Things to do in Tenerife
From volcano summits to whale watching, Tenerife offers far more than beaches.
Teide National Park
Drive up through pine forests to the Las Cañadas crater, a vast caldera at about 2,100 metres. The Teleférico cable car takes visitors to La Rambleta at 3,555 metres in about eight minutes. To walk the final stretch to the summit crater, you need a named permit for trail no. 10 (Telesforo Bravo), booked on the island council's Tenerife ON portal. Slots open up to 56 days ahead, with a new week released every Monday at 07:00 Canary time, and numbers are capped at about 300 people a day. Since 19 January 2026, slots between 09:00 and 17:00 cost €15 for visitors who do not live in the Canary Islands. The early sunrise slots carry no fee but are mostly allocated to guests at the Altavista refuge. Carry the ID you booked with, and wear hiking shoes, long trousers and a warm layer, or you will be turned back. Walk around the Roques de García rock formations, and be aware of altitude sickness.
Stargazing
Tenerife's skies are protected by a special law that limits light pollution, making the island one of the best places for stargazing. The Teide Observatory, founded in 1964, offers tours. Guided stargazing excursions in the national park are popular, often combined with sunset above the clouds.
Whale and dolphin watching
The waters between Tenerife and La Gomera are home to resident populations of short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins. Boat trips from Los Gigantes, Puerto Colón and Los Cristianos run year-round; choose operators with the Blue Boat flag, which follow responsible practices.
Masca and Teno
The village of Masca clings to a ravine in the Teno mountains, reached by a dramatic, winding road. The Masca Gorge descent to the sea is now strictly regulated. It must be booked in advance at caminobarrancodemasca.com (€40.66 for non-resident adults), runs Wednesday to Saturday, and is not open to children under eight. You must reach the trail on the mandatory Titsa bus 355 from Santiago del Teide and hold a return boat ticket from the beach to Los Gigantes, both bought separately. Closed hiking boots are required and a helmet is lent at the start. The Teno Rural Park also offers the Punta de Teno lighthouse and views of Los Gigantes.
Anaga Rural Park
In the north-east, the Anaga mountains are a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with laurel forests (laurisilva), ancient relics of subtropical forests that once covered Europe. The Sendero de los Sentidos is an easy trail. Visit the Taganana village and Benijo beach.
La Laguna and La Orotava
Wander through La Laguna's colourful streets and visit the Cathedral and the Iglesia de la Concepción. In La Orotava, see the Casa de los Balcones, the Victoria Gardens and, during Corpus Christi, the extraordinary carpets made of coloured volcanic sand in the town hall square.
Beaches
Tenerife's beaches range from golden sand to black volcanic sand. Las Teresitas near Santa Cruz is a family favourite. Playa del Duque and Playa de la Tejita offer swimming, and Playa Jardín in Puerto de la Cruz is designed with gardens by César Manrique. Benijo in Anaga is wild and remote.
Theme parks
Siam Park, a Thai-themed water park, features the Tower of Power slide with a near-vertical drop. Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz is a large zoo and marine park, though its orca shows are controversial among animal welfare groups.
Carnival
The Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, held in February, is one of the largest carnivals in the world, with costumes, music and the election of the Carnival Queen. The 1987 Carnival entered the Guinness World Records for the largest open-air gathering in a square.
Food and wine
Try papas arrugadas (wrinkly potatoes boiled in salted water) with mojo rojo and mojo verde sauces, gofio (toasted grain flour), fresh fish and goat cheese. Tenerife has five wine regions; visit a guachinche, a family-run informal eatery in the north serving homemade wine and simple food.
Icod de los Vinos and the Drago Milenario
In Icod de los Vinos stands the Drago Milenario, a dragon tree, a species native to Macaronesia, claimed to be the oldest and largest of its kind; estimates of its age vary. Nearby is the Cueva del Viento, one of the longest lava tubes in the world, with guided tours.
Pirámides de Güímar
In Güímar, an ethnographic park displays terraced step structures that the explorer Thor Heyerdahl believed had ancient links, though archaeologists now think they were built from field stones in the nineteenth century. The park's gardens and museum are still worth a visit.
Day trips
Take the ferry from Los Cristianos to La Gomera, with its Garajonay National Park and whistled language, Silbo Gomero. La Palma and Gran Canaria are also accessible by ferry or plane.
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