beat the brochure

The most popular beaches visited by the majority of tourists to Tenerife are in the south of the island. Many of these beaches are man-made and ensure golden sandy beaches. In other parts of the island especially in the west and the north, many of the beaches have black sand. This is due to the volcanic lava reaching the sea. Over time the deposited basalt rock wears down to form this coarser grainy black sand.

The black sand really holds the heat too. You need to wear beach shoes to avoid burnt feet or sprints to the sea! You have been warned!

Here are some little gems for you to seek out on cheap holidays in Tenerife:

Little known beach favourites
El Puertito in the south-south west retains its old fishing village charm. This beach has pale golden sands and looks like it hasn’t been discovered by the masses yet.

Playa Grande is close to the wind farm at Punta de Abona. The beach here is protected by the headland so that it’s relatively wind-free. Follow the paths from the beach to the tiny hamlet, the Abona lighthouse and see the strange fish sculpture on the small jetty.

The coves at Playa de los Arbriguitos just past Los Abades has pale golden sands and turquoise waters.

Las Teresitas is man-made with Saharan sand and could easily grab ‘the most stunning beach on the island’ title, which of course means it’s popular too. It’s picture-postcard pretty with a crescent shaped lagoon, tropical fish, palm trees and a mountain backdrop. It’s a great family beach too.

Plenty of parking and an interesting restaurant can be found at Playa de las Arenas just beyond Buenavista del Norte. The coastal walk leads you to black sand and pebble beaches as well as rock pools and coves with the spectacular Teno Cliffs above.

Just beyond El Médano you’ll find the golden sands of Playa de la Tejita. This long, wide beach is right next to the airport. It’s also windy which makes it the perfect location for the annual Granadilla kite festival every September

You’ll find another man-made beach at Playa del Duque at the far western end of Playa de las Americas. Striped beach huts and umbrellas make it feel more mainstream even though it is still quite small. A large volcanic rock hides the concrete jungle behind the beach!

All over tan favourites
Just outside Puerto de la Cruz you’ll find Playa de el Poza and Playa de los Patos via a single track road. Here there are three coves that cut into the cliffs with black sands and huge waves. If surfing’s your thing, you’ll love it here. Or if you fancy that all-over tan, head along the track to the nudist beaches.

For more secluded bathing follow the road beyond Las Teresitas to Playa Las Gaviotas, a nudist beach with black sand.

Surfing favourites
Head for El Médano for a natural golden sand beach! It’s one of the longest beaches on Tenerife with a bleached wood boardwalk. Popular with wind and kite surfers, which of course means it’s likely to be too windy for sun-bathing.

Playa Jardin in Puerto de la Cruz was designed by Lanzarote’s famous artist Cesar Manrique. Great for surfing.

There’s black volcanic sand at Playa Socorro in the north of the island. Pass banana plantations and haciendas to find the beach. It can get very crowded on summer weekends making parking difficult. This beach is popular with surfers; join in or watch from the beach bar restaurant.