Where to Stay in Tenerife: Best Areas and Hotels

Deciding where to stay in Tenerife is more complicated than it seems, since it is an island of considerable size and full of places to visit. Choosing one or several bases is a crucial aspect to avoid spending too much time on transfers, so it is important to look for accommodation in Tenerife that fits your budget, the number of days you have to explore, and the activities that interest you the most.

That is why here you will find this guide in which we clarify the most frequent doubts about the best areas, as well as select the best hotels in North and South Tenerife—the areas into which the island is usually divided—to help you with your choice and ensure it is as acertada as possible.

Based on our experiences, through which we have created extensive guides such as the one for places to see in Tenerife or tips for traveling to Tenerife, here we are going to delve into an aspect of special relevance to ensure everything goes perfectly: where to sleep in Tenerife. Let’s get started!

Areas to Stay in Tenerife

Considering that Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands, with over 300 kilometers of coastline and an equally interesting interior, where we can find cities with a rich historical heritage, choosing accommodation that suits our plans, tastes, and budget is crucial.

Although there is a highway that circles almost the entire island (except for the part that goes from Santiago del Teide to El Tanque, which, for now, are connected by a winding road), it can take up to an hour and a half to cross the island by rental car. Of course, if you do it by bus or guagua, this translates into even longer travel times than we imagine, which is not ideal, especially if you do not have many days.

Reading all this, you probably already want to know where to stay in Tenerife and why. From our perspective, we can talk about the following accommodation areas:

North Tenerife: the greenest part of the island, with Mount Teide watching over the Orotava Valley, a rugged coast with volcanic sand beaches, and dignified towns such as La Orotava or Icod de los Vinos. In terms of hotels in Tenerife, we consider it extends from La Laguna to Punta de Teno. This area has its own airport, Tenerife North, located next to La Laguna.
South Tenerife: more arid thanks to its warmer climate and, therefore, more focused on its beaches. When considering accommodation in Tenerife, we would say it is the strip between El Médano and Los Gigantes. Tenerife South Airport is located next to El Médano.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife: the capital of the island, where you will find plenty of cultural attractions, the popular Las Teresitas beach, and the nearby Anaga Rural Park.

Considering all this, if it is your first time on the island and you have 3 or 4 days to see it, perhaps the most interesting option is to opt for staying in North Tenerife. This is the most picturesque part with a greater number of tourist attractions beyond the beach, so we would consider staying in places like Puerto de la Cruz, Icod de los Vinos, La Orotava, or Garachico. If you want a city with more restaurant/bar options and proximity to the airport, La Laguna is for you.

Even so, if you want to focus more on the beaches—even though there are also some very beautiful Tenerife beaches in the north, due to the weather, we would choose the south of the island.

Do you have more vacation time? If you are going to spend 5 days or more, then we would divide your stay between two places. That is, you would look for accommodation in North Tenerife and South Tenerife. For example, you could spend a few days in Icod de los Vinos or Garachico and others in El Médano or the Las Américas or Costa Adeje area. This way, you can enjoy the island without long transfers.

With all this in mind, below we will provide more details so you can choose where to sleep in Tenerife and select the hotel(s) that interest you the most.

1. Where to Stay in North Tenerife: from La Laguna to Garachico

Endless plantations of banana trees, volcanic sand beaches, cliffs, charming villas, natural pools, caves, and much more await you in this part of the island. Perhaps the most picturesque, it is a great area to stay in Tenerife if you want to explore its natural and cultural side.

To help you choose hotels in North Tenerife, we believe the 5 places you should consider are La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, Icod de los Vinos, and Garachico. The first two are larger cities, and Puerto de la Cruz, located by the sea, has a milder climate and more tourist spots. The other three are smaller with a more traditional feel, with Garachico being one of the most beautiful towns on the island and home to the stunning natural pools, El Caletón.

Which one to choose? From our perspective, Icod de los Vinos or Garachico are cozier, although with a rental car you can easily combine them in just a few minutes. If you do not plan to drive, Puerto de la Cruz offers more excursions and, therefore, we believe it is a more interesting place to sleep in Tenerife for you.

Find your accommodation in La Laguna here
Find your accommodation in Puerto de la Cruz here
Find your accommodation in La Orotava here
Find your accommodation in Icod de los Vinos here
Find your accommodation in Garachico here

Recommended Hotels in La Laguna

Here are the most recommended options we have found for staying in the historic center of La Laguna, especially for their good value for money:

La Laguna Gran Hotel
Il Sogno di Gio della Laguna
La Asomada del Gato

Recommended Hotels in Puerto de la Cruz

If you want to be closer to the sea, with more access to restaurants, beaches, natural pools, and a wide range of tours and excursions, these hotels are the most recommended for you:

Hotel Botánico y Oriental Spa Garden
Hotel Tigaiga
Hotel Puerto Palace

Recommended Hotels in La Orotava

Below we provide the best accommodation options in Tenerife based on their location and price:

Hotel Alhambra
Hotel Rural Orotava
Hotel Rural Victoria

Recommended Hotels in Icod de los Vinos

Icod de los Vinos is one of the best places to sleep in North Tenerife thanks to its location and compact historic center. If we had to choose a hotel here, it would be one of the following:

Hotel Emblemático San Marcos
Hotel Emblemático San Agustin
Casas Rurales Los Guinderos

Recommended Hotels in Garachico

Treat yourself to a charming stay in one of these accommodations, among the best hotels in North Tenerife:

Hotel LIVVO La Quinta Roja
Isla Baja Suites
La Casita de Brownie

2. Where to Stay in South Tenerife: from El Médano to Los Gigantes

If you are looking for more warmth, beaches with all services, and a wide range of hotels in Tenerife, the south is your place. We would choose this area for a short getaway to the island focused on the sea or, as mentioned above, if you have 5 days or more to spend 2 or 3 nights.

We have chosen 4 areas as bases, but they are somewhat different from each other, so besides checking the prices of hotels in South Tenerife, we recommend you research a bit more to see if they match the type of tourism you enjoy.

On one hand, the area of El Médano has a more “surfer” or youthful atmosphere. Since it is often quite windy, you will always find schools for surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing here, as well as backpacker hostels and bars. In the city center there are a couple of comfortable and pleasant beaches, and a few kilometers away is La Tejita, a pristine and one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

If you want resorts, sun loungers on the beach, restaurants offering all kinds of cuisine, and tours around the island, the area of Los Cristianos and Las Américas is for you. Here you will find a large concentration of all-inclusive hotels, popular with foreigners seeking better temperatures than those in their own countries. The same applies to Costa Adeje, where you can find excellent beaches like Fañabé, Playa del Duque, Playa Paraíso, or Callao Salvaje. In the first two especially, there is a greater offer of Tenerife hotels dedicated to sun and beach tourism. For more information, you can read this post about the places to see in Costa Adeje.

Finally, Los Gigantes or Puerto de Santiago enjoys sunny, windless weather for most of the year, making it a perfect destination if you want to enjoy the sea. It is a more rugged coast, so you will not find long beaches, but there are small coves and Tenerife accommodations with wonderful views of the Los Gigantes Cliffs.

Find your accommodation in El Médano here
Find your accommodation in Los Cristianos here
Find your accommodation in Costa Adeje here
Find your accommodation in Los Gigantes here

Recommended Hotels in El Médano

In El Médano there is a greater offer of holiday apartments and hostels, perfect for those traveling solo or looking to meet people. Here are the ones that, thanks to their excellent value for money, we believe are the best for sleeping in Tenerife:

Hotel Ventus
Casa Grande Surf Hostel
The Tree House Tenerife

Recommended Hotels in Los Cristianos/Las Américas

The number of high-quality resorts in this area is overwhelming, but to help you choose, we recommend you take a look at these, which are some of the best hotels in South Tenerife:

Paradise Park Fun Lifestyle Hotel
Villa Mandi Golf Resort
Flamingo Beach Mate

Recommended Hotels in Costa Adeje

The quality improves as you head west, with hotels as impressive as these:

Vincci Selección La Plantación del Sur
Melia Jardines del Teide – Adults Only
H10 Costa Adeje Palace

Recommended Hotels in Los Gigantes

With views of the majestic Los Gigantes Cliffs, these hotels stand out for their wonderful value for money:

Klayman Diamond Aparthotel
Royal Sun Resort
Allegro Isora

3. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Another Interesting Place to Stay in Tenerife

Another ideal corner to stay in Tenerife is Santa Cruz, its capital. This is perfect if you do not want to be far from the airport, prefer an urban environment, and desire a broader cultural offer. From here you will have easy access to both the north and south of the island, and you can also relax at Las Teresitas beach, one of the few golden sand beaches in Tenerife.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is also a very practical base if you want to explore the Anaga Rural Park, whether by hiking or driving to the northern part to explore beaches such as Benijo.

Additionally, if you are not renting a vehicle, the city center is well connected to the rest of the island by guaguas.

Find your accommodation in Santa Cruz de Tenerife here

Recommended Hotels in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife you can choose between internationally renowned hotel chains and cozy apartments that will make you feel at home. In our opinion, these are some of the best accommodation options in Tenerife:

Hotel Emblemático Hi Suites
Silken Atlántida Santa Cruz
Hotel Principe Paz

4. Other Interesting Areas to Look for Accommodation in Tenerife

Finally, we have created a sort of “miscellaneous” section in which we found it interesting to mention other areas that also belong to the north and south, but which are often overlooked because they are a bit more isolated or less touristy.

First, Candelaria, which could be considered a midpoint between the north and south, as it is located between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and El Médano. It is a municipality with pleasant weather, well connected by the highway, offering plenty of services, and with a very local character, despite having beautiful beaches and natural pools. It can be an alternative if you do not want to stay in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, want something moderately priced, and seek a combination of nature and culture.

On the other hand, Costa del Silencio is a residential area in the south of Tenerife, relatively close to El Médano and Las Galletas. Here you will find small, uncrowded coves, as well as interesting spots for snorkeling such as Montaña Amarilla.

Finally, Punta del Hidalgo belongs to the municipality of La Laguna and is located by the sea, next to the northwestern part of the Anaga Massif, which gives it such a special environment. In this part of Tenerife you can enjoy excellent natural pools like those in Bajamar or beaches such as El Arenal. It is an area frequented by locals from La Laguna, but it has a less touristy atmosphere than the southern hubs of the island. So it is also a great area to stay in Tenerife if you want to enjoy the sea while staying close to the north airport.

Catalonia Punta del Rey (Candelaria)
Alua Atlantico Golf – All Inclusive (Costa del Silencio)
OCEANO Health Spa Hotel (Punta del Hidalgo)

Our Recommendations for Choosing Where to Stay in Tenerife

In short, if you are undecided about where to stay in Tenerife, we would advise you to consider two factors: the number of days of your trip and whether you prioritize the beach or not. If you only have 3 or 4 days, we would stay in the north, choosing tourist hubs like Puerto de la Cruz or Garachico. If you have the same amount of time but want the beach, then we would go directly to places like Playa del Duque or Fañabé.

In case you have 5, 6, or 7 days, the best option is to book a hotel in North Tenerife for the first 2 or 3 nights and another hotel in South Tenerife for the remainder. In any case, the best thing you can do is rent a car, as this way you can cover the entire island without worrying about transportation.

Regarding prices, the average cost of accommodation in Tenerife is around €70 per night, but it greatly depends on the season. Even so, if you want to save money—as you can probably imagine—you should stay a little away from the beachfront and visit the island in spring or autumn.

Best Hotels in North Tenerife

Without taking the area too much into account, if what you prioritize is accommodation in Tenerife for a special occasion or something out of the ordinary, we recommend you take a look at the following:

Hacienda del Conde member of Meliá Collection – Adults Only
Nava Suites
Hotel San Roque

Best Hotels in South Tenerife

Enjoy the south of the island in one of these hotels, among the best on the island:

Hotel Las Madrigueras Golf Resort & Spa – Adults Only
MYND Adeje
Las Terrazas de Abama Suites

Tips for Finding Cheap Accommodation in Tenerife

In addition to the recommendations and information about the different areas to stay in Tenerife, we have compiled some tips that might interest you when looking for a hotel on the island:

It is crucial to book your accommodation in Tenerife in advance to find better prices, especially in summer and winter, which are the peak visitor seasons. Also, don’t forget if you plan to travel during holidays.
If you want to save money, stay away from the coastal areas and tourist hotspots in the south of the island. For that, you will need to use rental cars, but it is also the best way to explore the island.
Lay out the map and choose where to sleep in Tenerife according to the number of days you have and the places you want to visit.
If you are going to spend several days on the island and want to economize, book a hotel in Tenerife or an apartment with a kitchen. This way, you can prepare your own breakfasts or dinners and save a bit on food expenses.

Once you have chosen your place to sleep in Tenerife, it’s time to plan the rest of your trip with these other posts from our blog:

Map of Areas and Hotels to Stay in Tenerife

Here you can see the selection of hotels in Tenerife that we have chosen for you, along with some of the island’s tourist attractions, so you can get an idea of the distances:

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Have you already chosen where to sleep in Tenerife or do you still have doubts? If so, feel free to write to us in the comments.