The Best Things to Do in Tenerife

The best things to do in Tenerife are riding the cable car up Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak, then mixing world-class animal parks and water parks with whale watching, the wild Masca gorge and the handsome old towns of La Laguna and La Orotava. Tenerife packs more variety into one island than anywhere else in the Canaries: snow-dusted volcano one morning, black-sand beach or laurel forest the next. Here is our ranked pick of what to do, with links onward to the full guide for each, so you can build the perfect trip to Tenerife.

The best things to do in Tenerife, ranked

1. Ride the cable car up Mount Teide

No visit is complete without Mount Teide, the 3,715 m volcano that towers over the island and forms Spain's highest point. The cable car whisks you from 2,356 m to just below the summit in eight minutes, delivering otherworldly views over a crater the size of a national park, often above a sea of cloud with neighbouring islands floating on the horizon. Book your cable-car slot online in advance, take warm layers (it is genuinely cold and thin-aired up top), and if you want to walk the final path to the actual summit you must apply for a free permit from the national park authority well ahead of time. Even without it, the two upper viewpoint trails are spectacular. The drive up through the Teide National Park, past lava fields and twisted rock, is half the joy.

2. Meet the orcas and gorillas at Loro Parque

Loro Parque, on the edge of Puerto de la Cruz in the north, is regularly rated among the best zoos in the world. Its parrots (the collection it was founded on), orcas, dolphins, penguins in a real snow enclosure, gorillas and jungle aviaries make it a full, easy day out and a firm family favourite. It is a genuine conservation-focused park rather than a quick photo stop, so allow most of a day and wear comfortable shoes.

3. Cool off at Siam Park

Down in the sunny south, Siam Park near Costa Adeje is consistently voted the top water park on the planet. The Thai-themed slides run from the terrifying near-vertical Tower of Power (a plunge past a shark-filled aquarium) to a huge wave pool and a lazy river for gentler souls. It is a brilliant day for families and thrill-seekers alike; go early, hire a locker, and you can happily fill the whole day.

4. Go whale and dolphin watching off Los Gigantes

The waters off the south-west coast hold resident pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins all year, making whale and dolphin watching one of Tenerife's most reliable wildlife experiences. Boats sail from Los Cristianos, Puerto Colon and especially Los Gigantes, where you also cruise beneath the sheer cliffs that give the resort its name. Choose an operator flying the blue "Barco Azul" flag, which marks responsible, licensed whale-watching trips.

5. Walk (or simply gaze at) the Masca gorge

Hidden in the Teno mountains of the north-west, Masca is the island's most spectacular village, a cluster of stone houses on a knife-edge ridge above a plunging barranco. The famous gorge walk down to the sea now needs a timed booking and a safety helmet, and you return by boat to Los Gigantes, but you don't have to hike at all: many visitors come just for the village, the viewpoints and the thrilling drive in on the TF-436.

6. Lose yourself in Anaga Rural Park

The Anaga Rural Park in the north-east is Tenerife at its wildest and greenest: an ancient massif of knife-sharp ridges cloaked in dripping laurisilva (laurel) cloud forest, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve laced with walking trails and tiny hamlets. It feels a world away from the southern resorts. Drive the ridge road for the views, or lace up your boots for one of the classic forest hikes, and pair it with a fresh-fish lunch at the remote beach village of Taganana.

7. Wander La Laguna and La Orotava, the historic old towns

For culture and colour, the two great old towns deliver. La Laguna (San Cristobal de La Laguna) is a UNESCO World Heritage city, the island's former capital, with a grid of pastel mansions, carved wooden balconies, buzzing student cafes and fine churches. La Orotava, above Puerto de la Cruz, is smaller but arguably even prettier, tumbling down a hillside of grand Canarian houses and gardens with the Teide backdrop behind. Both are easy, rewarding half-days and a proper antidote to the beach.

8. Relax on the black-sand beaches

Tenerife's volcanic origins give it dramatic dark beaches as well as golden imported sand in the south. The northern strands of black volcanic sand, the striking golden crescent of Playa de las Teresitas near Santa Cruz (built with sand shipped from the Sahara), and the family-friendly resort beaches of Costa Adeje all have their fans. For the full run-down of where to swim, sunbathe and surf, see our guide to the best beaches in Tenerife.

Fitting it all in

Tenerife is a big island and the north and south feel like different holidays, so where you base yourself shapes your days. The sunny, purpose-built resorts of the south (Costa Adeje, Playa de las Americas, Los Cristianos) put you closest to Siam Park, whale watching and the Teide access roads. The lusher, more Spanish north (around Puerto de la Cruz) suits Loro Parque, the old towns and Anaga. Many visitors happily see both with a hire car, which is the single best way to reach Teide, Masca and Anaga on your own schedule. For a full breakdown of the resorts and which area fits your holiday, read our guide to where to stay in Tenerife.

The bottom line

If you do only a handful of things in Tenerife, ride the cable car up Mount Teide, spend a day at Loro Parque or Siam Park, take a whale-watching boat off Los Gigantes and give one day to the wild north (Masca, Anaga and the old towns). That mix captures the island's astonishing range, from volcano summit to Atlantic cove. Line those up alongside a few lazy days on the beaches and you have a Tenerife holiday that few other islands could match. Start planning with our full guide to Tenerife.