Things to do in Tenerife
Tenerife's big days out are Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak at 3,718 metres with a cable car almost to the top, and whale watching off the south-west coast, where pilot whales and dolphins live all year. Add Siam Park and Loro Parque, the walk down the Masca ravine and the 50-minute ferry to La Gomera, and a week fills easily.
- Visiting Mount TeideMount Teide is Spain's highest peak at 3,718 metres, and a cable car lifts you from 2,356 metres to 3,555 metres in under 8 minutes. An adult return costs €42 and a child aged 3 to 13 pays €21 on the operator's price list (read 17 October 2026). The last 163 metres to the summit need a separate permit from the national park, booked through Tenerife ON.
- Whale and dolphin watching in TenerifeShort-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live off Tenerife's south-west coast all year, so trips run every month and sightings are very likely. Up to 21 species have been recorded in these waters. Boats leave from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colón in Costa Adeje and Los Gigantes.
- Tenerife's theme parks and water parksTenerife's two big parks sit at opposite ends of the island: Siam Park, a Thai-themed water park in Costa Adeje, and Loro Parque, a zoo and marine park in Puerto de la Cruz with more than 600 species. Aqualand in Costa Adeje and Jungle Park in Arona are smaller days out in the south. Buy tickets online before you go: the parks sell them on their own sites and through tour sites.
- Tenerife's beachesTenerife has two kinds of beach: calm, pale-sand bays protected by breakwaters, such as Las Vistas in Los Cristianos and Las Teresitas near Santa Cruz, and dramatic black-sand beaches on the north coast. The island has 10 Blue Flag beaches. For easy swimming with children, the sheltered southern bays and the north's natural sea pools are the places to start.
- Masca and Los GigantesThe Masca ravine is a 5 km walk from the hamlet of Masca down to the sea, where a boat takes you round the cliffs to Los Gigantes. You must book a timed slot on the official site (from €40.66 when read on 17 October 2026), reach Masca on the TITSA 355 bus from Santiago del Teide, and book the boat separately. Children under 8 cannot go.
- A day trip to La GomeraLa Gomera is 50 minutes from Los Cristianos by fast ferry, with up to four Fred. Olsen sailings a day and a second company on the same route, so a day trip is easy. Take a hire car across, or join a guided tour that includes the ferry and transport on the island. The highlights are the laurel forests of Garajonay National Park and the deep green valleys of the north.
- Getting around TenerifeTITSA buses cover the whole island, and lines 40 and 10 link Tenerife South airport with Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje and Santa Cruz, while line 343 runs nonstop between the two airports in about 50 minutes. A tram links Santa Cruz and La Laguna, and white metered taxis work every district. To see Teide, Anaga and the north at your own pace, hire a car.
Mount Teide
A cable car climbs from 2,356 metres to 3,555 metres in under 8 minutes, with viewpoints at the top and a permit-only trail to the summit. Go on your own by car or join a tour with the cable car included.
Whale and dolphin watching
Short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live off the south-west coast all year, so trips run every month from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colón and Los Gigantes. Look for the Blue Boat flag.
Theme parks
Siam Park in Costa Adeje is a Thai-themed water park with the 28-metre Tower of Power slide, and Loro Parque in Puerto de la Cruz is a zoo and marine park with more than 600 species.
Beaches
Calm pale-sand bays such as Las Vistas and Las Teresitas, black-sand coves on the north coast, El Médano for windsurfing and natural sea pools where the coast is rocky.
Masca and Los Gigantes
A 5 km walk down a dramatic ravine in the Teno mountains to the sea, then a boat round the cliffs of Los Gigantes. Book a timed slot and take the shuttle bus from Santiago del Teide.
La Gomera day trip
The fast ferry from Los Cristianos takes about 50 minutes. Spend the day in the laurel forests of Garajonay and the green valleys of the north, on your own or with a guided tour.
Getting around
TITSA buses from Tenerife South airport to the resorts and Santa Cruz, the tram to La Laguna, white metered taxis, and the roads to take if you hire a car.
Questions
What is the top thing to do in Tenerife?
For most visitors it is Mount Teide: the cable car to 3,555 metres, the volcanic landscapes of the national park and, with a permit, the short trail to the summit.
Can you see whales in Tenerife all year?
Yes. Short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live off the south-west coast year round, so trips run every month.
Is La Gomera an easy day trip from Tenerife?
Yes. The fast ferry from Los Cristianos takes about 50 minutes and runs several times a day, and guided day tours include the crossing.
What is there for families?
Siam Park and Loro Parque, whale and dolphin trips, the calm beaches of the south and the Teide cable car, which children can ride from age 3.
Plan the trip
Sources: volcanoteide.com, volcanoteide.com, webtenerife.co.uk, webtenerife.co.uk, webtenerife.co.uk, caminobarrancodemasca.com, fredolsen.es, aena.es. Checked October 2026.