In this post we want to share with you what to see in Tenerife on a 4 or 5 day getaway. As we live on the next island (Gran Canaria), every time we can we take a leap to discover the essentials of Tenerife. The last time we went by boat with the motorcycle and we stayed 3 nights and we dedicated ourselves to discover the most authentic places that we had pending. We tell you everything below.
What to see in Tenerife
If on your trips you like know the most authentic and characteristic of the destination, we believe that you will like this post about what to see in Tenerife. Unique landscapes that are difficult to find anywhere else. We start with the 10 essentials!
1. Anaga Rural Park. A must see in Tenerife.
If you have not yet been to the Anaga Rural Park, we recommend you take the leap to go hiking. In it Cruz del Carmen visitor center can recommend a route according to your physical condition and available time. However, we undoubtedly recommend the path of El Pijaral Comprehensive Natural Reserve. This area is also known as La Ensillada (from where the trail starts) or Enchanted Forest. This is where you will find the greatest greenery in Tenerife thanks to its Laurisilva forest and giant ferns. It also has a viewpoint to Benijo Beach.
You have to ask for a permit to do the trail this article, since its capacity is limited. Order it in advance, as it is usually in high demand. Us It took us about 2 hours at a good pace. They are a little less than 7 km. In any case, if there are no places, the entire Anaga Rural Park area is beautiful and green all year round. A ride by car or motorcycle through the area is worth it and Don't miss the legendary Instagram photo on the green moss walls of this enchanted Forest.
It is a dead end street that you will find a few meters from the Viewpoint of Pico del Inglés. Therefore, by putting “Mirador del Pico del Inglés” on your Waze or Google Maps you will not be lost. NOTE, parking is limited.
2. Punta de Teno, Teno Rural Park
Many say that it is the most beautiful area of the island and the truth is that it could be. To get here you can do it on your own at the indicated times this article. Outside of these times, the road is closed and access/exit is only possible by bus, taxi or bicycle. Its road is spectacular, surrounded by cliffs marked by waterfalls. in its mountains. Once at the tip of Teno we find a little beach and several puddles to enjoy the sea in a 100% volcanic landscape. It is a bit windy though.
we also have the Punta de Teno lighthouse and panoramic views of La Gomera and Los Gigantes. We went in the morning, but the sunset here must be spectacular.
After the expedition through the coastal area, we set out to discover Teno Alto and visit the Naturteno artisan cheese factory, within the Teno Rural Park. On the way back, heading south, pass through the road that connects this area with Los Gigantes, passing through El Palmar and Masca. A must in Tenerife without a doubt. Tip for eating in the area at the end of the post!
3. Cliffs of Los Gigantes and Masca. What to see in Tenerife.
Another of the essential things to see in Tenerife are the Cliffs of Los Gigantes and the Masca ravine. Some friends had recommended us to do kayaking along the coast of Los Gigantes to Masca and we did it. We booked an excursion with Active Teno in double kayak to the Masca Ravine (two hours). We made the return trip by boat. During the excursion we made several stops to swim. Super recommended.
4. Discover the towns of the north: Garachico, La Orotava and Puerto de La Cruz
One of the most beautiful landscapes in Tenerife is that of the northern area of Tenerife and El Teide. All green, surrounded by banana trees and with the blue sea in the background. you have to give a walk through Puerto de La CruzAlthough it is touristy, it also has its local and authentic touch. Its pedestrian streets are curious and colorful. Here you also have the pools of Lago Martiánez and Loro Parque.
On the other hand, on this route along the northern coast of Tenerife, you cannot miss visit La Orotava and Garachico. Two very authentic towns that have known how to maintain the local essence. These three towns are very close to each other, in one morning or afternoon you can visit all three. Don't miss the pit stop for lunch that we recommend at the end!
5. Benijo beach and Taganana town. What to see in Tenerife.
If you decide to visit the Anaga Rural Park, you could take the opportunity to reach one of the most beautiful beaches in Tenerife: the beautiful benijo beach. On the way to Benijo you can pass through the town of Taganana. Look at all the dragon trees along the road and discover all the beaches in Benijo. Yes indeed, The road is not recommended for those who cannot tolerate curves. Once in Benijo, don't expect many services and, to get to the beach, you have to go down some stairs. We recommend a place to eat at the end of the post!
6. Teide National Park
This stop is mandatory on your visit to Tenerife, whether you are adventurous or not. You have to at least drive through this area with your car or motorcycle and appreciate the volcanic and lunar landscape of the highest peak in Spain. The road is at about 2000 m altitude and the peak reaches 3178 meters. There is a cable car that takes you to the top. On the other hand, there is also a route of night hiking through the Cañadas del Teide with very good ratings.
7. Las Teresitas Beach and its viewpoint. What to see in Tenerife
We can say that Tenerife is not characterized by its spectacular beaches, which is why they renovated Las Teresitas at the time. That is to say, they brought golden sand from another place and placed a kind of dam to calm its waters so that the sand would remain over time. Being an artificial beach, it is not a place where we would not spend a lot of time, however its viewpoint is spectacular. From here you can also see El Teide and Gran Canaria.
To get here you have to go from the town of San Andrés along the coast in the direction of San Andrés de Igueste and you have it. Next to the road there is a small gap to stop and see the views. By the way, if you have time, you can take advantage of take a free tour of the capital two hours long. You can book it and see other travelers' opinions below.
8. San Cristóbal de La Laguna
A walk through the historic center of La Laguna is also something that you cannot miss on your trip to Tenerife. In a maximum of one hour you can walk through its pedestrian streets and visit the points of greatest interest. It is an area with a lot of life, as it has many restaurants, bars and shops. Besides, Its historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. If you are interested, there is also a free tour of La Laguna with very good reviews from other travelers.
9. Whale watching, Adeje. What to see in Tenerife.
This activity was carried out by a group of friends at a bachelorette party on another getaway to Tenerife. Spend the day in a sailboat with whale watching It is 100% recommended. Seeing dolphins and whales in their habitat will make your hair stand on end. Of course, the activity is not cheap, much less if you go by private boat.
It can be said that this activity is worth it in the south of the island, even if it is a tourist area. The views of La Gomera are beautiful. By the way, if you plan to visit the neighboring island as well, take a look at our article on what to see in La Gomera.
10. El Médano. What to see in Tenerife.
This area in the south of Tenerife is also worth visiting if you have time. In El Médano you can breathe a good local atmosphere. Besides, The beaches are great to spend the day or practice sports like surfing. Especially if you avoid the sites tourist like us.
As you may have read, there are many things to see in Tenerife. We hope this post has been helpful to you in discovering the island on your own. Now we move on to the gastronomic part if you like.
Restaurants in Tenerife
If Tenerife is characterized by something, it is its variety of restaurants, quality of genre and good prices. You could perfectly go to the island for gastronomic tourism. From the most hidden and genuine guachinches to the Michelin star restaurants, which are not few. We are going to tell you a little about everything, there is a lot to choose from!
Areperas in Tenerife
Given that A large Venezuelan community resides in Tenerife, there are various areperas throughout the island. We have been to the Los Girasoles arepera in the town of Tamaimo. We also know two in La Laguna (Bolívar and Punto Criollo). The one we like the most is Bolívar, with a wide variety of flavors and natural juices. Of course, it is in a residential area and not at all touristy.
Fish restaurants in Tenerife
- El Puntero Restaurant, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is a classic to eat grouper, shrimp, octopus, cuttlefish, etc. in the middle of the city. They also have some potatoes with mojo that you can die for. The treatment is very familiar, the food is 10 and, in addition, it is super cheap. It is all decorated with posters from the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival.
- Bar Los Churritos, San Andrés, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This place is known for its fish churros, stewed octopus, calamari and potatoes with mojo. It is also very economical. It is very close to Las Teresitas Beach, one of the essential things to see in Tenerife.
- “La Punta” Fishermen's Guild, Punta del Hidalgo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Here you can't miss the old frita, the octopus, the limpets, the shrimp, the cuttlefish... Basically all the typical Canarian sea food.
Ribs with pineapple and potatoes restaurants in Tenerife
The two classic ribs with pineapple and potatoes from Tenerife are House Tomás and El Nervioso. Both spectacular and super affordable price. We are left with the echelon of gofio of The Nervous and his ribs. Green mojo is pure butter! Overall, it's a good place to canarian food.
Other good restaurants from Tenerife
- El Calderito de La Abuela Restaurant, Santa Úrsula. This place is also famous for its good cuisine and views of the banana plantations and coast of Santa Úrsula. Spectacular, although perhaps a little overpriced.
- El Campestre Restaurant, La Esperanza. If you like good grilled meat, the El Campestre restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Tenerife. Is a great stop on the way to Teide National Park from La Laguna or vice versa.
- El Patamero Restaurant, El Palmar, Buenavista del Norte. If you are visiting this area, a mandatory stop is El Patamero. We ordered a delicious grilled secret and some Spectacular sweet potato skewers with cod. They also have the famous Naturteno artisan goat cheese, good Canarian wines, etc.
- Casa Paca or Casa África Beach Bar, Roque de Las Bodegas beach / Benijo beach. These are two very legendary places to eat local food. At Casa África the Fried octopus. On the other hand, at Casa Paca you have a little of everything: fish (limpets, octopus, sardines...) and meat (rabbit, party meat...), as well as spoon dishes (chickpeas, stew, etc.) and fresh cheese .
Michelin star restaurants Tenerife
In Tenerife there are several Michelin Star restaurants, we list them below:
- Kabuki Abama, Hotel Abama (one Michelin star)
- Nub, Costa Adeje (one Michelin star)
- El Rincón de Juan Carlos, Guía de Isora (one Michelin star)
- MB, Martín Berasategui, Hotel Abama (two Michelin stars)
Guachinches in Tenerife
On this website you can see all the guachinches of Tenerife. What is a guachinche? A guachinche or bochinche is what we Canarians call restaurants with homemade food and homegrown wines. There are no great luxuries here and the atmosphere is familiar: paper tablecloths and noise (they are usually large garages or stores). Of course, delicious food, cheap and 100% local atmosphere.
Hotel in Tenerife
The island of Tenerife is quite large, so if you are going to explore it, it is best to distribute your stay in different areas. Especially if you are going to visit Punta de Teno, Buenavista del Norte or Los Gigantes. To explore the north, we recommend the Botanical hotel in Tenerife, in Puerto de la Cruz. The time we went for a bachelorette party we stayed in the south, in the tourist area of Adeje. If you want to go out at night, it is the best option. Anyway, you can look for the best deals on hotels in Tenerife below:
Video: what to see in Tenerife in 1 day
Below, you can see a proposed route on what to see in Tenerife in one day with a meal plan. If you want to see more chachis videos about the Canary Islands and other destinations, subscribe to our YouTube channel.
We hope that all this information has been helpful to you in planning your trip. If you have any questions, leave us a comment below, it may help other travelers.
Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.
All the comments are quite accurate.
Hello!!! Thank you very much for your comment. We are happy to know that our tips are good 🙂 A hug!