35 things to do in the lush north of Tenerife: the jewel of the Canary Islands

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I’ve put together this guide to some of the best things to do in Tenerife if you’re staying in the north of the island. It should help you to make the most of your time there if you want to do more than just laze about on Tenerife’s (admittedly beautiful) beaches. This is all about getting to know the island further than that.

Tenerife is one of the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain. It’s just off the coast of North Africa, so has great weather. And this of course makes it a very popular holiday destination, especially if you’re after some winter sun. I’ll admit that I had a stereotype of Tenerife in my mind before going. But there is SO much more to Tenerife than the high-rise hotels and generic beach holiday tat that it’s known for by many people here in the UK. Most of that stuff is in the south of the island. If you head up to the lush green north of Tenerife, you’ll find stunning mountain scenery, whitewashed fishing villages, restaurants serving delicious Canarian food and wine, quirky student bars, and a whole wealth of culture and history. It’s brilliant. The sunshine is just a bonus on top of all the things to see and do.

If this all sounds up your street, read on for more detail on some of the best things to do in Tenerife that I’ve personally tried and tested…

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post that I’ve done with Jet2Holidays, who kindly covered my flights to Tenerife and the hotel and expenses. However, I was under no obligation to say anything nice and I did all my own research, as I always do here on Pack The Suitcases. All recommendations, ideas and words are 100% my own. 

Things to do in Tenerife in the north of the island

1. Wander the stunning streets of La Laguna

I have to start this list with my favourite place in Tenerife: La Laguna (proper name: San Cristobal de la Laguna). When I first visited this gorgeous little city, I was blown away. As I got to know it a bit more, I fell in love. You have to go. 

Whenever I post photos of La Laguna online, my friends can’t believe it’s in Tenerife and that I’ve not secretly jetted off to South America. This makes sense when you find out that the city’s layout was used as a template for Spanish colonial cities in America. Think rainbow-coloured buildings with dark wooden balconies and palm-tree-lined streets. It’s incredibly pretty and unlike anywhere else on the island, both in terms of architecture and atmosphere.

La Laguna is known for being the cultural capital of Tenerife. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also the only university town on the island. As a studenty place, it’s full of quirky shops and vibrant bars and has a proper café culture, which I adore. You’ll see people sitting outside on almost every road, watching the world go by. Oh and the centre is totally pedestrianised, which means you can enjoy wandering its streets even more. The nicest bit of La Laguna is the square and general area around the Iglesia de la Concepcion, a church with a good old bell tower that you can climb up (more on that in #2 of this list). This is where you should head to start exploring. 

2. Climb the bell tower of Iglesia de la Concepcion for an incredible view

Are you really on holiday if you don’t find yourself panting for breath while struggling up a spiral staircase in some random church tower for the promise of a good view? In all my years of travelling, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve nearly given myself a heart attack through doing this. But as they say: no pain, no gain. The bell tower of the Iglesia de la Concepcion (Church of the Conception) in La Laguna is no exception.

It’s 2€ to get in (you can buy your tickets at the door) and this allows you up the tower as well as into the church. The church itself is nice inside, with whitewashed walls and a fancy ceiling, but I usually get ‘churched out’ quite quickly in any European city. Once you’ve seen the wooden carved doorways (reflective of the balconies throughout the city), you can head out and start hauling yourself up the staircase of the bell tower. It’s actually not too strenuous and only the last bit is tight; you should be up in a few minutes and there are loads of stopping places.

At the top, there are stunning 360-degree views over La Laguna’s terracotta rooftops and across the mountains. If you’re brave enough, hang around and wait for the bells to chime. They do this every 15 minutes and are seriously loud. Enjoy.

3. Eat like a local at a guachinche: one of the most unique things to do in Tenerife

As soon as I heard about Tenerife’s traditional guachinches, I was determined to eat at one. They sounded so intriguing.

Guachinches are super-cheap roadside eateries, usually located in a ramshackle outbuilding, which open only for a few months of the year. They do homemade Canarian food but this is really only an afterthought as the point of them is to serve wine, which comes straight from the owners’ vineyards. Most alluringly, they’re often quite hidden; I walked past the one I visited twice. And I promise that’s not just me being dozy.

Guachinches were invented so that vineyards in northern Tenerife could flog their wine directly to customers without having to go through a middle man. Owners would open them up to throw wine-tasting parties, only closing when the wine ran out. Sounds like my kind of party. They’re now a real institution in Tenerife, beloved by locals. But because guachinches are a byproduct of wine production rather than set up as proper food establishments, they weren’t regulated for a long time.

It wasn’t until 2013 that the government set some conditions they must operate under. One of these is that guachinches can’t open for more than four months of the year. So in order to visit one, you have to really do your research or get lucky. I recommend Guachinche El Divorcio as it’s easily walkable from the centre of La Orotava (more on that later). Most guachinches can’t be reached without a car (ironic given all the wine involved) so this one is a perfect option. It’s full of locals sat on plastic chairs having a great time, with a view of the vineyard. I definitely recommend going, eating and drinking far too much, and having a unique Tenerife experience. 

4. Stroll through the cobbled streets of Garachico

Beautiful little Garachico is a popular day trip for anyone exploring the north of the island. I definitely recommend visiting it. Spending a chilled afternoon there is one of the best things to do in Tenerife if you want to switch off and get into a slower pace of life.

Garachico was once home to Tenerife’s main commercial port and all the riches that came with it. Apparently, it even had a solid marble street that only the nobles were allowed to walk on, other than one day a week when they allowed the common folk on it. Charming! Its port was destroyed in a big volcanic eruption in 1706, meaning many people moved away and it lost its power.

It’s now definitely a contender for the prettiest town in Tenerife. I love meandering round its charming cobbled streets lined with whitewashed buildings, and taking in the beautiful sea views. One of my favourite spots is a little hidden-away park, Puerta de Tierra (Google Maps link). The archway to enter the tiny park is actually the old gateway to the former port. There’s also a massive old wine press inside, surrounded by lush greenery. Sadly there’s no actual wine, but you can head into the centre of the town for that, which leads me nicely onto my next point…

5. Sit in the square in Garachico and watch the world go by

While exploring Garachico, you should make time for a good long sit in the main square, Plaza de la Libertad. It’s everything you want in a typical Canarian scene: a picture-perfect church, colourful old buildings, manicured borders of tropical flowers, and a bandstand-style café serving drinks under the palm trees. Bliss.

While you’re in the square, look out for the statue of Simon Bolivar, the Venezuelan liberator of several South American countries from the Spanish empire. He had some vague family links to Garachico (the internet suggests they are very much of the great-great-great-great… grandparent variety). His statue now enjoys a good view over the hustle and bustle of the square.

6. Stare at the sea from San Juan de la Rambla – one of the best off-the-beaten-track things to do in Tenerife

If you have a car for your trip, you absolutely have to stop at the little village of San Juan de la Rambla. Just look at that view. One of the things I wasn’t really expecting before I visited Tenerife was how good the sea would be. It has proper massive waves (beloved by local surfers) so sitting and watching it is a really dramatic and entertaining event. And the best place I’ve found so far to watch the waves is this little view here (Google Maps link). You can walk down the cliff path a little bit from the road and sit on a rock for a 10/10 viewing experience.

The village of San Juan de la Rambla itself is very pretty, too. Once you’ve had your fill of wave-watching, have a mooch around. Everything is centred around an attractive white church and there are a couple of small non-touristy cafés.

Look out for the Monumento a los Zapateros (Shoemakers’ Monument) while you’re exploring. San Juan de la Rambla used to be known as the shoemaking village. It even had some (very specific) espadrille factories. The monument is, unsurprisingly, a sculpture of a pair of shoes. It’s inscribed with a piece from the poet Pedro García Cabrera:

‘I went to San Juan de la Rambla
to have my shoes made to measure
and to be nettle-proof.’

I didn’t see any nettles in the town, though. Probably for the best. I was wearing sandals.

7. Have a delicious vegan lunch at Vegigan

While in La Laguna, it would be rude not to indulge in a spot of lunch. My favourite spot, especially for any fellow veggie/vegan types, is Vegigan (here’s the Google Maps link).

I got the impression that it’s fairly new (and it doesn’t seem to have a website yet). But the food is excellent. They serve toasties, salads, hot meals like pasta or chilli and a whole array of amazing desserts/cakes. Everything is homemade and it’s clearly very popular with locals.

Sit outside if it’s a nice day. The café is in a very attractive spot (the building is a lovely peachy colour!) and you can do a bit of people-watching while deciding which cake to have…

8. Buy picnic goods at the indoor food market in La Laguna

If you’re staying in an apartment in Tenerife and doing self-catering or you’re planning to have a picnic, get yourself down to La Laguna’s excellent Mercado Municipal de La Laguna. It’s a great indoor market to browse for locally sourced food and drink (the wine selection is spot on). You could put together a selection of fruit, veg, different breads, sweets and fresh cheese from here.

It isn’t a touristy market at all and it’s not even been converted into a trendy food hall either. In fact, you may well be the only non-local in there if you visit out of season. I love this kind of thing.

Keep an eye out for the local papaya, which is a solid 10/10. I wish we could get papaya like that at home; I’d eat it as all of my five-a-day.

9. Visit the wonderful city of Puerto de la Cruz 

Although La Laguna has to be my favourite city in Tenerife, I’ve got to give a special mention to Puerto de la Cruz. This is where I stayed on my recent trip to Tenerife to do research for this blog post. And it has a firm place in my heart now. I love anywhere with colourful buildings, street art and photogenic palm-lined streets: Puerto de la Cruz ticks every box. It’s an excellent base for seeing everywhere in the north, so I really recommend staying there.

Although Puerto de la Cruz is popular with tourists and is one of Tenerife’s original tourist hotspots, you can easily escape the crowds. Avoid the more touristy bars and restaurants set along the promenade; I definitely wouldn’t recommend eating at any of them. Instead, get lost in the back streets and enjoy the off-the-beaten-track delights the city has to offer.

One of my favourite things to do in Puerto de la Cruz is to walk up to the top of Calle Maquinez (Google Maps link) and wind my way past some of the rainbow-coloured buildings and amazing street art (more on that later). Stop for a drink in the pretty Plaza Benito Pérez Galdós (Google Maps link) under the palm trees by the fountain. This tiny square is full of people eating, drinking, playing music, and walking dogs. It’s a bustling little spot that sums up life there.

10. Have some artisan craft beer and wine in Puerto de la Cruz

Pule Gourmet is somewhere I stumbled across on my first night in Puerto de la Cruz. It’s a small bar/café serving local artisan products, including delicious hoppy craft IPAs (a fairly rare treat in Tenerife). It’s incredibly alluring from the outside: one of those tiny bars with seating outside that you spot a mile off and can’t resist stopping at. 

Tenerife doesn’t yet have a huge craft beer scene so this is a welcome little gem. And of course, you get some nibbles to have with your drink. It’s always a delight when you’re having a drink and suddenly some olives appear in front of you.

11. Admire the street art in Puerto de la Cruz

As I briefly touched on above, Puerto de la Cruz is a dream for street art lovers. Wandering around Calle Mequinez (Google Maps link) with a camera is one of the best things to do in Tenerife if you’re into photography. Every other building has some cool artwork on it, from massive scenes on the entire side of a building to a tiny mouse painted coming out of a hole by a door. 

It’s like a large open-air art gallery. In fact, it is. The Puerto Street Art Project started in 2014 and has grown over time to the impressive outdoor museum you can walk around today. Some of the pieces are by local Spanish artists but there are contributions from internationally known artists too. My favourite piece is the mural pictured above, by El Niño de las Pinturas. 

There’s something extra cool about big pieces of street art when they’re on such colourful buildings and all in one area of the city. You feel really immersed in it and it’s all embedded into the everyday life of the place rather than being just the odd one or two pieces that stand out. Given all that, Puerto de la Cruz is probably one of the best backdrops for street art I’ve ever seen. Let me know what your favourite piece is if you go.

12. Get the tram – one of the best things to do in Tenerife if you’re not hiring a car

It’s unusual for an island like Tenerife to have a tram system, albeit a small one with two lines, so it’s 100% worth having a ride on it.

Tenerife is the only Canary Island with trams, which is one of the many reasons it’s the best island of the lot. Even if I hadn’t got this trip to the Canary Islands with Jet2Holidays, I’d still have wound up choosing Tenerife above the others. Most other islands tend to rely on a bus network. As we all know, buses are the worst type of public transport. And I’m not just saying this because I work in Manchester and am overly fond of trams.

The tram is a good way to see a bit of ‘real life’ Tenerife. It’s mainly used by locals, including lots of students in Santa Cruz, the capital, and office workers going about their daily business. If you want to feel like you’re experiencing local life, as well as using it as a useful journey, you can go between Santa Cruz and La Laguna on line 1 in about 40 minutes. Lunch in one and evening meal in the other!

Trams are very regular. They’re a relaxed way to get around and a return ticket is only 2,50€. Have a look at the Metro Tenerife site for the routes and timetable.

13. Stroll along the black sandy beach at Playa de la Caleta

Having just sung the praises of Tenerife’s public transport, I’m now going to ruin it by fawning over somewhere you need to drive to.

If you have a hire car for your trip, I recommend making a brief stop at La Caleta de Interián (Google Maps link). This appealing little fishing village, although much smaller than its neighbour Garachico, is worth seeing. It’s only really doable if you have a car, unfortunately. Sorry. But it is lovely.

It’ll only take you a few minutes to walk the village’s circumference but it’s all about the beach. La Caleta de Interián has a sweeping bay, perfectly trimmed with palm trees and white buildings, which could be on a postcard for Tenerife. And of course, it features the island’s iconic black sand and pebbles. Perfect for a post-lunch stroll.

You may be lucky enough to see some people hand-gliding here as it seems to be a popular spot for it. It’s always a mild relief when they manage to land and don’t get entangled with a tree.

14. Explore the cool capital of Santa Cruz – one of the best things to do in Tenerife if you want a bit of a city break

Tenerife’s cosmopolitan capital, Santa Cruz, is a proper city. Have you ever thought of doing Tenerife as a city break? It’s very doable if you base yourself in Santa Cruz. Culture, bars/restaurants, shopping and sunshine? I can think of worse ways to spend a long weekend. (And if this is your thing, you’ll also like Funchal, Madeira, one of the best places for a sunny city break. I’m a bit of an expert on it!)

Santa Cruz is fairly big. But nearly all of its main attractions are crammed into its historic centre. The main square, the Plaza de España (Google Maps link), is a good place to start. There’s an artificial lake, urban sculptures and of course some big letters spelling out SANTA CRUZ to have a photo with. 

A 10-minute walk south from the square will take you to the Mercado Municipal Nuestra Señora de Africa, a huge food market of over 300 stalls set in a gorgeous pink building. It’s open daily (plus a flea market on Sundays). You should also pay a quick visit to the little Plaza de los Patos (‘Duck Square’), which is full of colourful mosaics. It has a fountain with sculptures of a duck and frogs. Very quirky. Don’t miss the Auditorio de Tenerife either, but I’ve given that its own section further down this list…

Come evening, my favourite area in Santa Cruz is around the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion (see my photo above). The church is one of the oldest on the island. It’s now the backdrop to some fantastic tapas bars that line the colourful road leading to it, Calle Antonio Domínguez Alfonso (Google Maps link). I love it there. 

15. Soak up some art and culture in Santa Cruz… or at least look out for this statue’s bum

I mean, how could I not give this statue his own place on my list? If anyone asks you what the top things to do in Tenerife are, you can disregard everything else I’ve recommended here and just tell them to get an amusing photo with this piece of urban art in the Plaza de España.

In all seriousness though, there are a few fantastic museums in Santa Cruz to get your culture and art fix:

• The Museum of Nature and Archaeology – the most interesting thing here is the collection of items found from the Guanches people (Tenerife’s original inhabitants); there are even some well-preserved mummies.
• Tenerife Art Museum (TEA) – a cool contemporary art museum, library and centre for photography. The building is gorgeous and very Scandinavian-looking: worth seeing in itself. The windows are modelled on giant pixelated shots of the sun reflecting off the sea and the lights inside are in the shape of water droplets.
• Military History Museum – this is not my thing at all but it’s free to get in and worth seeing the cannon that shot off the arm of Admiral Nelson.

If you’re unlucky enough to have bad weather, you could probably do all three of these in a couple of days. But if you have to pick one, I’d go for the art museum.

16. Enjoy the Canarian cuisine

Tenerife is a very food-orientated place and most good restaurants will have local products on their menu. I am thoroughly converted to Canarian cuisine now, and actually prefer it to other Spanish cuisines.

One of the best Tenerife dishes is papas arrugadas: wrinkled potatoes cooked in sea salt. They’re delicious. And they’re traditionally served with either red or green mojo, which is a tasty, mildly spicy sauce. Emphasis on the mild. I was expecting it to have a bit of chilli heat but it just has a pleasant flavour. Other local delicacies include fresh goat’s cheese, marinated tuna, chickpea stew, tomatoes, and of course Canarian wine (more on that later).

Tenerife does surprisingly well on the old veggie/vegan front compared with a lot of Spanish destinations, possibly because it has the perfect climate for growing fruit and veg so it takes pride in preparing them well. Pescetarians will also thrive as there’s naturally loads of fresh seafood on the menus too.

Fun food-based fact coming up. The Canary Islands were exporting so much of their grub to the UK in the 1930s that a whole area of London’s docks was named after them: Canary Wharf. They mainly dealt in tomatoes, potatoes and bananas. And all of these still feature in Tenerife’s dishes today. 

Side note: If you’re anything like me and have a serious phobia of the devil’s food, bananas, you’ll have to be careful when eating out in Tenerife. They get EVERYWHERE. I have the same issue in my beloved Madeira, which also has the nerve to grow the things right by the streets so you’re often in danger of brushing against a bunch when walking around. Ugh.

17. Scramble through the rock pools at Garachico

As mentioned earlier in #4 of this list, the pretty town of Garachico suffered a huge volcanic eruption in the 1700s. Although that meant the end of its time as a trading hub for rich merchants, it did leave something good behind for the town.

The lava cooled as it met the sea, drying into a collection of black rockpools that let in turquoise seawater. This makes for a really striking coastline, popular with swimmers and walkers. Oh and photographers of course. Look how stunning it is.

You can walk on paths through the rockpools (without getting your feet wet). They lead out onto a promontory, with views back towards the town and along the coastal cliffs. There’s also a little island that reminded me very much of Bass Rock in North Berwick, Scotland, only a lot sunnier of course.

18. Enjoy a local tipple or three with some wine-tasting 

Did you know Canarian wine was such a big thing? I know absolutely nothing about wine really, other than more than three glasses can now write off a whole weekend because I’m getting that old.

I can never taste the difference between expensive wine and normal supermarket wine. But I did really enjoy tasting a few different Canarian wines in Tenerife and can confirm they were all delicious. Although so is wine from Tesco to me… So you’ll have to go and taste Canarian wine yourself if you want to do a proper review.

There are a few places to do wine tasting around Tenerife, but some popular ones are in the south of the island. This is useless if you’re in the (superior) north.

Luckily, there’s Museo Malvasia near Icod in the north. You can taste homemade wines in a lush green garden, with the clink of glasses and the sound of birdsong around you. Lovely stuff. You could combine a visit there with seeing the famous drago tree (more on that later) as they’re right next to each other.  

19. Eat seafood at Naife Gastrobar in Puerto de la Cruz

There are a lot of touristy restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz, so you do have to do a bit of research if you want to eat somewhere authentic. Luckily I have done some painstaking research for you and even gone through the gruelling process of testing out places and eating loads of food. It’s a very hard job but someone has to do it…

One of my favourite restaurants that my research and taste-testing led me to is Gastrobar Naife.

This is a small restaurant tucked away in the cool end of town, surrounded by colourful buildings and street art. It does tapas and larger plates too. The menu has plenty of veggie options and it’s a real find for pescetarians (or just seafood lovers). I still think about their anchovies now… They also do some local wines and it’s bliss to sit with one near the door on a warm evening, watching people go by. 

20. Hunt out the oldest drago tree on the island – one of the best things to do in Tenerife on a sunny day

In before someone corrects me in the comments to say TECHNICALLY the drago tree is actually a plant. I know, okay?! But it’s called a drago tree. So shush.

Anyway, the drago is a symbol of Tenerife and you can spot them growing all over the island. The oldest one is known as Drago Milenario and is said to be around 1,000 years old. You can find this VIP OAP (OATree?) in a park in the charming town of Icod. He is a big old chap: 18 metres tall and 20 metres in girth. You can actually look at him from the square in the town, but I’d recommend paying the small entrance fee to go into the park and get a bit closer. The park has a cave, loads of plants, and some good views. Try to visit in the late afternoon: the mornings can be crowded with coach tours. I went at around 16.30 and had the place to myself, as well as rather nice light for photos.

Seeing the tree is usually listed as one of the top things to do in Tenerife because of its great age. And although it’s just a tree, do go to see it if you have time, especially if you want to see Icod and do some wine-tasting while you’re there. 

If you want a laugh, go on TripAdvisor and look at all the negative reviews of it that say ‘It’s only a tree. Disappointed.’ What were they expecting?! 

21. Pretend you’re in Sydney but really you’re in Santa Cruz

The state-of-the-art Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín in Santa Cruz deserved its own place on this list of things to do in Tenerife. I couldn’t believe how impressive it is. When I posted a photo of it on Instagram, I had people asking whether I was in Australia (despite the fact they’d literally just seen my post saying I’m in Tenerife, but there you go). Obviously, it does have the air of the iconic Sydney Opera House. See whether you can trick any of your friends. A fun activity in deceiving the gullible. 

The building’s roof is 58 metres high (thanks, Wikipedia) and tapers down in a crescent shape. It’s really very impressive. If you’re into classical music, you might want to go to a concert inside. It’s home to the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife. If concerts like that aren’t your cup of tea, it’s enough just to admire the building’s exterior.

The Auditorio is located at the far end of Santa Cruz’s port, which is a good 20-minute walk from the centre of town. But it’s worth the arduous trek. You can combine a visit with seeing the Palmetum of Tenerife, which is just next door. This a surprisingly large and lush botanical garden, which boasts one of the biggest collections of palm trees in the world (and some sea views while you’re at it).

22. Indulge in a posh meal at Tasca Ihuey in Puerto de la Cruz – one of the best things to do in Tenerife for foodies

Ilhuey Tasca is a good option for your last night in Tenerife. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want your holiday to end on a high with a bit of a posher meal out before the misery of heading home. 

Ilhuey is the kind of fine dining place that does a little amuse-bouche in between courses but isn’t pretentious at all. It just does traditional Canarian food brought up to a more refined and sophisticated level. So you’ll still find all the usual things like the ever-popular Tenerife tomatoes, for example, but they’ll be semi-dried with a Parmesan sauce. The wine list has some interesting local wines on it, which I can confirm are really nice.

The setting is rather special too: a bit like being in a very classy wine cellar or a converted church, with its arches and stone walls. It has a very calm vibe and the service is fantastic. If it was in the UK, it would probably cost a fortune to eat there. As it’s in Tenerife, a main is only around 15€. 

23. Buy some beautiful jewellery and dresses in Icod

I stumbled across Meraki Boutique entirely by accident when wandering around the cobbled streets of Icod, after seeing the drago tree. But it’s the kind of shop I’d usually seek out through vast amounts of online research (aka googling ‘independent boutiques in [insert name of town here]’ before a trip!). So I was very pleased to find it, and of course had to reward myself with a small purchase…

Meraki stocks loads of colourful patterned midi/maxi dresses, many of which have long sleeves or at least proper short sleeves. There’s nothing worse than spotting a dress with a stunning print only to discover it’s strappy/sleeveless. An instant ‘no’ from me. They also have plenty of skirts and tops, as well as accessories, which is what I was most interested in (I’m currently on a self-imposed ban of buying any more dresses). I was very tempted by some of the bags but didn’t have enough room in my suitcase, so ended up buying a really pretty and delicate gold bracelet with crescent moons on.

I was in there for ages because there are two floors to the shop (it’s a whole house!) and TBH could have stayed longer if I’d allowed myself to buy a dress or two. Next time…

24. Find the plant street in Puerto de la Cruz – one of the best things to do in Tenerife for photographers

 

I almost don’t want to share this verdant little side street. It’s such a picture-perfect wee gem that I want to keep it to myself. But luckily for you, my lovely readers, my blog has pretty much no impact and I’m sure plenty of people already know about it. 

Calle de la Verdad (Google maps link) is Puerto de la Cruz’s version of Edinburgh’s famous Circus Lane: a perfect Instagram spot and a find for any photography enthusiasts visiting the island.

I spent about 10 minutes faffing around getting shots from various angles, trying to capture the explosion of greenery against the peach houses without getting any passers-by in the frame. It is a side street, though, so at least I didn’t have my usual issue of being nearly run over by cars and bikes while trying to get The Shot #travelbloggerproblems. 

25. Eat your bodyweight in Padrón peppers in Puerto de la Cruz

I can’t resist a plate of Padrón peppers if they’re on a menu. They’ve only really been a big deal in the UK in the last few years, whereas they’ve been a classic bar snack in Spain forever. I love that you get a fun Russian Roulette experience with them because out of a plate of 20, you’ll probably only get one hot one. And you can never tell which it’ll be. The rest are also a good vehicle for eating copious amounts of sea salt flakes.

Padrón peppers are originally from a town called Padrón in Galicia (northwestern mainland Spain) but they’re very popular in the Canaries as a starter or snack. The ones pictured here are from Bodega Julián in Puerto de la Cruz. I wouldn’t say this was the most memorable restaurant other than them: the prawns and potatoes were good but not outstanding like at some other places I’ve recommended in this blog post. But if you’re doing a bit of grazing-style eating, it’s a good place to stop specifically for some Padrón action. Sit outside with a glass of wine while working your way through a plate (or two).

26. Look out for the triple whammy of balconies in Icod

I’ve mentioned the iconic wooden balconies you see all over Tenerife several times now. But it’s rare that a building has more than two storeys of them.

Just to the side of the square where the pretty church of San Marcos is, you’ll spot this triple whammy of balconies on three storeys. They’re above a gift shop, Arte Ycodem, which sells local products. You can taste samples of cheese and jams and so on before you buy some to take home.

27. See some beautiful flowers and a BIG tree at the botanical gardens

One of the nicest things to do in Tenerife on a sunny day is to stroll around the Jardín Botanico in Puerto de la Cruz. Wherever I go on my travels, if there’s a botanical garden in the vicinity, I’m there. Tenerife’s is fairly small, but it’s very pleasant and has enough interesting-looking plants to be worth the trek up from the centre of town to it (which can be mildly gruelling in the midday heat). 

I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of tropical plants, though. Anything even vaguely succulent doesn’t make it into my own garden at home. I’m very much a herbaceous border, country cottage kind of gardener: the frothier and more meadow-like, the better. But when in Rome Tenerife, you have to get into the spirit of things. And even when I visited in February, there were some colourful flowers out. It might be more about the greenery if you visit in December or January, but it’ll still be decent. And the centrepiece (a massive multi-trunked tree that I forget the name of) is always doing its thing.

Check opening times for the garden on the Canarian Government website (they haven’t made a separate website for it). It’s a nominal 3€ to get in, which is a steal really considering you can see plants from all over the world and it’ll be half an hour or more well spent.

28. Drink a boozy barraquito (or zaperoco)

You can’t go to Tenerife without trying one of these bad boys. A barraquito is a Canarian alcoholic coffee (sort of a much nicer version of an Irish coffee). But as this post is specifically about things to do in northern Tenerife, I’m going to call it a zaperoco, which is the regional name for it.

A zaperoco is made with layers of condensed milk, espresso, frothed milk and a (dangerously generous) splash of Licor 43, Spain’s favourite liqueur, which tastes similar to Tia Maria. It’s then topped off with a dusting of ground cinnamon and a slice of lemon. As it’s an aesthetically pleasing layered drink, it’s always served in a glass. Regular readers of the blog will probably know that I’m not a coffee drinker at all. I take a handful of Yorkshire teabags everywhere I go on my travels. But even I fell in love with zaperoco.

It’s popular as a sort of drinkable dessert after a meal. But given the amount of caffeine in it, I’d recommend having it as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up rather than after your evening meal. Unless you’re planning on going out-out, of course, and need to be awake till the small hours. Think of it like a very effective and much better espresso martini…

Oh and if you don’t drink or you’re driving, you can ask for a barraquito sin licor. It’s still really tasty without the kick.

29. Go stargazing and appreciate the clear night skies

Stargazing is one of the best free things to do in Tenerife. All you need to do is look up. The island is meant to be one of the top places in the world for clear skies, and I can well believe it. Even in the urban areas of Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz, the sky is remarkably free from light pollution. A leaflet told me that there are 88 constellations and you can see 83 of them on a good night in Tenerife. Impressive.

If you’re interested in astronomy at all or just fancy a really unique experience on one evening of your trip, you could book a stargazing tour so that you actually know what you’re looking at. Most people have a vague knowledge of some of the well-known constellations but a professional guide will open up a whole new world, and it’s really interesting. These are a couple of well-rated small-group tours that are quite affordable:

• The Teide National Park stargazing tour 
• Teide National Park moonlight tour and stargazing.

Both of these cost around 30€. You get a professional guide and use of powerful telescopes, but you do have to make your own way to Teide Park, which means driving at night. If you don’t want to hire a car (which is understandable given the rather hairy roads on the island!), you can also do an official tour with the Mount Teide Observatory. This includes pickup from the north of the island for about 50€. Hoorah.

Make sure you bring a jacket. Even when it’s warm in the day, nighttime temperatures in the mountains really drop.

30. Climb the Agatha Christie steps in Puerto de la Cruz

If you’re after something fun to see or you’re a fan of a bit of murder mystery, head to the Agatha Christie steps in Puerto de la Cruz.

In 1927, Agatha Christie went to Puerto de la Cruz to recover from a painful divorce. She must have enjoyed it because it inspired her short story collection, ‘The Mysterious Mister Quin’. The town certainly liked her because not only is there a bust of her at the Mirador la Paz, they’ve named a street after her and painted these steps in her honour. Oh and they hold an Agatha Christie Festival each year, featuring lectures, readings and theatre productions. They even do an English afternoon tea for it. I approve. 

The Agatha Christie steps are painted in bright colours to look like the spines of books, and each one has the title of an Agatha Christie novel on it. It’s a quirky feature of the town and something unusual to photograph. You’ll probably naturally find yourself going up the steps if you’re heading to the botanical gardens from the centre of town. If not, hunt them out. They’re worth a pause for a photo opportunity.

Good luck waiting for people to go past so you can get a clear photo, though. There are a lot of steps so it takes ages to wait for someone to go past. Sad tip: if you want a photo with you or your travel partner in, get the person to stand in the middle of the steps. This will block out anyone further up. My big fat head is actually obscuring an old lady in the shot above.

31. Visit La Orotava

La Orotava is a hilly town close to Puerto de la Cruz, easily reachable from there by bus (Titsa: 345 or 353). This takes about 20 minutes. The town is a popular one for tourists to visit because of its history and architecture.

But – and this is rather a big but – I don’t like La Orotava anywhere near as much as La Laguna, the other town in the north renowned for its prettiness, history and architecture. This is because it’s not pedestrianised like La Laguna, so the main street (pictured above) is usually a sea of back-to-back cars. I had to stand around for ages waiting for a break in the traffic to get this shot.

Despite the cars, La Orotava is worth going to. You can easily see quite a few of the main attractions things in an afternoon as they’re very close together.

• Casa de los Balcones (House of Balconies) – As the name suggests, this is an old house covered in the beautiful wooden balconies Tenerife is famous for. It’s set up as a museum inside. You can do a short tour to learn about how people lived centuries ago.
• Jardines Victoria – This small terraced garden on the hillside is free to get in, but you have to tackle quite a lot of steps to get there. Standard. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a gorgeous view.
• Taoro Lyceum – Next door to the garden is this amazing pink villa. It was once the home of a wealthy local family but is now an arts space and events venue. I wouldn’t bother going inside: it’s more impressive exterior-wise. It overlooks a sunny square with a church and a bandstand café in it. This is the perfect place to stop and sit with a coffee (a zaperoco, naturally).

32. Do some shopping in Santa Cruz

I mostly avoid going clothes shopping in cities abroad (obvs I love it at home). I’m happy to hunt out little boutiques but I avoid city-centre shopping areas. Most places just have the same shops you get anywhere so it’s pointless. However, now and then you get affordable chains that we don’t have on the UK high street. That’s when it may be worth spending an hour or so having a browse. And shops are open later on the continent, so it’s nice to do of an evening.

Calle del Castillo (Google maps link) is the main shopping street in Santa Cruz. It has palm trees and stunning buildings with ornate facades. This beautiful setting makes shopping a much calmer experience than elbowing your way through your local town centre on a Saturday afternoon.

Here are some shops I recommend looking up around there:

• Sfera – A Spanish chain and a new one on me. It can be a bit hit and miss but is worth a mooch around just in case. I’d say it’s somewhere between Primark and New Look prices. 
• Stradivarius – There are a few of these now dotted around the UK in big-city retail parks like Manchester’s Trafford Centre (which I hate). But you may not live by one, so it’s worth a look. It often has great midi skirts and it’s all H&M-level pricing.
• Parfois – Ah, my favourite European accessories-focused shop. There are a few in Madeira and I always stock up on earrings when I’m there. The Santa Cruz one stocks some of their clothing, which you don’t always get in the smaller branches. Again, it’s H&M-level pricing. 

I apologise if you have to pay for extra luggage allowance on the way home…

33. Go for drinks in the bustling streets of Puerto de la Cruz – one of the best things to do in Tenerife at night

There is nothing better than wandering through a new city at night and finding a cool bar with outdoor seating, full of locals spilling out into the street having a fun but thoroughly civilised time. Even better if there’s a little table for two empty and calling my name. I honestly love sitting outside a bar like this so much and it’s usually a highlight of any trip.

So it’s no surprise that I’m now going to share the perfect bar for this kind of experience. It’s in Puerto de la Cruz, surprise surprise, and it’s called DeLocos. One of my favourite things to do in Tenerife on a Friday or Saturday night is to sit outside here with an Aperol Spritz in hand and bougainvillaea flowers overhead.

I think you’ll love it too. Have a drink (or two, or three) for me if you visit.

34. Take in the mountain scenery on some walks in Anaga Rural Park

Tenerife’s impressive volcanic landscape is a dream for anyone into walking/hiking. And the Anaga Rural Park is the best place on the island for this. It’s got mountains, cliffs, forests and sea. You can choose from plenty of walking routes to tackle, including some beautiful ones through laurel forests and up, up, up to dramatic views.

If you’re not up for navigating maps yourself, try an organised walk with an expert local guide who can tell you all about the flora and fauna of Anaga Rural Park. This is possibly also a good idea if you’re travelling alone as you can chat to other walkers (obviously depends whether or not you like other people…). These are two well-rated and affordable options for guided walks:

• 2-hour forest hiking tour – Around 30€ gets you an easy guided walk through the beautiful laurel forest.
• 3.5-hour guided hike – For about 45€, you’ll do a slightly more strenuous walk to a volcanic dome and through the laurel forest. This would be my preference, but it’s all about what you’re comfortable with. 

If you’re a serious walker/hiker (definitely not me), there are some epic multi-day routes you can do as well; you would need proper hiking gear with you. As much as I love scenery and walking, that would be too much like hard work for me. But if you’re a normal person who likes to walk for a couple of hours with lots of stops to take photos, and you’re ok navigating yourself, try the Benijo circular route. It should take about two hours. The website AllTrails, which is pretty good, has a map for it. 

35. See the impressive Mount Teide volcano

I thought I’d end this list of things to do in Tenerife on a high. Quite literally. Mount Teide is the highest point in the whole of Spain, and its snow-topped summit is visible from all over the island. It’s a well-known landmark and one of the places to visit in Spain on many hikers’ bucket lists.

Teide is actually more in the centre of Tenerife rather than the north, but is only an hour’s drive from Puerto de la Cruz. 

You can (theoretically!) get a cable car up to the peak for what must be amazing views. However, as I was warned by everyone I know who’d been to Tenerife before I went, it’s very frequently out of service. Everyone said this and yet it still amused me when I looked it up and found it wasn’t running when I got there. But to be honest, the summit of Teide was covered in thick clouds for almost the whole time I spent on the island, so it wouldn’t have been clear enough to appreciate the views anyway. 

If you’re stuck with similar weather when you visit, it might be better just to admire Teide (and its clouds!) from afar. Mirador Cruz del Carmen is a spectacular viewpoint in the north of the island, which you can reach fairly easily by bus from La Laguna.

35 lovely things to do in Tenerife – useful information for your trip

Where to stay in Tenerife

As I said further up in this blogpost, I stayed at the large hotel Sol Costa Atlantis (through Jet2holidays hotels). Regular readers will know that this is completely different from the kind of place I normally book for my travels. I tend to go for apartments or mid-range small hotels. But as this trip was sponsored with Jet2, I got to try something wholly different. And do you know what? It was dead nice.

The rooms are spotless. Try to get one with a balcony and sea views: bliss for your morning cuppa. The breakfast buffet is a solid 10/10. No gross cold cuts of meat and limp croissants here. You get freshly made omelettes and pancakes, as well as a good range of eggs, bread, pastries, fruit and cereals. I found myself getting ready at top speed in the morning because I was looking forward to loading my plate up with papaya and scrambled egg on toast. They even do oat and soy milk in jugs and there are English breakfast teabags so I didn’t have to use my normal emergency stash. 

Location-wise, the Sol Costa Atlantis is in Puerto de la Cruz. As I’ve said earlier in this post, this is spot-on as a base for getting around the north of Tenerife. All in all, I would really recommend booking here.

How to get around Tenerife

As you know, I flew with Jet2Holidays on a flight from Manchester. It’s worth bearing in mind that Jet2Holidays’ planes land at Tenerife’s airport in the south, not the northern airport. This means you need to sort out either a transfer (which you can do as part of the deal if you book one of their package holidays to Tenerife) or get a taxi or bus up north. 

Once you’re in the north of Tenerife, I do recommend hiring a car to get to many of the places I’ve listed here. Some are perfectly doable by bus, though, so don’t rule out northern Tenerife if you don’t want to drive. The bus system is good and there’s also the small tram network.

When to go to Tenerife

The Canary Islands are almost guaranteed sunshine in the grim months of January and February, so I do recommend going then. I loved staying in northern Tenerife in February as it was hot enough to wear dresses/skirts but not so scorching you couldn’t walk around and explore comfortably. Incidentally, if you’re already a Tenerife fan but would like some ideas for similarly sunny places, I have a whole post on winter sun destinations. Shameless plug there.

Save and share: 35 things to do in Tenerife – in the north

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You might also like some of my other posts:

• 21 of the best winter sun destinations
• 32 cheap European city breaks for an affordable getaway
• 36 alternative, unusual European city breaks
• 18 of the best UK city breaks
• 20 of the prettiest Greek islands for couples.

And if you’ve used one of my travel guides and enjoyed it, you can also buy me a drink. Cheers. 

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