Tenerife Holidays

If you were a weather forecaster for Tenerife you’d be fed up with talking about the sun, which shines nearly all the time, and very excited about rain, that is a rarity.

Visitors who flee the UK’s winter chill can expect to spend Christmas or the New Year in shorts and a T-shirt during the day, especially if they are on the south side of the island where temperatures will be around 20 degrees Celsius. The sun can shine for seven hours a day. During the summer there is little chance of rain and the temperature soars to the high 20s and low 30s.

Tenerife has two climate zones, north and south. It gets chillier on the wetter, windier northern side, where it has been known to snow on high ground in winter. Most rain is likely to fall there in January and February. As a result, it is lusher and greener.  

Autumn in both the north and south is often quieter. The weather is good, the sea still has its summer warmth and evenings warm enough to eat outside.

Easter can be a busy time as most towns have Holy Week fiestas, called Semana Santa. The weather is generally good.  Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Puerto de la Cruz have the largest and most spectacular carnivals in February or March. There are also “end of summer” carnivals in September.

Car Hire: One of the best ways to explore the amazing landscapes of Tenerife is to hire a car. Most of the roads are good and you can drive around the 350km (217 mile) “autopista” coastal route comfortably in a sight-seeing day. Some of the mountain roads can be hairy. There are many car hire outlets. Drive on the right.

Buses: Look out for the distinctive bright green Titsa Buses. The local word for buses is guaguas, pronounced wa-wa. Services connecting main towns and resorts are regular, elsewhere less so. There is an easy to follow, detailed and downloadable timetable on-line.  Fare discounts are available. Getting on the last bus of the day can be a scrum.

Taxis: There is a sign setting out taxi fares at the airport. The “Guia de Horarios” bus timetable from the airport information booth includes a price guide for taxis. They are usually large white Mercedes. Larger groups than family-size can be accommodated in “un grande” (pronounced grand-ay) which is a people carrier or minibus. Check the fare with the driver at the start of the journey. Most drivers speak English.

Trams: Tenerife has the only tram network in the Canaries. There are two lines in Santa Cruz, the capital, and 20 five-car trams each capable of carrying up to 200 passengers.  One of the services goes to the nearby historic town of La Laguna. Fares start at less than two euros. A third line is planned.  There are no trains on the island.

Ferries: Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, is a hub of ferry and hydrofoil travel to the other islands of the Canaries and to Cadiz in southern Spain.

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