Tenerife climate
Tenerife is also called the island of eternal spring, because it is almost always good weather. The island is 2057 km² large, has a mildly balanced climate throughout the year and it is not too hot in summer. People mainly spend the winter on Tenerife. It is the largest island of the 7 Canary Islands and the Chinijo Archipelago. There are slightly fewer than 900.000 people and have a financially favorable climate. The pension is not taxed if you live there, gross is net on Tenerife. We are already looking forward to it 😉.
Los Gigantes
Tenerife is a very versatile island, with in the northeast the misty forests of the Anaga Mountains. In the southwest, the most sunny region of Tenerife, are the spectacular steep cliffs of Los Gigantes. Above it lies the beautiful mountain village Masca, hidden in the Teno Mountains. Right in the middle of the island, you will find the Pico del Teide, with a summit of 3718 meters high, the largest mountain in Tenerife and Spain. We were able to go upstairs with the cable car during the 2 attempt. There you can make a small walk. We combined the El Teide with a guided visit to it Teide Observatory in Izaña, the largest solar observatory in the world.
There are many forests in Tenerife. That's because trees used to be planted in the mist zone, between 1000 meters and 1600 meters altitude, to keep the moisture out. We went for a picnic in one of those cloud forests on a Sunday afternoon. We ate our sandwiches that we had on our day trip to Mount Teide. But we quickly noticed in the forest, because the locals who come to eat there on Sundays, all have BBQs. Almost all tables were occupied with 'Tenerifians' and because of the many bbq fires there was smoke everywhere in the forest, except for us.
Tenerife - Sunny destination
We have been in the Easter holidays (April), because from Belgium in that period it is actually one of the few sunny "near" destinations. The south of Spain, Greece and even Malta do not yet offer sufficient security in warm weather in April. The Canary Islands have sun all year round, so you can also swim in the sea in April. You should try that in the Easter holidays, nowhere else in Europe. The sea is then still too cold. The first time we went to Tenerife, we stayed in Callao Salvaje, a quiet little holiday village on the southwest coast.
Callao Salvaje
The south and southwest of Tenerife has a dry and sunny climate with all year temperatures between the 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. At night the temperature does not drop below 15 degrees. We had found an 2 room apartment via Homeaway (Now Vrbo). We noticed that the sun was shining in Callao Salvaje, while in other places it was sometimes cloudy. I also remember several days that the sky cleared when we came closer to Callao Salvaje. We could enjoy each evening outside on the terrace, with an aperitif, from the evening sun.
Climate Callao Salvaje
During the day the temperature was around 26 degrees and at night it was about 19 degrees Celsius. From the terrace we had a view of the glittering sea and the island “La Gomera". That island lay both the first 2 weeks we were there and the 2de times, completely embedded in the mist. Turns out again, that choosing a good location in advance is worth a lot, even on the smaller islands. We have had 1 day rain and even that is quite exceptional in that period. In the north it rains more often. It is also "colder" there and there is more wind.
The major popular coastal towns, such as Playa De Las Americanas and Playa De Los Christianos, are also in the south. There, too, it hardly ever rains, but those places are very touristy, so there are many apartments and hotels together. Are you more fond of peace and nature, then those places are not so suitable. The beach at Playa De Las Galletas is not really ideal, but you can take beautiful walks along the coast. El Médano is located on the southeast coast and is known as the best windsurfing and kitesurfing location in Tenerife. So there is a lot of wind there, which makes it less good as a normal sandy beach. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay, then Callao Salvaje and Los Gigantes is ideal. Be sure to check out the list of “The most beautiful beaches in Tenerife".
Roques de Garcia
Tenerife has a varied landscape where you can make fantastic walks. One of the nicest walks we did was "Roques de García", an 6 km long walk with a view on the El Teide. You can park at the Parador or along the road and then follow the sign "Roques de Garcia". The walk begins with "the finger of God" (photo above: Roque Cinchado). At the beginning of our trip it was pretty cool, but after an hour of walking it became warmer and we did not need a jacket or fleece anymore. The most beautiful walks on Tenerife you can view here. If you go to the top of the El Teide, be sure to wear warm clothes. The temperature is near the freezing point and it can also blow hard.
Rent a car
Renting a car in the Canary Islands is very cheap. We rented a small middle class car through cheaptickets and landed on Tenerife North. It is actually better to land on Tenerife South, because the distance to your apartment or hotel in the south is much shorter. If you do choose Tenerife North, allow an extra hour to drive to Costa Adeje by car.
Tenerife
- The most beautiful walks on Tenerife
- Mallorca - Fantastic holiday island
- Gozo - Unspoiled pearl of Malta
