When you first picture Tenerife you might imagine drunk holiday goers and all inclusive resorts, but the island is so much more than that. Tenerife has a perfect mix of Spanish culture, a more tropical climate and incredible landscapes. From black sand beaches, to rugged green cliffs to the volcanic interior that will make you feel like you’re on another planet. I definitely recommend staying at least a week to explore the whole island. In this post I will outline a 1 week Tenerife road trip itinerary including all the top things to do and most instagrammable places.
Hiring a car in Tenerife is relatively inexpensive, and was my personal method of transportation around the island. This allowed me to be more flexible and free to visit what I wanted, when I wanted. Driving around the island is very pleasant too, the roads are well paved and the other drivers are very courteous. The only downside is parking, many accommodations won’t have private parking and sometimes it can be hard to find a nearby free spot on the street. However I personally didn’t have any problems (but I went at the end of January 2021 and it wasn’t that busy).
I hired my car with TopCar.
If you’re travelling solo, or just prefer to take public transport, then you might want to explore Tenerife by bus. You can catch the TITSA bus service, a bright green bus that will take you to all the main spots around Tenerife.
The buses are clean, equipped with air conditioning and generally run on time. You can buy your ticket directly from the driver or top up a Tenmas card. The price will depend on the route you take, but it shouldn’t cost more than 50€ to explore the whole island in a week.
Tenerife has a sub-tropical climate so it is a great location to visit year round. For the highest temperatures the best months are during the summer between June and September. However winter is very mild in Tenerife with most days reaching around 22 C (with just the nights being a bit chillier). If you are looking for the best temperatures whist avoiding the peak tourist season I recommend going January to March, May or September to November.
Your budget for Tenerife will depend on how you like to travel, as well as if you are travelling alone or with others. However hopefully this budget guideline will give you an idea of costs.
Travel:
The bus – less than 50€ per person for a week
Car plus petrol for a week – around 200€ plus insurance
Food:
Eating out – €7 – 14 per meal
Cooking at home (groceries cost about the same as in France/UK) – €3 – 6 per meal
Accommodation:
Budget – €30 – 50 per night for a private double room
Mid-range – €50 – 100 per night
Luxury – €150 -300 per night
There are two airports in Tenerife, one in the north and one in the south. You will most probably arrive into the airport in the north so that is where this itinerary will be starting from, but feel free to rearrange as to what works best for you.
Kick start your Tenerife road trip with a visit to the north easterly point of the island, Anaga National Park. Driving through the thick lush forests and admiring views over rugged green cliffs, you will easily understand why this is my personal favourite part of Tenerife.
On your drive to Taganana make sure to stop at the Mirador de Jardina. Here you will have a beautiful view of Mount Teidi and a valley filled with colourful houses.
The drive from Mirador de Jardina to Taganana is particularly spectacular as you drive through miles of tree arches intersected by epic views of the mountainous coastline. Driving down into Taganana make sure to stop at the Mirador Risco Amogoje for another beautiful perspective of the coastline.
Once you arrive into Taganana keep driving along the winding coastal road to Playa de Benijo (if you arriving by bus then you will be dropped off in Taganana and can walk from there).
Playa de Benijo is a beautiful black sand beach characterised by a few large rock outcrops in the ocean and bordered by steep green cliffs, it gave me major Jurassic Park vibes and is super instagrammable. The beach will be in the shade in the morning so fairly empty. if you want to lie on the beach and soak up the sun then I recommend going after 11am.
Driving back towards Taganana from Playa de Benijo you will come across the most incredible view. If you have time I recommend doing one of the many hikes in Anaga National Park to explore more of this unique place.
WHERE TO STAY: I recommend spending the night in Punto del Hidalgo so you can enjoy sunset and spend the morning there. I stayed at the Bajamar Armonia Park, a very spacious and clean apartment just 5 minutes from Punto del Hidalgo.
Start your day enjoying the Hawaiian-esque landscapes of Punta del Hidalgo. Check out the Mirador Punta Del Hidalgo for the most incredible view, I recommend going at sunset for the best light. You can also take a dip in the natural swimming pool before walking along the coast to admire the unique architecture of the local lighthouse.
My 1 week Tenerife road rip itinerary will take you on an anti-clockwise tour of the island, I’ve chosen this way as the road in the north gives you an unmissable view of Mount Teide when you drive from east to west, however you can also do the same itinerary clockwise if your prefer.
Drive 40 minutes from Punta del Hidalgo to Puerto de la Cruz, the largest city in the Canary Islands. Puerto de la Cruz is located on the coast offering an impressive view of Mount Teides iconic silhouette. Here you can enjoy the long coastline of black sand beaches fringed with palm trees, as well as the colour historical town.
WHERE TO STAY: I chose to stay a bit out of the centre at TRH Taoro Garden so that street parking would be a bit easier. The rooms were clean and affordable, plus we had an amazing view of Mount Teide!
For the third day of your Tenerife road trip itinerary you will be driving from the north east to the north west of the island. The drive down the highway is particularly spectacular with views over the dramatic coastline and Mount Teide so keep your eyes open!
There are a few different stops to check out along this stretch, with the first being the Rambla de Castro in Los Realejos. The Rambla de Castro will take you on a walk through palm groves overlooking the sea, it starts at Los Roques beach and ends in the Hacienda de Castro. However I parked near the restaurante Caféteria Miradro San Pedro and walked in a loop to see the ruins of La Gordejuela which took about 2 hours with some photo stops.
Next drive 30 minutes to the charming seaside town of Garachico. Walk along the colourful streets or head up to the Mirador de Atalaya for a birdseye view.
Your final stop of the day will be the incredible Masca Valley, just 45 minutes drive from Garachico. The road down into the valley is well paved but incredibly winding, and there are limited car parking spots so be wary that you might not be able to park right away during high season.
Masca Valley was carved out around 10 million years ago by basaltic lava flows and is a simply breathtaking place, most visitors who come here will hike down into Masca Gorge but you get the best view of the valley from the parking (particularly at sunset).
WHERE TO STAY: There aren’t many places to stay in Masca Valley so I recommend staying in the nearby town of Santiago del Teide like at the Casa Fina.
If you are visiting Tenerife during the end of January / February then you might be lucky enough to see the Almond blossoms in full bloom. The ‘Almendros en Flor’ is a big event in Santiago del Teide with a specific hike to follow (there are even organised group hikes) that allows you to enjoy views of Mount Teide as well as the bright and fragrant almond blossoms.
Your second stop of the day will be to admire the incredible cliffs of Los Gigantes just a 20 minute drive from Santiago del Teide (road trips in Tenerife are super easy as nothing is far away!). Head to the Mirador Puerto de los Gigantes on Calle el Pino for the best instagrammable photo spot.
The next stop is the rocky pools of the Charco el Diablo. I recommend wearing closed shoes here as the rocks are quite sharp and hard to climb over. There are several beautiful rock pools to cool off in and you can also admire the natural arch of the Cueva la Vaca.
WHERE TO STAY: Tonight I recommend treating yourself to a night at the incredible Ritz Carlton Abama. It’s an architectural gem with gorgeous terracotta walls and hundreds of palm trees and cacti. The northern African inspired designs will make you feel like you’re in an Arabian palace. The Ritz Carlton Abama overlooks the sea and has it’s own private beach as well as a selection of pools. I definitely recommend a little getaway here for a couple of nights!
Now it’s time to leave Tenerife’s coastline and explore a completely different terrain. Teide national park will make you feel like you’re on another planet, make sure to include it in your Tenerife road trip itinerary! You’ll enjoy views of craters, volcanoes and rivers of petrified lava whilst also admiring the conical silhouette of Mount Teide.
The national park is easy to drive around, the roads are paved and there are parking spots at the main sites. Many people also opt to cycle around. Make sure to check out the Roques de Garcia, the Zapato de la Reina and Mount Teide’s summit.
If you stay at the Royal River Hotel I recommend stopping at the cute town of Vilaflor on your way from Teide National Park.
WHERE TO STAY: Tonight I recommend another luxurious yet affordable hotel stay at the Royal River Hotel. I stayed in a river villa which has a river pool leading to the individual villas (and you’re own private pool). I fell in love with the safari boho decor of our room and even more so the decor of the various restaurants here.
The next part of this Tenerife road trip itinerary will take you along the south coast of the island visiting all the top beaches. Playa de las Americas is a very popular beach, especially with surfers and digital nomads, you’ll find a reef break there as well as a palm fringed beach.
Next drive 25 minutes to Playa Amarilla, a really unique beach with yellow cliffs that will make you feel like you’re in Utah! If you’re into photography you can’t miss this spot. It’s also a popular beach to go snorkeling and diving so don’t forget your snorkles.
You will then drive for just over an hour to the only white sand beach in Tenerife, Playa de las Teresitas. If you have time I also recommend stopping at Playa de la Tejita to admire the unique red rock.
Playa de las Teresitas is one of the most beautiful beaches in Tenerife. The sand on the beach is artificial as the beach started to disappear in the 1950s as a lot of sand in the local area was used in construction. It was too expensive to buy more local black sand (due to its scarcity) so they imported white sand from the Sahara Desert. For a nice birds eye view over the beach head up to the Mirador Las Teresitas.
WHERE TO STAY: I recommend staying down the road from the Playa de las Teresitas in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. There is a lot more choice of accommodation and restaurants. I stayed at the Hotel Taburiente, they had a nice rooftop terrace with a pool and the rooms were modern and clean.
The last stop of your Tenerife road trip will be at the cute town of San Cristobal de la Laguna. The historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you’ll discover lots of cute colourful houses whilst walking around. The only problem is that it can be difficult to park here, so you might end of parking a bit out of the centre.
San Cristobal de la Laguna is right next to the airport so it’s a nice and stress-free way to end your 7 days in Tenerife.
This 1 week Tenerife road trip itinerary includes all the top things to do in Tenerife, from the best beaches, to epic photo spots to unique landscapes. The itinerary is very jam packed though so if you are hoping to relax a bit I recommend using this itinerary over 10 days. Check out my Instagram story highlights to see my whole trip.
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