Tenerife at a glance
Tenerife is probably the most famous of the seven Canary Islands and it is not called the island of contrasts for nothing . Because there are so many differences between north and south that you don’t think it’s the same island.
The North
The north is very green, natural and quiet. You will find many forests here that are great for hiking. There are many black lava beaches and few sandy beaches.
According to eQuzhou Countries, the small villages and the capital Puerto de la Cruz also offer a good cultural program and you can learn something about the history of Tenerife.
The South
The south, on the other hand, is much drier in terms of climate. There are long sandy beaches with shallow water, which are ideal for families with children. The south of Tenerife is also known for tourist strongholds such as Los Cristianos or Playas de las Américas.
In addition to families, you will also feel very comfortable here as a party-goer. Because the cities like Las Américas and Co offer many clubs and bars to go out.
Tenerife arrival
There are two airports on Tenerife, with flights from Germany you will land very safely at the southern airport TFS at El Médano. But if your destination is the north, you can simply continue by taxi, bus or rental car. It is less than 40 minutes by car to Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the north.
Depending on where you start in Germany, you have to plan about four to five hours of flight time for a flight to Tenerife.
Prices can vary greatly depending on the season and airport. We always compare prices via Skyscanner, so you can see all the connections and sometimes save quite a bit.
The Anaga Forest in Tenerife is wonderful for hiking
Getting around Tenerife
There are various ways to get from A to B on Tenerife. We give you an overview here.
With the rental car
The rental car is simply the best option for us if you want to see a lot of Tenerife sights, because you are super flexible and can also get to more remote places.
Unfortunately, prices have skyrocketed since Corona. A rental car now costs at least 30 euros per day in summer and at least 20 euros in winter.
There are many providers of rental cars on Tenerife. We therefore always compare the prices on Check24 in advance.
By public transport
Tenerife has a well-developed bus network, the so-called Guaguas run between the towns and cities. The bus company is called Titsa and you can find a timetable overview of all Tista lines here .
There are also inner-city connections in the larger cities such as Santa Cruz or Playas de las Americas.
You can easily buy your bus ticket from the bus driver and pay in cash. For tourists there is also a flat rate for all Titsa buses, either for a day (10 euros) or for a week (50 euros), the so-called Ten+ card . The card is sold at all Titsa points of sale.
By bicycle
In the cities you can also use the bike. We would recommend that anyway, because finding a parking space in Santa Cruz or Puerto de la Cruz is anything but easy.
Island hopping from Tenerife
If you are already on Tenerife, it is a good idea to visit one of the other Canary Islands as well. We’ll show you how.
With the ferry
Tenerife is the only island from which you can also reach all the other Canary Islands . There are two ports in total: one to the north in the capital Santa Cruz, the other to the south in Los Cristianos.
You can reach the following islands from Los Cristianos:
- La Gomera
- El Hierro
- La Palma
And you can reach these islands from Santa Cruz:
- La Palma
- Grand Canary
- Fuerteventura (Puerto del Rosario, Morro Jable)
- Lanzarote
Ferry services are provided by two operators, namely Naviera Armas and Fred Olsen .
By plane
Taking the plane is faster than taking the ferry. There are more frequent connections here, several times a day, and the flights are usually not much more expensive than the ferry.
As already described above, there are two airports on Tenerife. Inter-island flights mainly use TFN airport in the north of the island.
A trip to the other Canary Islands like Fuerteventura is definitely worth it
Our tips for Tenerife travel guides
Would you like more Tenerife tips or would you just like to have a paper travel guide with you? Then we have two recommendations for you.
Bruckmann Travel Guide: Tenerife Hidden Places
In our opinion, this travel guide is particularly cool because all the tips come from locals who know Tenerife very well. They tell you their insider tips for the 394 most beautiful places on Tenerife – there are real insider tips, but also the must-sees of Tenerife.
DuMont direct travel guide Tenerife
You don’t have much space in your luggage? The DuMont direct travel guide for Tenerife is super compact with 120 pages and still contains all the top sights on Tenerife as well as helpful tips about the country and its people.
Do you have any more Tenerife tips?
These were our best insider tips for Tenerife. Have you ever been to the island and do you still have a few helpful recommendations or cool insider tips? Tell us more in the comments, we’re so excited!
