North Coast Beaches: Tenerife's Wild Black Sand Side

Most visitors come to Tenerife for the calm, sandy south — but the north coast is where the island shows its dramatic side. Volcanic sand, rolling Atlantic swells and coves tucked under green mountains: this is the Tenerife that locals keep for themselves.

Around Santa Cruz

Las Teresitas is the golden exception to the black-sand rule — imported Saharan sand hugging the coast beneath the Anaga hills. A short drive north, Las Gaviotas is a wild nudist cove with striking volcanic rock, and the La Laguna guide is the best base for exploring this end of the island.

Anaga's wild coves

The Anaga mountains drop straight into the sea, and their beaches are the island's most dramatic:

• Playa del Bollullo — a broad black-sand beach reached down a cliff path; big waves and a beach bar in summer.
• Playa de Benijo — the postcard beach of the north, framed by the famous Benijo rock needles; sunsets here are legendary.
• Playa de Almaciga — a quieter neighbour of Benijo, popular with locals and their dogs.

The hidden gems guide has the full circuit of these coves, and the Puerto de la Cruz page covers the town beaches further west.

Puerto de la Cruz and the west

Playa Jardín is the designed centrepiece of Puerto de la Cruz — dark sand framed by palm gardens and sculptures. Playa de San Marcos in Icod de los Vinos is the quiet family option, and around the dramatic cliffs of Los Realejos, Playa de Castro is a small, powerful surfing beach with a loyal local following.

The coast west of here is wilder and rockier, but hides a string of characterful black-sand beaches: fishing-village Playa de San Juan and the lava-pool cove of El Bajío further along, the surf breaks of La Fajana and El Socorro in the protected Rambla de Castro valley, the sheltered Blue Flag cove of Playa Los Roques with its dramatic offshore rocks, and tiny Playa de Las Aguas and Santo Domingo tucked below the vineyards. Further west still, Playa de Garachico is the town's quiet black-sand cove, and at the island's wild western tip, Punta de Teno and the sheltered cove of La Ballenita sit beside the old fishing harbour.

Practical notes

The north coast is wilder — rip currents are real, and swimming is safest at lifeguarded beaches like Las Teresitas and Playa Jardín. Waves and cooler water mean these beaches suit surfers and sightseers more than gentle swimmers. Bring layers: north-coast evenings are fresher than the south, and the Atlantic here is noticeably cooler. The day trips guide explains how to reach the north from the southern resorts, and the how many days page helps you fit both coasts into one trip.