What to See in Tenerife: the Must-Visit Places
Some islands you can cover in a day. Tenerife is not one of them. In barely 80 kilometres from end to end you'll find Spain's highest peak, a cloud forest that feels like another era, colonial towns, cliffs hundreds of metres tall and a tree that was already here centuries before anyone arrived to tell its story. The question isn't so much what to see in Tenerife, but where to begin.
You won't find every spot here (for that, you have the full map on islas24). What you'll find are the essentials, arranged by whatever you're in the mood for that day: nature, towns or family plans.
El Teide, the roof of Spain
If you could only see one thing, it would be this. Teide National Park crowns the island at 3,715 metres 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's why they called it Echeyde, "hell". 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 gaze at the stars. A practical tip: head up with time to spare and something warm to wear. It's cold at the top even if you're in a swimsuit down below. You can check cable car times and access on the official Tenerife Tourism website.
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 above one of the most spectacular ravines in the Canary Islands. If you fancy walking down it, our Barranco de Masca hiking guide takes you through it step by step.
To the northeast, the Anaga Rural Park is another world: laurel forest, mist and ferns, a woodland declared a Biosphere Reserve that survives almost unchanged from millions of years ago, when it covered much of the Mediterranean. Walking through Anaga is, quite literally, travelling back in time.
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. In Garachico, a town a volcano nearly wiped off the map in 1706, today you can bathe in the natural pools of El Caletón, formed by that very lava. And in Icod de los Vinos you'll find the Drago de Icod de los Vinos, the thousand-year-old dragon tree and symbol of the island: a tree that, legend says, bleeds red sap, the "dragon's blood" the ancients sought.
For a family day out
Tenerife is easy with children. Loro Parque, in Puerto de la Cruz, is considered one of the best zoos in the world; Siam Park, in the south, tops the rankings of the planet's best water parks year after year. To see animals up close while keeping the family plan going, Jungle Park is another safe bet. And for a different kind of afternoon, the Pirámides de Güímar blend mystery and ethnography in a garden by the sea. If you're after lesser-known corners of the south, what to see in Punta de Abona offers a few ideas.
How to plan your visit
Tenerife divides, broadly speaking, into two worlds: the north, green, damp and dotted with towns; and the south, dry, sunny and full of beaches. The ideal is not to choose: give a couple of days to each side. A car is almost essential to reach the best corners, and many of them are, like nearly everything beautiful on the island, at the end of a narrow road.
On islas24 you'll find each of these places with its location, opening times and how to get there, so you can plan your route without surprises. Choose where to begin and let the island do the rest.
