The largest shadow cast over the sea, the island of the five climates, three hundred days of sunshine a year. There are many reasons that explain why millions of travellers arrive in Tenerife every year. The island offers a destination full of sunny days and beaches, awesome cliffs and endless things to do. But, what about travelling in family? Tenerife is a great destination for children because it’s very family friendly. There are countless activities and places to visit at Christmas in Tenerife. Do you want to travel to the homeland of Teide volcano during your winter holidays? If so, you are in the right place to organize the perfect Christmas with your family. Now we will tell you the top 10 activities to do in Tenerife with children at Christmas. Enjoy them!
A boat trip to see whales and dolphins, a visit to the main theme parks or a walk through the less known places on the island. Are you ready for a family adventure?
10 plans to do in Tenerife with Children this Christmas
A boat trip to see whales and dolphins, a visit to the main theme parks or a walk through the less known places on the island. Are you ready for a family adventure?
1. Diving program for children
If you are looking for things to do at Christmas in Tenerife with children, one of our proposals is to do a diving program for children. If your kids are over 10 years old, they can live the experience of diving into the ocean with a full suit and diving equipment. With the Big Fish Tenerife company they can experience the adventure of diving, under the direct supervision of a PADI professional instructor. They will be able to feel what it is like to breathe underwater and discover an underwater world in real life, from a very different point of view to the TV screen, and be able to learn the importance of the conservation of the marine environment and its species for the future.
Cleaning the coast of Puertito de Adeje, carried out by Freebird Catamaran and Big Fish Dive Center
2. Explore the towns and cities of Tenerife
Besides theme parks, your children can enjoy some urban plans. You can visit the Science Museum (Museo de La Ciencia) in the historical city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna with them. This is an interactive museum, ideal for children under 10 years.
From December 2 to January 5 you can visit the PIT of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, an enclosure full of activities and games for children. The ticket costs € 9 and it is free for children under 3 years and adults over 65.
The PIT (Children’s and Youth Park of Tenerife)
The Christmas slide of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is another attraction that is giving a lot to talk about this winter. It opens on December 1 and it will remain active until January 6. What an ideal plan if you want to visit the capital of Tenerife!
You can also visit the nativity scene of La Orotava. Then you can take the chance to visit the historical center of this stately town, eat in one of the guachinches (canarian typical restaurants) of the surroundings and the go to Puerto de la Cruz and take a dip in the Lago Martíanez. That is one of the most activity full days you can live in Tenerife.
Nativity Scene of La Orotava
Whale watching tour in Tenerife
3.Knowing Masca (Teno) and the «Isla Baja»
The fame of Tenerife precedes it and many times we forget that the good weather is only a great alibi to enjoy all the outdoor activities in nature that the island offers us. Dare to take the bus number 355 from Buenavista del Norte station to the beautiful town of Masca and travel its steep slopes. This is suitable for children, if you travel with them to Tenerife, and even more at Christmas!
If you are lucky to have good weather on the Isla Baja (‘the lower island’), take a dip in the Playa de las Arenas of Buenavista. There are only about 2.5 kilometers from the beach to the town, and we recommend you walking along the coast. You can do it with children without any problem. In Teno you will find countless official hiking routes of the Local Government de Tenerife, although not all of them are suitable for children under 10 years old. Remember to ask at the tourist information point of Buenavista del Norte or Masca before trekking with your children.
Teno Rural Park, in the northwest of Tenerife
4. Los Gigantes Cliffs
We will find them on the west coast of the island. Not wonder that the Guanches (the inhabitants of the island before the castilian conquer) called Los Gigantes “The Devil’s Wall”. Today, their natural wealth and their imposing basaltic cliffs make this site one of the most popular among nature lovers. It is even more famous for being one of the spots to watch cetaceans. In fact, most part of travelers choose the Freebird Catamaran 4.5-hour tour to see the cliffs from the sea in all their splendor and to spot whales and dolphins.
4.5h Freebird Catamaran whale and dolphin tour in Los Gigantes and Masca
5. Whale watching by Los Gigantes and Masca Bay: all in one for those who don’t want to waste time
While it is true that the experience of touring the entire island by car is worth it, we already know that spending several hours in the car with your children may not be a good idea. For this reason, whale watching tours are a great relief for all those parents who want to see their children entertained while they relax in the armchairs of the ship. Ideally, choose the 4.5-hour tour according to the age of the children. These tours will teach our children to love the environment, to be in touch with nature and will make them aware from childhood to take care of the ecosystem that surrounds them. You can see how wonderful it is to observe whales and dolphins in their natural habitat!
Whale watching by Los Gigantes and the Bay of Masca
- Freebird Catamaran 3h tour include a sandwich, soft drinks, beers, sangria and water, a guide specialized in cetaceans that will tell you where you can see whales and dolphins. You can also take a bath during the trip!
- If you decide to take the 4.5-hour tour, the food will be a small buffet and your children can have an ice cream while watching some of the most impressive cetaceans in the world.
- It is common to see bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales and Atlantic spotted dolphins, but nature is capricious so if you are lucky enough you can watch other cetaceans.
These tours depart from Puerto Colón so you will enjoy this experience the maximum time: it combines the imposing presence of the cliffs of Los Gigantes, the peaceful Bay of Masca (on the 4.5-hour tour) and the whale watching activity in all its splendor. If you are lucky to travel to Tenerife with children this Christmas, you can see whales and dolphins at sunset. This is one of the great advantages of traveling to the island in winter: the impressive sunsets from the sea, and you will be on the front line!
Whale watching excursions in Tenerife
6.Visit the natural pools of the island
The entire coast of Tenerife is full of swimming pools and natural pools where you can get lost if you travel to the island with children this Christmas. The average temperature, about 20-21ºC on the north coast and 23-26ºC in the south, makes possible to bathe in them all over the year. If you are in the south, you must know the natural pool of Los Abrigos (a few kilometres from El Médano and Montaña Roja). Located at just 1 kilometre from the town, this is one of the most natural pools of the south.
In the north you will find as many pools as coastal towns. Do you want to visit a natural pool in an urban environment? Bajamar, Jover pools or the «caletón» of Garachico are the best choice. If you travel by car and you don’t mind walking, we recommend «Charco del Viento», «Charlo de la Laja» and the pools at Los Silos area, such as the pools of Los Chochos or del Topo.
Charco del Viento, La Guancha
7.Rent a Camper Van: the best way to explore Tenerife
This is the great tendence in touring around Tenerife and in almost all the European islands. Rent a motorhome for the whole family and go around every corner without worrying about accommodation. With this expense eliminated, you can focus on your trips, visit theme parks and do all the activities you want. In addition, Tenerife has several campsites in the north and south, free camping areas (with prior authorization) and other coastal areas that are not official but where camping is usually done.
8. A very special trip to Cueva del Viento
If you come to Tenerife with children from 5 years old, Cueva del Viento (‘Wind Cave’) is a «must» because they will not stop talking about this expedition during the rest of your vacation. Located near Icod de los Vinos, the visit to this volcanic cavity is not the typical tour. We are talking about basaltic lavas that formed more than 27,000 years ago with the eruption of the Pico Viejo, the second highest mountain in the island, only surpassed by El Teide.
This lava tube is the fifth in length in the world, with its 18 kilometers surveyed, only surpassed by four tubes on the main island of Hawaii. Wow. During the tour you will wear helmets with electric light, since there is no artificial lighting inside. It is an adventure to experience in family. The price is € 20 per adult and € 8.5 per child (between 5 and 14 years old). This is one of the activities in Tenerife that your children will thank you for. What better Christmas gift?
Cueva del Viento, in Icod de Los Vinos
9. A trip to the National Park of El Teide with children
We could not talk about 10 activities to do in Tenerife with children at Christmas without talking about Teide. This is the great must of Tenerife. If you want to plan this day correctly, we remind you that the journeys are quite long for the little ones, so we suggest you to make stops often when you go up. But don’t worry. There are viewpoints every few kilometers, where you can take an unforgettable family photo.
You may even see snow since this is the season when the first snow falls on the volcano! The most common spots to visit in Las Cañadas del Teide, the parte of the National Park accessible by car, are the Roques de García and the immediate surroundings. Then you can take the cable car (Teleférico de El Teide) up to 3,555 meters of altitude, since Las Cañadas are about 2,200 meters above sea level. If your children are over 2 years old, they can go without any problem, but it is necessary to sign an acceptance of responsibility if they are under 2 years of age. The price of the cable car is € 27 for adults and € 13.50 for children.
Visit El Teide National Park with your family
10.Discovering the Rural Park of Anaga town by town
The Rural Park of Anaga has some hiking routes suitable for children such as the route of the Integral Natural Reserve of El Pijaral, that crosses a fairytale forest, wrapped in laurel forest or laurisilva. That is the jewel of Anaga and one of the most recommended spots to visit with children. Colloquially known as “The Enchanted Forest,” you must request a permission to walk through it. The route lasts about 3-4 hours and can be made circular, saving 2 kilometers to get from point A to point B. It is one of the easiest of the rural park, so we include it in our top 10 activities to do in Tenerife with children at Christmas.
Integral Nature Reserve of El Pijaral, Northeast of Tenerife
In short, Tenerife with children…
…is always a good choice, not only for having the best climate in Europe, good international air connections, a great cuisine, dream beaches and theme parks. It is also an island full of nature where our children can live the experience of observing animals in freedom and the endemic flora of the place. A unique opportunity!
