Tenerife is an island of two entirely different worlds, split by the volcano Teide, which at 3,715 meters is Spain's highest peak. The south is arid and sunny, home to all the big resorts with imported sand beaches. The north is green, damp, and far more authentic — banana plantations, colonial towns, and a mist that settles on the Anaga ridge every day. That contrast makes Tenerife the most varied of the Canary Islands: in two hours you can drive from a 30°C beach to a lunar landscape above the cloud line, where snow settles in winter. The island is a year-round destination, with temperatures holding between 20 and 29°C throughout the year. Without a car, though, you'll barely scratch the surface of what it offers.
The places worth your time in Tenerife, and what to expect at each
Teide National Park
Spain's tallest mountain and the world's third-largest volcano measured from the seafloor. The cable car climbs to 3,555 meters; the final 163 meters to the true summit require a permit, bookable months ahead and free of charge.
Tip: The free summit permit from the national park's website gets booked out two to three months ahead — arrange it before you even book your flight.
Center of the island
A caldera sixteen kilometers across at 2,000 meters elevation, with lava fields, the towering rock spires of Roques de García, and colors ranging from black to ochre. Spain's most visited national park, and one of the best stargazing spots in the world.
Tip: Thanks to the dry air and zero light pollution, the night sky above the caldera is exceptional — an evening stargazing trip is well worth it.
Northeast
The island's oldest region, in the northeast, a UNESCO biosphere reserve home to a laurel forest that survived the ice age. Fog-wrapped ridges, deep valleys, and villages that until recently had no road access at all.
Tip: The switchbacks here are narrow and fog rolls in without warning — don't drive it after dark, and expect the crossing to take twice as long as your GPS suggests.
Northwest
A mountain village in a saddle above a deep ravine, reached by one of the island's narrowest roads. Hiking down the gorge to the sea was once one of the Canaries' most popular treks; access is now regulated and requires a booking.
Tip: Don't head into the ravine without a reservation and helmet — access is limited, and rangers will turn back anyone without a permit.
West coast
Cliffs up to six hundred meters tall dropping straight into the Atlantic on the west coast. Boats depart from the harbor below for whale- and dolphin-watching trips — the resident pilot whale population here is one of the few year-round colonies in Europe.
Tip: Take a whale-watching trip in the morning, when the water is calmer; by afternoon the trade winds pick up and the ride gets rough.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna
North
The island's original capital, UNESCO-listed, whose grid layout served as the model for colonial city planning across Latin America. Colorful townhouses with wooden balconies, a university, and the best tapas bars on Tenerife.
Tip: La Laguna sits at five hundred meters and runs about five degrees cooler and mistier than the coast — bring a sweater.
Northeast
The island's capital, home to Santiago Calatrava's wave-shaped Auditorio, the Nuestra Señora de África market, and the city beach of Las Teresitas, its sand shipped in from the Sahara. In February it hosts the world's second-largest carnival after Rio.
Tip: Las Teresitas is the only beach on Tenerife with golden sand and calm water behind a breakwater — every other beach on the island is black volcanic sand.
Puerto de la Cruz
A zoo in Puerto de la Cruz with the world's largest parrot collection, orcas, penguins, and an extensive aquarium. One of the Canary Islands' most visited attractions, and the main reason many families head north.
Tip: A combined ticket with Siam Park in the south costs considerably less than two separate admissions.
North
A northern harbor town buried by a volcanic eruption in 1706. Lava filled the harbor and formed the El Caletón natural pools, now popular for swimming. The historic core, with its monastery and fortress, survived the eruption intact.
Tip: The natural pools are only safe to swim in when the sea is calm — in rough weather the Atlantic surges over them and swimming turns dangerous.
Photos: Mount Teide — Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0 de) · Teide National Park — Ingo Mehling (CC BY-SA 4.0) · The Anaga Mountains — Michal Klajban (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Masca Gorge — Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0 de) · Los Gigantes — Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 3.0) · La Laguna — La_Laguna.jpg: Jens Steckert; La_Laguna_BW_1.JPG: Berthold Werner; UniversityLaLaguna.JPG: Edub; La_Laguna_BW_10.JPG: Berthold Werner (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Santa Cruz de Tenerife — Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Loro Parque — myself (User:Piotrus) (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Garachico — Alcide (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Areas and districts, matched to the kind of trip you are taking
Best for: reliable sun and families
The main resort strip in the south, with the highest concentration of hotels, the Siam Park water park, and the most reliable weather on the island. Beaches are man-made and the sea is calm. It's also the least authentic part of Tenerife, where you'll hear more English than Spanish.
Best for: a calmer south and easy access
A former fishing village that grew into a resort with a more genuine center than neighboring Las Américas. Ferries to La Gomera and buses across the island depart from here. Good for older visitors and those without a car.
Best for: the green north and exploring
The island's oldest resort, with a colonial center, botanical garden, and Loro Parque. Weather here is more changeable and beaches are black volcanic sand, but La Laguna, Anaga, and Teide are all close by. Prices run lower than in the south.
Best for: city life, food, and a longer stay
The twin cities of the northeast, where the real Tenerife lives. The island's best restaurants, tapas bars, and culture, plus the golden-sand beach of Las Teresitas. Few tourists, but this is a city, not a resort.
Tenerife has two airports. The southern Tenerife South (TFS) handles charter and international flights and sits twenty kilometers from the main resorts — this is where the vast majority of European visitors land. The northern Tenerife North (TFN), near La Laguna, mainly serves domestic and inter-island routes. It's an hour's drive between the two airports. Direct bus service runs from both, though a transfer or taxi is more convenient with luggage.
Tenerife South–Reina Sofía (TFS) · 20 km
Tenerife North–Ciudad de La Laguna (TFN) · 65 km
The TITSA bus network covers the whole island and is cheap, especially with the rechargeable tenmás card, which roughly halves the fare. Services between the south and north run frequently, but few reach the mountains or Teide, and it's easy to get caught out waiting for a return bus. If Teide, Anaga, and Masca are on your list, a car is essentially required. Roads are excellent, though narrow and winding in the mountains, and fog rolls in without warning in the north. A tram connects Santa Cruz and La Laguna.
Useful apps: TITSA, Moovit, Google Maps
Tenerife calls itself the island of eternal spring, and it lives up to the name: temperatures hold between 21 and 29°C year-round, and the sea never drops below 19°C. April to June and September-October are most pleasant. Summer is hot and windy in the south, while winter is Europe's main season here thanks to a comfortable 22°C. The north stays a few degrees cooler year-round and considerably damper, and snow can settle on Teide in winter.
Best time
April to June, September and October
What to avoid
August, for wind and high prices; the north in winter, for fog
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 21° | 21° | 22° | 23° | 24° | 26° | 28° | 29° | 28° | 26° | 24° | 22° |
| Night | 15° | 15° | 15° | 16° | 17° | 19° | 20° | 21° | 21° | 19° | 18° | 16° |
| Rainy days | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| Sea | 19° | 19° | 19° | 19° | 20° | 21° | 22° | 23° | 23° | 23° | 22° | 20° |
Canarian cuisine is built on potatoes, fish, and mojo sauces. Its foundation is papas arrugadas — small potatoes boiled in heavily salted water until they shrivel and take on a salty crust — served with red mojo made from peppers and green mojo made from cilantro. The fish is local Atlantic catch, not imported. The island grows wine on Europe's highest vineyards, up to 1,700 meters, along with bananas that are smaller and sweeter than mainland varieties.
Papas arrugadas con mojo
Potatoes boiled in their skins in seawater, served with two sauces. The classic Canarian side to everything.
Ropa vieja
Stewed beef or chicken with chickpeas and potatoes, literally 'old clothes.' A staple of countryside restaurants.
Vieja sancochada
Boiled parrotfish with potatoes and mojo, a traditional Sunday dish in coastal villages.
Queso de cabra asado
Grilled goat cheese with mojo or palm honey, the island's most common starter.
Barraquito
A layered coffee with condensed milk, Licor 43 liqueur, and lemon zest. A Tenerife specialty.
Vino de Tacoronte
Red wine from the northern slopes; the local Canarian grape varieties survived phylloxera and no longer grow anywhere else in Europe.
Cortado coffee
€1.30–2
Menu del día (set lunch)
€10–14
Restaurant dinner
€20–30 per person
Beer, 0.33 l
€2–3
Teide cable car
€40
Rental car per day
from €30
Bus, south–north
€10–15
Night in a 4-star hotel
€90–160
Indicative prices that change over time — treat them as a guide, not a price list.
1 day
2 days
3 days
La Gomera island
35 km · 50 min by ferry from Los Cristianos
The best-preserved Canary Island, home to the UNESCO-listed Garajonay laurel forest and the whistled language of silbo, used to communicate across its valleys. It's a tight but doable day trip.
Siam Park
10 km · 15 min by car
A Thai-themed water park near Costa Adeje, repeatedly named the best in the world. For families with older kids it's the south's headline attraction, and a combined ticket with Loro Parque is worthwhile.
Tacoronte and Orotava vineyards
50 km · 50 min by car
Northern slopes home to Europe's highest-altitude vineyards, and the town of La Orotava, with the island's finest example of a traditional Canarian house. Most wineries offer tastings by prior arrangement.
The south has more reliable sun, warmer sea, and all the big resorts, but it's arid and less authentic. The north is green, more interesting, and cheaper, though the weather is changeable and often overcast. Choose the south for a classic beach holiday, the north for exploring.
Yes, if you want the final 163 meters above the upper cable-car station. The permit is free from the national park's website, but slots are typically booked out two to three months ahead. Without one, you can still reach 3,555 meters, which is still spectacular.
Natural beaches are black volcanic sand. Golden sand only appears on artificially imported beaches at the southern resorts and at Las Teresitas near Santa Cruz, where the sand was shipped in from the Sahara. The black beaches are perfectly pleasant, though they heat up considerably by midday.
If you want to see Teide, Anaga, and Masca, yes. TITSA buses cover the coast reliably, but few routes reach the mountains, and it's easy to get stranded waiting for a return bus. If you're staying put at a resort, you don't need one.
Almost year-round — temperatures hold between 21 and 29°C. April to June and September-October are the most pleasant. Winter stays a comfortable 22°C, which makes Tenerife Europe's leading winter-sun destination.
Yes, the sea stays at 19°C even in the coldest month. That's chilly for a long swim for most people, but a quick dip is entirely normal. Hotel pools are usually heated in winter.
Yes, if you have at least a week to spare. The ferry from Los Cristianos takes fifty minutes, and the island feels completely different — the UNESCO-listed Garajonay laurel forest and deep ravines. It's a tight squeeze as a single day; staying overnight is the better option.
Cheaper than mainland Spain, since the Canary Islands have lower taxes. A set lunch menu runs €10–14, a beer €2–3. The southern resorts are priciest; the cheapest meals are in La Laguna and inland villages.
Check the latest visa requirements for entering this country. Some nationalities may need to apply for a visa or e-visa before travel.
Check visa requirementsLanguage
Spanish
Currency
EUR
Timezone
Atlantic/Canary
Dial Code
+34
Population
47.6M
Area
505,990 km²
Voltage
230V / 50Hz
Driving Side
Right
