Our 7 Day Tenerife Itinerary

Our 7-Day Tenerife Itinerary

Last week we flew out to Tenerife for a (very) last-minute week in the sun, meeting up with Terry’s brother and his wife, who were already out there.

It was our first trip abroad since before the pandemic (September 2019, to be exact…), and, as far as Max was concerned, it felt like his first trip EVER, because although we took him abroad several times pre-2020, he was too young to remember any of those trips. So it was kind of a big deal for all of us, in other words.

Honestly, I never been so happy to be squeezed into the middle seat in an aircraft as I was last week – and not even the horrible realization that Max’s graduation to a seat of his own basically means I’ll be stuck with the middle seat forever now could dampen my excitement at finally being able to travel again.

Here’s our one week Tenerife Itinerary

 

First of all, a quick disclaimer to say that my parents decided to accompany us on this trip, and my brother and sister-in-law were already out there (along with my sister-in-law’s parents), so it was a bit of a family reunion for us all, and, as we’ve all visited the island many times now, this wasn’t so much an opportunity to explore as it was to catch up with family, and just relax in the sun for a bit, after all of the horrors of the pandemic. So this isn’t going to be the most action-packed or comprehensive Tenerife itinerary you’ll come across (especially as we were traveling with a 3-year old, who has limited capacity for culture etc), and you should bear that in mind as you’re reading, because I’d hate for anyone to go away from this post thinking this is all that Tenerife has to offer. 

Where to stay in Tenerife

We stayed at the hotel Playa Real, in Costa Adeje, which we booked through Jet2 Holidays. Terry and I have actually stayed at Playa Real once before, back in 2016, and were happy to go back to it, because while it’s far from the fanciest hotel on the island, it’s clean and convenient, with recently refurbished rooms, which we found really comfortable last time we visited. Unfortunately for us, as we were travelling with a child this time, we were placed in the family wing, which is at the back of the hotel, facing out onto the kids’ splash area you can see above. Although the pool was fantastic, we found the room itself quite a bit shabbier than the one we stayed in last time, so if we were going back to this particular hotel I’d probably ask NOT to be in the family wing next time. (My parents were in the main part of the hotel, and their room was much nicer than ours, and not too far from the kids’ area either.)

Tenerife Itinerary DAY 1: Pool / Playa de las Americas

As we’d arrived quite late the night before, we spent our first day at the pool (The water in March is way too cold for me, but Max loved it!), before heading down to the beach at Playa de las Americas to meet up with Terry’s brother and family.  We much prefer the Costa Adeje area to Las Americas itself, but the latter does have a lot of great shops, as well as bars and restaurants, so it’s a good place for a wander, and Max was very impressed with both the beach and the many ice cream shops that line it!

Tenerife Itinerary DAY 2: Del Duque beach

We had a hard time dragging Max away from the hotel pool and playpark on Day 2, but we finally made it to Playa Del Duque, which is the closest beach to our hotel, as well as being one of the quieter beaches on the Los Chistianos/Las Americas/Costa Adjeje coast. (Be aware that sunloungers here are much pricer than they are on some of the other beaches, which is why we always just take towels!) The area next to the beach is particularly picturesque, with a very ‘Spanish’ feel to it (this is distinct from areas like Puerto Colon, say, which has much more of the ‘Brits Abroad’ vibe the Canary Islands are known for…), and on some days you’ll find a small artisan market going on, where you can buy locally made jewelery and other items. We bought a couple of necklaces (one for my Mum and one for Max, who’s been going through a bit of a ‘gem stone’ phase!), before spending some time on the sand, and then heading back along to Las Americas for drinks with the family. 

Tenerife Itinerary DAY 3: Masca Valley / Los Gigantes boat trip

After a couple of lazy days spent mostly by the pool or on the beach, by Day 3, we were ready to do some exploring, and Terry and I really wanted to take my parents to see Masca, which is a tiny village set high in the hills, on the Western side of the island. We’d hired a car at the airport when we arrived, but be warned: the road to Masca is an adventure in itself, with a selection of hairpin bends so tight the tour buses struggle to get around them. We actually filmed this video when we last visited in 2016, but the road itself is pretty much unchanged, so it should give you some idea of what you’re dealing with here:  

Once you reach Masca itself, though, it’s well worth the drive. The village is picture-perfect, and although its main industry these days is tourism, it has a very authentic, unspoiled feel to it, as well as breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and countryside. 

How to get to Masca from Costa Adeje: 

1. Head northwest on TF-47: Start by heading northwest on the TF-47 road. This road runs along the western coast of Tenerife.
2. Continue on TF-47: Stay on TF-47 and follow the signs for Adeje and then Buenavista del Norte. You will pass through various towns and villages along the way.
3. Merge onto TF-1: After a while, you will likely need to merge onto the TF-1 highway. Follow the signs and directions to ensure you are on the right path.
4. Continue on TF-1 and take the exit for Santiago del Teide: Drive on TF-1 until you reach the exit for Santiago del Teide. Take the exit and follow the signs to Santiago del Teide.
5. Drive through Santiago del Teide: Once in Santiago del Teide, navigate through the town, following the signs for Masca.
6. Continue on TF-436 towards Masca: After Santiago del Teide, you will likely need to take TF-436, the road that leads towards Masca. Follow the signs, and this road will take you through the stunning landscapes of Tenerife.
7. Arrive in Masca: Continue on TF-436 until you reach the picturesque village of Masca.

On the other side of the Masca valley, meanwhile, lies Los Gigantes –– a resort town which is best known for the towering cliffs that rise dramatically from the Atlantic Ocean. These cliffs, known as the “Acantilados de Los Gigantes” or the Cliffs of the Giants, are one of the main attractions in the area, and you’ll find tons of boat trips departing from the little harbor there every day. 

We picked a tour more or less at random; it was a dolphin-spotting trip, but although we did, indeed, see a pod of dolphins who swam alongside the boat for a good part of the trip, this would still have been worth doing without the wildlife, because the scenery is just so stunning. Our boat stopped for a while close to the cliffs so people could have a swim (We declined as this had been a last-minute decision on our part, and we didn’t have our swimsuits with us!), before returning to town, where you can have lunch or drinks in one of the little restaurants that line the harbor. 

Tenerife Itinerary DAY 4: MONKEY PARK

Monkey Park is a small zoo just outside Los Christianos (see my pervious post about it here), and although it’s not the fanciest zoo you’ll ever come across, it’s always been one of my favourites to visit, purely because the animals are so well cared for, and there are plenty of opportunities to interact with the incredibly tame squirrel monkeys, who’ll come over and eat right out of your hand. 

I’ll be honest here and say I noticed a big difference in it since our last visit in 2016 (Which is when the above photos were taken), mostly because this year there were hardly any squirrel monkeys in the park (there used to be at least a dozen, all of whom were more than happy to come and play), which meant the only animals we were able  to interact with were the guinea pigs and tortoises, which, let’s face it, weren’t quite as interesting. It’s still a good way to pass an hour or so if you’re in the area, but I was quite disappointed in the difference since our last time there, so I’m really hoping it’s not permanent, and that my monkey friends will make a comeback at some point. 

Here’s a video we made a few years ago which gives you an idea of what it used to be like:

Tenerife Itinerary DAY 5: Mount Teide

A trip up Mount Teide is a must-do when you’re visiting Tenerife: it’s the highest peak in Spain and the third-largest volcano in the world. (It’s also still active, although the last eruption was in 1909, and hopefully there’ll be plenty of notice before the net one…) We once again chose to make the trip in our hire car, and it’s another super-scenic journey, although thankfully not nearly as hair-raising as the one to Masca! Once you reach the main parking lot near the cone of the volcano, there’s a cable car ride which takes you to the summit. We opted not to go all the way to the top this time as the queues were incredibly long, but you can see some photos from the last time we went up in this post, and it’s definitely something I’d recommend including on your Tenerife itinerary. 

DAY 6: Los Christianos and Siam Mall

I somehow neglected to take photos on day 6, but we spent the morning wandering around Los Christianos, the former fishing village which has now been more or less swallowed up by the Las Americas area. Los Christianos isn’t as nice as Costa Adeje in my opinion, but it has some nice little streets leading down to the harbor, with lots of restaurants, plus shops selling leather goods etc. No amount of shopping is ever enough for me, however, so once we were done there we got into the car and headed to Siam Mall, which is, quite simply, a shopaholic’s dream. There’s a huge ZARA and H&M, plus stores like Mango, Bershka and Stradivarius, as well as a HiperDino supermarket, and tons more. On the top floor, meanwhile, you’ll find restaurants and bars, all with a great view of the ocean, so it’s a nice place to chill out and relax for a bit, too. 

DAY 7: Homeward bound

We had to catch our flight home on Day 7, sadly, so there was just time for a short stroll along the coast near the hotel before we packed up and headed to the airport. As I said, this was a slightly different visit to Tenerife from some of the ones we’ve taken in the past, in that it was our first time traveling there with a child, and we also spent a lot of time catching up with family members who we hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. If you’re looking for some more ideas on what to do in Tenerife, however, you can check out my posts on Siam Park and The Auditorio de Tenerife for more inspiration.