Tenerife in January: Weather, Where to Stay & A Non-Touristy Winter Escape

Tenerife is often advertised as a destination that offers amazing beaches, luxury resorts, and a chill holiday when it gets cold in continental Europe. But I have a whole new perspective after visiting Tenerife in January. 

I am an avid lover of road trips, nature trips and exploring, so sitting all day by the pool isn’t my kind of holiday.

But for a 1-week trip to Tenerife, I made fewer plans than usual and ended up doing a lot of amazing things. Some of this I didn’t think would be possible in January in Tenerife, but I ended up doing far more than I initially planned.

After visiting all European countries (about 50 of them), I decided to focus on smaller regions and islands that offer some of the adventures I love (road trips, hiking, nature and good vibes).

In Tenerife, I was able to go hiking, do a boat tour, visit outdoor museums and explore beaches, towns and little-known spots on the island. 

Overall, it was much better than I expected. It was actually the perfect spot to visit in January in Europe if you’re like me and love warm spots that allow nature exploration all year long. 

Why Tenerife in winter

Tenerife has been a popular tropical destination for Europeans for decades. 

And that becomes evident once you land in the Tenerife South Airport (TFS), which is massive and serves multiple flights per day to multiple cities in Germany and the UK. 

So there must be a reason all these people choose to spend their winter in Tenerife, isn’t it?

Well, obviously, the weather is a big plus. 

Being able to comfortably swim in the ocean or sunbathe in the middle of January isn’t something that the rest of us, stuck in continental Europe, can do. 

But Tenerife is a one-of-a-kind island, with many different microclimates and natural attractions, that can satisfy almost any kind of traveller. 

And the weather doesn’t change much throughout the year. 

I love visiting warmer European destinations during winter, because that’s when the crowds are gone and I can properly enjoy these places. For instance, I love my first visit to Malta in January that I did a few years ago.

I didn’t do much research, but I was overjoyed to discover that there’s so much to do and see in Tenerife that a week almost wasn’t enough. 

But I’d always take a week in Tenerife in winter. It’s affordable, full of things to do and enjoyable. And I’m not talking about beaches, oh no. I’m not that kind of person. 

But we’ll get to activities in Tenerife in a second.

Tenerife in January weather

January is a mixed bag in Tenerife.

BUT, and this is an important but, it’s really important on where you are located on the island of Tenerife, to correctly and accurately talk about the weather. 

Since most people travelling to Tenerife in winter are desperately searching for the warm sun, you’ll find the crowds in the south of Tenerife. 

So if you are looking to book a holiday in the sun, relaxing at a resort, eating good food and sitting by a pool, then you need to book a place in the South of Tenerife in the winter. 

Honestly, Tenerife is one of the warmest places in Europe in January.

Because I booked my accommodation in the north of Tenerife, I had some rainy days during my week in January in Tenerife.

But the weather can change rapidly. On some days, I witness a light rain shower in the morning, and then the sky clears up. 

On rainy days, I decided to spend my time on other parts of the island where the sun was shining. The drive can be a bit demanding, as there’s always heavy traffic and the rain felt and looked like an ocean spray on the windshield. 

In my experience, if the weather forecast says it’s rainy in one part of the island, it’s best to simply pivot your plans and visit another part of the island on that day (so you don’t miss out on a day of exploring Tenerife). 

Here are some temperatures to be aware of if you’re visiting Tenerife in winter.

The bottom line is that the weather tends to be cloudy and even rainy in the northern part of Tenerife in winter (and maybe in general it’s like that), but distances aren’t that big on Tenerife, and for sure you can drive to a spot where the sun shines. 

And that’s why I strongly encourage you to rent a car in Tenreife if you want to explore more of it. 

Where to stay in Tenerife in winter

Tenerife isn’t a huge island, but it’s big enough to offer very different kinds of experiences. 

Wanna sit by a pool, taking in the sun in the middle of January, while sipping from a beer? Sure, book anywhere in the south. Especially around 

Nearby the southern airport (which is the busiest one during winter), where I also landed for my Tenerife trip, is where everything is: the most car rentals, the huge resorts, unlimited restaurants that are open all day, bars, hotels, and a lot of the main attractions (such as the water park). 

But maybe you’re more into adventure travel, dream of amazing hikes and a one-of-a-kind road trip? 

Yes, Tenerife has that too; you just need to rent a car and drive through El Teide National Park and explore the northern part of the island. 

For my first trip to Tenerife, I chose to stay in Puerto de la Cruz, which is a medium-sized town (compared to the larger cities which have an airport). 

I chose this location because it’s a bit more authentic than the resort side of the island. It’s also closer to most of the hikes, viewpoints and other attractions and museums I wanted to visit in Tenerife. 

Here’s the Airbnb I stayed at. 

But choosing to stay in any other place than the South of the island in winter will come with a fair share of unpredictable weather, colder weather in the evenings (I’ll explain that in more detail later), and a real necessity to rent a car. 

I stayed for a week, and by the end of my trip, I was glad I chose to stay in this part of the island, because I like to explore nature spots, viewpoints, and see different places on the island. 

Getting around Tenerife by car

Renting a car in Tenerife is the best way to see the island. 

But everyone already knows that, and a lot of tourists rent cars in Tenerife. Cars here tend to be more affordable, and distances aren’t really big. So you can visit any part of the island on a day trip, regardless of where you’re staying. 

Locals are complaining that rental cars are creating a lot of traffic (which is true). 

Why renting a car is worth it

Most of the island (except the southwest) is surrounded by a highway (120 km/h limit), and that makes it easy to get to a lot of the places that you want to visit in Tenerife. 

Note that the highway gets pretty busy, especially at peak hours (when people go to work or return). 

Driving conditions & mountain roads

After you leave the highway, it’s usually to get to a coastal town or drive up to El Teide. 

On the mountain, the roads are narrow and winding. I don’t recommend getting a big car (don’t worry, most cars they rent are suitable), and I don’t recommend renting a car if you’re not an experienced driver. I also strongly advise you to get an automatic car. 

I have more than 15 years of experience driving a manual car, and these mountain roads in Tenerife are no joke. 

I chose for myself an automatic, and I am so glad I did; it made my road trip so much more enjoyable. 

An automatic will also help tremendously when parking in some of those spots near the nearby attractions, so please spend those 50 Euros more to get an automatic. 

My rental experience with Cicar

I used Cicar to rent my car in Tenerife, and a lot of travellers choose the same. And here’s why.

Cicar allows you to make a reservation on their website. You enter your details, but they don’t ask for any deposits or payment at the time of the reservation. 

Then, when you arrive at the airport, you simply show up at their desk (there will be a queue because this is the most popular company for rentals), show your reservation (no need to print it, you can have it on your phone) and then you just pay for the car and a deposit for the fuel. 

Cicar doesn’t ask for a deposit, for extra insurance, for anything. They simply handed me the key. Told me where the car was in the parking, and that was it. 

And for returning the car, I simply followed the signs at the airport for “Car Rental”, and once I got into the parking, I saw the Cicar employees and all the parking was for them. 

I parked the car, took my things at my leisure, and then gave the car keys to the employee in the office of the parking lot. 

The lady there only asked where I parked the car and what the gas level was. 

Because I didn’t refill the gas tank to the same level, I didn’t get the deposit back for the fuel, but in my opinion, it was a good deal either way, so I didn’t want to stress about it. And that was it. No checking of the car, looking for new dents or whatever. 

I rented cars all over the world, but I never had such a good and pleasant experience as I did with Cicar in Tenerife. 

Parking in Tenerife (what nobody tells you)

Tenerife is still an island, and the roads and parking spaces aren’t huge. 

In many viewpoints and attraction spots that don’t have a dedicated paid parking (and most don’t), parking is a real hassle. 

And nobody tells you this until you get there. 

On my first day in Tenerife, I was in Puerto de la Cruz (which isn’t tiny) and decided that I would take the car and drive for 9 minutes instead of walking 20 minutes to the centre of the city. 

It then took me 1 hour to park (because I didn’t know the city). The free parking spots on the streets are always full, and it’s always a huge task just to park. I ended up parking at the mall, which has paid parking, and then walking 10 minutes to the spot I wanted to go to. So in the end, I just lost time and money trying to park. 

Another time, in El Teide, I wanted to park somewhere near the popular trail Roques de García, but it was full. 

After going around a few times, I ended up parking 3 kilometres away and had to walk on the national road back and forth, turning a 3-kilometre hike into a 10-kilometre one. I don’t recommend it. 

And this parking story is the same everywhere you go. 

That’s because most parking spaces are free and everyone has a car in Tenerife. 

You’ll see cars parked in all sorts of spots. Basically, if a car can fit, doesn’t hurt anyone or block another car, you can park it. No parking fines, no parking fees, no nothing. 

Because it was January, I got lucky a few times with the parking, but I got to walk plenty. 

What to do in Tenerife in January when it rains

But I also had a couple of days of on and off rain. 

On one of those days, I decided to relax and not do much except for going to the centre of Puerto de la Cruz for churros and beer and some shopping before heading home. Don’t worry, the rain isn’t generally pouring, so it’s still manageable to go out if you have a proper jacket and an umbrella. 

On another rainy day, I decided to drive to the south of Tenerife to explore the famous beach, the Playa de las Américas. 

The weather was very different here. It was giving Miami vibes, with plenty of cars looking to park, most of the terraces were open, and people were walking around, drinking, eating, and some were sunbathing or doing water sports. 

I have to warn you that it might get windy over there, so you’ll need to make sure you don’t lose your sun cap, and you will need sunglasses. 

Many people also come to this beach for surfing (but there are others on the island for sports, so this isn’t the only one). 

On one other day, it was cloudy in the northern part of Tenerife, so I decided to visit Los Gigantes. 

The road there on the west side of the island is narrow and winding coming from the north, as this is the only strip which doesn’t have a highway yet (they’re building it, but it will be a few years). 

But once I arrived at Los Gigantes, the weather was much nicer, the sky seemed to have cleared, and I was lucky to get on one of the last boat tours of the day to actually see Los Gigantes and many whales. 

Who Tenerife in winter is for (and who it’s not)

Tenerife is for everyone, all the time. 

If you want to escape the European winter, the clouds, snow, cold, blizzard, then Tenerife is for You. 

Given that it has multiple towns that are not just for tourists, but locals live in them all year long, you’ll find different climates, lifestyles and weather that exist at the same time on the island. 

Most travel guides will simply say that if you want to part or stay at a luxury resort to sunbathe, then you should stay in the south. 

But if you want adventure, amazing viewpoints and hiking, then stay somewhere further north. 

You can stay wherever you want and still enjoy most of the places in Tenerife. The only thing that might tire you is the constant traffic (which is a lot for the size of the island). 

I honestly can’t complain about Tenerife. I understand why people love it so much, why so many people all year round, and so many Europeans (mostly Germans and English) choose to retire in Tenerife. 

Tenerife is one of the few places (still in Europe and the EU) that offers a good lifestyle all year long. 

Here are the places I visited in Tenerife in January:

• El Teide National Park
• I did the Roques de García hike, which is the most popular hike (only 3.5 km long, easy)
• Drove all around the island
• Puerto de la Cruz
• Museum of Nature and Archaeology in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (this is where the Tenerife mummies are on display)
• Pyramids of Güímar (open-air museum)
• Malpaís de Güímar (natural reserve, you can walk around)
• Playa de las Américas (the most popular beach in Tenerife)
• Vilaflor (cute mountain village)
• Los Gigantes (boat trip from Acantilado de Los Gigantes)

Before landing in Tenerife, I was afraid that at over 2000m altitude, the road would be under snow. But that was not the case at all, and I was able to drive anywhere I wanted. Yes, even in January. 

What Tenerife in January is NOT

Tenerife offers a lot of diversity and types of holidays, but there are things Tenerife is not. 

For instance, Tenerife isn’t the place I’d pick if my priority were to have peace and quiet. Sure, you can find a spot in a small village where you can have quiet and peace. But then you’d need a car to get there, and that means driving through heavy traffic. 

I also don’t think Tenerife is ideal without a car. The only case for people not renting cars are if you’re staying in a resort and plan to sleep by the pool all day. Or take a taxi or shuttle to a different town or village and just stay there. 

Tenerife does have a pretty decent public transport and most towns have a bus stop right on the side of the highway where you can catch a bus to the larger cities or the airport. 

And if you’re aiming to explore everything that Tenerife has to offer and decide to rent a car, then driving in Tenerife might not be for you. If you don’t like or have experience driving on narrow, winding, steep mountain roads, then definitely, this will feel like torture to you. 

Don’t drive up the mountain if you’re not an experienced driver. I also recommend an automatic car to help you with those mountain drives. 

And of course, choosing to visit Tenerife in winter is great if the sun is what you’re after. But then you need to book a hotel in the south. Don’t go to the north part of Tenerife if your only goal is to have sun when you wake up. 

I did my research before booking my Airbnb and got exactly what I expected (except for the poorly insulated houses, which take a while to get used to). 

Is Tenerife worth visiting in winter?

Yes, I would choose Tenerife (and any of the Canary Islands) to spend a winter holiday anytime.

I’m not talking just about January, but any month from November to March, which is considered harsh in continental Europe, is a dream holiday in Tenerife. 

I chose to visit Tenerife in January because that’s one of the worst times of winter in Europe.

And Tenerife is a great spot for doing a road trip. And I love road trips in Europe. Another great spot for a January road trip in Europe is Sicily. I did this 10-day road trip itinerary in Sicily last January and loved it.

January is when depression sets in deep, the days are shortest, and we’re mostly under snow and freezing temperatures day and night across the continent. 

But Tenerife is the shortest and most pleasant destination for a warm spot in January in Europe. 

I feel like I waited too long to explore the Canary Islands, but now I understand why everyone loves them so much. 

In fact, some Europeans, in particular, love these spots so much that it feels like they have conquered them with their money, real estate investments (holiday homes), and there is no need for this time. 

Looking for spring warmth instead? Here are the warmest places in Europe in March.