Dec–Feb Best Time
64 Attractions
14 Categories
12 Guides
8 Cities in Spain

Things to do in Tenerife

Tenerife's skyline is dominated by Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak and a dormant volcano at the heart of a lunar-like national…

Top picks

  • Mount Teide & Teide National Park Must See 📌 Book Ahead

    At 3,715 meters, Mount Teide is Spain's highest peak and the third-largest volcano in the…

  • Auditorio de Tenerife Top Pick

    This sail-shaped concert hall by architect Santiago Calatrava opened in 2003 and has…

  • Drago Milenario (Thousand-Year Dragon Tree) Top Pick 📌 Book Ahead

    In the town of Icod de los Vinos stands one of the oldest and largest specimens of…

See all 5 Landmarks & Monuments in Tenerife →
From pre-Hispanic mummies to contemporary Canarian art, Tenerife's museums trace the island's Guanche origins, colonial trade…

Top picks

  • Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre Top Pick

    Housed in a restored 18th-century hospital in Santa Cruz, this museum holds the world's…

  • TEA Tenerife Espacio de las Artes Notable

    This contemporary art and culture center in Santa Cruz occupies a striking angular…

  • Casa de los Balcones Notable

    In the historic town of La Orotava, this 17th-century mansion is renowned for its…

See all 4 Museums & Galleries in Tenerife →
Tenerife's churches trace the island's post-conquest Catholic history, from La Laguna's UNESCO-listed cathedral to the basilica…

Top picks

  • Catedral de San Cristóbal de La Laguna Top Pick

    The seat of the Diocese of Tenerife, this cathedral in the UNESCO-listed old town of La…

  • Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria Top Pick

    This basilica in the coastal town of Candelaria houses a statue of the Virgin of…

  • Iglesia de la Concepción Notable

    Built in the early 16th century shortly after the Spanish conquest, this is one of the…

See all 4 Religious Sites in Tenerife →
From La Laguna's UNESCO-protected colonial grid to Puerto de la Cruz's palm-shaded plaza, Tenerife's public squares and streets…

Top picks

  • Plaza del Adelantado Top Pick

    The central square of La Laguna's UNESCO World Heritage old town, framed by the…

  • Plaza del Charco Notable

    The social heart of Puerto de la Cruz's old town, this palm-shaded square is lined with…

  • Plaza de España, Santa Cruz Notable

    The largest square in the Canary Islands, this waterfront plaza in Santa Cruz was…

See all 4 Squares & Streets in Tenerife →
Tenerife's towns range from a UNESCO-listed colonial capital to a cliffside fishing village frozen in time, each with a distinct…

Top picks

  • San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Old Town) Must See

    Tenerife's former capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Laguna's unfortified…

  • Puerto de la Cruz Old Town Top Pick

    Once Tenerife's main port and the island's original tourist resort, this north-coast town…

  • Masca Village Top Pick

    Tucked into a dramatic gorge in the Teno mountains, this tiny former farming hamlet is…

See all 6 Neighborhoods & Districts in Tenerife →
Tenerife's green spaces range from a laurel-forest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve to century-old botanical gardens established to…

Top picks

  • Anaga Rural Park Must See

    This mountainous UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Tenerife's northeast corner protects one of…

  • Jardín Botánico de Puerto de la Cruz Notable

    Founded in 1788 by royal decree to acclimatize tropical plants from the Americas before…

  • Barranco del Infierno Notable

    This protected ravine near Adeje offers one of the south coast's few accessible hikes…

See all 4 Parks & Gardens in Tenerife →
Tenerife's volcanic origin gives its coastline dramatic variety, from imported golden sand in the north to naturally black…

Top picks

  • Playa de las Teresitas Top Pick

    Just north of Santa Cruz, this is Tenerife's most famous beach, its golden Sahara sand —…

  • Playa Jardín Notable

    Designed by Canarian artist César Manrique, this Puerto de la Cruz beach combines natural…

  • Playa del Duque Notable

    The flagship beach of Costa Adeje, lined with five-star hotels and imported golden sand,…

See all 5 Beaches & Coastal Areas in Tenerife →
Tenerife's volcanic terrain and surrounding Atlantic waters support activities from world-class theme parks to some of Europe's…

Top picks

  • Siam Park Must See 📌 Book Ahead

    Repeatedly ranked among the world's best water parks, this Thai-themed complex in Costa…

  • Whale and Dolphin Watching, Costa Adeje Must See 📌 Book Ahead

    The waters off southwest Tenerife host a year-round resident pod of pilot whales, plus…

  • Loro Parque Top Pick 📌 Book Ahead

    One of Europe's most-visited zoos, in Puerto de la Cruz, known for its parrot collection…

See all 5 Tours & Activities in Tenerife →
Ferries from Tenerife's southern ports reach two of the Canary Islands' quieter, greener neighbors within an hour, offering an…

Top picks

  • La Gomera Top Pick 📌 Book Ahead

    A 50-minute high-speed ferry from Los Cristianos reaches this small, mountainous island,…

  • Anaga & La Laguna Day Trip Top Pick

    Combining Tenerife's UNESCO Biosphere laurel forest with its UNESCO World Heritage…

  • La Palma Notable

    Reachable by a short flight or longer ferry from Tenerife, this island — nicknamed "La…

See all 4 Day Trips & Excursions in Tenerife →
Tenerife has no centuries-old German-style market square, but the island still turns festive: Santa Cruz de Tenerife strings its…

Top picks

  • Plaza de España Christmas Market & Ice Rink (Santa Cruz) Must See

    Santa Cruz de Tenerife's main civic square becomes the islands biggest festive hub each…

  • La Laguna Christmas Market (Plaza del Adelantado) Top Pick

    San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife's UNESCO World Heritage colonial town, hosts a…

  • Puerto de la Cruz Christmas Market (Plaza del Charco) Notable

    The resort town of Puerto de la Cruz decorates its palm-lined Plaza del Charco with…

See all 4 Christmas Market in Tenerife →
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With Kids

Tenerife packs plenty of family fun beyond its famous beaches and volcano, with wildlife parks, hands-on museums, and playgrounds…

Top picks

  • Aqualand Costa Adeje Top Pick

    A splash-happy water park with slides for every age, from gentle toddler pools to the…

  • Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos Top Pick

    An interactive science museum in La Laguna where kids can push buttons, spin gears, and…

  • Monkey Park Tenerife Notable

    A small, family-run animal park near Los Cristianos where kids can walk among…

See all 4 With Kids in Tenerife →
Tenerife keeps a lively calendar year-round, from the world-famous carnival street parties to summer music festivals and…

Top picks

  • Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival Must See

    One of the largest carnivals in the world, rivaling Rio in scale and color, takes over…

  • Corpus Christi Flower Carpets in La Orotava Top Pick

    Around 4-7 June 2026, the town of La Orotava transforms its streets and central square…

  • Tenerife New Years Eve Fireworks at Plaza de Espana Top Pick

    On 31 December 2026, Santa Cruz de Tenerifes Plaza de Espana becomes the islands central…

See all 5 Events Calendar in Tenerife →
Beyond Teide and the coastal resorts, Tenerife hides a quieter, wilder side that most visitors never see. These spots trade…

Top picks

  • Mirador de la Tabaiba (Chinamada) Top Pick

    Tucked into the Anaga massif above the village of Chinamada, this cliffside viewpoint…

  • Punta de Teno Top Pick 📌 Book Ahead

    The westernmost tip of Tenerife feels like the edge of the world: a flat volcanic…

  • Piscinas Naturales de Bajamar Notable

    On the rugged north coast near La Laguna, volcanic rock pools filled by the tide form a…

See all 5 Hidden Gems in Tenerife →
When the sun drops behind the Atlantic, Tenerife shifts gears into one of the liveliest after-dark scenes in the Canary Islands.…

Top picks

  • Veronicas Strip Top Pick

    The undisputed heart of Tenerife nightlife, this compact strip in Playa de las Américas…

  • Papagayo Beach Club Top Pick 📌 Book Ahead

    Perched right on the sand in Costa Adeje, this beach club turns sunset into a full…

  • Tramps Discoteca Notable

    A long-running fixture of the south coast club scene, Tramps has been packing dance…

See all 5 Nightlife & Entertainment in Tenerife →
  • Winter (December-February)
  • Spring (March-May)
  • Fall (September-November)
Read the full Best Time to Visit guide for Tenerife →
Getting Around Tenerife Tenerife Sur (TFS) handles most international flights to the south-coast resorts, while Tenerife Norte (TFN) near Santa Cruz/La Laguna…
Read the full Getting Around guide for Tenerife →
What to Buy & Where As part of the Canary Islands' special tax zone, Tenerife has lower indirect tax (IGIC, 7%) than mainland Spain's VAT, making electronics,…
Read the full Shopping Guide guide for Tenerife →
Annual Events & Holidays Tenerife's Carnival de Santa Cruz (February/March, dates shift yearly with Lent) is one of the largest in the world, second only to…
Read the full Festivals & Events guide for Tenerife →
  • Day 1 — Santa Cruz & La Laguna
  • Day 2 — Mount Teide
  • Day 3 — North Coast
  • Day 4 — Masca & Los Gigantes
  • Day 5 — South Coast & Whales
Read the full Day Itineraries guide for Tenerife →
Best Photography Locations Mount Teide at sunrise from the Pico Viejo viewpoint delivers a "shadow of Teide" phenomenon over the clouds — arrive before dawn…
Read the full Best Photo Spots guide for Tenerife →
Power & Plugs Tenerife uses the standard Spanish system: 230V, 50Hz, with Type C and Type F two-round-pin plugs, identical to mainland Spain. UK and US…
Read the full Electricity & Plugs guide for Tenerife →
Must-Try Dishes Papas arrugadas con mojo — small wrinkled potatoes boiled in heavily salted water, served with red (spicy mojo rojo) or green (herb-based mojo…
Read the full Food Guide guide for Tenerife →
  • Costa Adeje
  • Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Center
  • San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Old Town)
  • Puerto de la Cruz Old Town
Read the full Where to Stay guide for Tenerife →
  • Mount Teide
  • Two very different coastlines
  • San Cristobal de La Laguna
  • Year-round mild climate
Read the full Is It Worth Visiting? guide for Tenerife →
  • Budget (€45-70/day)
  • Mid-range (€90-160/day)
  • Luxury (€250-500+/day)
Read the full Travel Budget guide for Tenerife →
  • Teide Cable Car + Summit Permit Ticket
  • Bono Vía Tenerife (Transport Card)
  • Siam Park Skip-the-Line Ticket
  • Loro Parque + Siam Park Combo Ticket
  • Fred Olsen Ferry Tickets (La Gomera / La Palma)
Read the full Tourist Passes guide for Tenerife →

More about Tenerife

Landmarks & Monuments Museums & Galleries Religious Sites Squares & Streets Neighborhoods & Districts Parks & Gardens Beaches & Coastal Areas Tours & Activities Day Trips & Excursions Christmas Market With Kids Events Calendar Hidden Gems Nightlife & Entertainment Best Time to Visit Getting Around Tourist Passes Shopping Guide Festivals & Events Day Itineraries Best Photo Spots Food Guide Electricity & Plugs Where to Stay Travel Budget Is It Worth Visiting?