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Snorkeling in Tenerife
The island of Tenerife, an autonomous region of Spain, is the largest of the Canary Islands northwest of Africa. It is known for extraordinary landscapes and remarkable marine wildlife. Aquatic sports are very popular by locals and tourists with diving on the top of the list, but snorkeling in Tenerife also offers visitors a lot to see. If you want to explore the Atlantic Ocean’s creatures, observe octopus, seahorses and swim with turtles while in Tenerife, we tell you what are the best spots to visit!
Written by Anett Szaszi
Anett is a certified scuba diver, freediver, and an expert in snorkeling with more than 10 years of experience. She fell in love with the ocean while snorkeling in the Red Sea on a vacation to Egypt back in 2008. Since then, she has been traveling to discover the world’s best snorkeling spots and sharing her experience and tips to inspire others. Find her photos on @anett.szaszi Instagram too!
Best time for snorkeling in Tenerife
Tenerife is a year-round holiday destination with warm summers and mild winters. With the right equipment, water activities are possible even in winter, but the best time to dive and snorkel is between June and September, due to warmer water temperatures. In summer, the ocean warms up to 22-24 C/ 71-75 F, while its temperature goes back to 18-19 C/ 64-66 F during the winter months. No matter what season to choose, crystal-clear water with visibility up to about 30 meters is guaranteed.
5 best Tenerife snorkeling spots
El Puertito – Costa Adeje
This location has become one of the most popular of the island by nature and water sport lovers only 15 minutes by car from Los Cristianos. El Puertito (also known as Turtle Bay) must be on your Tenerife snorkeling itinerary if you wish to swim with turtles. They spend the majority of their time on the seafloor sleeping and feeding, but snorkelers can view them as they come to the surface for air every few minutes. Three species, Leatherback, Loggerheads, and Atlantic Green Turtles live around Tenerife.
El Puertito is not as touristy as other popular beaches on the island. Here, you will not be overwhelmed by hordes of tourists and sunbathers. The bay is protected territory and is the ideal location for snorkeling in Tenerife.
Tip: Would you like to visit other Canary Islands too? Find here our recommendations:
Snorkeling in Fuerteventura
Lanzarote snorkeling guide
Snorkel places Gran Canaria
Los Abriguitos – Abades
Snorkeling at the breathtaking Los Abriguitos Beach in Abades Bay can show a whole new side of adventure in Tenerife. Vibrantly-colored fish and marine wildlife await if you come for a snorkeling tour here.
Abades is one of the loveliest towns in Tenerife on the island’s southeast coast, with pretty natural pools and caves that provide ideal conditions to explore the Atlantic Ocean’s marine life. Expect to see a variety of fish species including sea breams and damsel fish, but if you are lucky you might spot sea horses, octopus and rays too!
Find Hotels in Tenerife
Booking.comPalm Mar Wall
Palm Mar is a wall descending vertically- approximately 24 meters deep on the southern part of Tenerife. It has three full levels, all inhabited by various types of aquatic wildlife. The best is to get into the water at the Los Cristianos cliffs and swim along the wall. Don’t miss out on exploring the Palm Mar half-underwater cave too, which is an exciting place to snorkel.
The best is about Palm Mar is that the aquatic wildlife is richer than in other Canary Island locations. You will likely encounter an array of fish including devilfish or pelagic fish, green turtles, and possibly stingrays near the bottom. Moreover, Atlantic rays, croakers and angel sharks can be spotted too.
Punta de Teno
The most westerly tip of Tenerife is definitely worth a visit! At Punta de Teno, visitors can enjoy the breathtaking view of Los Gigantes besides exploring one of the best snorkeling spots in Tenerife which is a nature reserve too.
However the open ocean can get rough sometimes, but the small bays and rock pools offer safe and calm waters making Punta de Teno an ideal place to spend the day for families too. Explore the small reef with shoals of fish around, and spot octopuses hiding between the lava rocks!
Tip: Make sure you read Spain snorkeling tips to learn what are the country’s best places to snorkel!
Faro de La Rasca
Not so far from Palm Mar, you can find another spot which is excellent for snorkeling in Tenerife. Faro de La Rasca is popular by its impressive lighthouse, but water lovers know that this is the best place to spot cuttlefish and other interesting sea creatures like rays, octopus or barracudas. The rocky shore and shallow waters (5-18 meters deep) offer perfect conditions for some underwater exploration!
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