Disclaimer: Please make sure you are up to date with the government’s latest foreign travel advice by checking out our blog post on travelling to the Canary Islands during the coronavirus before booking a holiday. It is also worth noting that, due to COVID-19, some attractions listed in this blog post may not be currently operating.

It’s no secret Tenerife is home to plenty of brilliant beaches. Visitors flock to this spectacular island in the Canaries for their Tenerife holidays and bask in the pleasant year-round sunshine, enjoy sandy stretches of beaches lapped by gentle turquoise waters and experience a whole lot of relaxation. But with so many beaches to choose from, how do you decide which to sink your toes into during your holiday to Tenerife? Teletext Holidays sent award-winning blogger Monica Stott, aka The Travel Hack, to find out.

I recently spent three days on the west coast of this sun-soaked island seeking out Tenerife's best beaches to help make that difficult decision just a little bit easier. From small villages to upmarket seaside towns and volcanic rock pools, these are the best beaches on Tenerife’s west coast.

The Beaches in Los Cristianos

One of the most popular resort towns on the island, Los Cristianos is tucked into a picturesque harbour and offers beaches, restaurants, bars, shopping and plenty of oceanfront space for you to explore. The main beach, Playa de Los Cristianos, may not boast the most golden sands in Tenerife but its location within a wide, sweeping bay means the water is nice and calm, making it particularly suitable for families.

For those craving a little more privacy, take a stroll along the boardwalk following the magnificently clear water around the bay. Here you'll find Playa de los Tarajales, a rocky stretch with uninterrupted views over the water and just a handful of sun beds.  

When you've had your fill of sunbathing, I’d recommend grabbing an ice cream and heading along the promenade to watch the fantastic street entertainers performing all manner of mesmerising stunts. 

Playa De Torviscas

Probably the most vibrant of the beaches to be found along this stretch of coastline, Playa de Torviscas is perfectly equipped for a full day spent soaking up the sunshine on the beach. The glistening sand stretching for hundreds of metres is wide enough to claim your own peaceful patch of beach without stepping on anyone’s toes. 

Whether you’re content relaxing on a sun lounger - and there are plenty of them - or you’re looking to get a bit more active, this beach will suit everyone. With room for games, calm waters thanks to the breakwater close to shore, lifeguards on duty, space to walk along the sandy stretch and bars dotted along the beach from which to order regular refreshments, you can happily spend all day here doing as little or as much as you wish. 

Playa Del Duque

Just a stone’s throw from Playa de Torviscas is exotic Playa del Duque, often compared to Caribbean beaches thanks to its swaying palm trees, blue and white beach huts and golden sands. It’s a small, quiet beach that sits snugly against an upmarket town, complete with luxury hotels, a mall and plenty of restaurants and cafes. 

This is the perfect beach for splashing in the waves but the sea here might not be ideal for younger children. Come here if you want to enjoy a more upmarket vibe and be sure to treat yourself to a tropical cocktail to accompany what will be a picture-perfect sunset. 

Playa De La Arena

Set in a small bay surrounded by rocky outcrops, the beach isn’t large enough to truly spread out on, but it’s relatively quiet and hemmed in by charming little restaurants and bars that overlook the water. 

PLAYA LA ABAMA

It’s just as well private beaches aren’t allowed on the Canary Islands, or this particular stretch would be reserved exclusively by guests of the luxurious Abama Resort. Playa la Abama may be a little difficult to access, but it’s well and truly worth the effort. Leave your car in the resort’s parking area and take a walk past private villas to the staircase making its way down the face of the cliffs to the beach below. 

Sheltered by cliffs that protect banana plantations on one side and volcanic rock pools on the other, the golden sands of Playa la Abama are soft, inviting and almost spotless. Half of the beach is taken up by sun loungers and the other half is available for those who prefer to relax on the sand itself. There’s a bar and restaurant right beside the small beach, and just around the corner is a spectacular volcanic rock pool teeming with colourful fish and gently swaying anemones. 

The water is clear enough for you to see everything just by peering through the surface, while the water crashing against the black, uneven cliffs is a wild and breath-taking scene. Also, look out for the agile crabs that cling to the sides of the cliffs, and savour the perfection of this hidden beach before braving the staircase back up to the resort.  

Whether it is a family-friend beach you're seeking or a quiet romantic hideaway, beaches in Tenerife have something for everyone no matter when you visit... so what are you waiting for? Book cheap Tenerife holidays now at Teletext Holidays!