Best Areas to Stay in Tenerife, Canary Islands

Playa de las Américas is a massive tourist development located in Tenerife’s southwest tip.

This large complex, planned and built in the 1960s to accommodate Tenerife’s growing tourist industry, stretches between the towns of Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje and is especially popular among British and Irish tourists.

Playa de las Américas is known for its extensive man-made white sand beaches. From north to south, the main beaches in the Americas are El Bobo Beach, Troya Beach, Playa Las Américas, Honda Beach and El Camisón.

Playa de las Américas is perfect for surfing between November and April and has several surfing and windsurfing schools around it. On the other hand, Playa de Troya is protected by breakwaters and has calm waters, making it popular with families.

All these urban beaches offer all kinds of services for bathers, such as sun loungers, bathrooms, showers, restaurants, beach bars and watersports equipment rental venues.

Because it is a planned tourism development specifically built to accommodate hotels and residential condominiums, Playa de las Américas lacks a proper urban centre. As a result, most of the shopping, dining and nightlife areas are near the beach.

Playa de las Américas is considered the epicentre of Tenerife’s party scene, making it the best area to stay in Tenerife for nightlife. The main nightlife district in Playa de las Américas is known as Las Verónicas (Veronica’s Strip in English). This bustling entertainment area is famous for being home to some of Tenerife’s most popular nightclubs and bars. Options here range from no-frills pubs to house music institutions like Tramps, exclusive beach clubs like Papagayo Beach Club or LGBT venues like Babylon.

On the other hand, the south end of Playa de las Américas is much quieter and stands out for its palm tree-lined avenues, plush shopping centres and upscale resorts. Avenida de Las Américas, also known as the “Golden Mile“, is the main high-end shopping and dining street in town. This area also offers a good selection of nightlife venues with a more exclusive style than those found on Veronica’s Strip.

If you’re travelling to Tenerife with kids, the nearby Thai-themed Siam Park water park offers slides and swimming pools for the whole family. The Monkey Park and Jungle Park zoos are also less than 20 minutes away by car.

The biggest advantage of choosing Playa de las Américas as the best area to stay in Tenerife is its location. This tourist town is situated halfway between Los Cristianos (for the ferry terminal) and the spectacular beaches of Costa Adeje. In addition, Tenerife South Airport is 15 kilometres away.

Costa Adeje is an extensive conurbation of coastal towns, residential developments and tourist resorts located on Tenerife’s southwest coast.

This coastal district boasts some 27 kilometres of coastline and includes the towns of Torviscas, Sueño Azul, San Eugenio, El Puertito, Playas del Duque, Playas de Fañabé, Playa Paraíso, Costa Adeje, Callao Salvaje, La Caleta and El Beril.

As expected, the main tourist attractions of Costa Adeje are its beaches. The main beaches of Costa Adeje include those of Fañabé, El Duque, Torviscas, La Pinta, Ajabo and San Juan.

Unlike Las Américas, most of the beaches in this area are natural and have volcanic black sand.

Costa Adeje is known for its calm and upscale atmosphere. This area is home to some of the most luxurious resorts on the island and is the best area to stay in Tenerife for a romantic trip or a honeymoon.

Being a large area made up of different towns, each Costa Adeje cluster offers a different environment and attractions.

As a rule of thumb, the towns located further south, near Playa de las Américas, offer more shopping and nightlife options. In the same way, the areas around the beaches and marinas are livelier than the quiet residential developments inland.

Playa del Duque is especially renowned for its upscale atmosphere and large upmarket resorts. The beach takes its name from the Duke of Abrante, who built his mansion in the area to avoid exile during the Second Spanish Republic. Today, Playa del Duque is known for its exclusive shopping centres such as Plaza del Duque or El Mirador, which offer big brand boutiques and lovely restaurants.

The beaches of La Pinta, Fañabé and Torviscas, located in the south of Costa Adeje, are some of the liveliest in the south of Tenerife and offer all services including showers, sun loungers, toilets and watersports. Additionally, the seaside promenade in this area is full of shops and restaurants.

From the nearby Puerto de Colón pier, you can book catamaran sightseeing excursions, as well as diving and whale-watching tours.

Tenerife’s main water parks, Aqualand and Siam Park are located in the south of Costa Adeje.

The north of Costa Adeje, particularly around La Caleta, is quieter and dotted with small beaches and rocky coves. La Caleta also offers the cheapest accommodation in Costa Adeje.

Los Cristianos is a tourist town located on Tenerife’s southern end.

Situated next to the bay of the same name, and unlike the neighbouring town of Playa de las Américas, which was built specifically for tourism, Los Cristianos has its origin in a fishing village dating back to the sixteenth century.

This Tenerife town began opening up to tourism in the 1950s and is considered the first tourist centre in the Canary Islands. Today, Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas are especially popular with British and Irish tourists and ex-pats.

The main beaches of Los Cristianos are Playa de Los Cristianos, a fine sandy beach protected by the port and Las Vistas, a man-made beach further protected by a breakwater. Both beaches have facilities for water sports, volleyball areas, showers and playgrounds for children.

Other beaches in Los Cristianos include Playa de los Tarajales and Playa de los Hippies.

The main shopping and entertainment area in the city is located between the seafront and Avenida de Suecia.

Although this town is, by all means, an important tourist destination, one of the main advantages of choosing Los Cristianos as the best area to stay in Tenerife is that it still retains a more local atmosphere than other nearby developments.

Los Cristianos is also the cheapest area to stay in the south of Tenerife.

Los Cristianos offers a large number of bars and restaurants of all kinds. If you choose to stay in a tourist apartment, there are many supermarkets around, and food costs are relatively low.

In addition to being an inexpensive area to stay in Tenerife, Los Cristianos also has the second-most important ferry terminal on the island. From here, you can easily reach Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the neighbouring islands of La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma.

Tenerife South Airport is located just 15 kilometers from Los Cristianos.

Santa Cruz is the largest city in Tenerife, the island capital and one of the capitals of the autonomous community of the Canary Islands, a title that it shares with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is located in the northeast of the island and is home to its main ferry and cruise port.

Officially founded at the end of the 15th century on a pre-existing Guanche settlement, the old city centre of Santa Cruz de Tenerife boasts many historical buildings such as the churches of the Immaculate Conception and San Francisco de Asís, the Palacio de Carta, the Masonic Temple and the Our Lady of Africa Market.

In addition, Santa Cruz is home to some of the most important museums in the archipelago, such as the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts, the Circle of Fine Arts of Tenerife, the Museum of Nature and Archeology (MUNA) and the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes.

However, perhaps the most recognizable tourist attraction in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the iconic Adán Martín Auditorium of Tenerife, an avant-garde concert hall designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and located next to the Atlantic Ocean. Other famous attractions nearby include the 17-th century Castillo de San Juan Bautista and the Parque Marítimo César Manrique.

As a major city, Santa Cruz de Tenerife offers the most cosmopolitan and urban vision of Tenerife. The island capital is also an important financial and logistics centre, making it a recommended area to stay in Tenerife for business travellers.

Unlike most of the island’s coastal cities, Santa Cruz cannot be considered a beach destination per se since most of its coastline is occupied by the port. That said, the nearby Playa de las Teresitas, located in San Andrés, is very popular with Santa Cruz residents. This artificial golden sand beach has all the services is fully-services (showers, lifeguards, disabled access and beach bars) and is accessible from the city centre by bus.

To move between the city’s different neighbourhoods, Santa Cruz has a two-line tram system complemented by the urban bus network. In addition, Tenerife North Airport is located 10 km west of the city centre.

Read more about where to stay in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

San Cristóbal de La Laguna, locally known simply as La Laguna, is the second-most populated city on the island of Tenerife and the third in the archipelago.

Located in the north of the island, about 10 kilometres west of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna is considered the historic capital of the islands.

Officially founded in 1496 in a valley inhabited by the Guanches since time immemorial, San Cristóbal de La Laguna is the only cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Canary Islands, which makes it the best area to stay in Tenerife for a cultural trip.

The historic centre of La Laguna stands out for its colonial, baroque, neoclassical and Mudéjar architecture.

Its urban layout served as a model for the founding of the first Spanish settlements in the Americas.

The main cultural attractions in La Laguna include the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, the Iglesia de la Concepción, the Museo de Historia de Tenerife, the Santa Catalina de Siena Monastery, the Salazar and Nava palaces and the House of the General Captains.

The Museum of Science and the Cosmos is considered the main astronomy and science museum in the Canary Islands and the Macaronesian archipelago. La Laguna is also home to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, one of the main astronomical observatories on the planet.

San Cristóbal de La Laguna has excellent public transport connections. The city is served by the line L1 of the Santa Cruz tram network, which connects it with the centre of the island capital in 20 minutes.

La Laguna also has good bus connections and Tenerife North Airport is a five-minute drive away.

The accommodation offer in La Laguna is very varied and includes everything from the most luxurious historic hotels to small family-run guesthouses.

Puerto de la Cruz is the most important tourist city in the north of Tenerife.

Located on the island’s west coast, this town is a major holiday destination and is especially popular among German and Central and Northern European tourists.

Puerto de la Cruz originated as a small fishing village in the 16th century. As early as the 19th century, the city was known among the European elites, who would travel to the Canary Islands for its benevolent winter climate.

In recent decades, Puerto de la Cruz has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Canary Islands.

As expected, the main tourist attractions of Puerto de la Cruz are its beaches, which stand out for their volcanic black sand.

The main beaches of Puerto de la Cruz are San Telmo, El Muelle, Jardín and Martiánez.

Lago Martiánez is an artificial complex of stone-carved saltwater pools designed by the famous Canarian architect César Manrique.

Puerto de la Cruz is also home to some cultural attractions, such as the Puerto de la Cruz Archaeological Museum, an important collection of prehistoric objects and home to the Guanche idol Guatimac 17th-century Castillo de San Felipe, located next to Jardin Beach.

The Botanical Garden of Puerto de la Cruz, located in El Botánico district, was founded in 1788, making it the second-oldest botanical garden in Spain.

The Loro Parque zoo, considered one of the best zoos in Europe, is located on the outskirts of the city.

The accommodation offered in Puerto de la Cruz is one of the most varied on the island. Here, you can find everything from small family-run properties to luxury hotels with spectacular views.

Puerto de Santiago, also known as Puerto Santiago, is a town located in southwestern Tenerife.

Together with the town of Los Gigantes, this coastal town is known for its exclusive atmosphere and stands out for its luxury residential developments and impressive upscale resorts.

Puerto Santiago is located next to the famous Los Gigantes Cliffs, an impressive geological accident featuring massive volcanic rocky walls. With an elevation of between 500 and 800 metres, Acantilados de Los Gigantes make up most of the area’s rugged coastline. They are one of the most spectacular natural landscapes on the island of Tenerife.

You can hire catamaran tours from the Los Gigantes Port to visit the spectacular formations and the nearby coves.

The main beaches in this area include Playa de la Arena, Playa de Santiago and Playa de los Gigantes.

The area is also known for its natural pools like Charco de Isla Cangrejo.

Compared to other tourist settlements in Tenerife, Puerto de Santiago and Los Gigantes have a quieter and more exclusive atmosphere. As a result, the main entertainment, shopping and dining areas are located next to the port and the beaches.

Puerto Santiago is located about 43 kilometres from Tenerife Sur airport. Tenerife North airport is about 100 kilometres away.

El Médano is a coastal town in the municipality of Granadilla de Abona, on Tenerife’s southeastern end.

Located right next to the Reina Sofía International Airport – Tenerife South, this town is well-known for its relentless winds and its proximity to the Montaña Roja Nature Reserve, whose volcanic cone is visible from various points.

The beach areas near the town have moderate swell and are suitable for families.

On the other hand, the beaches further south are constantly battered by strong winds, making them top-rated destinations for watersports such as windsurfing and kitesurfing.

In fact, El Médano has hosted several internationally renowned competitions, such as the Windsurf and Kitesurf World Championships.

El Médano is also a famous destination for surfing and deep-sea diving.

This Tenerife town is especially popular among young visitors, athletes and backpackers and, as such, El Médano is the cheapest beach area to stay in Tenerife.

This town is home to dozens of tourist apartments and several budget hotels.

San Miguel de Abona is a municipality in the south of Tenerife.

Located southwest of El Médano, next to the Reina Sofía International Airport – Tenerife South, San Miguel de Abona consists of several clusters including Las Chafiras, Aldea Blanca, San Miguel and Guargacho.

The main tourist area of ​​the municipality is located along the coast, near the beach of San Miguel de Abona.

Unlike the neighbouring area of ​​El Médano, which is especially suitable for backpackers, San Miguel stands out for its high-end residential developments and luxury resorts built around manicured golf courses such as the Amarilla Golf Club and Golf del Sur.

In addition to Playa de San Miguel, other popular beaches in the area include Playa de San Blas, Playa Grande, Playa de los Abrigos and Playa Colmenares.

Sam Miguel de Abona is located near the Montaña Amarilla Natural Monument, the Montaña Roja Natural Reserve and the San Blas Environmental Reserve.

Costa del Silencio, also known as Ten-Bel (an acronym of Tenerife + Belgium), is a tourist town on the southern tip of the island of Tenerife.

This Tenerife town is a mix of residential developments and tourist complexes. It is located next to the Montaña Amarilla Natural Monument, a coastal area with steep volcanic rock formations and sand dunes.

Thanks to its crystal clear waters and rich seabed, the nearby Playa Amarilla is popular for deep-sea and scuba diving.

Paseo Ten-Bel, a scenic coastal path leading to a natural pool, starts from the west of the town, in the Bellavista district.

The neighbouring town of Las Galletas is home to some of the main beaches in this area, such as Playa de la Ballena, Playa Las Galletas and Playa de los Enfadados.

Las Galletas also has a small marina from where you can hire diving tours and rent jet skis.

Both Costa del Silencio and Las Galletas offer a wide variety of tourist apartments and some two and three-star hotels.

Callao Salvaje is a tourist town located on the west coast of Tenerife, north of Costa Adeje.

This mountainous town could be considered an extension of the elegant towns that make up Costa Adeje, but it is much quieter and less exclusive, with a large number of mid-range hotels, simple resorts and tourist apartments.

As its name suggests (Salvaje means “Wild” in Spanish), the Callao Salvaje coastline is quite rugged and full of rocky cliffs. In addition, Callao is home to a sandy beach, Playa de Ajabo, and the beaches of Costa Adeje and San Juan are less than 10 minutes away by car.

As in most of the coastal towns of Tenerife, the main shopping and dining area in ​Callao Salvaje is located next to the coast. Inland, you’ll only find quiet residential developments on the hills.

Callao Salvaje is an excellent starting point to discover several Tenerife natural wonders such as the Cliffs of Isorana or the Barranco de Erques.

Although most tourists who visit Tenerife want to enjoy its spectacular beaches, a trip to this island cannot be complete without visiting its highest peak, the Teide volcano.

This impressive, 3,715 metres high, active volcano is the highest mountain in Spain.

Around it is the Teide National Park, the most visited natural area in the country and in Europe.

With an area of ​​almost 190 km2, this national park, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, offers different landscapes and ecosystems and is home to an immense diversity of local flora and fauna.

There are two visitor centres to access the Teide National Park, one in El Portillo and the other in the Parador Nacional.

If you want to hike to the summit, you must obtain a (free) permit before your trip. We recommend that you apply for the permit at least 2-3 weeks in advance.

The accommodation in the towns closest to the national park consists mainly of rural hotels and private cottages.