What to See in Tenerife: The Essential Sights
Some islands can be covered in a day. Tenerife is not one of them. In barely 80 km from end to end you get the highest peak in Spain, a cloud forest that seems to belong to another age, colonial towns, cliffs hundreds of metres high and a tree that was already here centuries before anyone arrived to tell its story. The question is not so much what to see in Tenerife, but where to begin.
Not every spot is here (for that you have the full map on islas24). These are the essentials, sorted by whatever you feel like that day: nature, towns or family plans.
El Teide, the roof of Spain
If you could see only one thing, this would be it. Teide National Park crowns the island at 3,715 m and is one of the most visited national parks in Europe. The guanches, the ancient inhabitants of Tenerife, believed that Guayota lived inside it, the demon who had imprisoned the Sun; that is why they called it Echeyde, "the inferno". Today you ride the cable car almost to the summit and, if the sky cooperates, you understand why this is one of the best places in the world to watch the stars; if you want to go straight to the good spots, the guide to where to see the stars in the Canaries has the best viewpoints and the key dates.
To climb the peak itself (the last 200 m) you need a free permit requested weeks in advance on the National Parks website; without it, the cable car leaves you at the Rambleta viewpoint, which is already worth the trip. And a new development for 2026: the Altavista refuge, at 3,260 m and closed since 2019, has reopened on 20 July after a full renovation; spending the night there (just one, and with a prior booking) lets you reach the summit at dawn without the ordinary permit, with rates from about 29 euros for Tenerife residents. Keep in mind a recent rule as well: smoking is banned throughout the National Park to prevent fires, with fines of 100 to 1,000 euros. Set aside a long half day if you are coming from the coast: the road climbs slowly. And a tip from the locals: if there are clouds down below, do not give up, often above 2,000 m the sky is clear and you see the famous sea of clouds at your feet. Head up with time to spare and something warm. It is cold at the top even if you are in a swimsuit down below.
Masca, Anaga and the green island
To the northwest, hidden among the mountains, lies Masca: a tiny hamlet at the end of a road of impossible bends, perched over one of the most spectacular ravines in the Canaries. You reach it by car from Santiago del Teide, but take it slow, the route is narrow and two-way, and in high season it pays to get there early to find a spot. If you fancy walking down the ravine, the Barranco de Masca guide walks you through it step by step; bear in mind that the route requires a prior booking and is not suitable for everyone.
To the northeast, the Anaga Rural Park is another world: laurisilva, mist and ferns, a forest declared a Biosphere Reserve that survives almost unchanged from millions of years ago, when it covered much of the Mediterranean. Walking through Anaga is, literally, travelling back in time. Set aside a whole morning and start at the Cruz del Carmen, where there is a visitor centre and several signposted trails; if the day dawns thick with fog, all the better, that is how this forest shows its most beautiful face. Some of the most magical corners, such as the El Pijaral forest (the "enchanted forest"), have limited capacity and require a free permit from the Cabildo in advance, so check before you go to avoid disappointment. And if views are your thing, many of the best viewpoints in Tenerife are precisely in Anaga and on the slopes of El Teide.
Towns with soul: La Laguna, Garachico and Icod
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, the former capital, is a World Heritage Site: its grid layout served as a model for many cities in the Americas. You can walk it in a couple of hours, with its colourful mansions, Canarian courtyards and a university life that gives it atmosphere all year round. Park in a car park in the centre and lose yourself in the pedestrian streets without hurry.
In Garachico, a town a volcano nearly wiped off the map in 1706, today you bathe in the natural pools of El Caletón, formed by that same lava (if you enjoy these swims, you have many more in the guide to rock pools and natural pools of Tenerife). Go at low tide and with footwear that grips on the rock, and stay to eat fresh fish in the town, which has earned its reputation for good reason.
And in Icod de los Vinos the Drago de Icod de los Vinos awaits, the thousand-year-old drago tree and symbol of the island: a tree that, according to legend, bleeds red sap, the "dragon's blood" the ancients sought. It is easily seen from the church square without paying admission, though the drago park adds a garden and fine views. Since you are in Icod, take the chance to try the local wine, which is what gives the town its name; many guachinches of Tenerife in the north were born precisely to pair that wine with home cooking. The authentic ones are in the wine-growing north (Tacoronte, Santa Úrsula, the La Orotava valley) and only open seasonally, while their own harvest lasts, so do not confuse them with the "tourist guachinches" of the south.
For a family trip
Tenerife is easy with children. Loro Parque, in Puerto de la Cruz, is considered one of the best zoos in the world; count on a full day to see it at a leisurely pace, and buy the ticket online, which is usually cheaper and lets you skip the queue. Siam Park, in the south, tops the rankings of the best water parks on the planet year after year; go early, because the big rides build up waits by midday. A tip for your wallet: if you plan to go to both, the Twin Ticket combines the Loro Parque and Siam Park entry and works out quite a bit cheaper than buying them separately.
To see animals up close without leaving the family plan, Jungle Park is another safe bet. And for a different afternoon, the Güímar Pyramids blend mystery and ethnography in a garden by the sea, with Thor Heyerdahl's theory in the background and a pleasant botanical walk of a good hour. If you are after lesser-known corners of the south, the Punta de Abona guide gives you a few ideas.
How to plan your visit
Tenerife splits, broadly speaking, into two worlds: the north, green, humid and full of towns; and the south, dry, sunny and full of beaches. The ideal is not to choose, devote a couple of days to each side. With three or four full days you see the essentials without stress; a week gives you room for El Teide, Anaga and a beach day or two (here you have the best beaches in Tenerife) without rushing.
A car is almost essential to reach the best corners, and many of them are, like almost everything beautiful on the island, at the end of a narrow road. The guagua (that is what we call the bus here) connects the big towns well and is cheap with a travel pass, but for Masca, Anaga or a remote viewpoint it falls short. If you drive, count on the distances on the map being deceptive: they are few kilometres but many bends, and the north tends to be cloudier than the south, so check the sky before deciding the day's plan.
On islas24 you have each of these places with its location, its opening hours and how to get there, so you can build your route without surprises. Choose where to begin and let the island do the rest.
