Beaches & Coastal Areas in Tenerife

Just north of Santa Cruz, this is Tenerife's most famous beach, its golden Sahara sand — imported by ship in the 1970s — set against the island's naturally darker volcanic sand elsewhere. A breakwater keeps the water calm, making it popular with families and locals rather than tourists based in the south. Backed by palm trees and small seafood restaurants in the fishing village of San Andrés.

Designed by Canarian artist César Manrique, this Puerto de la Cruz beach combines natural black volcanic sand with landscaped gardens and tropical plants along the shore. Its position on the more exposed north coast means bigger, more consistent waves than southern beaches — popular with bodyboarders and swimmers who don't mind cooler water. A scenic and less crowded alternative to the south's resort beaches.

The flagship beach of Costa Adeje, lined with five-star hotels and imported golden sand, offering calm, family-friendly water and full beach services. It's the most polished and upscale beach on the island, popular for its consistent sunshine and easy access to restaurants and shops directly behind the shore. Arrive early in high season to secure a spot on sun loungers.

This laid-back southeastern town is Tenerife's windsurfing and kitesurfing capital, thanks to reliable Atlantic trade winds funneling through the nearby Montaña Roja headland. Long stretches of natural sand and a much less developed, more bohemian atmosphere than Costa Adeje make it popular with a younger, sportier crowd. Montaña Roja itself offers an easy volcanic-cone hike with coastal views.

A calm, sheltered bay beach in the heart of a working ferry port town, popular with families for its gentle waves and easy access to shops, restaurants, and the harbor where ferries depart for La Gomera. Less glamorous than neighboring Costa Adeje but more affordable and with a genuine, lived-in town atmosphere behind the promenade.