Best day trips in Tenerife

Tenerife is an inexhaustible source of experiences and adventures thanks to its beautiful landscapes and perfect weather all year round. Although it may be tempting to swim in the crystal clear waters of its beaches every day until you catch your flight home, here is a guide to 5 incredible excursions in Tenerife to discover all that this island and the rest of the archipelago has to offer.

Climbing Teide is a must-do activity on any trip to Tenerife, and with this guided excursion to Teide National Park you will explore the volcano with the incredible views of Tenerife at your feet.

What you will do on this excursion

You'll start the day by heading to Teide National Park, passing through deep pine forests on a mountain road. Once you arrive at your destination, your guide will take you to discover the volcanic earth landscapes formed by the erosion of lava.

You will visit the Roques de García, a set of curious rock formations that seem to be sculpted by hand, the most famous of which are 'La Catedral' or 'La Cascada'.

On the trail to the Roques de García you will have the sensation of having been transported to the surface of a distant planet, and you will see volcanic rock twisted and sharpened into impossible shapes, the flora that has grown in this hostile landscape such as broom or wallflower and a varied fauna of lizards, centipedes, praying mantises, dragonflies and beetles.

Then you will climb the volcano on foot or by cable car (in case you have bought the tickets in advance, as they are not included in the tour and are usually sold out very quickly) and from a point near the top you will look out over the incredible views of Tenerife that you can see from the top.

Why I recommend this excursion

Whether on an organized excursion or on your own, visiting the Teide National Park is a must on your trip to Tenerife. The advantages of this activity are several: you will not have to plan the route on your own and you make sure not to miss the most impressive places of the reserve, and you will be picked up at your hotel and provided with transportation to and from the Park. Also, considering the price of the excursion it is totally worth saving the extra effort of organizing it yourself.

Also, something quite relevant is that you need to ask for a permit to climb Teide (it is done with an online application), but you won't need it if you go on an organized excursion.

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Take the ferry to make an excursion to El Hierro and visit its viewpoints: in each of them an unforgettable view of the land and the sea awaits you, so beautiful that you will find it hard to believe that it is not hand-painted.

What you will do on this excursion

A local guide will accompany you on a tour of El Hierro's most amazing sites, starting at the La Peña viewpoint in the north of the island, from where you have beautiful views of the El Golfo valley and its endless fields of grapes and other local fruits.

The second stop is the viewpoint of Jinama, which will offer you quite a contrast in its views of the bay of El Golfo and its steep cliffs of volcanic rock, on which you can see lost buildings and remote hermitages giving you the feeling of being lost on an almost deserted island.

Then it's time to make a route through the Rural Park of Frontera and walk, literally, on history: there you will see the laurel forest, a unique ecosystem of the Canary Islands and protected by UNESCO. You will arrive at a local restaurant and taste a menu of typical food such as potatoes with mojo, grilled cheese, rabbit or escaldón de gofio.

In the evening you will visit the Candelaria Church, a small church of white walls with a beautiful bell tower on a mountain and visit the natural pool of La Maceta, formed by the sea and one of the most popular places for swimming among locals and tourists.

Before catching the ferry back to Tenerife you will visit the Hotel Punta Grande, a tiny black stone hotel on the edge of a cliff.

Why I recommend this excursion

Although neither the ferry ticket nor the food is included in the price, organizing this excursion on your own would be even more expensive than paying for the activity and those two extras. Therefore, this is the best option since the route of the excursion seems ideal and the price is one of the cheapest you can find for an excursion to El Hierro from Tenerife.

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The best way to discover the whole island of Tenerife and all its charming corners: in this complete tour of the island of Tenerife you will visit the incredible landscapes of the Teide, villages lost in time and rural communities with ancient trees.

What you will do on this tour

You will be picked up at your hotel and through the charming village of Vilaflor you will access the Cañadas del Teide, one of the most important national parks in Spain and the most visited in the country. Not in vain, it is crowned by the Teide and is a World Heritage Site since 2007, and offers some of the most spectacular scenery you will see in your travels: volcanic rocks that seem to be sculpted by hand in a crater that looks like part of the surface of another planet.

Then, you will head to the village of Icod through the Orotava Valley, north of the island and area where its population mainly lives. In Icod you will discover one of the most beautiful villages of Tenerife whose main symbol is the Drago Milenario, a majestic and ancient tree. After a stroll through this charming town you will sit down for lunch in a restaurant where you will be served typical Canarian food.

You will continue exploring the north of the island towards Garachico, a small village with charming cobblestone streets and a beautiful church, in front of which you will find an islet known as Roque de Garachico. To finish the excursion, you will arrive at the village of Masca on top of two ravines, a historical place that served as a refuge for pirates in the 17th century. You will make a tour through this wonderful village forgotten in time and at the end you will take the way back to your hotel.

We continue along the north coast of the island until we reach Garachico, popular for its volcanic lava flows and the islet in front of the village, the Roque de Garachico. The journey ends in Masca, located in the Teno Massif, northwest point of the island, a village with deep ravines and cliffs. Here the pirates used to hide from their privileged position at an altitude of 750 meters, controlling and intercepting the maritime traffic between Tenerife and La Gomera. Throughout the tour, hikers are allowed to take pictures at the different points of interest where stops will be made.

Why I recommend this excursion

This is a very popular experience with a very good value for money, showing you the main places of the island and some of its most charming villages in a perfectly organized route.

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Alex's Traveller Tip

For a short trip to Tenerife, take the full island tour that visits Teide, Icod, Garachico and Masca. If you are staying five days or more, I recommend you visit La Gomera and get lost in its magical landscapes.

La Gomera keeps all your attention on the inland landscapes and its impressive Garajonay National Park, a place that is already worth a trip to La Gomera from Tenerife.

What you will do on this excursion

Departing by ferry from Puerto Colón in the south of Tenerife, with a previous pick-up at your hotel, you will arrive in San Sebastián de La Gomera, capital of this island.

There you will head for the Garajonay National Park, in whose interior you will find the laurel forest, unique in the Canary Islands and protected by UNESCO, which at the dawn of human civilization was the most common type of vegetation in Europe.

Making a short route through this beautiful park you will ascend to the viewpoint of Degollada de Peraza to enjoy wonderful views of the Barranco de la Laja and the water dams of Chejelipes.

You will continue to the villages of Las Rosas and Agulo in the north of La Gomera, where you will stop at a restaurant to enjoy the typical food of the island while they show you the silbo gomero, a method of communication used by the aborigines of the island and that has been adapted to Castilian over the centuries.

After lunch, you will return to San Sebastián de la Gomera passing by important places in the life of Christopher Columbus such as the Torre del Conde or the Casa de Colón, and the villages of Chipude and El Cercado. Once back, you will take the ferry to Tenerife and you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Why I recommend this excursion

Visiting La Gomera is a perfect activity for a trip of a week or more days to Tenerife, so if you have time to spare I recommend you not to miss this complete organized excursion for its good value for money and its great guides.

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Jeep option

You can take a Jeep excursion to La Gomera from Tenerife with a route similar to the previous option. You will cross the laurel forest of the Garajonay National Park and visit the Hermigua Valley, where you will take a short walking route to see the Pedro and Petra rocks, with a beautiful legend about their origin.

You will tour the island and see first hand how its rural charm has remained intact over the years, passing through aloe vera and banana plantations and viewpoints from which to enjoy breathtaking views of the island.

The Anaga peak is in the northwest corner of Tenerife, and is accessed through San Cristobal de La Laguna. It is one of my favorite places on the island, because besides being a very beautiful area it is one of the least touristy and less visited, so an excursion to Anaga Peak always promises an unforgettable day.

What you will do on this excursion

Departing from your hotel in Tenerife, you will take the road to San Cristobal de La Laguna (or, as the locals know it, simply La Laguna) where you will take a short walk to visit the city's main market and learn about the different varieties of potatoes used in Canarian gastronomy.

You will head to the laurel forest of Mercedes, one of the most beautiful on the island, and begin the ascent route to Anaga Peak and continue to the northern tip of Tenerife. There, you will rest and have a picnic on the beach of Roque de las Bodegas, the perfect setting to take a picture for Instagram.

You will head back to the Anaga peak and visit another beach, Las Teresitas, special for having been built with sand from the Sahara, and where the scenery with palm trees transports you for a moment to a faraway place.

To end the excursion, you will pass through Santa Cruz de Tenerife and visit its impressive harbor and make a last stop in Candelaria, famous for the Black Virgin that houses its basilica. Afterwards, you will return to your hotel with the fullness of having enjoyed a day you will always remember.

Why I recommend this excursion

As I said before, this area of Tenerife is one of the least visited by tourists, so it always promises a very easy experience to enjoy. In addition, the beauty of the beaches and the viewpoints to which you will look out are perfect places to capture in a photograph that will always remain in your memory.

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