I’ll be the first to admit that Tenerife and the Canary Islands haven’t been at the top of my
travel list, but WOW was I proven wrong on this trip! For starters, we went in January, which was such a treat to get a bit of winter sun without travelling too far.
Our hotel, Barcelo Tenerife, was so convenient for the airport. We got there late afternoon, and we were chilling by the pool before we knew it. We hired a car from the airport, which was super easy and not too expensive – I’d definitely recommend this if you’re wanting to explore the island. It was super handy to have, too, as the hotel is in a pretty peaceful area away from the livelier resorts.
I was determined to seek out some spots on the island that you might not expect and there were so many – we will deffo be back because we didn’t have enough time to see them all! So, if you’re heading to Tenerife and want to see more of the island like we did, here’s the lowdown on how we spent five days there…
Day 1 – wine tasting and Mount Teide sunsets
We kicked off the first full day by heading into the countryside for a very fun activity – a tour and wine tasting at Sauzal vineyard. We were shown the wine-making process before enjoying lots of different wines (I lost track how many) paired with some bread, cheese and other yum snacks. The whole place overlooked Mount Teide, so the scenery was seriously beaut.
Next up, we visited a little town in the north called San Cristobal de La Laguna. It was such a nice place to walk around – it felt like a real mix of Spanish and Cuban vibes and there were hardly any other tourists. There were lots of little cafes and shops to explore and we sat out in the sunshine with a drink.
We chilled here before driving up to Teide National Park to watch the sunset over the volcano. It’s popular for a reason and definitely worth adding to your itinerary – if you don’t have a car, there are plenty of tours that include pick-up and drop-off at your hotel, so you won’t miss out.
After a busy day, it was time to go back to the hotel for dinner at Arrozante, which does delish Canarian rice dishes.
Day 2 – horse riding and village scenes
We got up and out for another busy day of exploring – I really meant it when I said there’s so much to see and do here. First on our list was horse riding – it’s something I love doing everywhere I travel because it’s such a good way to see the landscape. The Rancho Bonanza stables were really close to the hotel and are great for all levels, whether you’ve never been on a horse before or you’ve ridden all your life. I’d never ridden on such cool terrain – it felt like we were on the moon!
We worked up a real appetite, so from here we went straight to find some lunch in Puerto de Santiago.
The town itself isn’t a must-visit, but we had an amazing lunch at Los Gigantes Beach Club where we had garlic prawns and I tried papas arrugadas – traditional Canarian potatoes.
Then, we ventured to the famous village of Masca. The drive here isn’t for the fainthearted because of the windy roads, so I’d recommend taking one of the buses if you don’t feel like trying it yourself. It’s so worth the trip, though – this tiny little village felt like stepping back in time. It’s a good shout to visit in the morning and spending a while exploring, then getting lunch. We stopped to watch the most beautiful sunset on the way back and it was the perfect end to our second day.
Day 3
It was our last full day before heading home, so we decided to have a break from the daytrips and hang out by the hotel pool. We switched things up and found some natural sea pools nearby – they’re all over the island and they’re a great spot for a swim, but they can be quite chilly!
In the evening, we did the short walk from the hotel into Los Abrigos, which has a handful of restaurants known for their fresh fish. We had some delicious seafood, soaked up the holiday feels and went through our fave parts of the trip. It was the perfect way to wrap up our winter-sun stay in Tenerife, before getting ready to go home the next day.
Whether you’re a Tenerife regular or @gracegrangetravel has converted you to the Canary Islands, check out our Tenerife holidays and see more of her picks on the Insiders Hub.
Keep an eye out for the ‘Insider pick’ tag when you’re browsing our best deals and in your holiday search results, too.
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Author: @gracegrangetravel
Last updated: 07/05/2025
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