Best Beaches in Tenerife -Top 10 You Must Visit
Most travellers come to Tenerife with one main goal in mind: THE BEACH! And they’re right. After all, Tenerife is the island with the best beaches in Spain, where you can spend your holidays even in winter. Even if you’re planning a holiday on one beach, you don’t have to restrict yourself to it. The island is very diverse, and so are its beaches. Therefore, I advise you to see different beaches in different parts of the island.
Here is my pick of the most beautiful and best beaches in Tenerife. In this article, you will find photos, descriptions, and reviews of Tenerife beaches that I have visited and recommend you to see.
Some prefer a lively beach party with a promenade, bars, and restaurants; others enjoy the quiet and beautiful beaches among the rocks. Some prefer black sand beaches, while others choose traditional golden sand beaches.
I’m a fan of diversity, as diversity is the essence of Tenerife.
My favourite beaches of Tenerife are spread all over the island.
This is not a ranking but just a list, as all the beaches are different and beautiful in their own way. Using the map, you can make a nice driving itinerary for about 4-5 days with a holiday on each beach.
Some Things To Know About Tenerife Beaches
Since Sahara is 300km away, huge golden sand beaches immediately come to mind when one thinks of Tenerife beaches. Well, personally, this is how I imagined Tenerife before my first visit.
In fact, there’s not much golden sand here, and not much sand at all. (Except when Calima sandstorm comes to Tenerife. )
Tenerife’s coastline is mostly rocky, in many places the coastline is rugged and precipitous with sharp volcanic protrusions, especially in the northern part of the island.
However, 67km of coastline is made up of beaches.
In the north, the beaches are mainly covered with stones, coarse pebbles, and grainy black volcanic sand, while in the south, the beaches are covered with light grey or golden sand. The golden sand beaches in the south became golden thanks to imported sand from the Sahara desert.
Most beaches of Tenerife at the resorts are fully equipped for recreation. There are open showers with fresh water, toilets, bars, sun loungers, umbrellas, and protection from waves. Lifeguards work on almost every beach.
Sun loungers and parasols usually cost between 5-7 €, and toilets with enclosed showers cost between 2-4 €, depending on the location. The money you pay goes to the town office and is then distributed to the salaries of the lifeguards, keeping the areas clean and other services.
There are no paid or private beaches in Tenerife, as there are in all of mainland Spain; the Spanish Coastal Act regulates this. According to Spanish law, all beaches in the country are freely accessible to everyone at any time of the day or night. If access is obstructed for any reason, this does not make it a private beach.
All beaches in Tenerife are generally safe. Order is monitored by the police, sometimes driving around in scooters or cars. Occasionally, you can meet young guys from Africa offering to buy Rolex watches with diamonds or Chanel bags for 20-30 Euros. But they are usually not pushy. Petty theft is present, but not on such a scale as, for example, in Barcelona.
How To Get To The Best Beaches In Tenerife
Tenerife has a well-developed bus network, making it easy to get from one municipality to another. The only downside is that buses have a lot of stops. The bus ride from, e.g., La Arena beach to Los Cristianos takes 30 minutes by car, but if you take the bus, it’s an hour or even 1 hour and 20 minutes.
That is why I almost always prefer to rent a car – the prices in the Canaries for car hire and fuel are more than reasonable.
I like to rent a car from Rentalcars as it’s a company with a long history of reliability, quality guarantee, and user-friendliness; I can confidently recommend this service. In case I have to pay the rental deposit, I have a card with a credit limit; in this case, there are no problems and inconveniences. The price of a rental car in Tenerife is around 22-25 Euro per day for a nice new car.
So, Which Tenerife Beaches Are Worth A Visit?
1 >> Playa de las Teresitas
Teresitas Beach is the star of postcards and posters promoting Tenerife. Playa de las Teresitas is located near the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, and is considered the most beautiful, the most equipped, and the cleanest in the area.
Like most of the best beaches in Tenerife, Playa de las Teresitas is sheltered from the open ocean by a large breakwater, ensuring calm and wave-free swimming even when the ocean is rough. The breakwater makes the beach ideal for children and anyone who simply does not like big waves. There are no waves at all on this beach. For me personally, this is a huge advantage as I am afraid to swim in high waves. The entrance to the water is smooth with a quick depth gain.
Teresitas beach is located in front of the beautiful colourful village of San Andres, which is featured on most postcards of Tenerife.
The beach at first had black volcanic sand but was later covered with light yellow sand imported from the African desert. I think this was a great solution: firstly, the regular golden sand heats up less than the black sand, and secondly, the beach with the golden sand looks more cheerful than with the black sand.
There’s free parking near the beach, although it’s not easy to park there at the weekend.
If you get tired of sunbathing and swimming, you can also spend some time with a cocktail or ice cream at the beach bar. Also, San Andres village has many cafes and restaurants where you can have lunch or a bite to eat.
The beach of Las Teresitas is so beautiful that it has become a must-see for most tourists visiting Tenerife. But don’t forget that half of the capital’s inhabitants head here during the summer and weekends. So if you don’t want to get stuck in endless traffic jams, choose a different beach at the weekend.
To get to Las Teresitas Beach, you have to drive 15-20 minutes by car or bus from downtown Santa Cruz.
The best viewing platform is a five-minute drive up the serpentine road, and there’s very little parking – it’s best to arrive early in the morning to take photos of the beach. This beach is mainly frequented by residents and visitors to Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz.
2 >> Playa de La Arena
Playa de la Arena is a natural bay with black sand and is only 120 metres long. The beach is open to the waves, and there is no breakwater, so it is not always possible to swim here.
In rough seas, a red flag flies on the beach, and a rope covers the entry to the water. There is often a red flag on this beach from the second half of December until April. Often, but not every day. I vacationed on this beach in December, and on the days when there was a yellow flag, I could swim. However, I didn’t see a green flag on La Arena beach in December.
If you’re travelling to Tenerife with kids and are considering this beach, it’s best to bring an inflatable kiddie pool. But in fact, the presence of waves doesn’t deter most holidaymakers. Even with the red flag, the beach was full of tourists and locals. The beach also has a second sector that is popular with surfers.
La Arena is a beach that fully lives up to the notion of an authentic black canary beach. It is a popular destination for solo travellers and package tourists alike. There are many hotels and a small promenade with cafes and restaurants in the vicinity.
If you like viewpoints, head to the viewpoint tucked away in the rocks near the beach, a place called Cueva la Vaca on Google maps. From there, you can see both the Arena beach and the majestic Los Gigantes cliffs in the distance.
3 >> Playa de los Guios [Los Gigantes Beach]
Not far from Las Arena Beach, a bit further northwest, you’ll find Tenerife’s iconic landmark, the Los Gigantes Cliffs. You will also often see these rocks on Tenerife postcards. It really is a unique and beautiful natural place.
At the foot of the cliffs, there is a small beach with black sand and stones – Playa de los Guios. The water entrance is comfortable, and there are few waves because the beach is completely enclosed by rocks on one side and the yacht marina on the other. You’ll find many restaurants and cafes near the beach, so Los Gigantes beach is an excellent place to spend an entire day.
By the way, there are whale and dolphin watching excursions departing from the port of Los Gigantes. So if you are a fan of boat trips, add such a tour to your program.
Los Gigantes beach is a good place to swim and sunbathe, but the highlight of the beach is the magical view.
The cliffs above the beach at Los Gigantes are 800 metres high! Huge rocks loom over you like majestic giants. Enjoy the feeling of being a tiny human being, a child of planet Earth and think of eternity.
4 >> Playa de los Cristianos
Los Cristianos beach is located in the resort town of Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife. The town used to be a small fishing village with a jetty and a natural sandy beach. With the development of the tourist industry on the island, since the 1960s, Los Cristianos became known as one of the first climatic resorts of Tenerife.
Los Cristianos beach has everything you need for a relaxing holiday. Here you will find hotels for every budget, bars with live music, restaurants with fresh seafood, and shops. All of these are located either at the beach exit or within minimal walking distance.
The beach provides sun loungers, umbrella rentals, showers, toilets, and changing rooms.
Like other best beaches of Tenerife, lifeguards are on duty at Playa de los Cristianos throughout the day to ensure the safety of holidaymakers.
Due to the port’s proximity, from Los Cristianos beach, you can take a ferry or boat to the neighboring island of La Gomera or the other islands of the Canary archipelago. You can also take boat trips from Los Cristianos to see dolphins and whales or go sailing at sunset.
Read more about Los Cristianos beach in this article.
5 >> Playa Jardin
Jardín Beach in Puerto de la Cruz is a beautiful beach in the middle of tropical greenery. This is one of the few beaches in Tenerife near which you’ll find parks and playgrounds with plants and trees.
The black sand beach is located in a beautiful bay but is not suitable for swimming in winter and early spring due to the waves and the often cold ocean. A red flag often flies on this beach in winter, but despite this, there are still many tourists and locals on the beach.
It is worth coming here to marvel at the waves, the beautiful exotic plants, and the colourful village of Punta Brava, as well as to walk around the town, which is one of the most beautiful in Tenerife. Be sure to include both the town and the beach in your trip to the north of Tenerife.
Read more about Puerto de la Cruz and what to see there in this article.
6 >> Playa de la Pinta
If you’re looking for a beach in Tenerife with calm waters, La Pinta is the right place for you. This golden sand beach is located in the south of Tenerife in the resort area of Costa Adeje.
Tenerife is bathed by the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean, so most of the island’s beaches have rocky embankments – breakwaters that protect the area from the huge waves. As for La Pinta beach, it is doubly fortunate as it is situated in a bay AND is protected by breakwaters. On its right side, a natural promontory, elongated by a stone barrier, juts into the water. On the left, the beach is adjacent to the port of Puerto Colón, located in a small harbour. For this reason, the beach area is very calm, and you can swim comfortably here without fear of strong winds and waves. Playa de la Pinta truly deserves to be on the list of the best Tenerife beaches.
Due to its proximity to the harbour, La Pinta beach is also referred to as Playa de Puerto Colón, a name you will often find on maps. The beach is not huge: it is 180m long and 40m wide. However, every visitor will find a corner for themselves and entertainment to their liking. Playa La Pinta is very well equipped with all kinds of amenities. Here you can rent a chair and an umbrella, and the coast guard will be looking after you. Toilet, shower and changing facilities are available. There is also parking close to the beach.
The main draw of Playa de Puerto Colon is the variety of water activities for children and adults. Kids can have fun on inflatable slides in the sea. Adults will enjoy water skis, catamarans, bananas and kayaks. Water Sports & Charters (W.S.C.), located in the harbor, offers yacht and boat rentals.
The water entry is comfortable and shallow, so many children swim in the ocean. Children, as well as their parents, feel safe at La Pinta. Swimming at this beach is like swimming in a pool or a calm lake.
7 >> Playa del Roque
Playa del Roque in Anaga Rural Park
8 >> Playa de Fanabe
9 >> Playas de Troya
The next beach on my list is Playa Troya, a dark volcanic sand beach on the south coast of Tenerife, in the Playa de las Américas tourist area.
Actually, Playa Troya has two beaches, Troya Ι and Troya Ιl, but since they are next to each other and do not have a clear boundary, they have been merged. The beach is 650m long and 20m wide.
The beach is framed by several breakwaters, which is very important in the Canary Islands. This guarantees you a pleasant and relaxing swim in the ocean.
The entrance to the sea is comfortable and gentle. The ocean water is calm and warm. All this makes this beach suitable for families and children.
The beach Troya like many others, belongs to the municipality. It is very clean, and entry is free. Sun loungers cost 6 Euros. Near the beach, there are several good hotels – Iberostar and Hotel Troja.
Here you can enjoy various water sports like parasailing, scuba diving, and surfing, or you can rent a jet ski or catamaran. Troya beach has been awarded the blue flag since 1997, indicating its cleanliness and safety. There is a large Veronicas strip shopping centre just south of the beach, as well as a variety of restaurants and bars, parking, and a bus stop next to the beach.
10 >> Playa de las Vistas
Las Vistas beach stretches along a wide promenade that links Playa de Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas. Playa de Las Vistas is one of the most famous and the best beaches in Tenerife and is renowned for its excellent water quality, size, and infrastructure.
This beach is popular with tourists and locals alike. At Las Vistas, you can enjoy a relaxing holiday, soft golden sand, and a calm ocean. A breakwater is installed along the beach, so there are almost never any waves.
Without a doubt, the main merit of this beach is its length: 925m long! Las Vistas is one of the longest beaches in Tenerife. Even at weekends and during the high tourist season, when it seems that everyone is flocking to the beach, Las Vistas beach does not feel like you are in a crowd. It’s not cramped because the beach is huge.
Las Vistas is excellent for all types of swimmers and holidaymakers. Young and mature travellers alike can spend a nice day here. This beach will also be a great option for families with children. Swimming on this beach is safe for children, and near the beach you will find ice-cream stands and plenty of restaurants offering children’s menus.
