The largest island in the Canary archipelago offers endless places to explore and discover during your holidays. If this is the first time you’re visiting Tenerife and you don’t know what places to see, we recommend you rent a car and move freely around the island so that you have time to see at least the essential places.
El Teide
The must of Tenerife. There is not a single person who does not fall in love with the highest peak in Spain (3718 m). Climbing up the volcano is a spectacle. Along the way, you will be able to see impressive landscapes that seem from another planet, reminiscent of the lunar plains with the volcano in the background. The TF-21 road that goes directly to El Teide is considered the most beautiful road in Spain. It will be for a reason, and that is why we recommend you visit the Cañadas National Park—and if you can climb to the top of the volcano, even better. Choose one of the excursions that take you to the third largest volcano in the world here.
We recommend you stop at different viewpoints along the way and observe everything calmly and enjoy the views that are unique and very different from other islands. Do not forget to check out the Roque García Viewpoint, which is made up of several rocks. One of them is Roque Cinchado, well known throughout Spain since it appeared on the thousand pesetas bill.
Also, in winter, you can find it snowy on the coldest days with storms on the peaks and enjoy the views of snow-capped El Teide. It is a natural spectacle to bathe on the beach with temperatures of twenty-something degrees and observe the snow-covered peak from the seashore and, in an hour’s drive, enjoy the snow.
Masca
Masca is a beautiful town in the Teno rural park in the Buenavista del Norte municipality. Getting to this hamlet involves a narrow road full of curves as it is located between cliffs and deep ravines. But the views are fascinating. Along the way, you will not stop being amazed by the views of the mountains, palm trees, and this town full of magic and charm. We recommend you make stops at different viewpoints offering spectacular images of the valley. For example, the Cherfe viewpoint (Mirador de Cherfe) offers a spectacular panoramic view of the ravine, and the Cruz de Hilda viewpoint (Mirador de Cruz de Hilda) offers magnificent views of the cliffs and the farmhouse.
The path of the Barranco de Masca also starts from the farmhouse. If you want to go down the trail, we recommend you consult the official website and reserve your place since daily tickets are limited.
This part of the island is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and unspoiled in Tenerife. Along the way, you can find goats running through the bush or crossing the road. In the heart of Masca, there’s a rock that looks like Machu Picchu and is called “the Spanish Machu Picchu”. In addition, the architecture of the houses is the best sample of the traditional rural architecture of the Canary Islands. We recommend you sit in one of the local restaurants and enjoy the fantastic town and nature views.
Garachico
Garachico is a town located northeast of the island of Tenerife and is part of the Most Beautiful Towns in Spain association. This municipality is a mandatory stop during your vacation. The village is wonderful; it is very well-connected and offers many activities. It has a rich architectural heritage from the 16th and 17th centuries, it’s very well preserved, and in 1994 it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural), a category of the heritage register in Spain. In the center of the town, you will find beautiful streets, historical buildings, churches, rural hotels, and a beautiful square where you can sit, drink, and observe the beauty.
When you go down to the coast, you will find the natural pools of El Caletón, the favorite pools of local people and many travelers. Swimming in one of the puddles and observing the beauty of the town is a perfect plan. You can also go to the pier area and bathe in this area or follow the road to El Mirador del Emigrante and down to the Los Frailes pond. The imposing rock that rises in front of its coast is an ideal place for diving; we recommend you contact a local company and immerse yourself in its waters.
Garachico is also known for its gastronomy. Its coastal enclave is a reference place for tasting fish and shellfish. And it is also known for its good wines that are part of the Ycoden-Daute-Isora designation of origin.
Spending a day in Garachico is a perfect plan for your getaway when in the north of Tenerife.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna
La Laguna is considered to be one of the most beautiful towns in Tenerife, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will find it near Tenerife’s capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is a meeting place for young students from the University of La Laguna, the first university in the Canary Islands. Being a university site, many things are going on, and it is a great place to go out for a drink with friends.
It’s a historic city center gem, with narrow, straight streets lined with pastel-hued buildings, churches, plenty of cozy bars and taverns, street musicians, and a characteristic assortment of small local shops brimming with vintage items and big fashion brands. It is also a photogenic destination, so have your camera or mobile phone ready to shoot.
In winter, its streets are decorated with Christmas lights, and you can enjoy a lot of Christmas atmosphere. This time is ideal for eating churros with hot chocolate or other typical Canarian pastries. We recommend you bring a jacket since it is usually cooler than the rest of the island.
Tenerife’s first airport, Tenerife Norte, is also in this beautiful town, in the area known as Los Rodeos on the outskirts of the city.
Playa de Las Teresitas
Las Teresitas is the best-known beach in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Located in the town of San Andrés, right next to the capital, it offers a golden sand beach with calm waters, full of palm trees and beach bars. This trendy place among travelers and Tenerife residents is an ideal place to go with family or friends. It also offers kiosks with a wide range of water activities such as kayak rental, paddle boarding, or water taxi to Roque Bermejo or Antequera beach. The village of San Andrés is also known for its gastronomy; it is full of restaurants where you can taste fresh fish or seafood. We advise you to go up to the Las Teresitas viewpoint and see the entire beach from above. This place is undoubtedly one of the most photographed sites in Tenerife.
Parque rural de Anaga
Anaga, declared a biosphere reserve, is created by deep ravines, robust mountain ranges with sharp cliffs that impress, forests full of abundant vegetation, and also laurisilva (a type of subtropical forest characterized by evergreen laurel trees and rich biodiversity). Anaga is green throughout the year thanks to the trade winds that keep it humid and with very common rainfall for this part of the island. Exploring Anaga is wonderful; you can find villages and rural hamlets in the middle of nowhere and with trails that leave you speechless. In Anaga, there are dozens of trails, each one is different, and it only depends on you what you want to discover. You can find more virgin beaches, hidden pools, enchanting forests, and also laurel forests made up of laurels, lichens, sanguines, and heather, among other vegetation. One of the best representations of laurisilva in Tenerife is El Pirajal; to access this trail, you need a permit. You can get it on the official website of Turismo de Tenerife. In this rural park, you can also practice mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, or surfing.
As for the viewpoints you find along the way, we recommend you to check out the following viewpoints, although there are many more, and each one has impressive views.
Mirador de Cruz del Carmen – Here, you will find an image of the city of La Laguna, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, its surroundings, and the forest crown and El Teide in the background.
Mirador de Pico del Inglés – If you climb the Las Mercedes mountain from San Cristóbal de La Laguna, you find this amazing view of the entire north of Tenerife and the Atlantic Ocean, from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to the Roques de Anaga, Taganana.
Mirador de Jardina – Located very close to the famous city of La Laguna, where the Anaga rural park begins without having to go through the road with many curves. You can find fantastic views of the city, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, various towns, fields, and the silhouette of the highest point in Spain.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
The capital of Tenerife is a beautiful, cheerful, and cosmopolitan city. Its streets invite you to take a walk, go shopping on Castillo Street, discover parks, have a drink, taste Canarian cuisine on La Noria Street, and get to know its culture and festivals.
The best-known festival in Santa Cruz and the Canary Islands is el Carnaval, declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest (Fiesta de Interés Turístico Internacional), known worldwide as the best Carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro.
The city is full of charming corners such as the Plaza de España, Parque García Sanabria, Auditorio de Tenerife, or Parque Marítimo César Manrique, where it is possible to enjoy the sun and the pool 365 days a year. You can also walk through its old town and observe its environment and people. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, you will not lack for absolutely nothing. This city offers plans for the whole family throughout the year.
El Drago Milenario en Icod de los Vinos
The Dragon tree in Icod de los Vinos (El Drago Milenario en Icod de los Vinos)
In the north of Tenerife, in the town of Icod de los Vinos, there is an ancient dragon tree (Dracaena Draco Canariensis) over 800 years old. It is one of the natural, cultural, and historical symbols of Tenerife. It is 18 meters tall, and its trunk is 20 meters in perimeter. You can see it from the square of the Iglesia Parroquial de San Marcos or enter the Parque del Drago Milenario, where you can take a picture closer to the tree, walk along the paths in its gardens, see a representation of the ancient aborigines of Tenerife and various samples of traditions that are still maintained on the island.
Whale watching
The southwest coast of the Island is the perfect place to enjoy watching pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, and many more cetaceans. The area between Las Galletas and Los Gigantes has been declared a Whale Heritage Site. It is a journey to see the greatest diversity of cetaceans in Europe in the wild and their natural habitat. Seeing whales and dolphins in the ocean like that is something you will never forget and that you can do at any time of the year. Without experiencing this, you cannot leave Tenerife! The boats set sail from the ports of Puerto Colón, Los Cristianos, and Los Gigantes, and you can choose the one that best suits your needs in terms of time and price. Reserve your experience here.
Siam Park
Siam Park, located in Costa Adeje, in the south of the island, is considered the best water park in the world, according to Tripadvisor, the world’s largest review platform. It is also the largest water park in Europe. Throughout the year, you can enjoy many kilometers of outdoor slides or enjoy its two artificial wave pools. The largest pool, called Siam Beach, has the highest artificial wave in the world and reaches up to 3 meters in height. In some events, surfing is being practiced on these famous waves. The second wave pool is made for children with smaller waves, along with spaces that are perfect for families. The pools have beaches created in their surroundings that are great for lounging and sunbathing when you get tired of going through all the attractions. Siam Park is full of pure adrenaline, and absolutely everyone has fun. The bravest climb is the Tower of Power, which reaches 28 meters high with its almost vertical slide; when you’re on top, your adrenaline rises to the maximum. We recommend that you visit it in other months than August since it gets very crowded in summer. If you decide to visit it in summer, though, it is better to buy a Fast Pass to be able to enjoy more of all the attractions that are offered since you can skip the lines at all the attractions. You can also buy the Twin Ticket and visit Loro Parque, the zoo of the same company that is in Puerto de la Cruz. Buy your ticket here.
Puerto de la Cruz
A city located in the north of Tenerife that tourists from all over the world have fallen in love with since the 19th century. Puerto de la Cruz offers a wide range of leisure activities, including long walks along the promenade, beautiful volcanic sand beaches with lots of vegetation, Lago Martiánez natural pools designed by César Manrique with salt water, and impressive views of El Teide. In Puerto, you can find a wide variety of restaurants, terraces, and bars with a great atmosphere. There’s a wide variety of accommodations, from vacation homes and boutique hotels to luxury hotels. Puerto de la Cruz is also known for its culture with street parties, festivals, Summer Carnival, and fairs. In this town, you can walk among typical Canarian buildings with a lot of history next to the well-kept beaches of its coast or spend a fun day in Loro Parque, one of the best zoos in the world, according to Tripadvisor. Puerto de la Cruz is the place where fun, culture, gastronomy, and rest come together.
Los Gigantes
The cliffs of Los Gigantes are one of the natural jewels that Tenerife offers, and it has become one of the most famous landscapes on the island and an essential visit. The height of the cliffs at some points exceeds 600 meters. We recommend you stop at one of the viewpoints and admire its beauty. Or bathe on Guíos beach, next to Los Gigantes port and the cliffs. Its seabed is home to great biological diversity. It is great for diving, going out by boat to watch dolphins and whales, or practicing kayaking, paddle surfing, or snorkeling. Book one of the activities here.
Eating en un Guachinche
Guachinche is a typical Canarian restaurant with traditional homemade food. Most of the guachinches are located in the north of the island. The most famous area of the guachinches is the part of Santa Úrsula, La Matanza de Acentejo, La Victoria de Acentejo, where you can find one on every corner. Many of them have their own vintage of wine. On weekends you can find yourself in queues to get a table since many Canarians go out to eat with the whole family at the guachinches. In these restaurants, you can try papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes), mojo rojo (red sauce), mojo verde (green sauce), carne a la brasa (grilled meat), carne fiesta (“party meat”), potajes (stews), gofio (traditional staple food made from toasted and ground cereals or grains), queso de cabra (goat cheese), among others. And for dessert, for example, el hojaldre de almendra (almond puff pastry), quesillo (a traditional dessert similar to flan or caramel custard), bienmesabe (a traditional dessert consisting of almonds, eggs, and lemon zest) or leche leche cake.
Stargazing
Tenerife is an excellent place to watch stars due to the quality of its dark sky and the presence of the Teide Observatory. There are several options to enjoy this activity, such as joining an organized stargazing excursion that includes transportation, telescopes, and expert guides or simply finding a place with little light pollution and looking up at the sky. Some popular places for stargazing in Tenerife are the Teide National Park, the Teide Observatory, and the Teno area. Are you ready to have a unique and exciting experience? Reserve your place for this excursion right now!
