Visiting Tenerife? 12 Tips Every Traveller Needs To Know

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Thinking of visiting Tenerife? Tenerife belongs to a group of volcanic islands named the Canary Islands. This small archipelago is a popular tourist destination, known for its year-round good weather, diverse landscape, and great beaches. 

While it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of planning a trip to Tenerife, it’s also important to remember that planning your perfect vacation is more than just booking flights. Here are insider information and advice to help you stay safe in Tenerife and make the most of your Canary Islands vacation. You will want to know these travel tips for visiting Tenerife before you departure.

Getting into Tenerife

There are two main airports in Tenerife: Tenerife South and Tenerife North. And their name suggests where they are located.

If you are visiting Tenerife from outside of Spain, you will most definitely land at Tenerife South Airport. The inter-state or national flight are operated only from Tenerife North. This means you will use this airport if you continue your trip to any other of the five Canary Islands.

What is the best time to visit Tenerife?

Due to its mild and consistent weather, you can visit Tenerife all year round. The temperatures in winter usually don’t drop below 19°C. Because of this winter is the best time for people interested in hiking. 

The high season is from June to September. With around 29°C, August is the hottest month and more preferred by tourists. 

You are most likely to witness rain between November and February. We visited Tenerife in February 2021 and we had a mixture of warm spring weather in combination with rainy and cooler days. 

Please note that at any time of the year you can experience Calima – a wind brining the dessert dust from Sahara. It deteriorates the visibility and can last from a day or two to the whole week. We were told it’s most common in February. 

Which part of Tenerife is the warmest?

We have received many questions whether North Tenerife is colder than South. It’s slightly warmer in the South of the island, where the temperatures are high enough for a swim and sunbathe every month of the year. In addition, you can enjoy a good share of great weather in the West part of the island as well.

The north of Tenerife can be more rainy and cloudy, especially in the winter months. However, you should not take this for granted.

The warmest area to stay

The most obvious choices for people looking for the best weather are the popular tourist resorts around Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos or Los Gigantes in the South-West of the island.

What is the average sea temperature in Tenerife?

This is a tricky question. Whether the sea is warm enough for you to swim depends on what you consider too warm or too cold. The sea temperature is different in summer and winter. However, generally looking the temperatures are high enough for a swim and sunbathe every month of the year. But the water may feel a little cold in the winter period.

Is it always windy in Tenerife?

Tenerife is windy throughout the year, especially at the North and West coast of the island. The warmest and the least windy areas are Arona, or more specifically, Playa de Las Americas and Los Cristianos, and Costa Adeje. Therefore, it’s no surprise the majority of touristy resorts are located here. 

The island’s windiest part is the Northern part, more specifically La Laguna and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Can you travel to Tenerife in 2021?

The Canary Islands welcomes tourists again since October 2020. The level of openness is categorised from 1 to 4, with 4 being the most restricted. The government revises the levels every 2 weeks.  You can check the current status here.

Before entering Tenerife you need to provide a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours and a signed Spanish health form. To complete and sign the online form click here.

If you stay in an official tourist establishment, you will need to provide negative test results while checking-in. Some will also require a copy of your flight tickets to confirm your actual arrival on the island. We didn’t have to provide the test for private apartments. 

Always make sure to check the latest requirements in Spain as well as in your home country. 

Is Tenerife safe?

It’s completely safe from the perspective of a current health situation. You are required to disinfect your hands and wear masks in indoor places and all public areas. The latter also means when you are completely alone.

The Guardia Civil stopped by one of the viewing points. At that moment we were the only one there, but they still required us to put on the masks. 

From the perspective of safety in general, do pay a special precaution to your belongings. Never leave any things unattended in your car or hotel. We were robbed while hiking at Mt. Teide. They took everything from swimming suits, towels and masks to iPhone adapter. According to locals, people are desperate and will take everything they can sell.

How to go around Tenerife?

The best thing is to rent a car. It’s time effective and provides you with more freedom to explore Tenerife. The petrol prices are lower than in continental Europe and the motorways are clearly marked. We booked our car with Hertz due to the lowest prices. Their service was great, but please keep in mind that electric cars are not made for hills. I’m all about sustainable travel, but there were moments where I thought we won’t make it to the top of the hill and just crashed.

12 TENERIFE TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP

Let’s do a recap of the main tips and tricks to make your stay in Tenerife a blast:

1. Pack clothes for warm and cool weather. It can get chilly in the hillsides and at the top of Mt. Teide, especially in the winter months. 
2. Bring sneakers or hiking boots. Even if you are not going to do the proper hiking, note that some viewpoints can de dangerous. I injured my big toe walking in sandals to photograph La Rambla. 
3. Bring sun cream with you. 
4. Rent a car! This is very affordable and if booking in advance can be as little as 60 EUR. Try to avoid hybrid as they are just not made for the hilly road. 
5. Most of the things are closed on Mondays. Be sure to check that the place you want to visit is open. 
6. Keep your belongings with you all the time.
7. Go wine tasting – this area has one of the best and unique wines we have drunk. Where else can you drink the dragon blood? 
8. Reserve a special permit for trekking to the summit fo Mt. Teide or book an organised tour.
9. Book your spot for hiking trails. Some hiking trails have a limitation on the number of visitor per day. They are also booked out quickly. 
10. South of the island (Playa de las Americas, Costa Adeje) is more expensive than the other parts of Tenerife. 
11.  Free parking is available almost everywhere. It’s hard to find a hotel in the city centre offering free parking included. But don’t worry. We never had a problem finding street parking in proximity to our accommodation. 
12.  Save on your data roaming. Double-check whether your accommodation has Wi-Fi and if it has, which areas it covers. For using the internet without limitations, the best thing is to buy a local SIM card. 

HELLO THERE!

We are two travel passionistas, who are always in the minds of planning their next travel trip and creating memories. Get honest tips and all the details, learn from our mistakes and enjoy our travel guides so you can have the best time!

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