Hi Paulina,

Thanks so much for such an informative, fun blog. It help made our decision up for us to visit Tenerife this year. We will go in February, during Carnival. Where would you say the best area to stay is to be able to take advantage of the festivities? We would like to be able to get there by foot. Thank you!

Hey, thank you so much for your kind comment. You'll have a blast! The best carnival parties are taking place in (mostly) Santa Cruz and in Puerto de la Cruz. I recommend getting thus a place to stay a bit outside of the city center as the parties are loud, take place in the streets and take until the early morning. Enjoy a lot!

Hi Paulina,
This blog is really insightful and helpful for planning a trip to Tenerife. Thank you for putting this together. I had a question about trip planning. My friends and I (a group of 6 or 8) are planning a trip to Tenerife for Last week of February to the first week of March. We would love to see Carnival in the North for the first week, then head down to the South to enjoy some sun and beaches. Do you think that is a good approach?

And for places to stay in the North, do you think staying in a villa in Santa Ursula would be too far away from getting to enjoy the festivities of Carnival?

Warm regards,
Shinji

Hey, yes that sounds lovely, just like uniting the best Tenerife has to offer! I strongly recommend staying close to Santa Cruz de Tenerife or La Laguna in order to make the most of the Carnival. Enjoy a lot!

Hello! I am trying to decide between the Ritz Carlton Abama or the Royal Hideaway Corales. Do you have thoughts on which is better? It is going to just be me and my husband. Thank you!

Hola! Oh that is a tricky question! :) If you are looking for something very romantic, you cannot beat a suite with a private pool at the Hideaway Corales. Abama is a bit more off-beat, you'll think you're alone on the island :) And it has a fabulously cute beach! Let me know what you finally decied :)

HI,
What is considered... Off Season for Tenerife?
We are arriving February 12th, 2020 for 2 weeks. We would like to explore the Island, travelling and staying 1-3 nights in each place that we find that we like( probably many of he places you recommended in your blog) . Just wondering.... if during this time frame( mid Feb) we would be safe not to book accommodations in advance as we want to just rent a car and explore.

Hello dear, off-season generally lasts from October to March/April. It is a great idea to stay in several places as the island is very diverse. However I always to book in advance to have peace of mind. But that really depends on the type of traveller you are. I don't want to risk that a B&B is fully booked when I arrive :) enjoy a lot dear!

HI Paulina, Your blog is so awesome and such a great guide. Thank you!
I do have some questions and hoping to get your opinion. My best friend and I (late 20s) are traveling to Seville and Tenerife for our vacation in Mid November. We have four full days in Tenerife and wanted to enjoy the beach and also do some hiking. Do you think it would be possible to stay in south and do day trips for hiking? We love good food, shopping, and exploring. We kind of want a little bit of nightlife but not too crazy - where would you suggest? Thanks so much in advance!

Hey dear, thanks for your comment. That is totally possible. Adeje in November is not too crazy and top from here you get easily to Masca hike and Northern Tenerife. Enjoy a lot!

Isn't the masca hike closed for some time now? I wasn't aware it had reopened? Thanks

Hey dear, Masca trail is still closed (as of Nov 2019). According to the latest news, it will possibly open in summer 2020.

Hello Paulina, wow what a great homepage.
We travel to Tenerife for the first time in October for 10 days. Then we go by ferry for 7 days to Gran Canaria. We want to rent a rental car on both islands.
In order to see as much as possible of Tenerife and to save long journeys we would like to take 2 locations (north / south). Which one can you recommend us? Basically we want to do everything possible ... hiking, swimming, watching landscapes and so on
Greetings and thank you from Germany Hosche

Dear Hosche, many thanks for your kind comment. Tenerife is gorgeous! I would consider one loction in the north and one in the south in order to enjoy the most. For the south I really like Los Gigantes as it is not as busy as Costa Adeje. In the north you might want to have a look at Santa Ursula, the surroundings of La Laguna or Taganana. If possible, try to include a day trip to La Gomera! It is so pretty! In my page "Travel Discounts" (https://paulinaontheroad.co... you can get discounts on ca rentals in Tenerife. please let me know how it went. Enjoy!

Hi Paulina thanks for reply.
Is El Medano also a good Base for the south?

Hey, yes it is a cool place, but a bit windy though... It's perfect if you want to do watersports :)

yes, but it quite windy though! :)

Hello and thank you for this detailed guide!

I'm still in doubt as planning to visit Tenerife for the first time, 10 full days at the beginning of October with my husband and 6 years old son.

I made a reservation for an apartment in Puerto de la Cruz for first 6 days - thinking there will be many good restaurants for having dinner. Also planning mainly to circle the northern part of the island (from Anaga to Masca, including Teide of course, spending day in Loro Park etc.

For the rest 4 days I made a reservation for resort in Golf las Americas, considering it as best value for money and good position for exploring south beaches (from La Gomera to Playe del Duque) + maybe taking one day trip to La Gomera.

I would appreciate if you could help me with following:
1. suggestions for authentic restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz or north;
2. advice for trail with a 6 years old - which one to take?. He is used to walk a lot and hike (for his age). We have Pico del Teide access permit but still I am not sure if this is for him (?)

3. advice for the last 4 days accommodation if you think another area would be better.

Thank you!

Dear Jasminka, many thanks for your comment. For such detailed travel information, I prefer that you send a mail via the contact form. Thanks a lot, Paulina

hi paulina im pauline its my sons 21st soon and looking for best party area in tenerife but also cheap thanks

Hi Pauline, nice to meet you :) Well, I think that would be Costa Adeje or Los Cristianos for you :) Let me know if you enjoyed it!

HI, thanks for the great recommendations. We will be there the first week in March. We are looking for beach and warm along with having to 21 yo daughters with us. What area do you recommend? Thank you

Hi Paulina, Where would you recommend for me and my boyfriend to stay in March? We are looking for good food, beaches and laid back but only going for a weekend so do not want to be too far from TFS?

Hi Paulina, Your blog is great and I have some questions because I am a little confused as to the best place for our family. We are coming in December with our 3 young adult children (29,26 ad 23.) We are going to rent a car to explore. We are looking for a nice and fun place to stay. We are planning on being out during the day hiking and taking in the sites but when we return to the hotel in late afternoon it would be nice to stay at a hotel that has some social interaction going on for our family. We don't want a quiet hotel but not rowdy at the same time. Breakfast included would be nice to start the day. We love good food too. I guess it would also be nice to be near the town in case the kids want to go out...but a taxi ride away is just fine. am I asking for too much? Do you have any advice for us? Thank you in advance.

Dear Jill, many thanks for your kind comment. Could you please send me an email and I can give you a more personalized advice. Thanks a lot!

Paulina, would you please send me the same email! I am in same situation as Jill. thank you!

Hello dear, feel free to send me a mail at info@paulinaontheroad.com :)

I did, thank you!

Thank you so much for this, it really helped me decide where I might want to be (and don't want to be!) I'm traveling to Tenerife solo for 3 days in November. I don't want a big party scene and I would prefer to avoid families and kids. I love beaches, great scenery, and good solo activities. Based on your post, I'm thinking Puerto Santiago or Los Gigantes. Would you agree? Also, what is the best way to get around Tenerife? Should I rent a car or is public transportation pretty reliable? I definitely want to spend a day on the beach but I wouldn't mind using the other days to explore the must-see spots of Tenerife! Thanks again for your post and your help :)

Hey, many thanks for your kind comment. I lived half a year in Puerto Santiago (solo) and I loved it! i totally recommend as it is quiet and "authentic", but still close to everything. When staying in Puerto Santiago I would definitely go for a rental car as you'll be much more flexible. particularly if you want to visit Masca, Icod etc. Public transport is only reliable when heading to Adeje direction. Here you find a wide range with discounts on rental cars (affilaite link). Let me know how it went and enjoy a lot!

This is a wonderfully written article with so many great details on the island! We live in the US in a very busy city and are thinking of moving to Tenerife to get some relaxation and much better weather. What are your thoughts on living there full-time? How easy is it to explore the rest of EU from Tenerife?

Since you didn't get any answer, yet, I will try to tell you about visiting the rest of EU. It should be relatively easy, as Tenerife has very good and affordable air connections, especially with the rest of Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Malaga...). Low cost companies can also take you to Italy (all parts, including Sicily, but Milan is often the cheapest) but also Budapest, Wien, Germany (not sure about the exact destinations), Belgium, UK...

What's the name of that beach where you're jumping? I'd like to find a place near there for 1 week. We're a young active family with a teenage girl.

Hey! This is Las Teresitas , near Santa Cruz, it's a nice place but can get a little loud during weekends :)

Thanks very much!

Hi,

Thank you for your recommendation. Actually my former plans for Christmas holidays are cancelled so I suddenly decided to travel to Tenerife. I will travel alone so it is important for me to find a place where is safe and family friendly. I like beaches and also going to nature. Where do you recommend? I was thinking about Santa Cruz. However, I want to be sure to go somewhere which has enough things to do for one week.

Hey, many thanks for your message! If you want city vibes, Santa Cruz will be perfect! However the best beaches are in the south. Los Gigantes has a particular place in my heart. There are a few things to do, but the best is just renting a scooter over there and explore the island. Of course, if you want somehting more lively... go to Santa Cruz or Costa Adeje :)

Thank you again. Actually I checked and there is no accommodation left in south! There are just a few in Santa Cruz. But I read that the south is warmer with better beaches. I want to know that how different is the weather and if Santa Cruz does not have good beaches or nature, then I will reconsider my plan for Tenerife, since it is an expensive trip and I want to enjoy it instead. But if it is not good then does not worth it. I am not a party person at all.
There are also options in Puerto de la Cruz....
I am really restricted by limited available accommodation

Hello, if you want nature, SAnta Cruz is close to Anaga natural park, beaches in the north and beautiful La laguna. I would prefer it over Puerto de la Cruz. I really encourage you to go! it is beautiful!

love your website! we want beaches AND hiking - what is your recommendation - we were thinking boca cangrejo - what do you think? thanks

Hey Rachel, thank you so much for your comment! <3 I have never been in Boca Cangrejo :-/ However if you want beautiful beaches (in the northern part) close to hiking trails I would recommend:

- San Andres (close to las teresitas beach + hiking trails of Anaga)
- The area of Los Realejos/La Orotava with the beaches El Bolullo, EL Socorro - close to several hiking trails
- Los Gigantes with hiking trails in Masca, Chinyero, Montanas Negras, Punta Teno...

I hope that helped :) Let me know and enjoy beautiful Tenerife :)

thank you so very much - this is awesome and i will start looking in these 3 areas - what do you think about staying in puerta santiago?

I lived in Puerto Santiago for 3 months and I loved it!!! :) You still have grocery stores there, 2 lovely beaches and quite a few public transport connections. (However I still recommend to rent a car in case you only go for a short time)

yes we have booked a car as we would love to see as much as this beautiful island as possible!

Tenerife is a lot of fun! I dont understand why people experience mixed feelings when visiting this place :/ this is quite a guide, btw. Thank you for taking the time to elaborate every single possibility for every traveller our there. Bravo! Safe travels. -Mariella

Many thanks for your lovely comment Mariella. I guess people who have mixed feelings about Tenerife are those who have never been or just saw the party area of Adeje. Tenerife is definitely more than that with all its hikes, natural wonders, traditions, gastronomy and generous people. Hope this post could evidence that Tenerife just the perfect travel destination. <3 What is your favourite area of Tenerife?

Wow, what a thorough post!!! I love that you include where to stay if you are (or are not) a party animal. I have definitely ran into that before... ending up at a place I thought would be relaxing only to find out it was the party spot. Not fun times. Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough post!!

Many thanks Christie for your kind comment. Indeed the post took me some time, but I thought it could be useful for Tenerife travellers. On top it shows that Tenerife is much more than beach + parties :)

I have never considered to visit Tenerife before, I didn't even know they were volcanic islands. They are so picturesque, you were lucky to stay there for an extended period of time. I think I'd visit La Orotava and take an excursion to the Mount Teide Volcano, I love photographing volcanos.

Many thanks for your kind comment James. It's indeed a bit off the beaten track, but Tenerife is all worth the journey. It's also a perfect destination for digital nomads.