Are you planning to spend a week in Tenerife?
This Canary Island has a rich and proud cultural heritage, colonial towns to match any in Central or South America and dramatic forested landscapes. It’s a far cry from the popular perception that it is merely a sangria-and-sand-flop for sun-starved Northern Europeans.
I visited for a week in January and loved it. Clear skies, mid-20s temperatures – warm enough for hiking and sightseeing, though not quite bikini weather (despite what a few optimistic sunbathers thought). Spring and autumn are equally good, while summer can be overcast thanks to the trade winds. The north is wetter than the south, with November and February the rainiest months.
To make the most of your time there, follow my 7-day Tenerife itinerary. I’ve also included tips for where to stay, where to eat, what to see and how to get around – all from my experience exploring the island independently using the brilliant local bus network.
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My 7-Day Tenerife Itinerary at a Glance
I used the northern resort town of Puerto de la Cruz as my base, visiting most of the places in this itinerary independently, using the island’s bus services. Here’s how my itinerary shaped up:
- Day 1: Arrive at my base in Puerto de la Cruz
- Day 2: Explore Puerto de la Cruz
- Day 3: Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna
- Day 4: La Orotava
- Day 5: Day trip to Mount Teide
- Day 6: Icod de Los Vinos and Garachico
- Day 7: An easy hike in the Anaga Forest
If you don’t have a week to spare – or want more beach or pool time – simply modify this itinerary.
For instance, if you are not a person who is keen on the great outdoors and walking, ditch Teide and the Anaga Forest. This will give you time to explore Tenerife’s colonial towns and its capital.
To help you drill down on your choices, these are my Tenerife “must-visits” and optional extras:
MY FAVOURITE places in Tenerife
- Anaga Forest – Genuinely primaeval. Those laurel-draped trails and jaw-dropping miradors are worth the trip alone
- Mount Teide – Spain’s highest peak. The lunar landscape is like nowhere else in Europe
- La Laguna – The island’s best-preserved colonial town. Its courtyards and wooden galleries tell of 500 years of history.
- La Orotava – If you see one Canarian balcony town, make it this one
Places to visit if you have enough time
- Icod de Los Vinos – Essentially a one-tree town, but that 600-year-old dragon tree is admittedly impressive
- Garachico – Pretty streets and natural rock pools, though there was less to see than I’d hoped
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Good for museum lovers and architecture fans, but skip it if colonial towns and nature are your priority
Day 1: Arrive at your base in Puerto de la Cruz
Get yourself to Puerto de la Cruz from the airport, check into your accommodation, and spend the rest of the day getting your bearings.
If you arrive early enough, pick up your ten+ card from the bus station – you’ll need it to travel by bus for the rest of the week. Then take a wander through the old town to get oriented. Plaza del Charco is the heart of things, perfect for people-watching over a drink.
Save your energy for tomorrow’s exploration. Tonight, just find somewhere nearby for dinner and call it an early night.
Day 2: Explore Puerto de la Cruz (5 – 6 hours)
But before jumping on one of the shiny green TITSA buses, spend your first full day in Tenerife getting to know your home for the week, Puerto de la Cruz. You should be able to cover its main sights in a day.
With the possible exception of the Botanical Garden, everything is walkable (although I did walk to the Botanical Garden). Therefore, you shouldn’t need to take public transport.
Things to see and do in Puerto de la Cruz
- The Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico)
- The Orchid Garden (Jardín de Orquideas de Sitio Litre)
- Check out the street art
- View contemporary art in the Casa de la Real Aduana
- Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia
- Chapel of San Telmo
- Cool off at Lago Martiánez
- People watch in Plaza del Charco
- Castillo San Felipe
- Watch the waves crash over the sea wall (Explanada del Muelle)
Where to eat in Puerto de la Cruz
You won’t be short of choices of places to eat in Puerto de la Cruz. Most restaurants are concentrated in the old town. Here are a few that I loved:
Bodega Julian | Calle Mequínez, 20
Good service and even better food with the best lamb dish of my life. Reservations recommended.
Chriniguito Pipo | Calle de la Marina, 2
Fill your boots with langoustines and Canarian potatoes as you watch the waves crashing onto the sea wall at this unpretentious café by the old harbour. Super fresh seafood and service with a smile.
Get there early for lunch for a prime seat.
Day 3: La Laguna with a Morning in Santa Cruz (6 – 8 hours)
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island’s capital, is home to half of the island’s permanent residents. This attractive and laid-back city is for you if you want to go museum hopping to love modern architecture, (the Auditorio de Tenerife is a stunner).
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Laguna (or San Cristobal de la Laguna) wears its history proudly – it was the island’s first capital for nearly 300 years.
Getting to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna
Take bus #102 or #103 from Puerto de La Cruz’s bus station to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a journey time of 45 – 55 minutes.
Once you have finished exploring Santa Cruz de Tenerife, take the tram to La Laguna. The 40-minute journey takes you through the suburbs of the capital before climbing into La Laguna.
Alight at the terminus (Trinidad), from where it is a five-minute walk to the town’s Tourist Information Office.
When it is time to return to Puerto de La Cruz, catch #102 or #103 from La Laguna’s bus station, a 20-minute journey.
What to see and do in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
- Visit Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (its five-nave interior is rare in the Canaries)
- Visit Plaza de España, also home to the city’s Tourist Information Office
- View the Auditorio de Tenerife from all angles
- Explore palm trees from around the world at the Palmetum
- Trace Tenerife’s history at the Museo de la Naturaleza y El Hombre
- View artwork by the great masters at the Museo de Bellas Artes (Iglesia de San Francisco)
- Visit Espacia de las Artes, Tenerife’s art & cultural centre
What to see and do in La Laguna
Sightseeing in La Laguna is concentrated in three blocks in the town’s historic core, bordered by Calle San Agustin to the north, Calle Herrandores to the south, Calle Viana to the east and Plaza de la Concepción to the west.
- Stroll through La Laguna’s historic streets
- Visit Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (yes … another one)
- Admire the carved wooden gallery in the Museo de Historia de Tenerife
- Seek out the animal-shaped gargoyles at Salazar House
- Visit the cloisters of the Iglesia y Ex Covento de San Agustín
Day 4: La Orotava (3 – 5 hours)
Sitting in the shadow of Mount Teide, grand old townhouses line the steep narrow streets and lanes of the old town of La Orotava. Flanking its elegant squares are mansions with traditional wooden Canarian balconies.
Day-trippers flock here to view the best collection of these balconies in Tenerife, the Casas de Los Balcones. But La Orotava is so much more than this stretch of townhouses, with first-rate churches, museums and a small botanical garden.
Getting to La Orotava
Take bus #345 or #352 from Puerto de La Cruz’s bus station to La Orotava, a journey time of around 25 minutes. When it is time to return to Puerto de La Cruz, take bus #345 or #353.
What to see and do in La Orotava
- Stroll through La Orotava’s historic streets
- Visit the Casas de Los Balcones
- Explore the art of Spain and Mesoamerica at Museo de Artesania Iberoamericana (MAIT) housed within the former Dominican monastery of San Domingo
- Take a stroll around La Orotava’s small botanical garden
- Admire the view from Jardins del Marquesadode al Quinta Roja
- Take a look at the unusual statue of Christ of Humility and Patience in the Iglesia de San Agustin
Day 5: Day trip to Mount Teide (6 – 8 hours)
Parque Nacional del Teide is the largest national park in the Canary Islands, and Mount Teide (El Teide), at almost 4,000 meters, is Spain’s highest mountain.
Most visitors take the cable car up the mountain for a view over Tenerife. However, if it’s too windy, the cable car will be out of action.
The other option is to take one of the hiking trails in the national park. There are marked paths accommodating all fitness levels, that lead through Las Cañadas, the giant caldera at the heart of the national park, and up to Mount Teide.
You’ll need a permit for some hikes.
How to get to El Teide from Puerto de La Cruz
Without a car, your options for getting to El Teide are limited.
There is a daily bus service (#348) that leaves Puerto de La Cruz at 9.30 am, returning at 4 pm. As this is a popular bus service, arrive early to ensure a seat.
Another option is to take an organised day trip to Mount Teide, but book well in advance. Here are a few highly-rated options:
- Best for photographers: Teide and Masca Tour from Puerto de la Cruz – This includes pick-up from your Puerto de la Cruz hotel and the picturesque village of Masca | CHECK AVAILABILITY
- All-inclusive option: Grand Tour of Teide and Northern Tenerife – This tour, which also sets out from Puerto de la Cruz, includes Icod, Garachico and Masca | CHECK PRICE
Day 6: Icod de Los Vinos and Garachico (6 – 7 hours)
Tenerife’s legendary dragon tree, Drago Milenario, in Icod de Los Vinos. It is thought to be 500 – 600 years old and is the largest example of this species on the island.
Garachico is one of Tenerife’s prettiest towns, known for its historic town centre and its natural rock bathing pools. Much of the original town was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1706, burying one of the island’s most important ports and wealthiest towns. A new town was built on the cooled lava and, miraculously, some of its buildings survived unscathed.
After an hour exploring Icod, continue west to Garachico, where the real magic happens.
Getting to Icod de Los Vinos and Garachico
The one-hour journey on the frequent 363 bus service from Puerto de La Cruz to Icod takes you along twisting roads, past lush banana plantations, precariously perched vineyards and dried-up river gorges. Sit on the right-hand side of the bus for dramatic views over the Atlantic once you leave San Vicente.
Hop back on the #363 in Icod bus station to continue your journey to Garachico, 15 minutes west. I recommend getting off the bus to Garachico at the first stop for the town. It’s a lovely walk along the promenade with the old town to your left.
What to see and do in Icod de Los Vinos
- See that dragon tree!
- Visit the Iglesia San Marcos
- Watch life go by in the Plaza de Pila
What to see and do in Garachico
- Wander along the paths of El Caletón, Garachico’s natural rock bathing pools
- Relax in Plaza della Libertad
- Visit Iglesia de Santa Ana
- Visit the Castillo de San Miguel
- Visit the Convento de San Francisco
Where to eat in Garachico
Grab a table at the seafront Ardeola (Av. Tomé Cano 4) for their menu del dia. Great food reasonably priced.
Day 7: An easy hike in the Anaga Forest (5 – 7 hours)
Sadly, it’s the final day of your week in Tenerife but let’s finish on what was my highlight: The Anaga Forest. This primaeval laurel forest, northeast of La Laguna and Santa Cruz, is prime hiking territory.
And on a clear day, the views from the forest’s miradores are sensational. From the highest one, Pico del Inglés, there are sweeping views that take in Punta del Hildalgo and the beach at Las Teresitas.
Many waymarked hiking trails are available. Even if you have left your hiking boots at home, you should be able to manage the easy Sendero de los Sentidos (Path of The Senses) in a pair of trainers (sneakers).
In fact, Sendero de los Sentidos comprises three tracks of varying length and difficulty.
Path 1 is the shortest, designed for those with mobility issues. Path 3 is the longest – it will take around 45 minutes to complete – and takes in two miradors.
As all paths are clearly marked, you won’t need a map to walk the Sendero de Los Sentidos. The information office at Cruz del Carmen will provide a free map but this isn’t worth picking up.
How to get to the Anaga Forest
As bus services are infrequent, this day trip from Puerto de La Cruz will take a little more planning.
From Puerto de La Cruz, take bus #102 or #103 to La Laguna. At La Laguna, change onto the #76, #77, #273 or #275 and alight at Cruz del Carmen.
This second bus journey is wonderful. The Anaga Forest begins at Les Mercedes, climbing to the viewpoint at Le Jardin before reaching Cruz del Carmen. The journey time from La Laguna is around 20 minutes.
To plan your journey, check Tenerife bus times here.
Plan Your Visit: Practical Information
Getting around
Hiring a car is cheap in Tenerife, but parking at popular spots is a nightmare, and those mountain roads aren’t for the faint-hearted.
I took the bus everywhere instead. Tenerife’s TITSA network reaches every corner of the island, fares are dirt cheap, and you can relax and watch the scenery instead of white-knuckling hairpin bends.
Pick up a Tenmas (ten+) card from the bus station or airport when you arrive. It costs €2, which you load with €5-100 credit. Tap on when you board, tap off when you leave – the fare’s automatically deducted and you’ll see your balance on the reader.
For places buses don’t reach easily (or if you’re short on time), organised day trips are solid alternatives.
Where to stay
Base yourself in Puerto de la Cruz in the north. It’s properly Canarian – none of the all-inclusive resort vibe you get down south – with good restaurants, actual local life, and brilliant bus connections to everywhere in this itinerary.
I stayed at Miranda Penthouse AI, a wonderful apartment in the heart of Puerto de la Cruz’s old town with sweeping views across the ocean. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
If you’d rather a hotel, 4Dreams Hotel Chimisay is centrally located with optional breakfast, or splash out on the five-star Hotel Botanico y Oriental Spa Garden with its pools and spa (though it’s outside the old town).
Ready to spend a week in Tenerife?
I hope this itinerary helps you plan your week in Tenerife. The island completely surprised me – I wasn’t expecting colonial architecture this good or forests this ancient.
I travelled solo and found it brilliant for independent travel. In fact, it’s one of the best places to travel alone in Spain.
If you’re staying in one of the southern resorts, don’t spend your entire week by the pool. Hire a car or jump on a bus – there’s far too much to see.
For more help planning your trip, check out:
- Tenerife Solo Travel: The Ultimate Guide
- Top 10 Things to Do in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife
- Exploring Tenerife by Bus: TITSA Buses Made Easy
- The Top 10 Tenerife Excursions
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.