Tenerife and all Canary Islands are truly unique place on earth. Volcanic and windy character of the island makes it primary destination for volcano hiking lovers and adventurous beach & watersport enthusiasts. With a warm winter climate and diverse landscape, Tenerfie has become an adventure hub for million of travelers every year. With this travel guide to Tenerife you’ll find plenty of useful advise on transportation and best travel experience, it will take you through all hidden gems of the island, unique places I discovered while driving and hiking the island. I’m also sharing the most adventurous 9 day travel itinerary on this black soil land.
Is Tenerife a country?
Tenerife is an island, it’s a part of the Canary Islands under Spanish consitution and the island is also a leading economic capital city of the archipelago. It is located 300 km off the west coast of Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. Flight from London or Dublin takes around 4 hours.
These are the 7 islands of Canary Islands Archipelago: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.
There are 2 international airports on the island:
- South-Reina Sofia Airport (TFS),
- Los Rodeos in the North – Aeropuerto de Tenerife Norte-Ciudad de La Laguna (TFN).
Best time to visit Tenerife?
A mild tropical climate of the island attacts visitors all year round. Average temperatures along the year:
- Summer: 25-26 C
- Winter 19-20 C
Tenerife is relatively windy island, it’s a paradise for surfers and waves lovers – however two neighboring islands: Lanzarote & Fuerteventura are considered to be the windiest Canary Islands.
My strong advice – always cover yourself with a sun lotion, even in cloudy days – the wind makes sunrays much more aggresive and you may easily get sun burn.
I went hiking on a first day in Lanzarote, it was sunny but the wind was chilly, so I used a little sun cream – I got one of the worst sun burn ever! (only Turkey was worse 😄).
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Is it safe to travel in Tenerife?
Tenerife is very safe to travel and moving around. The is a very low crime rate on the island, making it one of the safest destinations in the area. I traveled alone around the island, hiked untouristic paths and for a moment I didn’t feel unsafe.
How to get to Tenerife?
By plane:
By ferry:
- MAINLAND TO TENERIFE: you need to book FERRYHOPPER.
- GETTING BETWEEN THE ISLANDS: The best way to find a cheap ferry ticket to Tenerife from any other Canary Island is through OMIO.
Transportation around Tenerife.
BUS: There is a very good bus service on the island TITSA (green buses), which will take you to most of the popular corners of the island. However, centrally located Mount Teide Volcano makes the routes longer and some of the bus trips may take a long time. Buses run between major towns and resorts for 12-20Euro per ticket, so it’s a good alternative if you don’t want to sit behind the wheel.
CAR RENATAL: Renting a car is highly recommended in Tenerife for number of reasons. I rent a car in most places I travel for at least of half of the duration of the stay. The always use local transport, which is my favourite and adventurous way of traveling – allowing to discover the urban attractions and scenery among local people. Renting a car in Tenerife was one of the easiest and most pleasurable car rental experiences ever! I won’t even tell you about some of my horror stories I experienced with car rentals around the world..
DISCOVER CARS is the best an award winning car rental in tenerife – with best rates, no hidden cost and free cancellation (World Travel Awards, Financial Times 1000).
Why you should rent a car in Tenerife?
- Renting a car in Tenerife is cheap, high quality and very straighforward,
- Car gives you time flexibility and movement freedom,
- Car makes it very easy to reach hidden treasures of the island and make a stopover whenever you are astonished by the beautiful landscape,
- You can easily reach most unique highlights of the islands,
- Road infrastructure is decent – however keep in mind some coastal roads are curly and narrow. Take it slow and you’ll be fine. Due to a high altitude it can often get cloudy, which limits the visibility in the higher parts of the mountain roads.
Can I climb Mount Teide?
I’d say you must climb Mount Teide! Whether on foot – one or both ways, or going by cable car. Mount Teide is one of the most spectacular volcanoes in the whole archipelago. You will need to obtain a permission to get to Mount Teide. The check point for Teide permssion is at the upper cable car station at 3555m. You will need to show the permission along with an ID (without ID you will be denied entry!) to from this point to the top of Teide Volcano. The guard will instruct you on safety rules while hiking up.Listen carefully as some of the stones are red-hot and you may burn yourself.
I hiked Mount Teide both ways on foot, it’s a tough hike and you need to have a good fitness level to go for it. A lot of people are experiencing high altitude sickness symptioms, so read carefuly all information before you atempt.
9 day adventurous travel itinerary on Tenerife.
My 9 day adventurous itinerary takes you through the biggest highlights around the island, starting from Santa Cruz de Tenerife (the main city of the island), going south direction, exploring west coast and centrally located Mount Teide, driving through the north coast and ending in Parque Rural de Anaga on the north-east end of the island. I had few more days to explore the island, so I’m dropping some more suggestions in case you want to modify the trip according to your preferences 😉
DAY1: Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
DAY1: SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE. If you are landing in Santa Cruz de Tenerife – the capital city of the island, you may spend half-day exploring the city, but it’s very busy and I would advise moving to toher parts of the islands the next day. For both itinerary options I highly recommend renting a car DISCOVER CARS.
DAY2: Whale & dolphin watching ocean cruise.
DAY2: WHALE & DOLPHING WATCHING OCEAN CRUISES. EXPLORE THE AMAZING OCEAN TOURS for whale & dolphin watching cruises. Here are 3 top exciting selling tours that have become extremely popular in Tenerife – best prices you’ll get are listed here:
DAY3: South-west of Tenerife.
DAY3: EXPLORE THE SOUTH – WEST OF TENERIFE:
- Drive to Playa de la Tejita – gloden sand beach.
- DISCOVER THE WEST COAST – with Full day Guided Island Tour including pick-up from any hotel on the south of the island. The tour uncovers Tenerife’s magnificent highlights, incredible landscape, history and trditions of this Spanish island.
- If you decide to stay in Los Abrigos (small port town on the south of the island), located close to the South Airport and Playa de la Tejita, here are all accommodation options.
DAY 4: Hiking Mount Teide (3700m) in Tenerife.
There are two ways you can approach Mount Teide:
- On foot/hiking
- By cable car which takes you to the upper station at the level of 3555m.
For both options, if you want to reach the peak, you would need to obtain a permition online – apply months in advance to secure your ticket. All information on Mount Teide Hike and climbing permit is under my post.
Mount Teide Hike (Pico del Teide) – Complete Step by Step Guide.
Mount Teide hike is a fabulous but challenging adventure! It was so different to most of my
Hiking Mount Teide is a challenging experience, mostly because of the altitude. Make sure you are well able to hike the steep terrain for 10-12 hours, up to the altitude above 3700m. Weather conditions may be tricky – it gets extremely windy and sometimes snowy.
Reaching Mount Teide on foot requires hiking up 1300 vertical metres and 8.5km one way. All hiking information included under my Step by Step Guide on Hiking Mount Teide.
Mount Teide permission can be obtained online through the Official National Parks reservation website for General Public.
You can also book one of the following day or night tours– the Sunset & Stargazing tour is definitely exceptional experience but you should not miss summiting Teide in a daytime for stunning views of the whole archipelago.
DAY5: Water adventure - Siam Park.
DAY 4: GO FOR WATER ADVENTURE IN SIAM PARK. After tiring Mount Teide hike (or ride ;)) you can relax in waters of Siam Park. Get overwhelmed by a Thai architecture and have a crazy water adventure in Siam Park, located on the west coast of the island, which has been linked no1 water park in the world according to Tripadvisor.
Siam Park is a huge attraction in Tenerife. Can you imagine the complex was opened by the Princes of Thailand, no wonder Thai influence is present in the complex architecture. Full day entry ticket is 42 Euro (2023), same price as the tours below.
Everything you need to know before you visit Siam Park according to Tripadvisor.
DAY 6: North-west of Tenerife.
Drive to north-west of Tenerife to visit Santiago del Teide and admire incredible Los Gigantes Cliffs! Santiago del Teide is a charming, quiet town, filled with small restaurants hidden in the shadows of tiny streets, where you can taste real local cuisine.
It is most famous for unspoiled countryside landscape, nice hikes, fabulous Teide Volcano views and most importantly dramatic Los Gigantes cliffs!
Find suitable accommodation in Santaigo del Teide.
DAY 7: Explore the interior of the island for best viewpoints.
Mirador Altos de Baracan is a fabulous viewpoint located in the Anaga Rural Park on a curly mountain road TF-436. There is small space to park your car and walk few steps to discover most amazing panoramic view of the mountain coastline.
Or go on a kayaking & snorkeling adventure or magic Teide Night Sky Star Safari instead – two memorable experiences:
- Kayaking adventure in Tenerife goes along with snorkeling with turtles and spectacular coasline views.
- Mount Teide Night Sky Star Safari & Dinner may be unforgettale adventure.
DAY8: Taste Tenerife's cuisine.
Where to eat in Tenerife?
One incredible place I discovered is just above Playa El Bullullo called Restaurante Bollullo Beach – it’s a scenic restaurant viewing from above the cliffs. You will need to drive a tiny road to reach the restaurant but at least there is a parking in front of the place. The restaurnat gets really busy – so BOOK a table in advance.
Another beautiful restaurant is El Calderito de la Abuela (both located north of Tenerife), where I had one of the most incredible local salads! Dishes you have to try from a local cuisine:
- GO for a breakfast and coffee shot to a local bar! – this is a Spanish tradition to get coffee and a piece of tortilla for breaky.
- Grilled fish or octopus, usually come with baked salty potatoes and some salad.
- Local specialities: salad with goat cheese and local dry fruits,
- Pimientos de Padron – fried green peppers – my favourite ever!
DAY9: Hiking Parque Rural de Anaga.
Parque Rural de Anaga is located on the north-east end of the island. It is know for most spectacular views of the island (except Mount Teide!..).
I took a coastal day hike to admire Playa de Benijo surrounded by dramatic black cliffs from the top perspective. Even though the weather wasn’t great, the views were stunning.
Benijo Hike is a CIRCUIT. You can actually take a long circuit but there’s a short option as well.
Distance: 11km
Elevation 995m
Trekking time: 6h
Difficulty level: Moderate- Difficult
Treking route: Benijo-El Draguillo-Las Palmas -Faro Punta de Anaga/Lighthouse-Casas de Tafada-Chamorga/the village-Benijo.
The hike takes you through most spectacular landscapes of the Park Rural de Anaga with a view over the beautiful rocky coastline. The trail is quite exposed making it difficult in wet conditions. Be careful as some sections are really tricky.
Best beaches in Tenerife.
Tenerife is voulcanic island like all Canary Islands. There are few magnificent black-sand beaches in Tenerife – with one you must explore!
Here are 3 gorgeus golden-sand beaches in Tenerife:
- La Tejita Beach, located on the south of the island next to South-Reina Sofia Airport (TFS), near La Tejita town – which is a magic beach!
- Las Teresitas (on the left photo) – located on the east side of the island approx. 12km from Santa Cruz de Tenerife capital city and 20km from the north airport. Very nice but touristic beach.
- Las Vistas south-west of the island
Incredible black-sand beaches in Tenerife:
- Los Gigantes
- Benijo
- Playa del Castillo
- Playa El Bullullo (on the right photo) – check below for Restaurante Bollullo Beach!
Most luxury hotels in Tenerife.
Tenerife offers decent accommodation options, you won’t have a problem to get a bit of luxury while staying there. I chose La Casa Nova Hotel & Restaurant, which is a unique place, a little outside of touristic area – I much prefer quieter accommodations. Unfortunately the hotel is closed in 2023. It was aroun $60-70/per night including full option breakfast. There was a lovale pool at the hotel with badahin beds – seriously attractive place.
