Tenerife Travel Guide: Everything Tourists Need to Know About Vacationing in Tenerife. I’ll tell you about the island’s features, the best beach resorts, where it’s less windy and sunnier. You’ll learn about public transportation on Tenerife, where to check schedules and routes. There will be plenty of useful information to help you better plan your dream trip.

Vacationing in Tenerife: General Information

Tenerife is the main island of the Canary Archipelago, the “most” island of the Canaries. The most populous, the highest, the most developed, and the most popular among tourists.

  • The population of Tenerife is over 900 thousand people. According to some data, it’s already 1 million. Just a reminder, the entire Canary Islands, including Tenerife, have a population of 2.1 million across all 7 islands.
  • The capital of Tenerife and the entire Canary Archipelago is Santa Cruz de Tenerife, or simply Santa Cruz. To avoid confusion, the name of the island is often added at the end of the city’s name. For example, the capital of La Palma island in the Canaries is also Santa Cruz, and the full name of the city is Santa Cruz de La Palma.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
A quick note: Despite having many tourists, Santa Cruz is not a resort town, there are no beaches here. It’s the capital of the island, bustling with the typical life of any capital city. For beach vacations, you’ll need to choose other resorts. You can visit Santa Cruz for about 3-4 hours to explore the city center and its main attractions, there’s not much else to do here.

Interesting to know:

The Canary Islands officially have two capitals, which change every 4 years. For 4 years, the capital is in Santa Cruz on Tenerife, then for the next 4 years, it’s Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria, and so on. As a tourist, it’s not necessary for you to know which capital it is currently; it won’t affect your vacation in any way. There are even more interesting facts about the Canaries in the link.
  • Tenerife is a volcanic island that formed millions of years ago as a result of underwater volcanic eruptions (like all the Canary Islands). The highest volcano in the center of Tenerife is Teide. Teide’s height is 3,718 meters. It’s not only the highest peak in the Canaries but also the highest point in all of Spain since the Canaries are part of Spain.
tenerife teide view
Whether you’re flying from Europe or taking an inter-island flight, you can always see Teide about 100-200 km before reaching the island. In the photo, we’re flying from La Palma to Gran Canaria, and we can see Teide through the window.

Teide is considered a dormant volcano, not an extinct one. The last major eruption was in 1909. And 300 years ago, Teide’s eruption destroyed many villages and the city of Garachico in the northwest of the island. Today, the Teide National Park is established in the center of the island, which is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List and is part of Spain’s national ranking of “12 Treasures of Spain.”

  • There’s a comprehensive article about Mount Teide, what to see, how to get there, the most beautiful road, how to reach the top of Teide on foot or by cable car, hiking routes. A complete guide to visiting the park.

Special Features of Tenerife

From this section, you’ll learn about the drawbacks of travel to Tenerife, I’ll also tell you about the advantages, and how Tenerife differs from the other islands of the archipelago, what are its peculiarities.

Statistics:

More than 14 million people visit the Canary Islands annually. And 11 million out of these 14 somehow end up on the islands through Tenerife. Yes, some people stay on the island for just one day and then move on to other islands, but the vast majority spend their entire vacation on Tenerife.
  • The biggest drawback of travel to Tenerife is the crowds of tourists, everywhere. With over 11 million tourists annually on an island with 900 thousand inhabitants, it’s a nightmare.
when season tenerife
I took this photo at one of the resorts on Tenerife in February, during the low season, when the water is very cold. Imagine what it’s like here during the high season?

Here are the drawbacks of such a large number of tourists during the season: traffic jams even on major multi-lane highways, extremely difficult parking problems, there’s simply not enough space for parking anywhere, very expensive accommodation. Overcrowded beaches, as there are more cliffs than beaches. Low-quality service in restaurants, all restaurants focus on speed rather than quality, the same goes for tours and excursions. Queues at attractions and so on.

  • The advantages of Tenerife include the best infrastructure for tourists among all the islands of the archipelago. Here you’ll find everything you need, from huge shopping malls with all the world’s brands to the coolest entertainment, the world’s best water park, zoo, and so on. The list of cool natural attractions is also impressive, and there’s plenty to do for active tourists.
tenerife travel guide
Loro Parque (zoo) and Siam Park (water park) – both are located on Tenerife and are considered some of the best in the world. Siam Park has been recognized as the best water park in the world 9 times in a row! And that says a lot.

If you want to travel to Tenerife, be sure to read the article: TOP 15 attractions of Tenerife island, map, prices, tips for visiting.

An important feature of Tenerife:

There are two international airports (IATA codes: TFS and TFN) and two ports (in Santa Cruz in the north and Los Cristianos in the south). Always check which port you have tickets to or from. Tourists often make mistakes and book a car in the wrong place or arrive at the wrong airport for departure and, of course, miss their flight.

Getting around in Tenerife

Let’s start with the fact that both Tenerife and all the other Canary Islands are made for renting cars. It’s affordable, with favorable conditions, excellent toll-free roads, and free parking almost everywhere (although there may not be enough space), and most importantly, a car provides the mobility that you’ll never get if you rely on buses. For more than half of the attractions, you can’t reach them by bus because there simply aren’t bus routes to those places.

  • Everything about car rental in Tenerife, prices, peculiarities, personal experience, serpentine roads, and rental companies

Statistics:

From 80 to 90% of tourists in Tenerife rent a car to explore the island’s attractions. Some do it for just one day, but most do it for the entire duration of their vacation.

If you can’t rent a car, for example, if you don’t have a driver’s license, then you have three options for getting around the island:

  • Taxi and transfer: This is very expensive because the distances here are significant, and the island is quite large. Taxis are convenient for short trips to nearby beaches. All about taxis and airport transfers in the Canaries.
  • Excursions: There are group bus tours to the most popular locations on the island. If you don’t have a car, this option is generally cheaper than taxis. Group bus excursions also have their drawbacks, but you can read more about them in the article on excursions and tours in the Canaries, where to look, guides, prices.
  • And traveling independently on public transport.
tenerife buses
All the island’s buses are green, managed by the TITSA company.

Key points to know about public transport in Tenerife:

  • Apart from a few trams in the capital, Santa Cruz, there are only buses operating on the island. There are no subways or trains.
  • Each Canary Island has its own management and transport company. In Tenerife, it’s the TITSA bus company (green buses).
  • There’s an official website where you can check schedules and routes, and there’s also an app: https://www.titsa.com.
  • Fares are typically between 3-7 euros for a one-way trip to the other end of the island. For example, from Tenerife South Airport to the resort of Los Cristianos, it’s 3.5 euros.
  • Tickets can be paid by card when boarding, from a machine at the bus stop. Cash is also accepted on popular tourist routes.

Tip:

If you plan to take buses in Tenerife, Google Maps is great for planning routes with bus numbers. Then you can check the exact schedule of the desired route on the bus company’s website. And if you plan to drive around the island by car, it’s better not to use Google Maps; navigation in apps like Maps.Me or Organic Maps is much more convenient.

Resorts in Tenerife, or where to stay

You’ll find the TOP best and most beautiful beaches in Tenerife, as well as lava pools, with coordinates in the link provided. There, you’ll find both beach resorts and wild deserted volcanic beaches. And then, to make it easier for you to choose a place for your vacation, I’ll list the most popular, well-developed beach resorts in Tenerife.

Special feature of Tenerife:

You already know that Tenerife is a volcanic island over 3700 meters high. The climate on the island is dry, and in most cases, clouds in Tenerife are at an altitude of up to 2500 meters. Throughout the year, the predominant winds on the island are from the north and northeast. As a result, strong winds and clouds are more common in the north of Tenerife, while in the south, there are none because all the clouds are stopped by the mountains in the central part of the island. This feature also applies to Gran Canaria, La Palma, and La Gomera, anywhere with high mountains over 2000m.
resorts in tenerife
A photo collage for illustration. These two photos were taken on the same day with a 1-hour difference. The top photo is in the far south of Tenerife, and the bottom one is 40 km away on the north coast. I often travel back and forth for work: in the north, you can’t see the sun for three days, while in the south, there hasn’t been a cloud in a week. So, if you want a lot of sun, especially if you’re going to the Canary Islands in winter, choose resorts in the south. This condition is not so important for summer vacations.

And it’s important to know: if you’re travel to Tenerife for a summer vacation during the high season, there’s no significant difference in which part of the island you stay in. In summer, there are few clouds, little rain, a dry climate, and excellent vacation conditions. But in the winter months, it’s better to choose resorts in the south and southwest, where there are more sunny days, fewer winds, and much warmer weather. The beach season in southern Tenerife is year-round, even in February.

  • The only natural phenomenon that can spoil tourists’ vacations, which can occur at any time of the year, is “calima.” What it is and why it’s dangerous, you can read in the article about weather and seasons in the Canaries.

So, here are the best and most popular beach resorts in Tenerife with well-equipped beaches, wave protection, and infrastructure. These are great places to relax with children:

  • Los Gigantes and the village just south of it – La Arena: 28.247606151745842, -16.84033276876815. An incredibly beautiful resort with views of the 400-meter cliffs of Los Gigantes. The beaches here are made of black volcanic sand and are small, not very suitable for children. But for adults, this is a great resort with excellent lava pools.
  • Las Americas and Los Cristianos – the best beach resorts in Tenerife. There’s only 1 km between these towns along a beautiful pedestrian promenade. Long sandy beaches, all the necessary infrastructure. Perhaps the most popular resort on the island for families and the best beaches: 28.05088768990509, -16.718103389688324
tenerife vacation
Both photos are of Los Cristianos beaches. All beaches in the Canaries on all islands are public and free. Los Cristianos is my favorite resort on the island.
  • Costa Adeje. On the south of Tenerife, there’s the town of Adeje, not even on the coast, and the entire coastline for 20 km around this town is the Costa Adeje, with dozens of beaches and small towns. There’s no specific point, so for a better visualization, check the map below.
best resort in tenerife
Map of the best resorts in Tenerife for clarity: 1. Los Gigantes 2. Las Americas 3. Los Cristianos 4. Costa Adeje (red rectangle) 5. Puerto de la Cruz 6. San Andres

All the resorts mentioned above are considered southern resorts on the island, the sunniest and warmest. But there are still several cool resorts not in the south.

  • Puerto de la Cruz – a large city with excellent infrastructure, one of the best zoos in the world, mega cool Martianez pools on the coast, and black volcanic beaches: 28.413293899288686, -16.559214791863972. The beaches here are on the outskirts, so it’s better to look for accommodation closer to the beaches or to the Martianez pools. If Los Cristianos is 100% a tourist resort, then Puerto de la Cruz is just a regular city where the locals live.
  • The resort town in the north of the island, San Andres, with its top beach, Teresitas: 28.509798766962213, -16.184834461400094. There are never any waves here; the beach is completely enclosed by a long artificial breakwater from the ocean, an ideal place for families with children.
best place to stay in tenerife
Teresitas Beach in the San Andres resort – one of the best on the island.

Author’s personal opinion:

My favorite resort on the island is Los Cristianos; you can confidently come here even in January-February, and you’ll have a great vacation. And generally, all resorts in the south around Costa Adeje are fantastic. If you’re flying to the Canaries in the summer, the Teresitas Beach in San Andres is also cool.

Tenerife Travel Guide: Travel Tips

I won’t give you many tips; I think you already know everything about the island. But I’ll try to convey one thought to you, and you can decide for yourself.

Tourists often ask me various questions, and I’ve helped many organize their vacations in the Canaries. And here’s what I’ve noticed. Almost all tourists travel to Tenerife for vacation, to the largest and most popular island. And many think that the other islands in the archipelago are the same, and they don’t even consider that there are 6 other beautiful islands besides Tenerife.

This is the biggest mistake. All 7 islands of the Canary Archipelago are very different; La Palma or La Gomera are much greener and more beautiful than Tenerife (in my personal opinion), and there are many fewer tourists there. Tenerife is too crowded today.

  • If you’re open to considering vacations on other islands of the archipelago, here’s a must-read article: where is best to vacation in the Canaries. There you’ll find mini-reviews of each island and which island is best for whom. Maybe you’ll spend a week on Tenerife and then sail to neighboring La Gomera for a week, and it will be the best vacation of your life.
tenerife holidays
Viewpoint in the mountains on the island of La Gomera, where tourists are 40 times fewer. A photo for those who think that the Canaries are only Tenerife. Trust me, it’s not like that.

In conclusion: vacationing in Tenerife is wonderful; it’s a large and well-developed island. There are many attractions and entertainment options, beaches, and great resorts. Definitely, it’s an excellent island for a beach vacation with young children. But remember: the Canaries are not just Tenerife; it’s an archipelago of 7 completely different islands, and for active tourists or those who prefer solitude, there are definitely better islands than Tenerife.

Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:

  • Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.

  • Accommodation:
    • Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.

    • or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.

  • Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.

  • Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.

  • eSIM and internet: Airalo.

  • Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.

  • Travel Insurance: EKTA.