7 Beautiful towns and villages to visit in Tenerife

Published on June 27, 2024
TenerifeThings to do in Tenerife
charming beautiful villages tenerife small towns
The village of Vilaflor, above the sea of clouds

Tenerife is the largest Canary Island and the most popular among tourists in the archipelago. The most popular tourist destinations in Tenerife are all located in the south of the island, where the weather is warm and pleasant all year round.

But there is more to see and do in Tenerife than spend time by the beach. The Canary Islands are a unique place in the world and as such, we recommend spending time exploring the islands and getting to know more about the people and the local culture. 

And what better way to know more about the real Tenerife than by venturing out to visit the most charming little towns and villages in Tenerife?

Charming towns and villages in Tenerife

One thing you'll notice is that none of the towns and villages mentioned in this article are located in the south of the island. Instead, they are either somewhere in the island's mountains or in the very north, far away from the resorts and mass tourism, where you'd actually expect to find authentic places and the prettiest towns in Tenerife.

Discover the rural beauty of Tenerife beyond the resorts like Costa Adeje or Playa de Las Americas and the big cities like Santa Cruz de Tenerife or La Laguna.

1. Masca

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Masca is probably the most famous village in Tenerife, although judging by its size it's probably more of a hamlet than a proper village.

The road to Masca is probably the scariest and at the same time most exciting drive in Tenerife, so the simple journey to get to Masca is worth the trip there. 

2. Vilaflor

vilaflor tenerife

Vilaflor is a small village in the municipality with the same name, which is located on one of the most used roads of access to Teide National Park if you're coming from the south of Tenerife. 

Vilaflor is also the starting point for the hike to see the Lunar Landscape in Tenerife, which is one of the hikes we've enjoyed the most in the south. 

On our way to Teide through Vilaflor, we usually stop at Restaurante - Cafetería "La Paz", where they do a nice barraquito coffee and a tasty almond cake, the perfect combo to give you the energy to go on hikes and walks around the national park.

3. La Orotava

beautiful towns villages tenerife
La Orotava - Tenerife

La Orotava is one of the best towns to visit in Tenerife if you're interested in seeing old and authentic Canarian architecture. You can go visit the famous Casa de los Balcones and then stroll around town to see the nice buildings, though be warned that the town is very hilly and it does take some effort to go around.

But if you don't have a problem with walking on the steep streets, then we highly recommend visiting La Orotava, definitely one of the prettiest towns in Tenerife.

4. Garachico

tenerife garachico
Garachico has one of the most iconic town squares in Tenerife

Garachico is probably the most charming small town in Tenerife, located on the northwest coast of the island. 

We recommend a visit to Garachico if you're interested to see the typical architecture of Tenerife, with wooden balconies and a typical square (plaza) in front of the Old Franciscan Monastery, with a kiosk in the middle, where you can grab a drink and relax. In the summertime, you can go for a swim in the amazing natural pools, which are some of the most popular natural swimming pools in Tenerife.

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5. Icod de Los Vinos

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The central plaza in Icod de Los Vinos is really charming

Icod de Los Vinos is another pretty little town in Tenerife, located very close to Garachico, so you can visit them both on the same day.

Icod de Los Vinos is pretty well-known because it's home to the Drago Milenario (or Dragon Tree or Drago Tree, or whichever way people call it), the most famous tree on the island. This makes Icod de Los Vinos a popular stop for tours in Tenerife and one of the top places to visit in Tenerife

Besides going to see the Drago Milenario tree we also recommend taking a walk through the town center, to see the old buildings with Canarian architecture.

6. Taganana

taganana tenerife
View of Taganana, a small and secluded village in Tenerife

Located in the very north of Tenerife, Taganana is a small village that will make you feel like you've gotten to the end of the earth. If you're coming from Tenerife south and you're driving all the way to Taganana, the drive will take you around 2 hours and that's without stops to admire the views and landscapes along the way. 

If you get to Taganana, you have to stop for lunch at one of the local eateries where you'll always find fresh fish. Afterward, you should continue driving to Playa del Roque and Playa de Benijo, some of the wildest and most secluded beaches in Tenerife. Playa Benijo is also one of the best places to watch the sunset in Tenerife.

7. Villa de Arico 

arico tenerife beautiful village
Photo credit: Ayuntamiento de Arico Facebook Page

Located in the Arico municipality, these two villages are not as well known as some of the others on this list. 

So if you want to visit a real local village in Tenerife, we recommend stopping in Villa de Arico and Arico el Nuevo, which are very close to one another, so it's easy to spend some time strolling through the streets of both these villages. 

Arico el Nuevo has been classified as a Place of Cultural Interest due to the architectural value of some of its buildings. 

You can see two typical churches in these villages: Parroquia de San Juan Bautista in Villa de Arico and Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Luz in Arico el Nuevo.

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