Most “things to do in Tenerife” lists are just copied and pasted from each other. You’ll see the same ten suggestions, written in the same breathless tone, with the same stock photos of someone holding a cocktail on a sunbed. And look, there’s nothing wrong with a sunbed. But if you’re reading this, you probably want a bit more than that.
So here’s my honest take on 15 things to do in Tenerife that are actually worth doing, plus a few gentle warnings about what to skip.
1. Watch the Sunrise from Mount Teide
This one earns its reputation. Getting up at 3am feels brutal, but standing above the clouds as the sky turns from black to deep orange to gold? It stays with you. You’ll need to book the cable car in advance at Teide National Park’s official site, and if you want to reach the very summit, you’ll need a free permit too. Don’t skip the permit step. Lots of people do, and they’re turned back at the top.
2. Eat Papas Arrugadas with Mojo
Not a tourist gimmick. This is what locals actually eat. Small wrinkled potatoes cooked in heavily salted water, served with red or green mojo sauce. You’ll find them everywhere, but the best ones come from small family restaurants away from the seafront. Order them as a starter and thank me later.
3. Drive the Anaga Rural Park
Most tourists never leave the south. That’s their loss. The Anaga mountains in the north east are a completely different world, ancient laurel forest, winding roads, tiny villages, and views that drop straight down to the sea. Take it slow, the roads are narrow and the bends are sharp. But it’s one of the most genuinely beautiful drives on the island.
4. Swim at Playa de Benijo
While everyone’s queuing for a sunbed in Los Cristianos, Benijo sits quietly in the north, a wild black sand beach with big Atlantic waves and almost no crowds on weekdays. It’s not a swimming beach in the traditional sense, the waves can be strong, but it’s the kind of place that makes you feel properly alive. Bring a picnic. There’s a small bar nearby but don’t rely on it being open.
5. Visit a Local Market
Not the tourist craft markets. I mean the proper weekly food markets where locals actually shop. The Mercado de La Laguna or the Saturday market in Los Cristianos (the local end, not the souvenir stalls) are good starting points. Fresh cheese, local honey, homemade mojo in jars. It’s the kind of thing you can’t really replicate at home.
6. Take the Ferry to La Gomera for the Day
An hour on the ferry from Los Cristianos and you’re on a completely different island. La Gomera is quieter, greener, and feels like Tenerife did thirty years ago. Walk in Garajonay National Park, eat lunch in the main square in San Sebastián, and get the last ferry back. It’s a long day but a genuinely good one.
7. Watch a Lucha Canaria Match
Canarian wrestling. It looks a bit like sumo, a bit like judo, and it’s completely its own thing. Local clubs hold matches throughout the year and they’re free or very cheap to watch. The atmosphere is friendly and it’s one of those experiences that feels genuinely local rather than put on for tourists.
8. Walk the Masca Gorge
Fair warning: this one is not easy. The walk down to Masca village is steep and takes a couple of hours. Then you either walk back up (harder) or take a boat from the bottom to Los Gigantes. The boat option is worth it. The cliffs from the water are something else entirely. Check conditions before you go, the path has been closed for restoration work at various points.
9. Have Breakfast Like a Local
Go to any small café away from the seafront, order a café con leche and a tostada con tomate, and sit outside. That’s it. That’s the whole thing. It costs about two euros and it’s one of the best ways to start a morning on this island. The bread is always fresh, the tomato is always good, and nobody’s rushing you.
10. Visit the Old Town of La Laguna
UNESCO listed and genuinely lovely. La Laguna was the original capital of Tenerife and the streets still feel like it. Colourful buildings, proper local shops, good coffee, and a university town energy that’s completely different from the resort areas. Go on a weekday afternoon when the students are around and the place feels alive.
11. Stargaze in the Teide National Park at Night
Tenerife has some of the clearest skies in Europe. The area around Teide is a protected stargazing zone and on a clear night, the Milky Way is visible with the naked eye. You don’t need a tour for this, just drive up after dark, find a safe spot to pull over, and look up. Bring a jacket. It gets cold fast up there, even in summer.
12. Try Gofio
Gofio is toasted grain flour and it’s been a staple of the Canarian diet for centuries. You’ll find it in soups, as a side dish, mixed into sauces, or even in ice cream. It has a warm, slightly nutty flavour and it’s genuinely good. Most tourists ignore it. Don’t be most tourists.
13. Spend a Morning in Puerto de la Cruz
The north coast resort town has a completely different feel to the south. It’s older, more Spanish, and a bit more relaxed. The Lago Martianez lido is worth a visit, a series of seawater pools designed by César Manrique, right on the seafront. And the old town has some genuinely good restaurants if you wander away from the main drag.
14. Go Whale Watching in the Teno Strait
The channel between Tenerife and La Gomera is one of the best places in Europe to see pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins. They’re resident here year round, not seasonal visitors. Choose a smaller boat operator rather than a big catamaran, you’ll get closer and the experience is far better.
15. Just… Slow Down
This sounds like a cop out but it isn’t. The biggest mistake most visitors make is trying to do too much. Tenerife rewards the people who sit still long enough to notice things. The old man playing dominoes outside the bar. The smell of pine trees as you drive through the forest. The way the light changes on the cliffs at Los Gigantes in the late afternoon. None of that costs anything. All of it is worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best time of year to visit Tenerife? Honestly, any time. The south stays warm and dry year round. The north is greener in winter and spring. If you want quieter beaches and lower prices, avoid August and the Christmas period.
Is Tenerife good for more than just beach holidays? Very much so. The hiking, the food, the culture, the other islands nearby. You could spend two weeks here and barely touch the beach if you wanted to.
How many days do you need in Tenerife? A week is a good start. Two weeks lets you actually settle in and see the different parts of the island properly.
Is it safe to hire a car in Tenerife? Yes, and it’s worth doing. Public transport covers the main towns but a car opens up the Anaga, the Teno, the mountain roads. Just be ready for narrow lanes and the occasional goat.
A Final Thought
Tenerife is easy to underestimate. It gets written off as a package holiday destination, all sunbeds and all-inclusive buffets, and yes, that version of it exists. But underneath that, there’s a genuinely interesting island with good food, wild landscapes, and a local culture that most visitors never get close to.
You don’t have to work hard to find it. You just have to look up from the pool menu occasionally.
