This is the time of the year when you have to buy flights if you want to get a good deal and this week there are excellent prices to the islands in general and Tenerife in particular. I couldn’t have chosen a better date to publish this post about what to do in Tenerife with kids.
Tenerife is ideal as a family destination at any time of the year. The weather is perfect and a great incentive to choose Tenerife as a holiday destination, with north with mild temperatures and warmer south where you can go to the beach all year round.
As there are colours to suit all tastes, there are two different areas on the island, Tenerife North and Tenerife South.
Best places to visit in Tenerife
#1 Santa Cruz de Tenerife
In the list of best places to visit in Tenerife, we start with Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island’s capital, which is very close to the airport in the north of the island, the airport of Los Rodeos. In fact, you can easily use public transport to get from the airport to both Santa Cruz and La Laguna.
In this city I would highlight, to go with children, the García Sanabria Park, the largest urban park in the Canary Islands, we also coincided with the book fair, and we were surprised by every detail we saw, full of families with children but especially teenagers and pre-adolescents who gather here.
The Parque Marítimo César Manrique is ideal for a family day out, a 22,000 m2 complex with unbeatable views of the Tenerife Auditorium, the Palmetum botanical garden, and the sea. It has three saltwater swimming pools, with artificial islands inside, and the depth varies according to the area, with access to them using beach-type ramps or stairs.
The Palmetum gardens are home to the best collection of palm trees in Europe and are considered the largest botanical collection of tropical island palms in the world.
Admission costs 6 euros for adults, 2.80 for children
The Auditorio Santa Cruz de Tenerife, designed by the controversial and ubiquitous Santiago Calatrava, has become a modern icon of Santa Cruz, a “Sydney Opera House” Atlantic.
In Santa Cruz, we have La Casa del Disfraz, a free museum where you can see the winning costumes from previous editions. I assure you that you will be impressed.
And if you’re going with the kids, you can’t miss the dressing room and costume area where you can try on all the costumes you want.
And another essential visit is the TEA, Tenerife Espacio del Arte, a municipal area where you can die of beauty.
With ample spaces catalogued by age to give expression to everyone’s artistic talents. They often organise activities for the little ones and the entrance and activities are free.
#2 La Laguna
We are now going to La Laguna, a striking city for being built in a grid pattern. It reminded me of Barcelona in its street structure, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the seat of the oldest university in Tenerife, and its university atmosphere can be felt in the streets, especially at night.
The humidity in this city is very high, and the temperature is much lower than in the rest of Tenerife. In fact, I can tell you that I was even cold.
It is also known as the city of Peace, as it was built without walls. It has beautiful palaces with coffered wooden balconies and volcanic stone churches. From Santa Cruz, you can reach La Laguna by tram in about 45 minutes.
In La Laguna, I would highlight the Museo de la Ciencia y el Cosmos de La Laguna, an interactive center where they will discover the secrets of science and the cosmos. It has one of the best planetariums in Spain.
#3 Puerto de la Cruz
My favorite town in Tenerife is Puerto de Santa Cruz, the typical seaside town that for me has everything, atmosphere, services, parks… and a great area to stroll around full of cafes and very crowded as is the Plaza del Charco.
Also in Puerto de la Cruz you can make a route through the murals of the city, which are all concentrated in a very specific area so that you can see them all very quickly and on foot.
And what you will undoubtedly love is the Martianez Lakes, a set of saltwater pools, with three beaches and gardens, even a geyser, all surrounded by the works and sculptures of the architect Cesar Manrique who is the author of this beautiful landscape where the children will have a great time.
The entrance fee doesn’t seem expensive at 5.50 for adults and 2.50 for children under 10 years old, but you do have to pay for a sun lounger, mat or umbrella, but it’s very little.
If you are not interested in the swimming pool, there is also a beach in Puerto de la Cruz, although it is not very big.
#4 Loro Park
We continue to the North, and now we go to Loro Parque; they say it’s the best zoo in Europe and the second-best in the world. I won’t be the one to argue with that. Of course, the Aquarium area and the Antarctic habitat, where you can see penguins, is something that always surprises me.
They also offer dolphin, killer whale, and sea lion shows.
Admission costs 34 euros for adults and 23 euros for children, sometimes there are good offers that include food for that price, and it’s great.
#5 Garachico
I fell in love with the area of Garachico with its natural pools, and its history goes back to a small fishing village that was buried in 1706 when the Teide erupted and buried a large part of this town.
The only good thing is that the lava formed a series of pools and natural pools of great beauty. Nowadays, they have stairs that make them very comfortable and are known as El Caletón. Another thing that children might like to visit is the Castillo de San Miguel.
#6 Icod de los vinos
Known for being the place where the Dragó Milenario is located, a symbol of the island and declared a national monument in 1917, the millenary tree is estimated to be 3000 years old, the entrance is 5 euros for adults and 2 euros for children from 6 to 12 years old, children under 6 years old don’t pay, but they can’t enter prams.
In this locality we also find some natural pools, the Charco de la Mareta, although beautiful they are not very recommendable to go with children because its access is complicated. This is also the location of the Cueva del Viento (Wind Cave), the fifth-largest volcanic tube in the world after the four in Hawaii, at 17 kilometers.
You can visit its interior accompanied by a guide, the entrance must be bought in advance online, the price is 20 euros adults and children from 5 to 12, 8.50 euros, children under 5 years old can not enter. It must be an adventure for children to enter the cave.
We are now going to the centre of the country to climb the highest mountain in Spain.
#7 Parque Nacional del Teide
At almost 4000 meters high, it is the third highest volcano in the world, and amazing places to visit in Tenerife.
If you want to climb the peak of Teide, you will have to ask for special authorization.
A protected environment, just like our Cies Islands, is important to remind the children that they are not allowed to pick up stones, plants or throw rubbish, everything must be left as it was before you arrived, not a single plant stone is to be left behind.
One of the ways to climb the Teide that will fascinate the little ones is by cable car. Still, as we are told, “The ascent is not recommended for people with cardiovascular problems, pregnant women or children under 2 years of age because of the risk of damage to their health due to the altitude.
Consult your doctor before planning your visit”. In just a few minutes, the cable car will take you up to a height of more than 1,200 metres with spectacular views.
The cable car’s price is 27 euros return, 13,50 euros one way, children also pay 13,50 euros, but we thought it was a bit expensive.
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