The most beautiful beaches in Tenerife

On the "island of eternal spring" there is bathing weather 365 days a year! This is why sun-seekers are particularly attracted to a holiday in Tenerife and many of the up to five million tourists who visit the island every year come for a beach holiday. From classic white sandy beaches with tropical palm trees to beaches against an impressive backdrop of cliffs and gorges to the pitch-black lava sand beaches in the north and north-west, the Canary Island is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Spain. The diversity of the island is matched by the diversity of its beaches. Tenerife is also home to a completely different phenomenon: natural pools. Seawater has collected in the shapes of the volcanic rocks and created the charcos, as the locals call the bizarre "puddles". The pools are filled by the tides. You can bathe and swim there without a current and, on calm days, even without waves. The best-known natural pools on Tenerife include El Caletón (Garachico), Bajamar (San Cristobal de La Laguna), Los Charcos (Punta del Hidalgo) and the largest seawater facility in Europe: Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz.

One of the visual highlights for many first-time holidaymakers on Tenerife is the black volcanic sand on many of the beaches.

We present some of Tenerife's most beautiful beaches from north to south, including remote insider tips and recommendations for a family holiday in Tenerife.

Beaches in the north of Tenerife

Tenerife is known beyond the island's borders for its black sand beaches. A prime example of Tenerife's beaches is Playa Jardinin the former fishing town of Puerto de la Cruz. The beach of black volcanic sand is lined with an impressive backdrop of rocks, wild cacti and tall palm trees. A special feature of the black beaches in Tenerife is that the sand and pebbles are pleasantly warm even in cloudy weather. In the north, which is somewhat cooler and wetter than the south, it is possible to swim on these beaches even in winter.

However, one of Tenerife's most popular beaches is not a black volcanic beach, but Playa de Las Teresitas, which is located behind the island's capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The white sandy beach is made of sand that was imported from the Sahara over 30 years ago - and has been radiating Caribbean flair on the Canary Island ever since! As the beach is shallow and protected by a breakwater, the Atlantic Ocean is relatively calm here. This makes Playa de Las Teresitas the perfect destination for a day at the beach on a family holiday in Tenerife! Without a hire car, the beach can be reached from the bus station in Santa Cruz on bus line 910, which runs to the beach every ten minutes.

Beaches in the south of Tenerife

Far less rain falls in the south of Tenerife than in the north. Even in winter it is often over 22°C, while in summer it rarely gets hotter than 30°C. It is therefore worth exploring the southern coast of Tenerife for a sun holiday or an extended day at the beach. The largest and most beautiful beaches in Tenerife can be found here!

Playa Los Cristianos is a particularly suitable beach for a family holiday in Tenerife. Due to its location at the harbour of the old fishing village, the water is shallower and calmer than on other beaches on the island, which makes swimming with small children less stressful. The location at one of the most important and busiest harbours in the south of Tenerife has another advantage: from here, speedboats or car ferries take you to the neighbouring islands of La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma or Gran Canaria.

Playa Las Vista, also located in Los Cristianos, is popular for the same reasons, as are trips to Playa Las Americas, which is also only a 20-minute drive away.

Tenerife is an island of superlatives for surfing - there is hardly any other place with so many spots suitable for surfing! This is thanks to the Pico del Teide volcano, which takes the wind out of the sails of the north-easterly trade winds, so to speak. This means that you can go surfing on the "island of eternal spring" not only in summer, but also in the winter months with pleasant air and water temperatures and no blue lips. Playa des Las Americas is a popular mecca for surfers. This is also where Tenerife's most famous wave, "La Izquierda", breaks. However, the reef wave is also very popular with local surfers, so tourists tend to be relegated to spectators.

Learn to surf on Tenerife