I’ll be honest, I thought Tenerife would be easy. I’m half Spanish, I live in Barcelona, I’ve been to the Balearics more times than I can count. How different could another Spanish island be?
Very different, it turns out. Tenerife is wilder, windier and way more mountainous than I expected, and we learned a lot of things the hard way. Some of them cost us half a day, some of them cost us a summit, and one of them almost had us booking the wrong whale-watching tour.
So here’s everything I wish someone had told me before we went. If you’re planning your first trip, read this before you book anything (especially the car).
All photos in this post were taken by our wonderfully talented friends Joan Victoria and Gabriel Montalvo. This post contains affiliate links, so if you book or buy something through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep the blog running. Thank you for your support!
1. Don’t rent the cheapest, smallest car
This is the one biggest mistake we made during our trip.
We booked a tiny but cute silver car because it was cheaper, which turned out to be a big mistake. The second we started going uphill, it could barely make it, and with our suitcases in the back it was even worse. On the highway we couldn’t even get up to the speed limit. We were just crawling along while everyone overtook us.
In the end we drove back to the rental company and asked them why they’d let us rent a car that clearly couldn’t handle Tenerife. Their answer? That’s the one we booked. Whilst I guess that was fair, I still think they shouldn’t have been allowed to rent that car out. We paid extra, switched to a bigger car, and lost about half a day doing it.
Tenerife is basically one giant mountain with a volcano in the middle, so you’re going up and down constantly as long as you’re moving around the island. It was worth it to pay a little more for a car with a decent engine from the start, even though it was really annoying as we didn’t budget that into our costs.
2. Everything takes longer than Google Maps says
On the map, Tenerife looks small. We thought we could just pop over to the other side of the island for a dinner reservation, until we realized that involved climbing a mountain, combing back down, and that an hour had disappeared.
It’s not the distance, it’s the elevation. Always add extra time to whatever your phone tells you, especially anywhere near Teide or Masca.
3. The mountain roads are no joke
I’m not going to sugarcoat this, some of the roads in Tenerife are genuinely scary. The curves are really tight, you’re often driving right along the edge of the mountain, and at one point a bus came around a bend towards us and I was honestly afraid to look down.
The road to Masca is the most famous one, with switchback after switchback, so if anyone in your group gets carsick, warn them in advance (and maybe bring some snacks and a plastic bag, just saying).
Make sure at least one person in your group is a confident driver who feels comfortable on narrow mountain roads, because Tenerife is really not the place to practise.
4. Get an International Driving Permit if you need one
If you have an EU licence you’re completely fine, but if you’re coming from outside the EU it’s worth checking before you go. Americans in particular can’t just show up with their US licence, since the US government says you need an International Driving Permit before you arrive if you want to drive in Spain. It’s easy and cheap to get one through AAA before you leave, and you just carry it together with your normal licence.
Some rental companies will flat out refuse to give you the car without one, so it’s really not worth the risk.
5. The north and the south feel like two different islands
This honestly surprised me so much. In the north it was chilly, cloudy and it rained quite a bit, and then you drive an hour south and suddenly it’s sunny, dry and warm, like you’ve landed somewhere else entirely.
So when someone tells you the weather in Tenerife is perfect all year round, ask them which part of the island they actually stayed in. If you’re based in the north, don’t expect beach weather every single day.
6. Pack more warm clothes than you think
We knew the north would be cooler and we thought we were prepared, but looking back we definitely should have brought more warm layers, like a proper jumper, a rain jacket and some long trousers. That goes double if you’re heading up to Teide, where it’s a lot colder than down on the coast.
The thing nobody mentions is that not every place you stay will have a good washing machine, so you can’t always count on washing your one hoodie every other day. Pack as if you won’t have laundry at all, and then you’ll just be happy if you do.
7. The beaches are wild, not Mallorca
If you’re picturing calm turquoise water like in Mallorca or Menorca, it’s worth resetting your expectations a bit. Most beaches in Tenerife are wavy, rough and properly wild, with volcanic rock, strong Atlantic swell and that gorgeous black sand.
And I really do mean gorgeous. The black sand beaches were completely amazing, and because everything feels so natural and untouched, they’re some of the most dramatic beaches I’ve ever seen. They’re just not the kind of beach where you float around on your back for an hour.
The one exception for us was Playa de Abama, where the water was crystal clear and absolutely breathtaking. If you want one classic swimming day on your trip, that’s where I’d go.
8. Check the wind before you go to the beach
Nobody warned us about this one, and some of the beaches we went to were so windy we could barely lie down. Our towels kept flying away, there was sand absolutely everywhere, and we gave up pretty quickly.
Before you pick a beach for the day, check the wind forecast and not just whether it’s going to be sunny, because it makes a huge difference. Sometimes a beach on the other side of the island is completely calm while yours is basically a sandstorm.
9. The natural pools are the best of both worlds
When the sea is too rough for swimming, head to one of the natural pools instead. These are volcanic rock pools right on the coast that fill up with ocean water, so you get to swim in the Atlantic without getting thrown around by the waves.
We loved the Piscinas naturales de Bajamar in the north, and I’d recommend going earlier in the day if you can, because the locals love them just as much as the tourists do.
10. You need a permit to reach the top of Teide (and it sells out)
We had absolutely no idea about this. We just showed up at Teide thinking we’d figure it out on the day, and only then found out that you need a special permit to walk the last stretch up to the actual summit, which of course was already sold out.
What confused us is that the cable car and the summit are two completely separate things. The cable car only takes you up to a viewing platform at 3,555 metres, and if you want to walk the final path to the crater at the very top, you need a separate permit for the Telesforo Bravo trail, which you book online through Tenerife ON. Slots are limited, so book it as soon as you know your dates.
We ended up just winging it and not going up, and honestly Teide National Park is still stunning even without the summit, but it would have been nice to at least have the option. Also, try to go early in the day, because the clouds tend to roll in later on and cover the views.
11. Not all whale-watching tours are respectful to the whales
This one really matters to me. We almost booked a tour without thinking twice, because we just assumed they were all basically the same, and they’re really not.
Some boats chase the whales, get way too close, or crowd around the same pod with lots of other boats, which is really stressful for the animals and not something you want to be a part of. Before you book, look for an operator that keeps groups small, keeps its distance, doesn’t chase the animals and limits how long it stays near each pod.
The good news is that the south of Tenerife is one of the few places in the world where you can see pilot whales all year round, so there’s no reason to settle for a bad tour. Take five minutes to read the reviews and pick one that actually treats the whales well.
12. Canarian food is not the same as Spanish food
This sounds obvious, but it really isn’t. Coming from Barcelona, I kind of expected to find the same food I eat at home, and instead it’s a completely different cuisine, so don’t go to Tenerife expecting the tapas you’d get on the peninsula.
The food was good, but I’m vegetarian, and after a while it did get a bit repetitive. My absolute favourite was papas arrugadas with mojo, those little wrinkly salted potatoes with red and green sauce, and I could honestly eat them every day (which, to be fair, I kind of did).
There are vegetarian options, but if you eat meat and fish you’ll have a much easier time and a lot more variety.
13. Be picky about where you stay in the south
Okay, I’m just going to say it: parts of the south feel like a seaside retirement home for tourists. We saw so many (mostly British) pensioners zooming along the promenade on their mobility scooters, which was honestly kind of funny, and good for them, they’ve clearly found their paradise.
It’s just not the vibe I was looking for at all. Unless you’re planning to stay at a resort and use it as a base to explore the rest of the island, I’d skip staying right in those resort strips. We based ourselves in Las Galletas, a small fishing town that still feels like a real place where people actually live, and it worked so much better for us. However, we didn’t spend much time here at all and used it as a base.
14. It’s affordable, but it’s not crazy cheap
Tenerife is definitely cheaper than Madrid or Barcelona, and eating out, coffee and groceries all felt more affordable than at home.
Just don’t confuse cheap with Southeast Asia cheap, because you’re still in Europe. If you budget like it’s a reasonably priced Spanish holiday rather than a trip to Bali, you won’t get any surprises.
15. The people are so lovely
To end on a good note, everyone we met in Tenerife was so nice. Whether we were asking for directions, ordering food or trying to figure out where on earth to park, people were warm, helpful and really patient with us, and it made the whole trip feel so welcoming.
Final Thoughts
Tenerife was not the easy beach holiday I thought it would be, and that’s exactly why I ended up loving it. It’s wild and windy, the roads will definitely test your nerves, and you might eat more potatoes than you planned, but between the black sand, the volcano and the whales, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in Spain.
Just make sure to rent the bigger car and pack appropriately 😅🥇.
If you’re planning your own trip, check out our full 10 Days in Tenerife itinerary for the exact route we took, from the north coast all the way up to Teide.
Check Out Our Other Tenerife Guides
10 Days in Tenerife: Our Full Itinerary from the North Coast to Teide
Best Time to Visit Tenerife: When I’d Go Again
Things to Do in Tenerife: The 15 Best Things to Do in Tenerife
