Fancy a holiday package to Tenerife?

Where’s the party at?

The south west of the island remains a magnet for perma-tanners and party animals planning to go hard by night and pass out around the pool by day. With every kind of break available, from all-inclusive Tenerife holidays to basic apartment stays, Playa de las Américas is the hub of all hedonism. Neon signs throb like the house music that pumps out from its shot bars, groups of revelers reel between Irish bars and mornings are hushed to accommodate the collective hangover.

It’s the scene of cheap Tenerife holiday blow-outs and quite something to see at 4am, almost deserving of an Attenborough documentary.

Family holidays, luxe options and surf hangouts

However, Tenerife holidays don’t need to be quite so hard on the liver. Neighbouring Los Cristianos is a little more restrained, somehow retaining a fishing village feel even as fake Egyptian pyramids pop up around it. This makes it brilliant territory for a package family holiday, and there are plenty of deals to be had if you’re looking for cheap holidays in Tenerife.

Further along the shore, Costa Adeje is the cool new kid on the beach block. If you’re looking to add a touch of luxury to your all-inclusive Tenerife holiday, look no further.

Finally, the toasted sands of El Médano are a long-standing surf hotspot, ideal for free spirits and great deals on Tenerife holidays.

Take a look at the north

Northern Tenerife is nothing like its southern sister. A gorgeous jumble of historic towns, banana plantations, volcanic pools and lush valleys, this rugged region feels far more like Latin America than mainland Spain.

It’s here that Tenerife shows its true saucy colours, hosting a raucous yearly Carnival rivalled only by Rio’s. So, if you’re after a cultural Tenerife holiday, stick to the top half – it’s packed with tradition and quirky local character. What’s more, the hiking around here is up there with the best in Europe and Tenerife walking holidays are popping up all over the place.

Head to Garachico, one of Tenerife’s most picturesque towns, to take a dip in swimming pools formed by solidified lava.

For families

For lots of fun and plenty to keep the family entertained, holidays to Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos holidays are the ideal choice. Great family hotels, an exciting range of theme parks and attractions to pick from and plenty of family friendly restaurants.

For couples and groups

Costa Adeje makes for a perfect romantic getaway being home to some of the Canary Islands most plush hotels, restaurants and bars. A quiet hideaway full of sun, scenery and culture, have a look a the holiday resorts of Callao Salvaje and Playa de la Arena in the south.

Mount Teide

Credentials aside, Teide is an otherworldly sea of volcanic rock crisscrossed by rivers of petrified lava and steaming fumaroles. If you’re up for a challenge, set off early for the five-hour hike to the summit. Alternatively, hop in the cable car for the eight-minute trip to the top and save your breath for the spectacular view. Want your own wheels to visit Teide National Park? Take a look at our Tenerife car hire page to find some great deals.

La Gomera

The island of La Gomera, only 40 minutes from Los Cristianos by ferry, is a sleepy slice of paradise where time stands still. A tiny island, stretching just 25km (16 miles) in diameter, it’s a pocket-sized drop in the Atlantic Ocean.

Yet for somewhere so petite, La Gomera packs a real punch. Onshore, you’ll find a patchwork of lush forests, palm-studded ravines, wild beaches, pastel-painted fishing ports and moonlike expanses. Whales are often spotted on the strait separating La Gomera from Tenerife, so keep your eyes peeled on the ferry!

La Laguna

Set foot in La Laguna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you’ll be forgiven for thinking that you’re in Latin America. A far cry from the pies and pints of Playa de las Américas, it’s a medley of candy-coloured houses, shady plazas peppered with palm trees, gorgeous colonial churches and lively al-fresco cafes.

Once the capital of the island, there’s a youthful buzz to La Laguna that makes it very hard to leave. Just a short hop from Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz, it’s a no-brainer.

The Anaga Mountains

Pull on your walking boots and pocket some muesli bars – it’s time to ramble. Stretching along the eastern tip of Tenerife, the Anaga Mountains are often overlooked by tourists hell-bent on getting a tan. Boy, are they missing out.

An untamed wilderness of mist-swirled forests and dizzying ravines, these highlands are a playground for hikers and perfect for acting out any Indiana Jones fantasies.

Siam Park and Aqualand

Raising squeals of excitement and terror from big and little kids alike, these two heavyweight water parks near Costa Adeje are a cut above the crowd.

Siam Park, frequently ranked as one of the best water parks in the world, is a tempting mishmash of tropical gardens and adrenaline-pumping rides, while Aqualand combines nerve-jingling flumes with dolphin-jumping shows.

If you’re on a family holiday, rack up some serious parent-points by carting your clan off to one – or both – of these parks.

Nightlife in Tenerife

It’s no secret that Playa del las Américas is Tenerife’s prime good-time territory. That certainly doesn’t mean that there’s no after-hours fun to be had elsewhere for holiday-makers.

Where to party in Playa

A neon gauntlet of clubs, pubs and fast-food outfits, Playa’s Veronicas Strip is strictly for the young, free and single. Think glammed-up teens teetering between shot bars, groups of lads getting on it and dance floors packed with kids doing things that would put their mothers in an early grave.

A den of no-strings-attached debauchery, it’s a potential heaven for under 25s and possible hell for everyone else (hey, who are we to put an age limit on partying hard?).

If you’re in Playa, over 25 and looking for a laugh, make a beeline for ‘The Patch’. Here, you’ll find a string of jumping live-music bars cranking up classic rock, Motown and soul after nightfall.

For something a little more offbeat, try one of Tenerife’s world-famous cabaret shows, where scantily clad drag queens whip audiences up into a nightly riot. On Sundays, your best bet is the Music Hall Tavern (Av. Rafael Puig), where, over a three-course meal with free-flowing booze, you’ll be dazzled by a flurry of sequins, feathers and eyebrow-raising songs.

The nightlife scene in Playa’s neighbours

Playa isn’t the only place that knows how to party. Next door in Los Cristianos, the scene is still buzzing but far less tinged with chaos, making it the perfect foil to its shot-necking neighbour.

Catering for all ages and set against the twinkling harbour, it’s a mix of karaoke joints, Irish pubs, late-night music haunts and traditional tapas bars. Whether you’re after something refined or a little rough around the edges, Los Cristianos has something up its sleeve.

If you’re seeking sophistication, it’s all about Costa Adeje. This slinky new resort is the rising star of Tenerife, packed with glitzy cocktail bars, top-notch restaurants and Ibiza-style lounges. Far more exclusive than its older cousins, Costa Adeje still manages to strike a balance between casual and too-cool-for-school, so don’t feel intimidated by its chi-chi reputation. 

Nights out in the north

Up in the north, Puerto de la Cruz is home to a far more eclectic party scene that actually sees tourists mixing with locals.

Wiggle the night away in steamy Latino clubs to a mix of salsa and reggaeton, duck into sizzling Cuban bars or stick to what you know in pie-and-pint pubs. It’s totally up to you. Puerto de la Cruz also has the closest thing to a gay district you'll find on Tenerife, with rainbow flags flying from bars along Avenida Familia Betancourt y Molina.

With something for everyone and buckets of local flavour, it’s a refreshing change from the hard-house clubs of the south.

Where to eat in Tenerife

Punchy, fresh and packed with flavour, traditional Canarian cuisine will be a welcome surprise to any traveller to Tenerife.

Beyond the burger joints and breakfast gaffs of Playa, you’ll stumble across all kinds of authentic hotspots offering lip-smacking seafood dishes, hearty stews and tasty tapas.

From local hole-in-the-wall hangouts to mind-blowing Michelin-starred restaurants, get ready to run a gourmet gauntlet.

One absolute staple of Canarian cuisine is mojo, a tangy sauce that accompanies pretty much everything. The red variety, a blend of red chilli and cumin, tends to be blazing. It’s the stuff of streaming eyes, scorched taste buds and laughing local waiters, so think twice before dolloping a heap on your dish. The green variety, made from coriander and parsley, is a safer bet. Milder and far more merciful, it’s enough to give your tongue a cheeky tingle without blowing your head off.

Another Canarian invention is papas arrugadas. Soft, wrinkly and so salty they’ll make you squint, these are potatoes, but not as you know them. Spiked with sea salt and boiled in the skins, papas arrugadas are left to dry until they resemble your grandma’s fingertips. They are eaten as a tapas-style dipping snack, usually served with mojo or, at times, almagrote, a local dip made of tomato, garlic, olive oil, paprika and hard cured cheese.

Gofio is another of Tenerife’s weird-but-wonderful gastronomical treats. Eaten by the island's original inhabitants, the Guanche, it’s a dish that speaks right to the heart of the island, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Alone, gofio is a cereal grain that can be used in anything from power drinks to ice cream. However, as a tourist, you’re most likely to encounter gofio in tapas bars as a kind of paste-cum-dip. One popular incarnation is gofio escaldado, where the grain is mixed with fish stock and served with scoop-shaped onion wedges.

The ocean on a plate

Straight off the boat and salty fresh, the seafood in Tenerife is simply to die for.

All along the coast, al-fresco restaurants offer a menu of seafood dishes as long as your arm. One must-try dish is sancocho canario, a traditional sea bass stew served with wrinkly potatoes and mojo, while caldereta, a lip-smacking fish soup, is another favourite among locals.

Pulpo a la gallega, octopus boiled and sprinkled with paprika, makes for a great mid-afternoon snack with a cold beer in the winter sunshine.

A taste of the land

Carnivores are not forgotten in Canarian cuisine and two standout meat dishes are ropa vieja and conejo en salmorejo. Ropa vieja translates literally as ‘old clothes’, mostly because the dish uses shredded leftover meats stewed with veg and pulses. Slow-cooked and full of earthy flavour, it’s a real delight. Conejo en salmorejo, a wild rabbit casserole packed with wine, vinegar, garlic and spices, is another crowd-pleaser, and it tastes even better over a bottle of local wine.

Tenerife events

Santa Cruz Carnival; February: Tenerife hosts the largest carnival in Europe, with parades and street parties stretching over a whole sleepless week. Don’t miss the burial of the giant sardine. Yes really. It’s so bizarre you’ll think you’re seeing things.

Fiesta de San Juan; June: Celebrated across the north, this midsummer solstice knees-up is all about magic and new beginnings, with bonfires, picnics and parties stretching far into the early hours.

Perseid Meteor Shower; August: This annual meteor shower is a stunner. Wait for nightfall, wrap up in something warm and head for Mount Teide to watch stars shoot across the sky by the dozen. Romantic doesn’t even begin to cover it.