Top Things to Experience in Tenerife

Crammed with volcanic peaks, primeval laurel forests, and Atlantic-washed shorelines, soulful Tenerife tempts with much more than its balmy weather and beach-vacation buzz.

On the largest island in Spain’s Canary Islands, you can meander around lively neighborhood markets and linger at low-key terrace cafes before diving into forward-thinking art, brightly painted architecture, or cliff-hugging hiking trails. Moreover, it’s all set against a spectacular natural backdrop that feels unlike anywhere else on earth.

From the cultural thrills of the dynamic capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife to tricky-to-find foodie delights and otherworldly hikes, here’s a selection of the top things to do in Tenerife.

Discover Canarian Flavors at Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África

Settle into Tenerife life at Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África, the capital’s fresh produce market. The scents of cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and other spices waft through the air as you wander past subtropical plants, mountains of colorful fruits, towers of Canarian cheeses, and counters piled high with fresh seafood. The peach-orange building was constructed in 1944 with Islamic-style arches and a sky-reaching clocktower.

Delectable local treats range from olive oils and wines to toffee-colored palm honey, specialty coffee from La Orotava, and tubs of almogrote (a cheese-based paste from La Gomera). Don’t miss the chance to buy your fish at the market and then have it cooked up at one of the café-bars dotted around its edge.

Get Creative at Santa Cruz’s Tenerife Espacio de las Artes

Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron – in collaboration with Canarian Virgilio Gutiérrez – are behind the boundary-pushing design of Tenerife Espacio de las Artes, the island’s unmissable art gallery. The bold concrete-clad building is inspired by the surrounding volcanic landscapes. The free expert-led tours offer a detailed introduction to the TEA’s wonders, including works by the Tenerife-born surrealist Óscar Domínguez and an astonishing collection of 20th- and 21st-century Canarian art.

Right opposite stands one of Tenerife’s oldest churches, the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (built in the 1490s and later remodeled). A 10-minute stroll south takes you to the sweeping wave-shaped Auditorio de Tenerife, designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Hike Through Age-old Laurel Forests in the Anaga Mountains

Welcome to the oldest (and arguably most spectacular) part of the island. Shrouded in mist and ancient laurisilva (laurel forest), the isolated Anaga mountains stretch across the northeasternmost tip of Tenerife, protected as both the 144-sq-km (56-sq-mile) Parque Rural de Anaga and, since 2015, as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The best way to explore this natural paradise is on foot, hiking between clifftop hamlets along the 400km (249 miles) of pathways.

Standout routes include the PRTF3 through the laurel forest and willow trees (8km/5 miles round trip) and the PRTF8 linking Afur, Taganana, and Tamadite beach (14km/8.5 miles round trip). On the south side of the range, gold-sand Playa de las Teresitas is one of Tenerife’s most beautiful beaches, perfect for cooling off post-hike.

Cool Off in the Atlantic Sea Pools

One of Tenerife’s greatest joys are its twinkling natural sea pools, where you can join the tinerfeños for a dip in the emerald Atlantic. However, rough weather and high tides can make swimming dangerous, so time your visit for low tide.

On the north coast, Bajamar has a duo of calm, restored salt-water pools set into a concrete terrace right by the waves, perfect for families. Venturing southwest, you’ll find wilder north-coast swim spots at Charco de La Laja and Charco del Viento, and then reach Garachico, one of Tenerife’s most fascinating historical towns, with a series of rock pools created by an 18th-century volcanic eruption.

Over in the west, jump in at Charco de la Jaquita in Alcalá, Charco de Isla Cangrejo overlooking the Los Gigantes cliffs, and hidden-away Playa Abama. On the less-touristy eastern shoreline, low-key Radazul has ladders plunging into the Atlantic beneath soaring magma-molded cliffs.

Explore Spain’s Most Beloved National Park

Few visitors can resist the pull of Spain’s highest peak, 3718m (12,198ft) El Teide, which rises at the core of the eerily beautiful, UNESCO-protected Parque Nacional del Teide, the country’s most-visited national park. Sidestep the crowds by hitting the walking trails that plunge across silent lava-shaped valleys or track up near-deserted volcanic cones.

If you’re planning to hike up to El Teide’s summit, you’ll need to obtain permits and (if needed) cable car tickets as far ahead as possible. It’s around 40 minutes to the top from the upper cable car station at 3555m (11,663ft) along the Sendero Telesforo Bravo path or five hours (9km/5.5 miles) if you choose to hike up from the foot of Montaña Blanca at 2349m (7707ft).

However, there are endless other exhilarating (and permit-free) trails through this astonishing lunarscape, including hikes up 3135m (10,285ft) Pico Viejo and around the Roques de García.

Join the Winter Carnaval

Rivaled only by Cádiz as Spain’s greatest Carnaval city, Santa Cruz bursts into riotous, sequin-clad fun for three weeks each February, with street parties, colorful parades, fashion competitions, and galas spilling out across town. With roots in the 16th century, Tenerife’s Carnaval was banned during Franco’s dictatorship but reemerged as a “winter festival.” The dates change each year depending on when Easter falls.

Ride the Waves in El Médano

With rainbow-colored kitesurf sails rippling across the waves and a sprawling golden Blue Flag beach, bohemian-feeling El Médano ranks among Europe’s prime kitesurfing destinations. Well-established 30 Nudos Kite School offers two-hour kitesurfing sessions for beginners, along with more in-depth three-day courses. The best months for kitesurfing are November to March and June to September.

Taste Volcanic Canarian Wines

Tenerife’s unique climates and abrupt geology mean that wine-making here features rare, autochthonous pre-phylloxera grapes, such as malvasía, negramoll, and listán negro. Ancient vines have been cultivated across the mineral-rich, lava-flow slopes since at least the 15th century. Most are still harvested by hand in the island’s five Denominaciones de Origen (DOs; Denominations of Origin).

Drop in for a tour and tasting at the award-winning Bodegas Insulares Tenerife, a 660-member cooperative in the northern DO Tacoronte-Acentejo, or (with advance booking) at family-owned Suertes del Marqués in the DO Valle de La Orotava, which prioritizes traditional, sustainable production techniques. For a deeper dive into small artisan tinerfeño vineyards, Tenerife Wine Experience offers private bodega-hopping tours.

Feast on Tenerife Classics at a Guachinche

Beloved by tinerfeños, Tenerife’s guachinches are simple, great-value food spots specializing in traditional home-cooked cuisine, typically set in repurposed garages or garden shacks whose owners make and serve their own wine.

The best area to hunt one down is northern Tenerife, particularly around La Orotava, where you’ll find garbanzas (chickpea stew), grilled meats, ultra-fresh fish, ropa vieja (a meaty stew), Canarian cheeses, and other local favorites. It’s best to get recommendations locally.

Enjoy Watersports and Whale-Watching in Los Gigantes

Plunging into the Atlantic from 600m (1969ft) above, the basalt cliffs of Los Gigantes make up one of the Canaries’ most spectacular coastal landscapes. The best views are from the water, making kayaking and paddle-boarding particularly delightful. It’s also Tenerife’s top spot for diving and snorkeling.

In 2021, a 2000-sq-km swath of ocean surrounding western Tenerife and neighboring La Gomera was declared Europe’s first Whale Heritage Site, recognizing local efforts to develop responsible whale-watching tourism and the area’s unique populations of short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins.

Marvel at Canarian Architecture

Lush green interior patios await discovery behind the candy-colored facades of La Laguna’s Canarian mansions. This town was the island’s original capital until 1723, with most of the palatial homes built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Many remain private residences open only to visitors on free guided tours. A similar charm is found in La Orotava, the historically prosperous town on northern Tenerife’s slopes, home to Casa de los Balcones, a jewel of Castilian-style Canarian architecture.

Tackle the Barranco de Masca Hike

One of Tenerife’s most thrilling hikes threads through the sheer-walled Barranco de Masca gorge, protected by the 80-sq-km (31-sq-mile) Parque Rural de Teno in the rugged northwest of the island. Following restorations, this trail reopened in 2021, linking Masca with a wild volcanic beach at the mouth of the ravine. It’s open to the public only on weekends and has a daily cap on visitor numbers; you’ll need to obtain a permit far in advance.

Dine Among the Stars

Over the last few years, Tenerife has stormed onto Spain’s gastronomic stage, shining a spotlight on the Canary Islands’ fabulous produce. The island now boasts four Michelin-star restaurants, including the Canaries’ only two-Michelin-star venture: M.B. by top Basque chef Martín Berasategui at the luxe, Morocco-inspired Ritz-Carlton Abama hotel.

Stars aside, you’ll dine well all over the island, whether you fancy a lunch of fresh fish at a no-fuss chiringuito (beach bar) or a gomero-cheese tapa with a glass of Tenerife-made red.

Roam Around Blissful Canarian Gardens

The Canary Islands are an astonishingly biodiverse natural wonderland, with 500 endemic types of flora. Tenerife alone has around 140 plant species that exist nowhere else in the world. Get a taste at the peaceful Palmetum in Santa Cruz, a 12-hectare (30-acre) landfill ingeniously reborn as a unique botanical garden devoted to palms from around the globe.