North Tenerife Guide: Green Valleys, Old Towns and Wild Coast

Why the north deserves its own plan

The two halves of Tenerife are genuinely different — the north versus south guide covers the climate and character in detail. The north is greener and cloudier, cooler in summer, and packed with the island's history: UNESCO-listed La Laguna, the colonial streets of La Orotava, and the volcanic-pool town of Garachico. Allow at least three of your days here — the how many days advice applies as much to the north alone.

Base yourself in Puerto de la Cruz

The liveliest northern base is Puerto de la Cruz, a proper resort town with a volcanic beach, Loro Parque and a compact centre of restaurants and promenades. For quieter stays, where to stay recommends the historic towns instead.

The old towns

La Orotava's flower-decked balconies and La Laguna's UNESCO old town each deserve half a day. North of them, Icod de los Vinos hides the thousand-year-old Drago tree, and Garachico's natural lava pools are the best free swimming on this coast.

Anaga and the wild north-east

The Anaga Rural Park is the north's landscape highlight — laurel forest trails and ridge-top villages that feel a world from the south. Its wild beaches are some of the most dramatic on the island, and the north coast beaches guide rounds up the best swimming spots from El Bollullo to Los Silos.

Weather and packing

The trade winds bring clouds to the north — it can be 3–5°C cooler than the south, so pack a layer. Rain is more likely, which is why the valleys stay so green; the best hikes guide is your key to the trails that make the most of it. In return you get quieter towns, lower prices and the island's most atmospheric coastline.

Where to sleep in the green north? Three characterful options: Hotel Rural Victoria pairs a restored 16th-century mansion with easy access to the trails, Route Active tucks a forested retreat with a heated pool into the hills, and El Patio de Tita puts you in a 200-year-old farmhouse on a working banana plantation. Lace up early and our Teide sunrise hike rewards those who reach the mountain at dawn — while the quiet country lanes make the north superb cycling country.