Introduction to Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
As one of the most popular and well-known holiday destinations in Europe, Tenerife needs little introduction to many prospective visitors. However it is worth pointing out that Tenerife is a lot more than bars and nightlife and if those things aren’t what you are looking for in a holiday experience then Tenerife also offers plenty of alternatives to blow up that preconception that many people have of the island.
Granted – Tenerife does offer plenty of happy hours, all you can eat restaurants and crazy teens on their first holiday away from mum and dad, but away from a few small enclaves of the island that promote these types of things, you will quickly discover that Tenerife has so much amazing scenery and nature, culture, gastronomy and some of the very highest quality hospitality experiences anywhere!
Even if your accommodation is located in one of the resort areas on the island, it is very easy to find high standards of restaurants and bars to while away a few hours and experience some superb cooking. In addition, taking a rental car or organised tour – especially to the volcanic west or north of the islands, or indeed travelling inland high into the volcanic wastes tumbling down from the peak of the 3700m Mount Teide that dominates the island – are highly recommended by us here at The Golf Travel People and really do give an alternative angle on what Tenerife is all about.
Location Map of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
When to Travel to Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
As with the other Canary Islands, travel to Tenerife is a year-round option as the climate is usually excellent 365 days of the year!
Even in the depths of the winter, the temperatures rarely dip below the mid-teens in Celsius and therefore for golf tourists visiting the island the winter months are actually considered to be high-season.
Due to this excellent climate the golf courses are usually found to be presented in great conditions all year around and winter greens and tees are almost unheard of for golf in Tenerife unless course maintenance is underway that necessitates an occasional temporary green or forward tee…
The southern part of the island where most of the hotels and golf courses are located tends to be slightly warmer and much drier than the northern areas where the lusher landscape with much more greenery reflects the fact that the mountains create a micro-climate on the north coasts of Tenerife that is more tropical than that found in the south.
The proximity of Tenerife to the deserts of north Africa also means that the island can suffer from the occasional sand/dust-storm during periods of high winds, but these are pretty rare – maybe once every 12 – 18 months.
Average Temperatures in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Average Temperature Ranges in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Average Rainfall in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Average Daily Sunshine Hours in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Top Tip from Andrew at The Golf Travel People
“With my preference for playing golf in the hottest weather possible, Tenerife is great for me during the summer months as the temperatures can climb close to 40 degrees on a frequent basis. The biggest advantage of the high summer temperatures for visiting golfers are the lowest green fees available though the year, but this has to be offset by the fact that the popular summer months do mean higher prices in the hotels…
However, generally the most favourable time for golf in Tenerife tends to be from November through to the middle of March when the temperatures are the lowest and the golf courses have benefited from the minimal rains that occur on the island.
But, my overall view is that Tenerife is one of very few truly year-round golf holiday destinations, so to be perfectly honest it does not matter when you visit Tenerife for golf as it will be great whenever you fancy visiting!”
Getting to Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Flying to Tenerife is one of the easiest to source flight options in Europe with most major scheduled and charter airlines offering regular flights to the island.
Tenerife is usually accessed by flying to the Tenerife South Airport (TFS) which is the largest and most modern airport on the island, however the old military airfield of Tenerife North (TFN) is also served by some non-UK airlines. Using TFN is also a good option if you are taking a connecting onward flight to la Gomera as scheduled flights to that island operate exclusively from TFN.
Tenerife South is conveniently located only minutes away from some of the main leisure and tourist destinations in the southern part of the island and some resorts such as those around Amarilla and Golf del Sur are right under the final flight path only 5 minutes from the airport – although are generally not affected adversely by aircraft noise.
Check out the best flight options to Tenerife here.
Top Tip from Dan at The Golf Travel People
“Once you have arrived on Tenerife the modern motorway network that connects the southern part of the island with the north via the eastern side is a very convenient and easy way to speed to your destination. Most of the popular resort areas are just a few minutes from the motorway so access is easy with very few transfers of more than 30 minutes.
However, if you are staying in the northern part of Tenerife at Buenavista or around Santa Cruz de Tenerife you need to allow a bit more time to access these areas as the roads aren’t quite as well-developed as those in the south. The choice is either to take the motorway around the eastern coast and onwards on single carriageway roads along the coast through various small towns and villages, or for the more adventurous to go round the south of the island and up the incredibly mountainous east coast route that offers a true insight into “old” Tenerife with incredible views of the impact of the island’s volcanic past on its modern landscape. Certainly not a journey for the faint-hearted, but one that is well worth the effort for some incredible scenery and challenging driving!”
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In our view the person with the most insight and expertise on golf tourism in Tenerife is Carlos Beautell (right) who is the Tenerife Tourist Board’s main consultant for overseas visitors and companies looking to promote the island as a golf holiday destination.
Carlos has been good enough to provide the following recommendations for 3 of his favourite places to visit on the island:
Teide National Park
You simply must not miss this wonderful National Park. The other-worldly landscapes here will leave you speechless. The pure, clean air of Spain’s highest peak will refresh your lungs as you wander amidst solid volcanic magma feeling almost insignificant in this impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Whale and Dolphin Watching
The warmth of the sun, the sea breeze and the sway of the waves make you feel totally relaxed. Suddenly, the boat stops, everybody pulls out their cameras and peers over the side of the boat with anticipation. You follow suit and soon realise that there are small distant specks breaching the surface, which take the shape of imposing sea creatures as they draw closer. The whales and dolphins swim freely and peacefully in the water with no specific direction, allowing you to share with them an unrivalled sensation: feeling free in the ocean.
The Hamlet of Masca
The cottages in the hamlet of Masca are all lined up along the mountain ridges. They take up almost every inch of inhabitable space, balancing on the edge of the abyss created by the Island’s deepest ravines. The Cherfe lookout point (on the road from Santiago del Teide) provides fantastic views over the hamlet.
This has always been a narrow and remote place, which was only very recently supplied with electricity, and where the roads were barely more than dusty tracks up until not long ago. In fact, for years the only means of communication with the rest of the world was the trail of Camino de los Guanches, linking Masca to Santiago del Teide. But that remoteness is precisely what has allowed it to keep its ancient charm.
Despite its small size, the area boasts a collection of valuable treasures such as the house of Los Avinculados in the hamlet of Piedra, and a tiny 18th century church. It even has a museum and a craft centre that have been set up inside one of the houses.
The hamlet is one of Teno Country Park’s most charming attractions as it comprises all of the elements that make traditional Canarian architecture so unmistakable: masonry and wood, conceptual simplicity and full adaptation to surroundings.
A rock formation that was once used as an aboriginal sanctuary not far from the hamlet revealed an archaeological site featuring cave art. Legend has it that as a remote and solitary place, this was a favourite hideout among the pirates who roamed the Island.
The hamlet of Masca is an Asset of Cultural Interest and is classed as a Historic Site. Your visit here can be extended to explore other hamlets in the area as well as Masca, such as El Palmar, Las Portelas and Teno Alto.
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Golf Clubs & Golf Courses
Golf has been played on Tenerife since 1932 when Real Club de Tenerife was opened in the northern section of the island to cater for mainly British golfers who found themselves on the island developing various industries and sectors.
Since those fairly humble beginnings, it is incredible to see and understand the vision that the earliest golf course architects had to build golf courses in this unforgiving and harsh volcanic landscape. It is clear to see why most of the golf courses now to be found on the island are in the south and east as this area offers a much more gently sloping and forgiving terrain than the north and west of the island with its incredibly challenging volcanic landscape.
6 further Tenerife golf courses have been developed since those early days and some of the most famous course designers have worked their magic over some excellent golf courses on the island since those first British golfing pioneers back in the early 20th century.
The Seve Ballesteros designed Buenavista GC in the far north west of Tenerife is one of the best courses in Europe in our view with spectacular sea views from most of its holes and is certainly worth the effort to get there for a round if your accommodation is located in the southern part of the island.
There are 2 clusters of golf courses down in the southern section of Tenerife – one near to the airport featuring the 2 courses adjacent to one another at Golf del Sur and Amarilla, and then the most popular area for holidays in Tenerife around Las Americas, Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje etc where you can find the golf courses of Las Americas, Costa Adeje and Abama. Both clusters offer plenty of excellent hotels in close proximity to the golf courses with many offering great value Stay and Play deals…
Top Tip from Jonathan at The Golf Travel People
“As previously mentioned, Buenavista is in our view the best golf course on the island of Tenerife. Simply for the location and quality of the design it is my favourite on the island.
But that’s not to say that I don’t like the other golf courses as well… For me, a close second to Buenavista would be Costa Adeje. Every time I play here I come off the course with a broad smile on my face as it really is a great challenge with some very interesting features that are a legacy of the period of time that the land was actually a banana plantation.
I also really enjoy Golf del Sur with its tough layout and rewards for straight-hitting and for me these 3 courses would be the ones I would choose if I was on Tenerife for a short golf break with time for only 3 rounds of golf.”
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Golf Resorts & Golf Hotels
Most visitors to Tenerife will find their golf holiday accommodation located in the southern part of the island where the vast majority of hotels and apartments are found. This area offers a vast array of high quality accommodation that offers plenty of choice for visitors to find the perfect hotel to suit your requirements. From basic apartments offering self catering accommodation where the location close to the nightlife of Tenerife is the main priority right through to some of the most opulent 5 star hotels from many of the world’s leading luxury brands including Ritz-Carlton and Leading Hotels of the World.
Other areas of the island such as near the south airport around Golf del Sur and Amarilla, and also along the northern coasts also offer an excellent selection of hotels and resorts for your golf holiday base, and once again these are from many of the world’s leading travel brands including Vincci Hotels, Melia Hotels and many, many more…
With such a vast array of accommodation choices available on the island of Tenerife it can sometimes be tricky to narrow down the selection to find exactly what you require, so in addition to all the following options that we work directly with and can personally recommend, we will also be very happy to source your preferred accommodation option for you – in addition to golf reservations and transport arrangements – if the specific hotel or apartment your are looking for is not listed on our website.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Tenerife is located in the Canary Islands group in the Atlantic off the coast of north west Africa, and is 3 to 4 hours flight time from much of northern Europe.
Tenerife is the most populous of the Canary Islands with a permanent resident population of around 950,000 people. This is boosted by the annual number of tourists who visit the island of over 5 million further people.
Tenerife has 2 main airports - Tenerife North (TFN) and Tenerife South (TFS) - although it is the latter which is most often used as the arrival point onto the island by tourists. Both airports are within fairly short driving times to all the main resort areas on Tenerife.
Pretty much all scheduled and charter airlines in Europe offer flights to Tenerife all year around. Find details of these flight options here: https://golftravelpeople.com/golf-holiday-flights/
- the spectacular volcanic landscape whose crowning glory is Mount Teide at over 3700m - a wide range of excellent tourist experiences of all types - plenty of traditional religious and secular festivals throughout the year - an excellent year-round climate to enjoy the island in - one of Europe's most extensive selections of holiday accommodation
Details of flights to access Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Check out flight options to TFS (Tenerife South) or TFN (Tenerife North) for your best available flight options to Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
Tenerife, Canary Islands is blessed with an incredible climate – perfect for your next golf holiday!
Details of all Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Golf Resorts
Details of all Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Golf Hotels
Details of all Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Golf Courses