The Canary Islands, Tenerife | What to Know & Where to Go
- Mar 6, 2024
- 13 min read
Updated: Mar 14, 2024
If you're planning a trip to the Canary Islands, the island of Tenerife might be one of the top on your list. While we did our fair share of research prior to visiting, this was another European adventure where we learned just as much after getting there. We want to share with you everything that we thought is worth mentioning to help make your travels smooth, easy, and relaxing.
Transportation
There are two airports in Tenerife - North and South. We flew into and departed from the Northern airport which seems to be the larger and cheaper one. But airports aren't the most important part of this discussion. What is? A rental car. I cannot stress enough that you should be getting one for this trip. Between the cost of public transportation, private transportation, tips, and the cost of your time (planning your day around other driver's time), you will save a lot of money by just booking a rental car. Like many European rental companies, the cars will default to manual upon searching, so I highly recommend filtering the options to automatic. Even if you are skilled at stick shift, it's not fun to drive a manual car on an island. Book at least a week ahead of time and make sure you get a confirmation.
If you've never driven in another country, I can assure you, it's not anything to stress over. The Canary Islands drive on the right side of the road and if you have your phone for GPS, directions can be in whatever your choice of language is anyway. If you're a bit worried, you can check out my other blog about driving in Italy for some reassurance. Different countries, yes, but overall both are simple.
One very important thing to make sure before you go (this cannot be done after you leave the US) is to get your International Drivers Permit. I have driven in several countries and not one rental company has yet to check my permit, but they did here. They would not have given me the car had I not provided them with that permit. You can get one at your local AAA for $20 (I think) but be prepared for a photo.
Preparation
I never go to another country assuming that they will speak English, but aren't we fortunate that most do? That was not necessarily the case here. As a matter of fact, many locals were quite shocked to even see Americans and rarely anyone recognized our accent. Therefore, I highly recommend brushing up on some Spanish before you go. The basics will do. Most locals, staff, and anyone we ran into was extremely accommodating and did their best to translate, but I wish I knew a bit more than I did.
Like all European countries, make sure you have packed the essentials.
Make sure that you are choosing your accommodation based on your list of things to do. We found that the best Airbnb's were in the north, however, the majority of our destinations were in the south. Luckily, we booked far enough ahead that we found a great spot in the south. We did opt to spend two days in the north and it's important to note - both Airbnbs did not have AC. With the cooler northern weather, it wasn't an issue, but we were very hot in the south. This may not be an issue if you choose a hotel. It wasn't for the 3 days we stayed at the Ritz. But, just pay attention to the amenities of where you stay.
Use your maps ahead of time to understand travel times and routes. You may look at Point A and Point B on your map and think it's not a far distance, but you're on a mountainous island. Sometimes the route isn't a straight shot as it appears. I highly recommend saving all of your locations on google maps and taking the time to plan out routes so you know how to make the most out of your days.
What to do
Okay, here's the fun part - you're doing your research on what to add to your list and I get it, because I was there too. This is the reason I started writing blogs about travel. I was tired of people making things out to be better than they are and not giving transparent reviews. Luckily, you have me. So, here's what you should know:
Considerations for Plans
Let's quickly discuss a few points that can affect how you choose what to do.
Traveling to other islands
Prior to arriving in Tenerife, we researched how much a quick flight would be to Lanzarote because that seemed like another island we wanted to spend a day. To our surprise, flights were cheap (around 60 Euro) and a rental for the day was around the same cost. We were going to fly in that morning and back that night so we wouldn't need to book another hotel. If you are looking to take a quick flight to another island, here's my insight:
Book as far ahead as possible to see if those prices are legitimate. We tried to book two days prior, once already in Tenerife. While the prices were still the same as we had seen a week before hand, once we went to submit everything, the prices tripled. We were informed that the advertised prices are only for local residents (they get a discount) and our cost would be around 215 Euro. They give discounts to residents only to reduce population crowding apparently. With that said, it wasn't worth it for us, and we opted not to go unfortunately. So, this is just my heads up - maybe prices don't surge like that if you book far enough in advance, but also, it's good to know sooner than later so you don't get your hopes up. If the full cost is worth it, I highly recommend a day trip to Lanzarote.
You can take a quick ferry to Gran Canaria from Tenerife. If you are in Lanzarote, you can also take a quick ferry from there to Puerto Ventura. Both were recommended by locals but really only recommended for a relaxing beach day. If you're wanting a bit more from that ferry ride, it might not be worth it. There are a ton of nice beaches on Tenerife that may be just fine for you.
North vs South
I am sure you have seen plenty of inspiration pictures which might have drawn you to the islands. Same. There were several places that were a must go that were in the south and several that were more northern. Depending on when you go, there's a chance you just won't get the same result in those pictures, no matter how much you edit. We went in February because we needed to escape the colder weather. Our first half of the trip was in the south and we got tons of sun...probably too much. The weather was beautiful. We wore shorts, bathing suits, got in the water, all of it. Our final days in the north were a complete change in weather. It was very cloudy, windy, and had a bit of a breeze so we were cold on the beach but fine when walking around town. The entirety of the day wasn't cloudy, but it was a different vibe from being in the south. Not to say one is more worth the other - they both have their beauty. It's just important to understand this depending on WHEN you are going. If you are not going in the beginning/end of the year and are going during more universal warmer months, this may not apply.
I recommend splitting your trip similar to how we did and potentially booking two accommodations. While you're staying in the south, you can visit all of those southern destinations without having to drive too far. Same with the north.
The central island is basically Teide National Park. It's huge. Good news is, you can drive through it. When planning out the stops that you want to see in the park, it's yet again a good idea to split them into southern and northern. Just because you are in the park doesn't mean it's a quick route to get from A to B.
Activities and Places
Now, the nitty gritty.
Beaches
There are a ton of beaches for obvious reasons in Tenerife. Some are white sand but the majority are going to be black sand due to it being a volcanic island. The most popular and probably prettiest black sand beach is Playa de Benijo. This beach was unfortunately a little too far out of the way for us, so we didn't go. If this beach is also out of the way for you, the best alternative we found was Playa de Arena.
Another cool beach worth your visit is Playa da Amarilla. This was a beach that we thought may have been edited to look cooler in pictures, but we were quite surprised at how pretty it was in person. The town before hand isn't the most appealing, but don't judge it based on that drive in.
This may be an unpopular opinion, but we were underwhelmed by the most popular white sand beach, Playa de Teresitas. If you are going for a cool picture, you may want to go pretty early. But if you are going to spend the day, there wasn't much special about it.
There are so many beaches to choose from, so I recommend looking at what is closest to you, what is closest to other things that you want to do, and what looks the most appealing. If you choose to opt for a swimming hole (charco) then you're in luck there as well. There are plenty surrounding most beaches and most are on the outskirts of great towns too. I'd say the most appealing ones are in the North, but this is another example of a situation that may not work depending on when you go. If it's not warm weather up north, you aren't going to want to go into that water. The best one we found in the south was Charco del Diablo. I absolutely do not recommend swimming in that exact swimming hole itself, but surrounding it were tons of shallow holes and watching sunset there was gorgeous.
Teide National Park
Had I known then what I know now, I would have split the national park into two days to explore the northern views and southern views. We only explored the southern area of the park, but I will recommend what we wish we saw in the north. Before I go into the places that I recommend exploring, here is some information that I think you'll find helpful:
The park is free to enter. The times noted online for opening/closing are not for the park itself, it is for the amenities like the observatory and welcome center.
You do not need a permit to do most of the trails. You only need a permit if you plan to summit the peak.
You can take a cable car to the peak and still do a trail up there without a permit. It is noted which trail you need one for. The cable car is 22 Euro each way, however.
You do not need to book a tour to star gaze. Booking a tour will provide you with some amenities - a guide, telescope, maybe food and drinks...but you can absolutely stay out there yourself to simply watch the stars.
Pack warm clothes. I don't care when you're going - if you are planning to stay and watch the stars, it gets cold.
If you are wanting to watch the volcano turn red, keep in mind that you need to be on the west side of it. We made this mistake and did not get to see the sunset in its most dramatic effect.
Places to stop:
Queen's Shoe. You could probably easily drive past this had there not been a parking lot right by it. Even still, we had no idea where to look. On the same side of the parking lot, you'll see a little trail to walk to a viewing center. Walk right over those ropes and on the back of the rock, there's an easy way of getting exactly where we stood for a picture.
Roque de Cinchado. If I am being honest, this rock itself is overrated (my personal opinion). The area in general is nice since it's an easy trail that most people can do. It is always where we chose to lay a blanket for sunset and star gazing. I found a lot of the other rocks more appealing than the one most photographed, but hey...
Arco de Tajao. This is not in the national park, just to be fully transparent. We looped it into the same day, however, and since I recommend wearing hiking clothes for both places, it worked out. This was surprisingly hard to find as well. The parking lot was easy, but where you park is actually above the rock, which was surprising to us. You'll walk a little down and stumble upon it. It's not the coolest place to hang out, but it's worth it for a quick picture.
Mirador de Esperanza. We did not get a chance to make it to this spot as we underestimated the driving time from where we visited in the south to where this point is in the North. But, from the pictures that we saw taken in this spot, it is definitely a great stopping point if you are exploring from the northern part of the park.
La Ventana de Igueque. Another northern stopping point that we weren't able to get to, but would recommend as a really nice picture spot. Since we didn't get here, we don't have a picture that we can claim as our own. I recommend visiting this blog to check out the details on both northern stops.
Mirador Azulejos. I am not recommending this viewpoint for the actual viewing of the park, but this is where you can get that iconic road shot with the long stretch of the road and the volcano centered. So, if you want a cute road picture - you'll park here and choose wherever you want to pose on the road.
Unpopular Opinion: Overrated Spots
Masca Valley. I know that I touched on the simplicity of driving here, but this is not an easy drive. I wouldn't recommend this drive in a tour bus either because that sounds awful. It's very tight, windy roads that last for quite some time before you arrive to Masca and can park the car. There is not a lot of parking spots, so hopefully you can find a spot. If you are to come here, I recommend coming early morning or late afternoon so you can either be there before the crowds or when everyone is leaving. Driving those roads when there is a lot of passing traffic is just a constant stomach ache. Because we left around sunset, the drive back up wasn't so bad since no one was really driving back down. Sure, the drive is pretty...if you're a passenger. But here's why I found it overrated - there is really not much to do in the town. Honestly, nothing at all. There are a few restaurants but most were closed when we arrived. I do want to note that the view is gorgeous. But my opinion? Don't drive all the way down - stop at one of the miradors along the way and be done. But if you need that photo...just brace yourself for a very attentive drive and don't expect much besides the view you see in the picture.
Agatha Christie Stairs. I knew these would be overrated but my friend insisted we go. I was hopeful to at least explore Puerto de la Cruz while we were there, but the stairs are located in one of the ugliest parts of the town. If you must see the stairs, I would go very early because they are packed. Not because people are taking pictures, but because they are a set of stairs necessary to walk through the town. Stop by there, of course, if you are spending time in Puerto de la Cruz, but here's my advice: do not park near the stairs. You won't get to accurately see the town if you stay in that area and the walk to the pretty part can be lengthy. Park near here so that you can see what is advertised: the colorful buildings, the street art, the ocean, etc. Also, if you are like us and get tricked by the picture of the "plant street" prepare to be underwhelmed. If you stumble upon it, great, but don't go out of your way.
Recommendations:
Hotels:
Ritz Carlton Abama. We stayed here for the first three days and we wish we stayed the entire time. This was an absolute amazing experience and the hotel is gorgeous. The restaurants within the hotel were all exceptional and we have nothing but amazing reviews.
Royal River Luxury Hotel. We wanted to visit here but they are very exclusive, which I can appreciate because I would want that as a guest. However, their pool and villas are gorgeous enough to have us visit the island again and stay there next time.
Restaurants:
Compostelana Plaza de Espana. Wow, just wow. This is a restaurant situated in the northern part of the island (Santa Cruz to be exact) and we visited it twice in one day after we found it. It's extremely aesthetic but also the menu is phenomenal.
Restaurante Guannabi. This restaurant was also very aesthetic and situated on such a fun and authentic street (also in Santa Cruz). We ate one of the best salads of our lives here.
Nebula Restaurant & Cocktail Bar. This restaurant isn't the most aesthetic and the name itself doesn't scream "eat here" but we were pleasantly surprised at the food that we ate here. We all agreed that it was, by far, one of the best meals of our trip.
Blend Coffee & Food. Not necessarily a restaurant, but we stumbled upon this coffee shop one morning and they were hands down the most tasty coffee of our trip. They are situated in a little shopping center with a few other coffee options, but this is the one you need to go to.
Ending Thoughts
I am not sure of your main reason for traveling to the island. If you are a content creator, travel blogger, or any of those professions that require getting "the shot" and this is less of a vacation and more of a business trip (which no judgement if so...my itinerary would be way different if such), than I am sure you're doing your due diligence on where to go and when. I do recommend leaving some room for spontaneous shots and places. You have gorgeous views on every coastal drive and there are so many beaches and swimming holes that are far prettier in person than pictures do justice. I found that the island is filled with places that if you take the initiative to journey down a street or road that isn't on a blog, you will be glad you did.
If you are going here to enjoy a vacation, and also see some pretty places of course, then I say narrow it down and don't try to fit a ton of spots into your trip. Every black sand beach is beautiful, just choose the one most convenient to your accommodations. Each swimming hole is unique, so just find one in a town that you're spending time in. Take your time in places like the national park and attempt to casually find where you want to walk around rather than picking the most popular trails.
Either way, the islands have a lot to offer and you'll have a great time. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
Comments