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18 Best Things to Do in Tenerife (2026 Local Guide)

Discover Tenerife's best things to do, from Mount Teide and whale watching to Anaga, beaches and family days out, with practical planning tips.

22 min readBy Alby, canary islands resident & travel writer· Updated 6 August 2026
Tenerife landscape in the Canary Islands
Tenerife: the destination context behind this guide.

1. Watch whales and dolphins from Costa Adeje

The channel between Tenerife and La Gomera is one of the island's signature wildlife experiences. Most cruises leave from Puerto Colón or Los Cristianos, making this an easy half-day from the southern resorts. Choose a smaller boat with clear wildlife-welfare rules, and consider a morning departure if you prefer cooler conditions and usually calmer water.

Choose the right whale-watching boat →Compare whale watching tours in Tenerife →See the small-group Costa Adeje catamaran →

2. Explore Teide National Park

Mount Teide and the surrounding lava landscape deserve at least half a day. You can drive through the national park, join a guided sunset and stargazing tour, or use the cable car when conditions allow. Reaching the summit requires separate planning and a valid permit; do not assume a cable-car ticket includes summit access.

3. Hike through Anaga's laurel forest

Anaga Rural Park feels completely different from the dry south, with ancient laurel forest, sharp ridgelines and small villages. Cloud and temperature can change quickly, so carry a light layer and shoes with grip. A guided hike is useful if you want trail context and do not want to manage limited parking.

4. Visit La Laguna and the north

San Cristóbal de La Laguna offers colourful historic streets, traditional courtyards and an easy link to the greener north of Tenerife. Pair it with viewpoints in Anaga, the gardens and seafront of Puerto de la Cruz, or the old town of La Orotava for a full day away from the resort strip.

5. Choose the right beach day

For calm water and resort facilities, look around Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos. El Médano suits wind sports and a more relaxed town atmosphere, while the black-sand beaches of the north feel more dramatic. Check local flags and sea conditions before swimming because Atlantic currents vary by beach.

6. Plan a family day

Tenerife works well for families because many attractions and boat trips are close to the southern resorts. Build in one major activity rather than filling every hour, reserve shade breaks, and check age or height rules before buying tickets. A private airport transfer can also simplify arrival with luggage or child seats.

7. Drive down to Masca and the Teno massif

The road into Masca corkscrews through the Teno massif to a hamlet wedged into a ravine, and the drive is as much the attraction as the village. Parking is limited and the bends are tight, so arrive early or let a tour do the driving. The walk down the ravine to the sea is a separate, access-controlled activity with limited daily places and its own booking — do not turn up expecting to start it on the day.

8. See the Los Gigantes cliffs from the water

The cliffs drop several hundred metres straight into the Atlantic, and they look like a different place from a boat than from the viewpoint above. Sailings leave from the small harbour below the resort and usually combine the cliffs with a swim stop, often with cetaceans on the way out. Afternoons are breezier; if anyone in the group is prone to seasickness, take the morning departure.

Compare boat trips from the south →

9. Swim in the rock pools at Garachico

Garachico was buried by lava in 1706, and the eruption left El Caletón behind: a set of natural pools where the sea washes in over black rock. Whether you can swim depends entirely on the swell, and the pools are closed off when the Atlantic is up. Pair it with the old town, which kept enough of its architecture to remain one of the most attractive places on the north coast.

10. Stand under the drago at Icod de los Vinos

The Drago Milenario is a dragon tree of genuinely uncertain age — the thousand-year claim in its name is generous and specialists disagree — but it is still a remarkable thing to stand beneath. You can see it for free from the square below or pay to enter the park for a closer angle. Icod's old town and the wine bars around it justify the stop as much as the tree does.

11. Spend a day in Santa Cruz

The capital rarely makes resort itineraries and it should. The Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África is the best single room on the island for seeing Canarian produce, cheese and fish together; the Auditorio is worth the walk along the seafront; and Las Teresitas, a short bus ride out, is where the city actually swims rather than where the coaches stop.

What to look for in a Canarian market →

12. Stargaze above the cloud layer

Teide National Park sits above the inversion layer that keeps the north coast cloudy, and the skies over it are protected as a Starlight Reserve. Guided stargazing runs from the park and the surrounding pine forest, generally with telescopes and transport included. It is cold at that altitude in every season, so take more layers than the temperature at your hotel suggests.

See the sunset and stargazing option →

13. Walk the Barranco del Infierno

The ravine above Adeje is the most accessible serious walk in the south, ending at a waterfall that ranges from impressive to a trickle depending on the season. Places are limited and must be booked ahead, helmets are issued at the entrance, and the route closes in heavy rain or high fire risk. Check the day before rather than on the morning you plan to go.

Compare guided hikes in Tenerife →

14. Give a full day to Siam Park or Loro Parque

These two dominate family itineraries, and they are both big enough that trying to fit them into one day wastes the price of each. Siam Park is a water park in the south, Loro Parque an animal park in the north, so the choice partly follows where you are staying. Check height and age restrictions before buying, and plan a full day rather than a morning.

Planning Tenerife with children →

15. Climb to Vilaflor and the Paisaje Lunar

The road up from the south climbs through Canary pine forest to Vilaflor, one of the highest villages in Spain and the last settlement before the national park. From there a walking route reaches the Paisaje Lunar, pale eroded rock pillars that look nothing like the rest of the island. It is long and exposed with almost no shade, so start early and carry more water than feels necessary.

16. Eat in a guachinche in the north

A guachinche is a family opening part of their house for a season to sell the wine they made themselves, with a short menu of home cooking alongside it. They cluster in the northern wine municipalities, they open and close depending on how much wine is left, and many still take cash only. It is the best-value meal on the island and the least like a tourist experience.

What to order in Tenerife →Canarian food explained →

17. Decide whether you want Carnival

Santa Cruz hosts one of the largest carnivals anywhere, usually in February, and the city gives over a fortnight to parades, street parties and the murga competitions locals care about most. Accommodation across the island prices up and books out well in advance. If crowds are the last thing you want, that is an equally good reason to check the dates before booking February flights.

When to visit the Canaries →

18. Build a three-day Tenerife itinerary

Use day one for the south coast and whale watching, day two for Teide, and day three for La Laguna plus Anaga. With five to seven days, add the north coast, a beach day and a slower village or food stop. A rental car gives the most flexibility, but organised tours cover the headline sights without driving.

The full 3, 5 and 7-day itineraries →

Frequently asked questions

What is the number one thing to do in Tenerife?

For most first-time visitors, Mount Teide National Park is the essential experience. Pair it with whale watching and Anaga to see Tenerife's volcanic, marine and forest landscapes.

How many days do you need in Tenerife?

Three days cover the main highlights at a fast pace. Five to seven days gives enough time for Teide, whale watching, Anaga, the north coast and relaxed beach time.

Can you explore Tenerife without a car?

Yes. The southern resorts are easy bases for organised tours and boat trips, while public buses connect the main towns. A car is most useful for flexible stops in Anaga, Teide and smaller villages.

Which Tenerife activities should be booked in advance?

Book Teide summit permits, popular cable-car times, small-group whale-watching cruises and peak-season airport transfers before arrival.

Compare recommended experiences

We select these options for relevance and traveller fit. Some booking links are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How our recommendations work.

Planning the rest of the trip? See everything on our Tenerife island page.

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