What there is to do in Tenerife depends on which side of the island you wake up on. The south (Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas, Los Cristianos) has most of the hotels, the reliable sunshine and the whale-watching boats. The north (Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, La Laguna, Anaga) has the historic towns, the laurel forest and a good deal more cloud. Between them rises Teide National Park, a World Heritage Site, less than an hour's drive from almost any stretch of coast.
Families and anyone after a winter beach should head south; walkers and anyone who wants towns with real Canarian life should head north, and accept that it rains more. Either way, Teide, Masca and Anaga mean an early start and booking ahead.
Things to do in Tenerife: 15 ideas and the fact that matters
Mount Teide and the high peaks
- Teide cable car. From 2,356 to 3,555 m in eight minutes; €43 return for non-residents, online only. You get an hour at the top and it doesn't reach the summit: everything is in our guide to going up Mount Teide.
- The summit, 3,715 m. The last 660 m of trail need a personal permit from Tenerife ON, the island council's booking platform: it opens 56 days ahead and costs €15 for anyone who doesn't live in the Canaries, for the slots between 09:00 and 17:00.
- Roques de García. A 3.5 km loop of about two hours opposite the Parador, free and with no booking needed for now. The best short walk in the park, with a stop for buses 342 and 348.
- Sunset and stars. The park is a Starlight Tourist Destination; a daytime visit to the Teide Observatory costs €21 (free from 8 to 16). The islands are compared in stargazing in the Canary Islands.
If volcanoes are your thing, Canary Islands volcanoes puts Teide alongside Timanfaya and Tajogaite.
At sea
- Whales and dolphins. Pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live off the south-west all year. Boats leave from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colón and Los Gigantes from €25–33 booked direct: how to choose is in whale watching in Tenerife.
- Los Gigantes cliffs. Walls of up to 600 m that look best from the water; a two-hour trip from the harbour combines whales and dolphins, the cliffs and a swim in a cove.
- A day on La Gomera. A 50-minute ferry from Los Cristianos with Fred. Olsen or Baleària Canarias, formerly Naviera Armas. On your own or on a tour, in La Gomera from Tenerife.
The north and the west
- La Laguna. A World Heritage Site since 1999 for its 15th-century street plan, 15 minutes from Santa Cruz on bus 015 (the tram goes there too). Take a jacket: at about 600 m, it is the coolest, wettest stop on any itinerary.
- La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz. Up the hill, the Casa de los Balcones and the church of La Concepción; down by the sea, the seawater pools of Lago Martiánez, designed by César Manrique, for €7 with a sunbed.
- Garachico and Icod de los Vinos. The El Caletón rock pools formed in the lava of 1706. The Drago de Icod dragon tree is at least 800 years old, not a thousand, and you can see it for free from the Plaza de Andrés de Lorenzo Cáceres.
- Masca gorge. Downhill only, with a booking (€40.66 for non-residents), arriving on bus 355 and leaving by boat for Los Gigantes. How it works is in Anaga and Masca.
- Anaga. A Biosphere Reserve on the north-eastern tip: laurel forest, Taganana and black-sand beaches. Cruz del Carmen needs no permit; the El Pijaral forest does (free, at most 14 days ahead).
- Punta de Teno. The lighthouse at the western tip can only be reached on bus 369 from Buenavista, for €1: cars, bikes and walkers are banned from the road.
Theme parks and things to do with kids
- Siam Park. €44 for adults and €32 for ages 3 to 11. The Tower of Power is 28 m high and ends in a tube through an aquarium; almost all the big slides need 1.25 m. Free bus from Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje; no food allowed in.
- Loro Parque. Same prices, in Puerto de la Cruz, with a free train from the Plaza de los Reyes Católicos. Its orcas and dolphins divide opinion: several British tour operators stopped selling it, and the park answers with animal-welfare audits. Both parks and the combined ticket are in Siam Park and Loro Parque; the other islands, in Canary Islands water parks.
Tenerife attractions map: where everything is
- 1Teleférico del TeidesightDirections ↗
- 2Roques de Garcíanature areaDirections ↗
- 3Mascanature areaDirections ↗
- 4Los GigantesportDirections ↗
- 5Los CristianosportDirections ↗
- 6Siam ParkparkDirections ↗
- 7Loro ParqueparkDirections ↗
- 8GarachicotownDirections ↗
- 9La LagunatownDirections ↗
- 10Anaga · Cruz del Carmennature areaDirections ↗
From Costa Adeje: about 52 km and just under an hour to the cable car, 55 minutes to Santa Cruz and over an hour to Puerto de la Cruz. With traffic or bends, add 10 to 20 minutes.
Where to stay in Tenerife: south, north or city
| Area | Who it suits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Adeje | couples and families after a quiet beach | It runs from La Caleta to Callao Salvaje: a hotel "in Costa Adeje" can be 10–12 km from Siam Park. El Duque and Torviscas have Blue Flags. |
| Playa de las Américas | groups and nightlife | Split between Arona and Adeje; the bars are in Las Verónicas and Starco. |
| Los Cristianos | families, older travellers, reduced mobility, anyone going to La Gomera | Beach inside the harbour; Las Vistas has assisted bathing all year. You can walk to the ferry. |
| Los Gigantes | peace and scenery | Small black-sand beach below the cliffs. |
| El Médano | wind, kitesurfing and flights at odd hours | 10 minutes from the South airport; a natural beach of grey sand. |
| Puerto de la Cruz | a base for the north with local life | More cloud; Playa Jardín has had swimming closures over water quality. |
| Santa Cruz and La Laguna | city break, Carnival and Anaga | North airport a quarter of an hour away and a tram between the two; the beach is Las Teresitas. |
The three southern resorts are compared in Costa Adeje, Las Américas and Los Cristianos. For a week, four nights in the south and three in the north; with a single base between November and March, the south.
Tenerife in 3, 5 or 7 days
In 3 days. Teide (an early cable car and Roques de García); a whale-watching boat and the beach; La Laguna and Anaga, almost an hour up the motorway from the south.
In 5 days. Add Masca, or Los Gigantes from the sea, and a day at Siam Park. For now, the Masca descent can only be booked from Wednesday to Saturday.
In 7 days. Add Garachico and Icod, an evening of stargazing and the ferry to La Gomera; it pays to change hotels halfway through.
Tenerife excursions: our pick
Our pick
1
Teide and the north-west in a day, no car
The national park, Masca, Icod and Garachico in about 9 hours with pick-up. No cable car and only a short stop at Las Cañadas.
GetYourGuide9 hours
Tenerife: Teide National Park, Masca, Icod & Garachico Tour
4.6 (3,035 reviews)
from €58Check availability
2
Whales in an hour and a half
Travelin' Lady leaves from Los Cristianos, close to the pilot whales, with a swim off Montaña de Guaza. Drinks extra.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Travelin' Lady: Eco Yacht Whale & Dolphin Safari + Swim
4.7 (19,421 reviews)
from €29.90Check availability
3
Sunset and stars on Teide
Hotel pick-up, sunset over the sea of clouds and telescopes. Bring a winter coat, even in August.
GetYourGuide3 - 5 hours
Tenerife: Sunset and Stargazing at Teide National Park
4.7 (3,665 reviews)
from €35Check availability
4
Siam Park without the ticket queue
Same price as on the park's website. If you're going to Loro Parque too, the combined ticket (€78) saves €10 per adult.
5
Banana plantation, short and cheap
Finca Las Margaritas, in Las Galletas: only four mornings a week, last entry at 11:45.
GetYourGuide1 hour - 75 minutes
Tenerife: Finca Las Margaritas Banana Plantation Experience
4.7 (1,573 reviews)
from €10Check availability
GetYourGuide7 hours
Tenerife: Mount Teide Tour with Cable Car Ticket & Transfer
4.3 (6,095 reviews)
from €92Check availability
GetYourGuide9 hours
Tenerife: Teide National Park, Masca, Icod & Garachico Tour
4.6 (3,035 reviews)
from €58Check availability
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Travelin' Lady: Eco Yacht Whale & Dolphin Safari + Swim
4.7 (19,421 reviews)
from €29.90Check availability
Tiqets06:00
Mount Teide: Guided Tour, Summit Hike + Cable Car
4.3 (31 reviews)
from €178Check availability
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Tenerife: Eco No-Chase Respectful Whale & Dolphin Encounter
4.6 (15,400 reviews)
from €28Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →Prices checked on 2 October 2026
Who is behind each excursion is in Tenerife operators.
Getting to Tenerife and getting around by bus
Check which airport is on your ticket. Tenerife South (TFS) takes almost all international flights and is about 20 minutes from Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos. Tenerife North (TFN) mainly handles inter-island flights and flights to mainland Spain; from there, the south is 83 km away.
| Route | TITSA line | Cash / Ten+ card |
|---|---|---|
| TFS – Los Cristianos | 40, every 30 min | €3.20 / €2.80 |
| TFS – Costa Adeje (bus station) | 40, 343 or 711 | €3.70 / €2.90 |
| TFS – Santa Cruz | 10 | €9.35 / €6.95 |
| TFS – Puerto de la Cruz | 343, four a day | €13.55 / €9.55 |
| TFN – Santa Cruz or La Laguna | 20 | €2.65 / €2.25 |
| TFN – Puerto de la Cruz | 30 | €4.75 / €3.40 |
At night, the 711 leaves TFS for the south nine times between 23:00 and 04:50. A taxi from TFS to the southern beaches costs around €30 by day on the meter (€1.35 per km plus a €2.10 airport supplement).
The Ten+ card (€2) is rechargeable, makes every journey cheaper and can be shared; the tourist passes (€10 for one day, €50 for seven) are personal. Free buses are only for residents with a season pass. One bus a day goes up Teide from each side of the island (342 and 348).
A hire car pays off for the north and Teide, with two warnings: on fire-alert days the island council closes the Masca road to visitors' cars from 09:00 to 16:00, and it has announced a bookable parking quota at Teide that is not yet in force; before you go, check the Tenerife ON alerts.
Ferries to La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro leave from Los Cristianos; from Santa Cruz, Fred. Olsen sails to Agaete in 80 minutes and Baleària Canarias to Las Palmas in 1 h 40. The cheap fares are for Canary residents. Routes and timetables in island hopping.
Tenerife weather: when to go
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 |
| Low °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 |
| Sea °C | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 |
| Rainy days | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Hours of sun a day | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 17 |
| Low °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 12 |
| Sea °C | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 |
| Rainy days | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Hours of sun a day | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Low °C | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Rainy days | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| Hours of sun a day | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Source: AEMET, climate normals (1981–2010) · sea temperature: seatemperature.info, ten-year average
In the south, highs range from 22 °C in January to 28 °C in August and it hardly rains from May to September; December, the wettest month, brings three or four days with some rain. La Laguna stays at 16 °C in January, with about eight days of rain, and up by Teide it snows two or three days a month from December to March.
The sea is coolest in March (about 19 °C) and warmest in September and October (23–24 °C). High season runs from October to March, and March is the month with the most arrivals in the Canaries; May and June are the quietest. Calima, the dusty haze, has its longest spells in January and February.
The street carnival in Santa Cruz usually falls between February and early March, tied to Ash Wednesday, although the city council can move it: for the next edition it has pushed it back two weeks, so check the official programme before you book flights. Month by month, in Canary Islands weather and, for example, the Canary Islands in October.
Common mistakes in Tenerife
- Thinking the cable car takes you to the summit. It leaves you 160 m short; the rest is a trail that needs a permit.
- Booking in the north for winter sun. From November to March the reliable sunshine is in the south.
- Landing at Tenerife North with your hotel in the south. It's an hour on the motorway and the direct bus runs four times a day.
- Driving to Masca to walk the gorge. At the checkpoint they turn away anyone who doesn't arrive on bus 355.
- Trusting Blue Flag lists on old websites. Las Teresitas, Los Cristianos and Fañabé don't have one now.
- Expecting turtles or swimming with dolphins. Turtles turn up now and then; getting in the water with wild whales and dolphins is illegal.
- Hiring a boat "with no licence needed". That's no longer legal in Spanish waters; skippered boats are unchanged.
All our Tenerife guides
TenerifeMount TeideThe Mount Teide cable car costs €43 return and stops short of the summit: the Tenerife ON permit (€15) opens 56 days ahead. Teide tours, buses and the cold.from €56
TenerifeWhales in TenerifeWhale watching in Tenerife: pilot whales and dolphins all year from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colón and Los Gigantes, from €25. Barco Azul flag, seasickness.from €27.81
TenerifeSiam Park & Loro ParqueSiam Park and Loro Parque tickets cost €44 per adult and €32 per child; the Twin Ticket for both is €78, valid 15 days. Fast Pass, height limits, free buses.from €44
TenerifeCosta Adeje & Las AméricasThings to do in Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos: calm beaches, whale watching from €25, the La Gomera ferry and a €3.20 airport bus.from €27.81
TenerifeAnaga & MascaMasca hike: booking, €40.66, access only on bus 355 and a boat back. Anaga hikes: laurel forest with no permit, or a free permit for El Pijaral.from €24Whales and dolphins on the other islands: whale and dolphin watching in the Canary Islands.
Tenerife FAQs
What is there to do in Tenerife in 4 days?
One day for Teide (the cable car and Roques de García), one for a whale-watching boat and the beach, one for La Laguna and Anaga, and the fourth for Masca or Garachico and Icod.
What can you do in Tenerife with kids?
Siam Park and Loro Parque (€32 for ages 3 to 11), a short whale-watching trip and beaches sheltered by breakwaters such as Las Vistas or El Camisón. Children under 3 are not allowed on the cable car.
Is it better to stay in the north or the south of Tenerife?
For beaches and sun, the south: 15 days of rain a year against 64 in La Laguna. For towns, walking and Canarian life, the north; in a week you can combine the two.
How do I get from Tenerife South airport to Costa Adeje?
On bus 40, every 30 minutes, for €3.70 to the Costa Adeje bus station; at night, the 711. By taxi, about €30 by day.
Do you need a car in Tenerife?
For the south and the boat trips, no. For Teide, the north and Anaga it helps a lot: the Teide bus goes up once a day and Anaga has few services.
When is the best time to go to Tenerife?
October combines the warmest sea with summer temperatures in the south; May and June are the quietest months.