Three experiences anchor any Tenerife South trip: Siam Park, whale watching from Puerto Colón, and the Barranco del Infierno gorge hike. Around those three, the south covers every trip type, from adults-only rooftop pools to free coastal walks and an abandoned leper colony most visitors never hear about.
This guide groups 16 experiences the way people actually plan: top picks, on the water, adults and couples, free, and unusual. Every price carries a checked date, and every entry rule comes from the official source, including the morning-only access window at Barranco del Infierno that catches visitors out all summer. Jump straight to the cluster that fits your trip.
Top picks
The three things to do in Tenerife South you can’t skip
Siam Park tops every list of water parks in the south, and for once the crowds are right. Its signature is the Tower of Power, a 28 m near-vertical trapdoor freefall that fires you through a transparent tube inside a shark-and-ray aquarium at up to 80 km/h. There is no fast-track on that slide, everyone queues the same, so arrive before opening and go straight there. Insider tip: gates often open ahead of the official 10:00 start, with visitors regularly getting in from around 9:15. A free shuttle runs every 30 minutes from Costa Adeje, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos. In July and August, Siam Nights opens the park on select evenings from 20:00 to midnight with thinner queues and a resident DJ, check the current calendar on siampark.net. Standard tickets run ~€44 in winter and ~€48 in summer at the gate (checked July 2026).
Book the whale trip if a near-guaranteed wildlife encounter is the point of your holiday: whale watching in Tenerife runs year-round because short-finned pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins live in the strait off Puerto Colón, sea turtles are possible, and humpbacks pass through between December and February. Standard trips last 2 hours, with 3 to 5 hour options adding coastal cruising and swim stops, at €30–60 per person depending on boat size (checked July 2026). Most operators run morning and early-afternoon departures, and morning wins: calmer seas, same sighting odds. Meet at the marina 15 minutes before departure.
Morning people only. Barranco del Infierno, the gorge hike above Adeje, admits walkers in a morning window and nothing else: summer entry (1 Jun–15 Sep) runs 08:00–10:30 with the trail closing at 13:30, winter entry (16 Sep–31 May) runs 08:30–11:30, trail closed by 14:30. Entry is capped at 300 people per day in staggered groups, and advance booking with a time slot via barrancodelinfierno.es is mandatory, turning up on the day is not guaranteed. Budget €15 for non-residents (checked July 2026, confirm on the official portal, the price sits inside the booking flow). Expect ~6.5 km out and back over 3 to 3.5 hours, a helmet issued at check-in and worn throughout, proper closed-toe footwear, no under-5s, and occasional full closures for maintenance and wildlife-control days, so check the official status page before travelling. If gorge walking gets you going, our guide to hiking in Tenerife covers where to go next.
On the water
On the water: boats, kayaks and wind
Paddling beneath the Los Gigantes cliffs is the south-west’s best two hours on the water. Trips launch from Barranco Seco after a short support-boat transfer, or directly from the Los Gigantes port and beach, with operators like Teno Activo based at C. Pob. Marinero 20. Honest note: turtles, rays and fish schools are possible but never guaranteed, this is primarily a scenic cliff route, and it is spectacular on those terms. Guaranteed turtles are a different trip, snorkel El Puertito de Armeñime instead (covered in the free cluster below). Expect €30–45 per person, under-10s around €10 (checked July 2026), the standard band for kayaking in south Tenerife.
Boat tours in Tenerife mostly mean Puerto Colón: two to three hours covers a standard catamaran cruise, with 4 to 5 hour extended and luxury sailings on top. Typical inclusions: whale and dolphin watching, drinks, snacks, a swim and snorkel stop, a marine biologist on higher-end boats, and hotel pickup on selected packages.
Wind is the product at El Médano, not a nuisance. It blows year-round, strongest and most reliable May to August when the trades run 20–40 knots, with June to September the windsurf and kitesurf peak and March to May solid. Schools and rental centres line the bay, Tenerife Windsurf Centre, TWS El Médano and Red Rock Surf Academy among them, covering windsurf, kitesurf, wing foil and surf in group and private formats. Group surf lessons run ~€38–40 for 1.5 to 2 hours, private €57–75, windsurf from ~€42 for a half day (checked July 2026).
Adults & couples
For adults and couples
Five floors up on the GF Victoria in Costa Adeje, Zambra SkyBar is the south’s adults-only rooftop: a suspended glass pool, signature cocktails around €13, DJ sessions and 360° views over the resort, with a Best Hotel Rooftop award from the Culinary Hotel Awards behind it. It splits into two offers, and knowing the difference saves you money. The bar itself is open to the public day and evening until 22:30, walk in and drink. A €60 Day Pass running 11:00–18:00 adds the glass pool, a welcome cocktail, a platter, towel and parking. Prices sit firmly at the high end, that is the trade for the view. If the adults-only mood should extend to where you sleep, see our pick of adults-only hotels in Tenerife South.
Twenty-plus years in the same harbourside spot makes La Vieja in La Caleta an institution rather than a find. Traditional Canarian seafood at mid-range prices: grilled vieja (parrotfish), fried octopus, limpets with mojo.
Everyone books La Caleta for a couples dinner, and it deserves the trade. But 20 minutes east, El Mirador de Los Abrigos at C/ La Marina 7 puts you on a panoramic terrace above a working fish harbour, with a prawn and clam fideuà at €26.50 per person as the signature and the kitchen open 13:00–22:00. Mid to high prices, fewer tourists per table, and a harbour that still lands fish.
Free things to do
Free things to do in Tenerife South
Nobody on page one of this topic takes free seriously. We do, because the south’s best half-day costs nothing.
Start at Playa del Duque and walk the coast to La Caleta: a ~7.6 km loop via La Enramada and the Camino de la Virgen, or ~8.5 km of coastal promenade if you continue to Puerto Colón, 2 to 3 hours either way. Best moment: the rocky mirador between Playa del Veril and Playa de la Enramada, with a restored stone threshing circle, la era, sitting just above it. Finish with lunch in La Caleta’s fishing village. Full area detail in our Costa Adeje guide.
Beach-hopping here costs nothing and covers three completely different beaches. Playa del Duque: imported golden sand, luxury cabanas, calm water, five-star backdrop. Playa de El Médano: a long natural golden strip with shallow entry, Montaña Roja behind it, and a young, active wind-sports crowd. Playa La Caleta: a small rocky cove in a working fishing village, clear water, snorkelers and locals, no beach bars, seafood terraces instead.
Green turtles live at El Puertito de Armeñime, a tiny semi-circular bay where habituated turtles make this the south’s one near-reliable free wildlife encounter, no current, family-friendly. Go early morning, tour boats arrive later and the magic thins. Down the coast at Costa del Silencio, Montaña Amarilla is a free natural monument open at all times: a short, steep summit trail, layered yellow volcanic rock, panoramic coastal views and coves at the base. Bring water shoes for both.
Unusual & unique
Unusual things to do in Tenerife South
Free, if you book direct. That is the entire insight on the aloe vera farm at Finca Canarias Aloe Park (TF-51 km 0.8, La Camella, Arona): third parties sell packages from ~€24 (checked July 2026), while the farm itself runs free guided tours booked direct on +34 638 388 593 or [email protected]. The standard guided walk takes 30 to 60 minutes through a 100,000 m² farm with tropical fruit trees and a product shop, longer tasting packages stretch to 2 to 4 hours. Open Mon–Sat 09:00–17:00.
Fair warning: the Sanatorio de Abona is not for everyone. An abandoned 1940s leper colony near Abades, its empty hospital buildings and church stand on a desolate stretch of coastline, free to access at any time. Structures are unmaintained and unstable, with no lighting, no barriers and no supervision: wear sturdy footwear, do not enter the buildings, and understand you visit at your own risk. Skip this if you want facilities, shade or a path. Go if atmospheric decay on an empty coast is exactly your thing.
Between Los Abrigos and Montaña Roja, the Isla Cangrejo natural pool is a lava-formed lagoon of clear, calm water with no facilities at all. Water shoes and sun protection are non-negotiable.
Where to stay
Where to base yourself and getting around
Pick your base by temperament, the four zones read very differently:
- Costa Adeje: polished resort corridor — golden beaches, marina dining, five-star density, family-friendly luxury
- Playa de las Américas: mass-tourism engine — high-rise, karaoke-and-cocktail nightlife, functional sunshine, low on authenticity
- Los Cristianos: calmer family port town — pedestrian promenade, working harbour, less frantic than its neighbour
- El Médano: active wind-sports outpost — younger crowd, local Canarian character, cheaper eats, strong breeze, Montaña Roja backdrop
Sort your base and your transfer before the fun stuff:
- Compare luxury hotels in Costa Adeje
- Going child-free? adults-only hotels in Tenerife South
- Land smoothly with our Tenerife South airport transfer guide
For everything beyond the south, from Teide to the north coast, start at our full guide to things to do in Tenerife.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is Tenerife South worth visiting?
Yes, if reliable sunshine and infrastructure are what you want from a holiday. The south delivers a family water park, year-round whale watching, a bookable gorge hike and four distinct resort zones within a short drive of the airport. It is the developed side of the island by design, travellers chasing green landscapes and traditional towns should split their time with the north.
Why is Tenerife on the no go list?
Tenerife appears on Fodor's Travel 2026 "No List", which names the Canary Islands, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote specifically, citing anti-tourism protests and environmental strain. It is a guidebook advisory, not a safety warning and not a government travel advisory. Protests under "Canarias Tiene Un Límite" have recurred since the record April 2024 demonstration of roughly 200,000 people across the archipelago, driven by housing costs and water pressure on islands hosting 18 million-plus visitors a year against ~2.2 million residents, with demands including an eco-tax and a moratorium on new tourist accommodation. On the ground: protests are peaceful, tourism infrastructure operates normally, and no "no-go" areas exist. Respect local sentiment in residential zones.
What should you not miss in Tenerife?
In the south, three things: Siam Park, a whale and dolphin trip from Puerto Colón, and the morning-only Barranco del Infierno gorge, booked in advance. Add one free half-day, the Costa Adeje to La Caleta coastal walk earns its place against anything paid. For island-wide picks including Mount Teide, see our things to do in Tenerife hub.
Related on TenerifeTourism
Last updated: 14 July 2026 · Prices checked: 14 July 2026
Sources used on this page: barrancodelinfierno.es (official reservations and access windows) · siampark.net (official hours and Siam Nights calendar) · Ayuntamiento de Adeje · webtenerife.com · Fodor’s Travel 2026 No List. Volatile figures (tickets, tours, lessons) are dated snapshots, always confirm the live price at booking.
About our research
TenerifeTourism.com is an independent travel research hub. Our editorial team compiles each guide from official sources — the TITSA transport authority, the Canary Islands tourism board, and hotel operators' own data — and we flag clearly when a detail is confirmed versus estimated. Read our full methodology.