Exploring the North Tenerife- from beaches, and pretty towns to fantastic mountains

26.02.2024.

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Beyond its promising sunshine, the North of Tenerife offers incredible contrast between beaches and mountains. Scattered around its capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife, there are plenty of things to discover in the North Tenerife.

Tenerife enjoys the wonderful scenery and charming towns, like its sister island Gran Canaria. It’s the perfect escape to enjoy the warm winter harmony of the European islands, so be ready to grab your ticket.

Resembling somehow fancy, Tenerife absorbs the ordinary life and exquisite beauty of nature. The fancy style aligns mostly with the South of Tenerife with its stunning beaches and big resorts. The volcanic nature of Tenerife invites you to explore its cute coves and unique allure.

Are you ready to visit Tenerife?

Top tours

Where to stay in the North Tenerife:

Best Hostels

Tenerife Experience Hostel, Santa Cruz– cozy hostel, fantastic beds, lovely kitchen, great stuff and places to work;

Tenerife Art Hostel– great location in the heart of Santa Cruz, spacious rooms and equipped kitchen;

Budget Hotels

Hotel Adonis Plaza, Santa Cruz– great hotel near the city’s port and fantastic ambiance;

Hotel Aguere, La Laguna– spacious and comfortable hotel in the pretty Laguna;

Mid-Range Hotels

Hotel Taburiente S.C. Tenerife, Santa Cruz– fantastic ambiance with the rooftop pool near the lovely park;

Oceano Health & Spa Hotel, Punta del Hidalgo– lovely hotel in the peaceful village and awesome pool;

H10 Tenerife Playa, Puerto de la Cruz– elegant hotel with several pools and seaside view;

Luxury Hotels

Iberostar Heritage Grand Mencey, Santa Cruz– fabulous hotel in the colonnial style with the pool and lot of greenery;

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island’s capital

Tenerife’s capital might be your basis while you embark on the journey of this stunning island. It’s unmissable to taste the vibe of the largest town in Tenerife. Santa Cruz is a hub of cultural charm, lovely squares, parks, museums and excellent restaurants.

The harbour of Santa Cruz offers a vibrant vibe to many cruise lines and a busy doorstep to the sailing world. It was a fantastic feeling to be in the middle of the Atlantic on the Nomad Cruise from Tenerife to Brazil.

The Carnival during three weeks in February is attracting many visitors.

Some of the exquisite sightseeing spots in the city include:

Our Lady of Africa Market;

Calle de Castillo;

Plaza de Espana;

Garcia Sanabria Park;   

Plaza Los Patos;

Plaza de Principe del Asturias;

There are plenty of amazing museums in Santa Cruz among which is the most exceptional the historical Castillo San Cristobal.

Palmetum Gardens & Parque Maritimo Cesar Manrique

The impressive building of the white wave design will lead you to the gorgeous Botanical park Palmetum. It’s Adan Matin Auditorium that lies close to the port and serves for the cultural and concert scene on Tenerife.

Palmetum Garden offers a stunning view to the whole city, the Auditorium and the pools stretching in front. Parque Maritimo Cesar Manrique is a delightful complex of pools with a volcanic style. You can enjoy here several sports facilities, a jacuzzi, several restaurants and a gym.

Palmetum Gardens cover the largest collection of palm trees in Europe, perhaps even in the world. It’s fascinating how the garbage dump developed into this wonderful botanical garden. In Palmetum you’ll admire a tranquil oasis in the city among plenty of tropical plants, some waterfalls and lakes.

Playa de la Theresitas- the most famous beach of the North Tenerife

Playa de Las Theresitas is a gorgeous beach on Tenerife, one of the most popular. It’s about a 30-minute ride from Santa Cruz and you can easily reach it with a bus 910 from the main bus station or other posts (ferry port).

The Mirador above the beach pours a fascinating view, though only accessible by the car. With the surrounding mountains, it’s such an impressive scenery.

The white sand from the Sahara in the 70s replaced the original black sand. Except the tourists, the locals and families with kids are quite common.

The beach is full of cute beach bars where you can enjoy a decent meal and some cocktail. Don’t worry about the ice cream, there’s an affordable shop on the wheels.

Other amazing beaches to discover at the North Tenerife 

You don’t want to escape the stunning beaches of Tenerife so where to look for?

Playa del Roque de la Bodegas is the easiest one to reach from Santa Cruz, a black volcanic beach. Convenient to visit with public transport, it takes 1h through the mountainous road. It’s close to the road where you can rest in several restaurants.

The fascinating Playa de Benijo is a secluded beach and you can even walk from Playa del Roque for about an hour. That’s why renting a car is the best option to discover the enchanting hidden gems of Tenerife.

Hidalgo Beach covers a natural pool in the quiet village of the same name.

Among many natural pools on Tenerife, Playa de Jover covers a marvelous view and the lighthouse at Punta del Hidalgo. Nestled close to the pretty town San Christobal de Laguna, it’s a perfect retreat from the city. If you’re staying in Che Lagarto Hostel, don’t hesitate to rent a bike and visit.

The Anaga National Park, fantastic mountain range at the North Tenerife

If you want to escape the expensive prices of the tours to the popular Mount Teide, go to Anaga. Of course, you can do the hikes at Mount Teide, but Anaga National Park wins with the picturesque views. Mount Teide creates a natural frontier between north and south, but I didn’t get a chance to visit the fantastic volcano.

Anaga Mountains burst with a stunning collection of hiking paths, even hundreds of them. Holding the title of an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2015, Anaga is a hiker’s paradise.

Sentiero de los Sentides (Path of the Senses) is the easiest trail in the Anaga Mountains, popular with tourists. Starting at Mirador Cruz del Carmen, it will lead you through a fairy forest. There’s a direct bus from Laguna town to the Mirador, though it was very foggy during my visit.

The most spectacular hiking routes in the Anaga Mountains

The trail from Punta del Hidalgo to Chinamada is a delightful journey full of stunning seaside views.

The circuit trail from Benijo to Faro de Anaga is rather challenging, passing by the breathtaking coastal views. After reaching the lighthouse of Faro, follow the village of Chamorga to the Laurel forest and back to Benijo.

Roque de Taborno shines with exquisite mountain waves that blend with an ocean. Covering only 4 km, it starts at the hamlet of Taborno close to Casa Hilario bar. If you don’t have a car, take a bus that stops 4 km from Taborno.

La Laguna- pretty town of authentic charm

San Cristobal de la Laguna is a charming town that was once the capital of Tenerife. Lying at the doorstep of the Anaga National Park, don’t hesitate to discover the colourful streets of La Laguna.

Protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Laguna covers the only university of Tenerife.

You’ll find many cute shops in La Laguna, the stunning cathedral and the old mansions with impressive balconies. The large panorama of the architectural styles includes Portugese, Flamish, French, Genoese and others.

Puerto de la Cruz, lovely coastal town at the North Tenerife

Still defined as the North, Puerto de la Cruz is a lovely coastal town on the way to the South.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to visit it, but I want to mention it as a guiding point. Puerto de la Cruz is the oldest resort on the island, that you can also visit as a day trip.

It’s a beautiful town full of amazing things to do. Visiting a Botanical Garden is a delightful experience, which takes roots in 1788. Its Orchid Garden deserves a mention, stretching along the large collection of palm trees.

Beaches of Puerto de la Cruz

Puerto de la Cruz is home to some of the most beautiful beaches on Tenerife.

Playa Jardin is one of the best beaches on Tenerife, designed by Cesar Manrique. Popular with surfers, Playa Jardin offers a delightful experience already by coming from the wonderful garden. The beach is full of activities, an ideal place to chill and enjoy the vibe

Lago Martianez is an awesome complex, stretching adjacent to Playa Martinez, the hidden gem of Tenerife. With the typical black sand, Playa Martinez is a popular place for surfers. Consisting of the lovely swimming pools right on the beach, Lago Martianez is a fantastic attraction with much more to offer.

El Bollullo is a remote beach without any facilities, lying around the fascinating cliffs. It’s about 3 km from the city or 30 minutes walking through the banana plantations.

How to reach Tenerife

Most of the European airports, like Milano or Vienna Airport have everyday flights to the Tenerife South Airport. It’s an international airport, unlike the North Airport close to Laguna.

I was surprised that Ryanair doesn’t have everyday flights from Malaga to Tenerife and Madrid is a much wiser choice thus.

From the South Airport, it’s one one-hour bus ride to Santa Cruz with bus n.10 which goes every 30 minutes.

Final thoughts

Tenerife is an awesome island and I wish to explore it to the fullest, including also the south. Its volcanic nature is quite surprising making most of the beaches to have the black sand.

Anaga Mountains are a treasure that deserves to fulfill its paths. Tenerife is a perfect getaway, even if you’re only experiencing the north.

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