon). I think this was the perfect time and weather for us because it was still not overrun by tourism.
Where to Stay?
We booked five nights at Alex’s Airbnb, right above the ocean, in a small fishing town called Puerto de Santiago. This location was perfect since it still had the charm of being a “pueblecito pesquero” (little fishermen’s village), and the views from the terrace were unbeatable.
For the rest of the trip, we stayed in San Cristóbal de La Laguna and booked an apartment in town to be able to walk around and access the natural park of Anaga within ten minutes by car.
Southeast Asia or Spain? Go on a road adventure and discover Masca’s little town
Where to Eat in Tenerife, Canary Islands
Where to Eat on the west coast of Tenerife
The Fisherman’s Inn: A locally owned restaurant with delicious seafood and a beautiful sunset view. I recommend trying their gambas al ajillo with some bread to dip in the garlic and green sauce; it is delicious!
Night and Day: An Italian restaurant run by a charismatic woman and her family. All the pasta was fresh and handmade, and their tiramisu was delicious. We had it twice in a row.
Agua y Sal: Great Food. Some menu recommendations are the seafood pasta (their signature dish) and the grilled octopus, and we shared the day’s catch. The portions were huge, so go with an appetite for fresh fish.
Where to Eat on the North Coast of TENERIFE
Cofradía de Pescadores: delicious and fresh catch of the day located in an old fortification and fishing port
El Calderito de la Abuela: Amazing views and fantastic food! It makes me drool to think about how delicious the food was here…
Where to Eat IN San cristobal de la laguna
Rakaposhi Tapas Bar: Initially, we were a bit sceptical about having fusion Indian food on a Spanish island and in a small town, but we were happily proven wrong. Very tasty!
Arepas Punto Criollo: A must-stop if you find yourself in San Cristobal de la Laguna. Try their “papas almogrotadas” and then report back.
La Tasca de Cristian: More on the fancy side, yet delicious meat cuts and excellent service.
Where to Swim in Tenerife, Canary Islands
Beaches in TENERIFE, CANARY ISLANDS
Harder access:
Playa Bollullo: If you like to work for your swim, Bollullo involves hiking to the beach. You can get a rewarding beer in the chiringuito at the end.
Piscina Natural by Playa la Arena: A fantastic experience on the northern coast for the more adventurous type.
Easier access:
Playa del Castillo: Easy access, easy parking, sandy, and accessible public toilets!
Piscina natural de Los Gigantes: (Sadly, Los Gigantes beach was closed due to a landslide.) This was a fantastic experience and a fun way to swim without being in the ocean. I would recommend bringing water shoes since it’s a rocky beach area. Please bring a snack since it’s in a residential area with no bars.
Playa Chica/ Playa de Santiago: This cute little cove is surrounded by sand and rocks.
Playa de la Arena: As its name suggests, it is a sandy beach perfect for families and little kids.
Cala de San Juan: Beautiful blue water, however very rocky; I would find it impossible to go without water shoes.
scenes from san cristóbal de la laguna and puerto de la cruz
Things to do in Tenerife, Canary Islands
See Los Gigantes cliffs from one of the many viewpoints at sunset.
Visit Masca’s little town: We run into this town by taking the wrong turn, and what a beautiful surprise it was. The road is a little scary; drive safe!
Visit Teide National Park: This is a must no matter where you stay in Tenerife. Teide is the world’s 3rd most prominent volcano, and its surrounding landscape feels otherworldly. We went there by car with a tank full of gas, but we saw bus and All-terrain vehicle tours. Sunscreen, layers, caps, and snacks are also a must since once you are inside the natural park, there’s no access to these facilities. The nearest toilet will be at the funicular entrance that takes you to the top of the Teide (3,555 m altitude!) We didn’t go to the top since I was already feeling a bit of altitude sickness.
Visit La Orotava, San Cristóbal de la Laguna, and the quaint small towns in the island’s northern part.
Mirador Playa Por Roques costa de Acentejo: Go from Mirador to Mirador; the views will be breathtaking.
Hike around Parque Rural de Anaga: Most people start from Mirador Cruz del Carmen, but the real views are from Mirador Pico del Inglés
In the 16th century, San Cristóbal de la Laguna’s architecture inspired the first Spanish colonies in South America.
Final Thoughts, Advice and Observations
Bring thin layers that you can pile up. It gets scorching but also windy and chilly so a light scarf can protect you from the sun or the wind. The sun can get very strong- don’t forget you are very close to the Saharan desert.
Water shoes are a must to explore the beautiful rocky and stone beaches. A snorkel kit would also be handy since fish are clustered around the rocky areas.
I recommend booking a car from the airport to move around as public transport can be a bit unreliable. We booked ours from Topcar; it proved to be reliable and economical. If you rent a car, make sure one of you is an experienced driver; you will be driving up and down very high mountains and steep roads with low visibility. Also, people tend to go very fast in Spain. (It might be a Southern European thing.)
Most people spoke English very well. People were kind, friendly, and helpful, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
The sea currents and strong rip tides made it impossible to go for a swim unless there was a natural swimming pool nearby. Don’t risk it; if there’s a red flag, stay out of the water and take in the view.
