A guide by TenerifeLifes

Tenerife, the way we know it

Over a hundred hand-checked places — beaches, restaurants, day trips and experiences. With a map, Google ratings and tips you won’t find in a regular guidebook.

Siam Park sushi natural pools sunset Teide

Roques de García a Llano de Ucanca Mirador de Archipenque – výhľad na Los Gigantes Playa de Las Teresitas Charco del Viento Taganana a Roque de las Bodegas

187

checked places

restaurants & bars

beaches & pools

languages

Tenerife right now

Where to today?

Tenerife has microclimates — when the north is in the clouds, the south is sunny. Live weather tells you where to go.

South

Costa Adeje

North

Puerto de la Cruz

Teide

2,350 m

Ocean

Sunset

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Today’s tip

Guide

What are you in the mood for?

Pick a category — or open the map and explore.

Map & places

Beaches & pools

Golden sand, black lava and natural pools

Food & drinks

From fishing villages to Michelin stars

Nature & views

Teide, Anaga forests and Los Gigantes cliffs

With kids

Water parks, zoos and places to let off steam

Experiences

Whales, paragliding, stars above Teide

Towns & culture

Colonial streets, balconies and markets

Shopping & markets

Supermarkets, markets and fresh mango

Practical

Parking, pharmacies, car, transport

Top

Don’t miss these

The places we recommend to every guest.

All

Teide driving loop (Chío – Las Cañadas – Vilaflor)

Viewpoint Owner’s pick

4.8(4.2K)50 min

Teide driving loop (Chío – Las Cañadas – Vilaflor)

Parque Nacional del Teide· Free

The finest day trip by car from the south: up through Chío on the TF-38, past black lava fields, across the Las Cañadas caldera to the cable car base station, t

Nature Owner’s pick

4.8(15K)1 h 25 min

Anaga – laurel forest

Parque Rural de Anaga· Free

A wild mountain range on the island's north-eastern tip, cloaked in laurisilva – a humid laurel forest, a relic of the ancient forests that once grew all around the Mediterranean.

Beach Owner’s pick

4.6(6.1K)13 min

Playa del Duque

Costa Adeje· Free

Costa Adeje's most elegant beach, with golden sand, white beach huts and luxury hotels as a backdrop.

Natural pools Owner’s pick

4.6(17K)55 min

El Caletón natural pools (Garachico)

Garachico· Free

Lava pools formed by the 1706 eruption that buried Garachico's original harbour.

Mirador de Archipenque – views of Los Gigantes

Viewpoint Owner’s pick

4.6(14K)30 min

Mirador de Archipenque – views of Los Gigantes

Acantilados de Los Gigantes, Santiago del Teide· Free

A viewpoint above the town of Los Gigantes with the best view of the Acantilados de Los Gigantes – sheer volcanic cliffs plunging hundreds of metres into the sea.

Park & zoo Owner’s pick

4.6(102K)1 h 10 min

Loro Parque

Puerto de la Cruz· €€€

One of Europe's best-known zoos, in the north of the island – parrots, gorillas, tigers, a huge aquarium with a shark tunnel, and Planet Penguin with its artificial snowfall.

Restaurant Owner’s pickIllustrative photo

4.6(5.2K)25 min

Taberna Marítima Agua y Sal

Playa San Juan (Guía de Isora)· €€

A fishermen's tavern in the harbour town of Playa San Juan, where you choose your fish or seafood straight from the iced display and the kitchen cooks it however you like.

Climbing to Teide's summit (PNT 10 permit)

Hike

4.8(11K)1 h

Climbing to Teide's summit (PNT 10 permit)

Parque Nacional del Teide· €€€

The final stretch from La Rambleta to the crater follows the Telesforo Bravo trail – short but steep (up to 60% in places) and entirely above 3,500 m.

Hike

4.8(8.9K)55 min

Roques de García and Llano de Ucanca

Parque Nacional del Teide· Free

The most famous view of Teide: the rock towers of Roques de García, with the leaning Roque Cinchado in the foreground and Teide's summit behind.

Viewpoint

4.8(3.5K)35 min

TF-436 hairpin road to Masca

Santiago del Teide – Masca – Buenavista· Free

One of the most dramatic roads in the Canary Islands: from Santiago del Teide over the pass with the Cherfe viewpoint, down into the Masca valley and on through

Town

4.8(4K)45 min

Masca

Masca, Buenavista del Norte· Free

A small mountain hamlet perched on a rocky spur above a ravine – stone cottages, palms and terraces that, before the road was built, were linked to the outside

Hike

4.8(4K)35 min

Barranco de Masca gorge

Masca → Playa de Masca → Los Gigantes· €€€

The legendary descent from the village of Masca through a narrow gorge with walls hundreds of metres high, down to a small beach by the sea, where a boat takes

The island by region

One island, five worlds

Tap a part of the island to see what’s there.

South110 ✦West21 ✦North30 ✦North-east15 ✦Teide & mountains11 ✦

Owner’s picks

Our favourite places

This is the list we started with — places we go ourselves and send our guests to. The notes are the originals.

All

Teide driving loop (Chío – Las Cañadas – Vilaflor)

„Our route up to Teide"

Anaga – laurel forest

„Rainforest in the north"

Playa del Duque

„A beautiful beach, with some waves"

El Caletón natural pools (Garachico)

„Top natural pools – and a lovely old town too"

Mirador de Archipenque – views of Los Gigantes

„Views and a café"

Loro Parque

„The zoo on the other side of the island – top"

Taberna Marítima Agua y Sal

„Top fish restaurant"

Lago Martiánez

„Purpose-built pools"

Itineraries

Ready-made itineraries

Plans for a day or a week — with kids, active, car-free or for cloudy days.

All

7 days · 19 stops

7 days with kids

Calm beaches, a water park, dolphins and Teide without the stress – all within an hour's drive of Ponderosa

7 days · 18 stops

7 active days

Teide's summit, the Masca gorge, paragliding, surfing and dolphins – a week for people who can't sit still on a sunbed

1 Day · 11 stops

Round the island in one day

South → west → north → Teide → south: cliffs, Masca, Garachico, the dragon tree, La Orotava and a lunar landscape in a single day by car

3 days · 11 stops

3 days without a car

On foot along the promenade, by boat to see dolphins and by bus all the way up Teide – all from Ponderosa

3 days · 9 stops

Romantic long weekend

Sunsets over La Gomera, sailing, dinner by the sea and stars over Teide

4 days · 11 stops

When it's cloudy / windy

Plan B for when the weather won't play ball: where to go – the south, above the clouds or under a roof

Events & festivals

What’s on

Carnival, flower carpets, bonfires on the beach. What’s on during your stay?

All year

October

Fiestas Patronales and Romería de Adeje

October 2026 – festivities 9–18 October, romería on Sunday 18 October 2026 (Mass at 11:00, procession from 13:00)

Adeje honours its patron saint, the Virgen de la Encarnación, and its co-patron, Santa Úrsula, with concerts, verbenas and traditional Masses on Calle Grande. The highlight is the romería: pilgrims in Canarian traditional dress, decorated carts and folk groups handing out local food and wine.

October

Noche de Finaos and Halloween

31 October – 1 November (2026 and 2027); 1 November is a public holiday

The Canarian tradition of “Noche de Finaos”, on the eve of All Saints' Day, combines remembering the dead with roast chestnuts, nuts, dried fruit and young wine. Meanwhile, the resorts celebrate Halloween with fancy-dress parties for children and adults alike.

November

San Andrés – Tablas in Icod and Arrastre de cacharros in Puerto de la Cruz

29 November 2026 (Sunday) and 29 November 2027 (Monday) – the eve of St Andrew's Day

In Icod, young people hurtle down extremely steep, wet streets on wooden boards (tablas), while across the north the wine cellars open up with new wine and chestnuts. In Puerto de la Cruz, children and adults drag strings of tin cans and pots through the streets, making a deafening racket.

December

Christmas on Tenerife

December 2026 (decorations from late November; 24 December Nochebuena, 25 December public holiday)

The seafront promenades and towns light up, and nativity scenes (belenes) appear in the squares. Christmas on the beach at 22 °C has a charm of its own, but Canarians celebrate mainly with a family dinner on 24 December.

December

New Year's Eve and the 12 lucky grapes (Nochevieja)

31 December 2026 (and 31 December 2027) at midnight

Spanish tradition says you eat one grape on each of the twelve chimes of midnight, to bring luck for every month of the new year. Then fireworks light up the sky over the beaches and promenades of the south and over the capital.

January

Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos – the Three Kings parade

evening of 5 January 2027; 6 January is a public holiday (presents for children)

For Spanish children this is the most important day of Christmas: the Three Kings ride through town on floats, throwing sweets into the crowd. On the morning of 6 January children find their presents, and the whole family eats roscón de Reyes, a ring cake with a hidden figurine.

January

Fiesta de San Sebastián – horses bathing in the sea

20 January 2027 (Wednesday) – feast day; the romería may be held the following Sunday (check the Adeje programme)

At the San Sebastián chapel above the sea in La Caleta, owners lead horses, goats and even dogs into the water to be blessed. It's one of the oldest and most photogenic fiestas in the south, just a few minutes from Ponderosa.

February

Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2027 – “Roma Eterna”

22 January – 28 February 2027; street carnival 19–28 February (Coso parade 23 February, Carnaval de Día 21 and 27 February, election of the Carnival Queen 17 February)

One of the biggest carnivals in the world takes “Roma Eterna: El Imperio del Carnaval” as its 2027 theme and, unusually, starts two weeks later than normal. First come the murga and comparsa competitions and the election of the Carnival Queen in gigantic costumes; then the whole city dances in the streets.

March

Carnaval Internacional de Los Cristianos

March 2027 – exact dates not yet announced (in 2026: 5–16 March)

The island's second-biggest carnival takes place in neighbouring Los Cristianos, usually a few weeks after Santa Cruz. The main event is the huge Coso parade with thousands of masked revellers, and the night-time dancing goes on until dawn.

March

Puerto de la Cruz Carnival and the Mascarita Ponte Tacón

February – March 2027 – exact dates not yet announced (check puertodelacruz.es)

The carnival in the north is smaller and more family-friendly than in Santa Cruz. Its most famous event is the “Mascarita Ponte Tacón” race, in which men in costume run through the streets in high heels.

March

Semana Santa – Holy Week in La Laguna

21–28 March 2027; Maundy Thursday 25 March, Good Friday 26 March (public holidays)

La Laguna's UNESCO-listed historic centre hosts the island's most famous processions, with hooded brotherhoods and centuries-old statues. The atmosphere is at its most intense on Thursday and Friday evenings, when the processions pass silently through the streets by candlelight.

March

La Pasión de Adeje – the living Passion play

Good Friday, 26 March 2027, from 12:00 (about 2 hours)

More than 300 amateur actors perform 13 scenes of the Passion in the streets of old Adeje, from the entry into Jerusalem to the Crucifixion. It's one of the best-known living Passion plays in Spain; entry is free, and Televisión Canaria broadcasts it live.

April

Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB

8–10 April 2027

Billed as the highest race in Spain, this ultramarathon runs from the coast through Teide National Park up to around 3,500 m. A new 68 km route has been added for 2027, and after the 2026 edition was cancelled because of Storm Therese, it marks a big comeback.

May

MUECA Festival – street arts

6–9 May 2027

Four days of street theatre, circus, dance and music by artists from all over the world in the lanes of Puerto de la Cruz. Most performances are free and suitable for children too.

May

Día de Canarias – Canary Islands Day

30 May 2027 (Sunday) – regional holiday (check the official holiday calendar in case it moves to Monday)

Canarians celebrate the anniversary of the first session of the regional parliament. People put on traditional dress (traje de mago), folk music plays, and at the markets you can taste gofio, cheeses and wine.

June

Alfombras del Corpus Christi – flower and sand carpets

June 2027 – “Jueves de las Alfombras” expected on Thursday 3 June 2027 (octave of Corpus Christi, calculated – check the programme)

The streets of historic La Orotava are covered with dozens of carpets made of flowers, petals and seeds. In the square in front of the town hall, a huge picture is created from coloured volcanic sand from Teide. The tradition is officially protected as cultural heritage, and the carpets are destroyed once the procession has passed.

June

Romería de San Isidro Labrador – La Orotava

June 2027 – expected on Sunday 6 June 2027 (the Sunday after Jueves de las Alfombras; in 2026 it was 14 June) – check the programme

The most famous romería in the Canaries: dozens of ox-drawn carts, thousands of people in traditional dress, folk groups, and food and wine handed out from the carts. It celebrates the patron saint of farmers and the Canarian countryside.

June

Noche de San Juan – St John's Eve

evening of 23 June 2027 (Wednesday); on the morning of 24 June, goats are bathed in the harbour at Puerto de la Cruz

On the shortest night of the year, bonfires are lit on the beaches, fireworks go off and at midnight people plunge into the sea for luck. In Puerto de la Cruz, on the morning of 24 June, shepherds lead their goats into the sea in an ancient purification ritual.

July

Embarcación de la Virgen del Carmen – a procession at sea

July 2027 – traditionally the Tuesday before 16 July (in 2026 it was 14 July); in 2027 expected on 13 July – to be confirmed

Fishermen carry the statues of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Telmo on their shoulders into the sea and load them onto a boat, escorted by a flotilla of decorated vessels. It's the emotional high point of the July festivities, with fireworks over the bay.

August

Fiesta de la Virgen de Candelaria – pilgrimage to the patron saint of the Canaries

14–15 August 2027 (night pilgrimage on 14 August, main day 15 August – public holiday); a smaller celebration also on 2 February 2027

On the night of 14–15 August, thousands of pilgrims walk from all over the island to the basilica of the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Statues of the nine Guanche kings line the seafront, and the festivities include a solemn Mass, a procession and a theatrical re-enactment of the Virgin's appearance to the Guanches.

September

Fiestas del Carmen in Los Cristianos – a procession at sea

September 2027 – traditionally the first Sunday in September (5 September 2027) – check the Arona programme

Los Cristianos honours its patron saint not in July but at the start of September: after Mass on the beach, the statue of the Virgin is loaded onto a fishing boat and a flotilla carries her along the coast. The festivities end with fireworks over the bay and competitions on the beach.

September

Fiestas del Cristo de La Laguna

September 2027 – main day 14 September (Tuesday) with evening fireworks; the festivities run for roughly the first two weeks of September

The university town's biggest festivities are dedicated to the revered Christ of La Laguna. Alongside the procession, fairs and concerts, they're famous for their huge firework display (Fuegos del Cristo).

October

Fiestas Patronales and Romería de Adeje 2027

October 2027 – exact dates not yet announced (in 2026: 9–18 October, romería on 18 October)

Adeje's annual October festivities for its patron saint end with a romería: a procession of pilgrims in traditional dress and decorated carts from Plaza del Cerco. For guests in Costa Adeje, it's the closest authentic village fiesta.

Stay in the heart of it