I put together a list of 5 amazing things to do in Tenerife that don’t (necessarily) involve drinking. I will start by saying that I am a granny, so when I first found out I’d be going to Tenerife my first reaction was to recoil in horror at the thought of beaches and bars overflowing with 18-21 year old Brits, off their faces on cheap liquor like something off Geordie Shore! – like I said, I am a granny. But a little research (and an epic trip) proved that Tenerife is so much more than binge-drinking and rowdy teens – the island is full of beauty and there are so many great sights and things to do in Tenerife.
My Top Five Things to do in Tenerife
5. Check Out Playa de las Teresitas
Tons of white sand were shipped in to create this breathtaking artificial beach, and combined with a series of palm trees it is absolutely picturesque. I would say it is definitely worth seeing but full disclosure – it was windy as hell when we were there so be prepared for sand to go everywhere…EVERYWHERE 👀 I got back home to London and was still finding sand in all sorts of places haha!
4. Head to Costa Martianez
This is a mini complex of seawater pools, with bars, restaurants and the like nearby. We spent an afternoon here relaxing by the pool and scoffing down their delicious chicken wings (#random I know). I will warn you though, that the water was freezing, but it was a refreshing balance to the heat of the day.
3. See the Black Sands of Playa Jardin
Volcanic activity has left this beach with stunning black sand, which is something a bit different and looks amazing in pictures (of course I had to take a few “for the gram” 😀 – check out my Instagram page).
I also found that this beach wasn’t massively crowded, which was another plus. Walking around the area, we found some pretty gardens near one end of the beach and a sort of rock garden on the other end. I would definitely recommend it!
2. Rent a car!
There’s so much to see, so if you get the opportunity I would recommend renting a car. It cost us 30 EUR to rent one for the day and meant that we could head to other parts of the island quite easily. To put it in perspective, a taxi costs 100 EUR to get from the north to the south of the island (one way journey) – in our little car we spent 30 EUR on rental+insurance and less than 20 EUR on fuel. If you can hack it, it’s definitely worth it. Of course, it’s worth noting that they drive on the right hand side in Tenerife so if you are coming from the UK for example, you would need to be extra cautious.
We did a tour through the mountains and the views were unbelievable. There’s an area they call the “enchanted forest” which has a walking trail. Apparently its beautiful – I personally wouldn’t know because I’m not about that “walking-through-the-woods” life haha. But if you’re into that then definitely check it out 😀
1. Visit Hotel Jardin Tropical
Hotel Jardin Tropical on Costa Adeje has amazing views of the sea. We only stopped by for some nibbles and drinks but they have a number of restaurants on site. If you did want to stay here, prices are currently in the region of £140 per night. They have an amazing outdoor terrace overlooking the water where they serve food and drinks, and you can watch the sunset while listening to live music. The vibe was just incredible and this was hands down my favourite spot on the island!
So that’s it! Where have you been in the world that has completely surprised you compared to what you thought it would be? Let me know in the comments below! And as ever, if you like this post feel free to show me some love by liking, commenting and/or sharing it 🙂
Chat soon,
Lou xx
Lovely Images
Thank you 🙂
Would love to travel there someday! Great post
Thanks Jackie! 💋
Love all these photos- it looks like a gorgeous place to visit! I have always wanted to visit a black sand beach- it looks incredible!
xx
Thanks Courtney! It really was incredible, that was my first time visiting a black sand beach too! I felt like the sand was hotter than normal though #random haha
I love I love travel posts, so beutiful people and beutiful photos, amazing, well done
Cheers Dieter
The Digital Marketing Blog
Thanks for reading Dieter
We have had similar thoughts about visiting Tenerife, thank you for taking the guess work out of it and for all of your wonderful recommendations. We will have to add this to the list – your beautiful photos have only encouraged our wanderlust. Cheers.
Thanks for stopping by Darcee. Glad I could help! 🙂
This was a great read!! And the pictures are absolutely gorgeous!! As badly as I need a vacation, it was nice to “escape” to Tenerife sitting in my cold, windowless office LOL!
Thanks so much! I’m already feeling like I need another vacation 😁😁
Thanks for sharing this. The pictures look amazing!! I’m definitely considering a trip to Tenerife now!! I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a black sand beach, so I would love to see that one day.
Thank YOU for reading 🙂 It’s such a lovely island, I reckon you’d love it!
Thanks for sharing this post. Its very informative and I absolutely love all your pictures, especially the black beach photo with all your foot prints. Please post more!
So lovely of you, thanks Meghan! I definitely need to post more regularly 🙈 I’ve been sharing a lot of my holiday snaps on my instagram too 🙂 (@reallifewithlou)
It looks so beautiful there ❤️
It really was Meira, my pictures don’t do it justice at all. Thanks for stopping by xx
You look fabulous!!! Tenerife looks really nice. That black sand beach is really interesting. I’d like to go there for a relaxing getaway.
Thanks Alaine 🙂 It’s the perfect destination for a getaway!
Tenerife is in my list of places to go for 2018.. I am sure you had a great time!..You look great and I loved your tips…. I am pinning the post for reference :)..
Thanks Aarti!
Really beautiful picture! I’m currently living in Canary Islands, Lanzarote, and the volcanic landscape is so similar! 🙂 I have to visit Tenerife really soon! thank you for your suggestions 🙂
Wow, what a beautiful place to live! I guess Tenerife is only a stone’s throw away for you 🙂 Thanks for your comments 😘
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Thanks so much. I had a look at your blog too, love the vintage bag! Xx
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Thanks so much!
Your welcome dear
I love this blog – I’m often put off heading to certain places because of that ‘Brit’s-abroad’ reputation. It’s so refreshing to read about places off the beaten track. I’ve been to Tenerife a few times but never the places you’ve mentioned, I’d be nervous hiring a car but I’d love to check out the rest!
Thanks Kelly! That was my worry too, but it turned out to be really great 🙂 The north of the island is definitely quite different from the south so definitely worth checking out. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I must admit, I had the same worries as you, but these photos are amazing! The black sand looks incredible too!
Thanks Rachel! Honestly the pictures don’t do it justice, it was so beautiful. Thanks for reading xx
I went on the black beach wearing a white bikini and my bikini never recovered 😁
Oh no! I’ve heard people say that before. Thankfully my bikini was way too colourful to even notice the effects 😀
Hi Lou
This is nice. My wife and I are excited for the vacation we’ve booked in Spain and definitely we will go to the Canary. Tenerife is one of our eyeing place for our 1st stop 🙂 There so many thing we want to do from a page we’ve read https://www.canaryislandsinfo.co.uk/tenerife/things-to-do/. Is there anything you can recommend aside from that page?
Hi Leroy, I’m so excited for you guys! Hope you have a lot of fun 🙂
The list in that article is quite comprehensive so I reckon you’ll enjoy a lot of the activities. I notice they didn’t mention Playa Jardin so that’s one place I’d definitely recommend you add on. Somewhere else to try to see is Teide National Park.
I always look on TripAdvisor too, to see what types of things a place is known for. Helps make sure you don’t miss any major sights or activities you might like 🙂 Hope that helps!