Tenerife is a place that totally surprised us in the best way possible! Honestly, we weren't overly excited to go to Tenerife and kept coming up with excuses to not book the trip. We read so many travel blogs and none of them were resonating with our travel style - either it was touted as a great hiking destination (we don't love hiking) or it was coming across as a commercialized all-inclusive resort style vacation (how boring!).
Well, we couldn't have been more wrong about Tenerife!!! It was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure, without requiring us to do any hiking to get the payoff. We both agreed that Teide National Park is one of the coolest places we've ever seen (pictures don't do it justice) - it feels like you've landed on a different planet and it left both of us speechless. Tenerife has quickly become a place we've been recommending to all our friends and family!
Top 3 Must-Do’s for a Tenerife Itinerary
Drive through Teide National Park
Go to Mirador Ponta del Roque in Los Gigantes
Stay at Mynd Adeje in Callao Salvaje
Duration: 4 nights
Typical Daily Cost for two people: $361 (excludes any required airfare to/from Tenerife)
Best Time to Go: Anytime!
We went to Tenerife in February and the weather was beautiful for exploring outdoors (60-70F/16-20C).
Table of Contents
Tenerife Roadtrip: Itinerary at a Glance
Day | Activities |
Day 1 | Pick-up rental car from Tenerife South airport and drive to Hotel Mynd Adeje in Callao Salvaje. Wander around Callao Salvaje in the afternoon. |
Day 2 | Drive to Los Gigantes in the morning and enjoy a natural swimming pool while overlooking the cliffs. Relax at the hotel pool & roof deck in the afternoon. |
Day 3 | Explore the mountain village of La Masca in the morning. Drive through Teide National Park in the afternoon. |
Day 4 | Head north to San Cristóbal de la Laguna in the morning. Enjoy lunch in El Sauzal and then wine tasting (with an incredible view!) at Bodegas Monje. |
Day 5 | Drop off rental car and fly to your next adventure! |
Just the Facts
Stay
Hands down, you must stay at Mynd Adeje in Callao Salvaje. This was one of the best hotel experiences we've ever had. The hotel itself is beautiful and the service was top notch. We loved their focus on sustainability and helping local small producers by showcasing their products throughout the hotel. They also host tons of free activities to help their guests learn about the Canarian culture - from cocktail making classes using local spirits to Canarian wine tasting and a Barraquito coffee class (local coffee based drink). We also loved the location in a small town just outside of Costa Adeje with some great restaurants and bars within walking distance.
Eat
Tapas Boutique: Our pick for best meal of the trip. Cool open air vibes, amazing service, and great cocktails. Note, they only take reservations for before 7pm or after 9pm, but just walk in! We never saw anyone get turned away.
Restaurante El Ancla: Casual seafood spot. Good for lunch or dinner.
Restaurante El Delfin: Seafood spot with great sunset views. Get here for an early-ish dinner and ask to sit by the window. Make reservations ahead!
Tasca Don Pepe: Traditional Spanish restaurant, lots of tapas and wine. Dinner spot.
Punta Paraiso Restaurante: Great seafood spot for lunch with outdoor seating and a beautiful view.
Tasca 1900: Elevated tapas. Come for lunch before heading up to Teide National Park, nice outdoor space.
Restaurante Casa Luis: Local seafood spot in El Sauzal, good for lunch, great prices, no menu. We asked for calamari & grilled fish.
Drink
Eden Cocktail & Gin Club: Craft cocktails, amazing vibes, we came here most nights after dinner.
LaCumbre Rooftop at Mynd: Come for sunset. Live music some nights.
Map
Detailed Tenerife Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival & Callao Salvaje
Arrive at the Tenerife South Airport in the early afternoon, pick up your rental car (we booked GoByCar), and drive about 25 minutes to Mynd Adeje in Callao Salvaje. Mynd Adeje was one of the best hotel experiences we've ever had, so we highly recommend you stay here!
Tip: There is plenty of free street parking right outside the gates of the hotel so no need to pay for a reserved parking spot through the hotel.
Spend the afternoon relaxing at the hotel pool or walking around Callao Salvaje. It's only about a 5 minute walk down to the water from the hotel and there's plenty of cute restaurants to stop for a drink and a view. Depending on which day you arrive, be sure to be back at the hotel by 4pm for one of their daily activities - our favorite was the cocktail making class on Thursdays on the roof deck.
For dinner tonight, we recommend booking a table at Restaurante El Delfin to watch the sunset from one of their tables either outside or next to the window - the views are stunning. After dinner, stop by Eden for a craft cocktail - the cocktails here are super creative and so well-balanced.
Day 2: Los Gigantes
After enjoying the amazing breakfast buffet at the hotel (it's seriously so good!), drive over to Los Gigantes - the drive will only take about 30 minutes and we recommend staying in Los Gigantes for 2-3 hours. Los Gigantes is a very touristy area, but it's also incredibly photogenic if you find the right spots. Our recommendation is to stick to the southwest side of town and stop by 2 spots. Park your car in one of the white marked spots on the street, bring your bathing suit and towel, and head to Mirador Ponta del Roque for the best views of the cliffs. Walk back along the boardwalk for about 5 mins to Piscina Natural Acantilado de Los Gigantes and take a dip in the natural pools.
Things to avoid in Los Gigantes: We made a few mistakes on our trip to Los Gigantes that you're better off not repeating.
Parking: We parked in the paid parking lot at the marina called Aparcamiento Puerto Deportivo Los Gigantes y Playa Los Guios. Don't do this! The parking lot borders the entire marina with only one way in and out on a super skinny lane that drops right into the water. It's packed with tourists taking boat trips and is overall just a mess to navigate.
Walking through the main town: I mentioned earlier this is a touristy area, so save yourself some time (and a few hills) and don't bother exploring this area.
Playa de los Guios: This is a main beach in town but doesn't stand out as much to write home about.
Mirador Archipenque: There's no need to stop here - this is the most popular lookout point and in our opinion, it's not that great. Your photos will have the tops of peoples heads, ugly rooftops, and satellite dishes.
Once you've finished exploring Los Gigantes, drive back towards the hotel and stop for a late lunch at Punta Paraiso Restaurante. Spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the hotel pool or roof deck (and if there's a 4pm activity at the hotel, be sure to go!).
For dinner tonight, we recommend going to Tapas Boutique - this was our favorite meal of the entire trip! The restaurant has a really chill indoor/outdoor vibe, incredible service, great cocktails, and super flavorful/creative tapas.
Day 3: Masca & Teide National Park
Lots of exploring to do today, and first up is to head over to the picture-perfect mountain village of Masca. Sounds simple, right? Well, it's not. In our opinion, you have 2 options to get to Masca, and driving your own car is NOT one of them. Why? Well, the single road to Masca is very narrow, filled with switchbacks, and there is VERY limited parking once you arrive in the village.
Regardless of which option you choose, you will start by driving about 30 minutes from the hotel to the town of Santiago del Teide. We recommend you get here around 10am and park your car anywhere on the main street in one of the white marked spots. Do not, we repeat, do not, try to come to Santiago del Teide in the afternoon - the traffic is miserable, there's no parking, and it's overall unenjoyable.
Option 1: Take the 355 public bus from Santiago del Teide at 11am: This is the option we chose, and if we were to do it again, we would have opted for a taxi. Why? We spent most of our time just waiting for the bus instead of enjoying our trip. The bus leaves from Santiago del Teide about once an hour (find the schedule here and the bus stop location here) - it's a small bus (maybe 25 seats) and there's a lot of people who want to get on it! This means...competition! You must arrive at least 30 mins before the scheduled departure and get in line. Now the fun part comes - once you've finished your time in Masca, you have to do this all over again. Get to the bus stop in Masca at least 30 mins early, wait in the hot sun, push your way through the crowds of other people waiting for the bus, and pray you get a seat. Sure, it's cheap, but is it really worth it? We don't think so!
Option 2: Take a taxi from Santiago del Teide: Grab a taxi from the bus stop in Santiago del Teide, agree on a price (maximum $60 roundtrip) and you're off! The taxi driver will wait for you while you visit Masca, and then bring you back to Santiago del Teide. No stress, no waiting.
Once you've made it up to Masca, it's time to explore the village. It won't take long because Masca is tiny - you probably only need 30 minutes to see the whole village and get some epic photos (the village is very photogenic).
You should wrap up at Masca and be back to your car in Santiago del Teide around lunchtime. We do not recommend having lunch in either Masca or Santiago del Teide since it's very touristy and we weren't able to find any quality restaurants. Instead, drive over to Tasca 1900 in the small town of Guía de Isora - this is a great tapas restaurant with lots of locals and a nice outdoor area in the back.
After lunch, it's time to see the jaw-droppingly stunning Teide National Park. We have yet to find a photo that does this place justice, but trust us when we say, you won't be disappointed. From Guía de Isora, you'll take the TF-38 road and just drive. The road is incredibly well maintained for easy driving (not at all like the road to Masca!). There's tons of viewpoints along the way for you to pull off and take photos - a few viewpoints we loved were Mirador de las Narices del Teide and Llano de Ucanca Vista Point, but honestly, all of them are beautiful. We recommend driving until you reach Parador de Cañadas del Teide (good place for a bathroom stop) and then turn back around and drive to the hotel. In total, this should take about 2.5 hours. Now don't get nervous, we're purposely recommending you turn around here because you'll see the other side of Teide National Park tomorrow.
You should arrive back at the hotel around sunset, just in time for a drink on the roof deck before heading to dinner at El Ancla.
Day 4: San Cristóbal de La Laguna, El Sauzal, & Teide National Park
Up until now, all our recommendations have been focused on the south side of the island, so today we recommend you head north. After breakfast, drive about 1 hour north to the colonial town of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and park your car in this parking lot. If you've been to Antigua, Guatemala, you'll very quickly notice the resemblance between the two towns. Spend some time just walking around the pedestrian streets and maybe grab a coffee.
Once you've finished up, drive 20 minutes to the small town of El Sauzal and go to this lookout point - it's beautiful!! For lunch, we recommend staying in El Sauzal and going to Restaurante Casa Luis. Casa Luis is a very traditional seafood restaurant with fantastic prices and no menu (it's a good thing the prices are fair because you will have no idea how much your lunch is until the end) - all you do is tell the waiter what type of seafood you want, and it appears. We asked from calamari and grilled fish and both were delicious.
After lunch, we recommend driving just up the hill to Bodegas Monje for a little wine tasting on their massive wrap-around deck - no reservations needed and you can also just order a glass of wine if you don't want to do the full tasting. The views from here are incredible!
We promised you'd see the other side of Teide National Park, so now's the chance! From Bodegas Monje, take the TF-226 road until you hit TF-24. Once you're on TF-24, just drive and enjoy the views of Teide - it's about a 2 hour drive but feel free to stop at literally every lookout point!
You'll pass by the Teide Cable Car - our recommendation is to not do this. We read so many blogs that talked about needing to get to Teide early in the morning to ensure you can take the cable car, but honestly, we don't think it's worth it. Coming in the afternoon and just driving gives you all the same views, and the temperature is a bit warmer by the afternoon (especially in the winter).
For your final dinner in Tenerife, we recommend going to Tasca Don Pepe, a traditional Spanish restaurant right in Callao Salvaje (it's a bit hidden off the main street in a small square).
Day 5
That's it for Tenerife! Drop your rental car off and catch your flight to your next adventure. If you haven't been, we think doing a layover in Lisbon is a great option if you're heading back to the US - check out our guide for 4 Nights in Lisbon.
Cost Breakdown (2 people for 4 nights)
Note: Flights to/from Tenerife are not included in this cost breakdown.
Hotel - Mynd Adeje | $720 |
Rental Car (includes gas, tolls, insurance) | $161 |
Lunch | $180 |
Dinner (2 entrees, 1 app, bottle of wine) | $280 |
Cocktails (1 cocktail per person per day) | $80 |
Wine Tasting at Bodegas Monje | $15 |
Bus tickets to Masca (roundtrip) | $6 |
Total | $1,442 |
Daily Cost for 2 people | $361 |
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