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Tenerife is a great getaway during the cold months of the year. It is one of the Canary Islands, located near the coasts of Africa, so the weather is quite warm there for the whole year. And as a bonus, it is a part of Spain and the currency there is Euro.
Where is Tenerife?
Tenerife is located in the Atlantic Ocean near the northwestern coast of Africa. It is a province of Spain and a part of the Canary Islands. Tenerife is part of Spain, not Portugal. The language spoken in Tenerife is Spanish.
Southside usually is a better choice for a stay
There are two airports on the island, and you might be wondering, which one you should choose. In my experience, the south of the island might be a bit better choice. It is warmer during the cold months, and there are nice towns for staying near the airport. However, if you are ready for a bit wetter and colder weather, the north side is the right choice for you. It is greener and boasts epic views from the mountains.
In my experience, the nicest part of Tenerife for accommodation is Costa Adeje. It is a well-known resort with multiple hotels near the well-maintained beach. The resort is located on the south side of Tenerife which pretty much guarantees sunshine and warm weather for the most part of the year. And a bonus? The biggest water park on the island – the Siam Park – is located in this resort.
January is the coldest month in Tenerife
Tenerife is a good destination if you want to catch the winter sun. The island is lying at the same latitude as the Sahara Desert so it is warm all year round.
January is the coldest month in Tenerife. The average daily maximum temperature is 21.1°C and the average daily minimum temperature is 15.4 °C.
If you go to the warmer south side of the island there is a good chance that you’ll be able to fully enjoy the beach, as the temperatures usually are above 20°C. Tenerife offers around 6 hours of sunshine per day in January, so it is possible to sunbathe as well.
Best view of a sunset is from Teide volcano
On days with fewer clouds around the island, it is a great idea to go to Teide volcano to watch a sunset. The roads surrounding the base of the volcano have several parking places for landscape lovers. It is possible to take some food with you and have a picnic while the orange light from the sunset reflects in the foreign-looking volcano.
For adventurous travelers, it’s possible to hike up Teide to view the most magical sunsets or sunrises. Check out here how to prepare for the Teide volcano hike!
Beat the crowds at Siam Park
According to Trip Advisor, Siam Park is one of the best water parks in the world. According to me – it is so much fun! There are a lot of attractions like a beach with waves, the long river flowing through the whole park, and awesome water slides. It is possible to buy tickets to Siam Park online so that you wouldn’t have to stay in line. And if you are interested in animals as well, it is a wise idea to get the combined ticket to Siam Park and Loro Park.
Sand is black on beaches
Tenerife has a volcanic origin, and all of its beaches (except one) are black-sanded. This gives quite an exotic feeling but is no place for a white towel and bikini.
However, there are a few white sand beaches as well. Check out one of them in this list of the best things to do in Tenerife!
You need to take a lot of water when going on hikes
I am a big fan of getting to know a foreign country by going on a hike there. In Tenerife there are some great options for hiking, for example, you can climb on Teide volcano or go down in Masca valley. However, you need to remember to take enough water with you. The weather can get quite hot in the Canary Islands, and usually, there is no option to fill up your water bottle with clean drinking water along the way.
Top tours in Tenerife
Check out these popular tours in Tenerife to get the most out of your visit:
Thank you for sharing these useful tips. I have been to Tenerife twice when I was a child and would love to return and see what the island looks like today.
It is always interesting to return to the travel destinations after some time. I hope that my favorite places on Tenerife – Masca valley and Teide volcano – will not change with years and thousands of tourists visiting them.
Wow how did I not know about this place before?! Now added to my bucket list!
Never been to Tenerife but planning on it now – it looks beautiful
Amazing pictures! Tenerife is one of the lovely island where you can escape the noisy reality!
Kate the Great
http://elysianmoment.com
I visited Tenerife for the first time a couple of years ago and loved it – it was easy to get round the island, there are some fantastic restaurants and the beaches and hikes were fabulous 🙂
great post, thanks for sharing. I heard that to got up to Mt Teide you have to register/book National Park Entrance in advance. Did you experience the same?
Thanks! My hike on Teide was a few years ago and I wasn’t the person in our group responsible for the permit, so I don’t remember precisely. I guess we had a permit only for the hike. We were also near Teide on a road trip on another day, and that didn’t need a permit. For the newest requirements, I’d suggest checking this page though: https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/real/ParquesNac/usu/html/detalle-actividad-oapn.aspx?ii=6ENG&cen=2&act=1