Beaches in Tenerife

So we’ve picked out the best beaches in Tenerife around the whole island, including accessible beaches, secluded coves and some of the most popular tourist areas.

• Tenerife’s diverse coastline is lined with golden, white, and volcanic black sand beaches perfect for every type of traveller.

• Discover the safest, most accessible, and least crowded beaches in Tenerife, ideal for a relaxing and stress-free holiday.

• Explore the island’s top beach activities, from sunbathing and dolphin watching to thrilling water sports across north and south Tenerife.

Tenerife is generally a very safe destination, both in terms of crime and natural dangers. The island has a much lower crime rate than most European tourist destinations, although it always pays to take care of your possessions in busier areas.

Many beaches in Tenerife also have lifeguards and designated swimming areas, making them safe for swimmers and water sports. Do look out for flags and signs warning of any hazards, such as red flags for strong currents (particularly in the north of the island) and purple flags which can indicate jellyfish, although this is rare. If beaches need to be closed because of contaminated water, there will be signs alerting visitors, although again, this is very rare.

Yes, most of Tenerife’s beaches are sandy, although you can find some pebbly and rocky beaches around the island. The island’s volcanic past means that the natural beaches on Tenerife are all a dark grey and black sand, although golden sand has been imported from the Sahara or dredged from the ocean floor to create many of the popular beaches in the south of the island.

You’ll find every type of beach somewhere on Tenerife, whether you’re looking for long palm-fringed swathes of golden sand with plenty of facilities, black sand beaches created by ancient volcanoes, or little rocky coves, as well as beaches off the beaten track. In total, there are more than 100 beaches dotted along the 210-mile coastline, including a handful of naturist beaches around the island.

Many of Tenerife’s most popular beaches have been created using golden sand imported from the Sahara, in particular those along the south coast and around the bigger tourist resorts. Playa del Duque at Costa Adeje and Playa las Vistas in Los Cristianos are both lined with restaurants, while the calm waters of Playa Fañabe, also in Costa Adeje, make it popular with families. On the east coast, Playa de Las Teresitas near the capital, Santa Cruz, is one of the most photographed golden sand beaches on the island.

Tenerife’s volcanic past is the reason so many of the island’s beaches have such eye-catching black sand today, with time and tide grinding the lava and volcanic rock into tiny grains. Do bear in mind that the darker colour means it heats up faster, so you may find it too hot to go barefoot. Playa de la Arena near Los Gigantes is a Blue Flag beach, while nearby Playa de los Guios has a dramatic cliffside setting. Playa Jardin near Puerto de la Cruz in the north is another of the most popular.

The unspoiled north of Tenerife is the place to go if you’re looking to get off the beaten tourist track, as well as to find quieter beaches, many with volcanic black sand.

Playa El Bollullo

One of the most popular black sand beaches on the island, the cliffs surrounding the beach make it one of the most picturesque too, with volcanic formations visible in the waves too. The waves can be high, so it’s best for relaxing and enjoying the views unless you’re a strong swimmer, and there are loungers and parasols for hire, as well as lifeguards and snacks/drinks on sale. There is a two-mile walk from Puerto de la Cruz, bringing you past banana plantations, or (paid) parking nearby.

Playa Jardin

This urban beach was designed by artist Cesar Manrique, whose influence is also seen across his native Lanzarote, with the sand backed by gardens and little trails leading to waterfalls. Officially it’s divided into three separate beaches, although they’re all connected so you can just keep walking to find a quieter spot. A breakwater means the water is calmer here, with plenty of facilities, including changing rooms and showers, sunbed and umbrella hire, and places to eat, along with a stage where you might find live performances taking place.

Mesa del Mar

Another black sand beach (also known as La Arena, a name also used by several others on the island!), Mesa del Mar stretches for around 350 metres. And as well as being able to relax by the sea, the area also has two saltwater pools (one available year-round). There’s also a restaurant, plus showers and toilets, along with lifeguards on duty. The curving road to the beach is relatively steep, although you’ll find buses travelling here if you don’t want to drive yourself.

Playa de las Teresitas

Although this lovely palm-fringed beach is on the island’s south coast, its position in the far north-east of the island makes it one of the best in north Tenerife. Stretching for around a mile, the (imported) golden sands are dotted with loungers and umbrellas to hire, along with other facilities such as showers and toilets, plus a string of restaurants. There are lifeguards year-round.

Playa del Caleton

While this isn’t a top pick for sunbathing, Playa del Caleton is one of the most unusual places to swim on Tenerife, with a string of seawater pools formed during a volcanic eruption in 1706, as hot lava met the cooler sea. The calm water is protected from the usual strong Atlantic currents here, and there are cafes and restaurants further along the promenade, including several with great seafood.

The south of the island is where you’ll find most of Tenerife’s bigger tourist resorts, as well as some of its loveliest beaches.

Playa del Duque

One of the most photographed beaches on the island, this is the beach if you’re looking for a bit of luxury and style. Expect cabana beds and parasols over loungers at Playa del Duque, bars by the palm trees and even yoga on the beach, all backed by a string of Costa Adeje’s five-star hotels. There’s golden sand here, plus showers, bathrooms and changing rooms, as well as lifeguards on duty.

Playa las Vistas

Another of the most popular beaches in the south of Tenerife, you’ll find all the facilities you could want including lifeguards, showers/toilets and even assisted ocean access for the disabled. Along with gentle waves for swimmers, there are also water sports to try and plenty of bars and restaurants overlooking the long stretch of sand.

Playa el Camison

Just off The Golden Mile in Playa de las Americas, there’s a little bit of everything at Playa el Camison, with breakwaters creating calm waters and palm trees to relax under, pedalos and kayaks to hire in another part of the beach, and food and drink at the tiki hut-style bar. There’s also wheelchair access, showers and toilets, plus loungers and umbrellas. Look out across the water and there’s a great view of La Gomera too.

Playa la Jaquita

If you’re hoping to visit a black sand beach in Tenerife, you don’t need to head to the north coast; La Jaquita beach near El Medano is a Blue Flag beach with dark sand. While it’s only a small beach, you’ll find showers and footbaths, toilets, changing rooms, lifeguards and a bar for getting drinks and snacks. One of the quieter beaches along the south coast, as it’s a little way from the main tourist areas, it’s popular with locals.

El Medano beach

Stretching for around three-quarters of a mile, the golden sands of El Medano beach are a favourite with locals, visitors and watersports enthusiasts, as well as those looking for fantastic views of the majestic Montaña Roja volcanic cone. Shallow waters and smaller waves mean it’s great if you’re looking for a gentle swim, plus there are sunbeds and parasols, but as you get further from town, the constant winds make it popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers for some added entertainment, even if you’re not planning to join in.

There’s an impressive choice of accessible beaches in Tenerife, with 12 across the island which are classed as being wheelchair-friendly or having other accessible facilities. Playa de las Vistas in Los Cristianos is easily one of the best, with floating beach wheelchairs (Tiralo), an accessible wood-covered area with sunbeds, accessible shower, transfer lift and assistance available, along with ramps to the beach.

Further along the south coast, El Medano has amphibian crutches and water chairs, assistance in and out of the water and its own ramps to the beach. And Playa de las Teresitas, near Santa Cruz de Tenerife, has its own accessible beach paths, ramps, plus accessible toilets and showers, as well as water chair and crutches.

There are a string of other beaches across the island which are wheelchair-friendly, including El Camison, Playa Jardin and Playa del Socorro in the north.

If you’re looking to avoid the crowds entirely, Tenerife has some impressively secluded beaches which are only accessible by boat or a long hike like Playa de Antequera. But there are some quieter beaches off the beaten track which don’t take quite as much effort to reach.

Unspoiled Playa de Benijo in Anaga Rural Park hides away at the end of a winding road which leads through ancient laurisilva forest, with some dramatic scenery en route – it’s worth being aware that part of the beach is a nudist area.

Even on popular Costa Adeje, you can find quieter spots. Playa Diego Hernández is only small, with no facilities, and you’ll need to walk to reach it, but it’s a lovely option at low tide, while black sand Playa de Ajabo has some loungers but is still quieter than the surrounding busy tourist areas.

There’s more than swimming and sunbathing to be found on the beaches in Tenerife, including some great boat trips around the island and watersports to try. The Canary Islands are renowned as one of the best places in Europe for whale-watching, including a chance to spy bottlenose dolphins and pilot whales. You’ll also find glass-bottomed boat trips, and even submarine tours to take you beneath the waves, with most leaving from the main tourist centres in the south, or around Puerto de la Cruz.

Or add some luxury to your beach time at one of the island’s beach clubs, with a string along the coast at Costa Adeje and Playa de las Americas, including bars and restaurants, music, and even sometimes their own infinity pool.

And while none of Tenerife’s string of Michelin-starred restaurants are on the beach, several are just moments away, including three at the Royal Hideaway Corales, as well as Haydée by Víctor Suárez and Taste 1973 by Diego Schattenhoffer at Villa Cortés Hotel. You’ll find plenty of great places to eat along the most popular beaches in Tenerife, from secluded black sands like Bollullo Beach to the string of restaurants offering everything from tapas to seafood in Costa Adeje. Tas-k in Los Gigantes is also among of the best places for tapas in Tenerife, just a stone’s throw from the sand.

Whether you’re new to watersports or love nothing more than getting active in the water, you’ll find plenty of choice around the island.

• Snorkelling – El Puertito in the south-west is one of the best places in Tenerife to snorkel, with a good chance of spotting turtles. There are tours to book, or simply turn up with your mask. Playa de la Vistas is another good option; the best snorkelling is a little way out from the shore, so it’s best to book a boat trip.

• Kitesurfing & windsurfing – kitesurfing is getting increasingly popular with all ages (the average age of people learning is now 45-59) and the steady winds at El Medano make it one of the best locations to try this or windsurfing. Playa de las Americas is another good place to learn.

• Surfing – keen surfers can find great conditions around Tenerife, especially near Santa Cruz de Tenerife (including Playa de las Teresitas and Playa de El Socorro), with more powerful waves on the west coast near Los Gigantes, and gentler waves that are perfect for beginners at Playa Martianez near Puerto de la Cruz.

• Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) & kayaking – if you want to get closer to the water than your average boat trip, it’s easy to rent a SUP or kayak and set off to explore the coast. Costa Adeje tends to have calmer waters, or for more adventure, head out to the caves around Los Gigantes.

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