Things to Do in Tenerife with Kids 2025

Tenerife with Kids 2025! 1 Visit Mount Teide (Catch the Cable Car) // Natural Tidal Pools // Siam Park Waterpark // Whale Watching on a Pirate Ship // Visit the Capital, Santa Cruz // Cesar Manrique Open Air Swimming Pool Complex // Visit an Animal Park // Make Waves on a Black Sand Beach //  Road Trip, visit the beautiful towns of Tenerife // Day Trip to La Gomera

We visit Tenerife regularly, as it’s an island we feel very comfortable with, almost guaranteed good weather, and family friendly too. If you can tear yourself off the sun lounger for a day trip, here are our highlights.

1 Explore Mount Teide – Tenerife with Kids

Our kids were really excited about visiting a REAL LIFE volcano – thankfully it hasn’t erupted for over 100 years. It’s so easy to explore the other worldly landscape around Mount Teide – you can see why Star Wars filmed here. On the approach you’ll see cars pulled in at various viewpoints and walks, so just follow your nose and stop when you can. Little legs don’t need to wander far in this landscape to see BIG things.

We’d booked tickets for the cable car that allows you an hour at the summit. It was cancelled on the day due to wind, but there are plenty of viewpoints, long and short walks around the crater regardless. The cable car visitor centre provides toilets, a cafe and informational film on the volcano. Unless using the cable car, hikers need a permit to go to the very peak of the volcano -find Official Permit Reservations here. And bring layers, as it can be cooler so high above sea level. Other facts, in 2007 Mount Teide was officially named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, plus it’s the highest mountain in Spain.

2 Visit a Natural Pool

FREE – These naturally formed tidal pools of volcanic rock are dotted all over the island. We visited pools in Punta del Hidalgo and Bajamar, before finally taking a dip in Los Gigantes. The  waves that crash into the pool are quite dramatic and fun, but we stayed closer to shore to avoid any drag from the waves. Visitors sit on the rocks, so a thick towel is ideal. The pools are clearly signposted as shut on stormy days.

3 Siam Park – Tenerife with Kids

This is the ultimate water park, one of the best in the world. The rides are epic, and access is granted mainly according to height, so little ones are obviously more limited than older children (our 6 year old couldn’t access rides that his taller 7 year old brother could). Some rides are easy going, others are intense, fast and furious, so make sure taller kids don’t bite off more than they can chew. ‘The Dragon’ made me feel like a spider washed down a plughole and I nearly passed out with fear 😂. Same with the wave machines, one is a cute children’s wave pool, the other is a frickin tsunami – exhilarating, but full on.

The kids water park, Lost City, is fantastic for children. And the Lazy River (Mai Thai River) is the ultimate chill out, takes about 20 minutes and sharing a ring with your kid as you chat all the way is the cutest experience. Make sure you try the torrents on the lazy river – we missed the turn to the left, and had to do the entire river again. You’ll spend the whole day wandering around, dripping wet in your swimsuits, so make sure it’s a warm day, and layer on waterproof sun lotion as returning to your locker is quite a trek. Buy your skip the line tickets here.

Another Water Park is Aqualand in Costa Adeje, which we’ve never personally visited. It’s meant to be slightly smaller and less full-on than Siam Park. Get your tickets here.

4 Whale Watching on a Pirate Ship – Flipper Uno

There are several boat trips in Tenerife, take a look at a few options here. But we opted for Flipper Uno out of Los Gigantes harbour. Not only did we see whales but we saw a baby calf being born! We took this boat when the boys were babies, and recently set sail again in 2025. The trip is as fun and colourful as ever. Lunch (paella) and drinks (alcoholic and soft drinks) are included in the price, and served out at sea. There’s also a window for sea swimming, off the side of the boat. Read our full first review here.

5 Visit Tenerife’s Capital, Santa Cruz

Our first stop in Santa Cruz was the Santa Cruz Palmetum, the calming botanical gardens. We experienced a chilled walk in the sunshine, learning more about the native plants and flowers.

Stop by the huge Santa Cruz sign for a photo opp. It’s also revealing to explore the city’s main streets and squares, stopping for coffee en route, to get a sense of the people, vibe and architecture. We had lunch and hired sun loungers at the city’s beach, Las Teresitas. Another popular stop is Costa Martianez, an open air swimming pool complex designed by the iconic Cesar Manrique. We’re talking seven swimming pools, floating islands, cascading waterfalls and landscaped gardens. Lastly, drop by the African Market for local produce, from sweet treats and bakery to vast displays of fresh fruit, veg and seafood.

6 Visit an Animal Park – Tenerife with Kids

Over the years we’ve tended to visit Jungle Park, which is home to a myriad of creatures ranging from orang-utans and crocodiles to penguins and leopards. Look out for feeding times too. Buses transport guests from their hotels to the site, it’s free but it goes round the houses, and collects at the end of the day. A cab, at least for the journey home, may not be as expensive as you expect.

A second popular park is Loro Parque, which houses dolphins and orcas.

7 Makes Waves on a Black Sand Beach

If you haven’t experienced a black sand beach then the novelty is fun, especially for little ones. Tip – apply suncream and let it dry before arriving otherwise you’ll have a very funny looking child (see above).

8 Road Trip – Visit Tenerife’s Towns & Villages

The towns and villages of Tenerife are attractive and get you away from the tourist resorts. Plus, if the weather’s bad on one side of the island, hire a car and drive to the other side!

 

Road Trip – Garachio – North/West

We then carried on to Garachico, which has a crazy history. It was once the main port of the island, bringing it such affluence that some of the pavements were crafted from marble. In 1706 Montaña Negra erupted, destroying the precious harbour. This disaster was followed by plagues of locusts, disease, fire and flooding. Such horrific events brought a few unexpected benefits. The lava created natural rock pools that attract tourists to this day. And, as business moved to harbour towns such as Santa Cruz, Garachico was left relatively picturesque and unspoiled.

Road Trip – Masca – West Coast

We stopped at the small mountain village of Masca, which is renowned for its viewpoint. This tiny hamlet is home to around 90 inhabitants and lies at an altitude of 650m in the Macizo de Teno mountains. A beautiful wee village for a brief stop.

Road Trip – San Christobal de la Laguna – Near Santa Cruz – North/East

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, San Christobal de Laguna is pretty, historical and full of shops and cafes, and said to be the model for several colonial South American cities. The cathedral is a popular stop. We dropped into the free House of Alvarado-Bracadmonte (also known as the Captain-General’s House) to see how the other half lived in the 17th century. Then had an excellent lunch in the sun at Rincon Lagunero (ribs, cheese and local cured meat, and cheese croguettes). Nymeria comic shop may be another draw for youngsters.

Road Trip – Candelaria – South/East

Candelaria offers a dark sandy beach, and modern shops and leisure facilities. We browsed the independent shops before picking up an ice cream and heading to the town’s main square. Here you’ll find a grand basilica, Basilica of our Lady of Candelaria. I was more intrigued by the line of statues stretching along the coastline. The original settlers on the island, known as the Guanche, are represented in nine bronze sculptures on the main square. Each one is said to represent an ancient local king, representing land in Abona, Adeje, Anaga, Daute, Güímar, Icod, Tacoronte, Taoro and Tegueste.

8 Island Hop to La Gomera

Tenerife’s nearest neighbour is La Gomera. Organised day tours will transport you to this green, lush island, and regular independent ferries run from Los Cristianos. One year, we took the opportunity to spend 3 nights on La Gomera, so read about things to do here, and check out where we stayed here.

Admittedly, when we’re in Tenerife we spend most of our time by the pool. But there’s always plenty things to do if we fancy a wee family adventure. Have a fantastic time.

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