Tenerife Natural Pools: The Island's Best Charcos and Lava Pools

What are Tenerife's natural pools?

Tenerife's volcanic coastline is dotted with charcos — sheltered pools of seawater formed where old lava flows met the Atlantic. Unlike the island's beaches, they're protected from the open swell, which makes them calmer, clearer and safer for children. Most are free, uncrowded and genuinely local: on a summer weekend you'll share El Caletón with as many residents as visitors.

El Caletón in Garachico

The most famous pools sit right in Garachico, a historic town almost destroyed by the 1706 Teide eruption. The black lava pools of El Caletón are carved into the town's waterfront — a mix of deep plunge pools and shallow bathing areas for children, with the Castillo de San Miguel at one end. There are changing rooms, a café and summer lifeguards.

El Guindaste in La Guancha

North of Puerto de la Cruz, El Guindaste is a row of natural pools built into a low lava platform, with a shallow area that's ideal for families. It's quieter than Garachico, and the viewpoint over the sea beside it is dramatic. On summer weekends, arrive before 11am — parking is limited.

Charco de la Araña in El Sauzal

On the coast below the motorway, Charco de la Araña is a deep, protected natural pool that locals swim in year-round, reached down a short cliff path. It has concrete terraces for sunbathing and is one of the cleanest pools on the north coast.

Don Gabino on the Los Silos coast

The volcanic coast keeps giving: on the Los Silos shore, Charco Don Gabino is a beautiful rock pool about ten metres long, named after a local banana-grove owner, with easy stone steps into crystal-clear water. In Tacoronte, the fishing village of El Pris has a black-sand beach and a natural rock pool where the lava meets the open sea — a genuinely local spot with a bar above. North of La Laguna, the Blue Flag Piscina Natural de Punta del Hidalgo is carved from volcanic rock, with lifeguards and shallow tide pools that young families love; just below it, the little urban Playa de Las Canteras is a local favourite, with good snorkelling over the reefs just offshore.

Planning your visit

All the pools are free and public, but there's no beach sand and no lifeguards at the smaller ones — check the sea state and avoid swimming the day after heavy rain. Pack accordingly: water shoes (lava rock is sharp), a towel and sun cream, since there's rarely shade. For more ideas on a north-coast day, see the full Garachico guide or how the pools fit into a family holiday.