Tenerife offers you the texture of touring to a far-flung land with out breaking the financial institution – off the coast of Morocco however a part of Spain, it may give you a shocking quantity of mileage on your euro.
This Canary Island presents volcanic seashores, whales and dolphins splashing round offshore, moonscapes that look freshly minted for Hollywood, and miles of mountain climbing trails pushing into laurel-forest-draped mountains which can be historic and astonishing – and also you gained’t need to spend a fortune to get a actual style of it.
Keep in a casa rural (rural vacation house) or camp underneath the celebrities, rattle up into the mountains on a guagua (public bus), spend languid days in alley-woven previous cities and botanical gardens and dine out on €10 at a tucked-away guachinche (rural pop-up restaurant), and you will be dwelling the low-value Canarian dream.
Listed below are our high ideas for visiting Tenerife on a budget.
Search for low-value flights
Supplied you dodge excessive season and e-book far prematurely, you may snag some nice offers on flights to Tenerife from Europe. Most low-value airways fly a number of instances a week to Tenerife South Airport, together with Jet2, TUI and Wizzair, whereas EasyJet and Ryanair fly to the airports each within the south and the north of the island. The much less fussy you’re about particular instances and days, the extra probably you’re to bag a cut price.
Keep away from peak season for one of the best offers
If you wish to save euros, strive to not go to Tenerife within the excessive summer season season (July and August). Costs spike once more over Christmas, New 12 months and through February’s present-stopping Carnaval festivities, with a surge of vacationers flocking to the island in quest of winter solar and enjoyable.
The shoulder-season months of March, April, Could, October and November are nice months to discover the island on a budget, and flight costs and room charges plummet. You’ll additionally get to see Tenerife at its peaceable, much less-crowded finest.
Take a shuttle as an alternative of a taxi to your resort
Taxi fares could make a large dent in your budget. To achieve your resort from the airport, it’s far cheaper to pre-e-book one of many many low-value, door-to-door airport shuttles that whizz across the island. Reasonably priced picks embrace Vacation Extras, Hoppa and Suntransfers. A 45-minute switch from Tenerife South Airport to Costa Adeje might set you again as little as €4.50.
Spend money on a journey cross
Titsa public buses – or guaguas, because the Canarios name them – trundle to most locations on the island, and so they’re an extremely reasonably priced technique of getting round. Purchase a Ten+ rechargeable card for €2 from an airport ticket machine, kiosk or bus station, after which load it with credit score, which is simpler and cheaper than shopping for particular person tickets.
If you happen to’re planning on exploring a lot by bus, make investments a day or weekly cross, costing €10 and €50 respectively and supplying you with limitless journey on the island’s bus community.
Hop on the guagua to Mt Teide
Typically wreathed in cloud, 3715m (12,188ft) Mt Teide is Tenerife’s largest coronary heart-stealer, rising excessive above a volcanic valley with wraparound views out throughout the glittering Atlantic to the neighboring islands of La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. On the coronary heart of the rust-purple rock moonscape of Teide Nationwide Park, the volcano is the island’s crowning glory.
Two public buses can take you to Teide: bus 348 from Puerto de la Cruz within the island’s north and bus 342 from Costa Adeje within the south. When you’re up there, you’re free to discover at your individual steam. If you happen to’re an skilled hiker and wish to deal with the large one by trekking all the way in which to the highest, you are able to do so with out enlisting an costly information, however be sure to apply for the required allow two to 3 months forward.
Look out for automotive rental offers
In comparison with the remainder of Europe, Tenerife is fairly cheap in relation to automotive leases, which might value as little as €15 a day. You will have your individual set of wheels when you plan on venturing off-piste to the island’s wildest corners, particularly within the spectacularly rugged and distant north. Get monetary savings by testing one of the best offers on a value-comparability web site like Kayak, which covers not solely worldwide firms like Europcar but in addition extra native ones like Canarias.com.
Automotive rental firms typically add on final-minute extras that you simply may need ignored within the small print when reserving, corresponding to improve, harm and extra-mileage expenses. One method to cut back such prices is by purchasing round for extra insurance coverage earlier than you journey.
Choose your resort or city correctly
Choosing the proper seashore – and infrequently going one bay over – is an on the spot method to slash the price of your vacation to Tenerife. In additional crowded resorts like Los Cristianos and the mile of 5-star lodges in Costa Adeje within the island’s south, you’ll pay by means of the nostril for lounge chairs and umbrellas on the seashores, typically as much as €12 a day. Go distant and take your individual towel, drinks and picnic.
Pitch a tent in a magnificence spot
Wild tenting is technically not permitted in Tenerife, however there are loopholes. Specifically designated wilderness campsites are dotted throughout the island, a few of that are in staggeringly pretty areas, corresponding to on the slopes of Mt Teide. Amenities are fundamental, however most have bathrooms and working water. Getting a allow to remain at one is free, however you’ll must be organized and e-book your dates far forward.
In any other case, pitching a tent at an official campground is a low-cost technique of staying on Tenerife. The island has plenty of campgrounds to select from, and a web site for 2 will set you again round €25.
Mattress down in a hostel
Resort charges undergo the roof in Tenerife excessive season, and good rooms might be like gold mud, so hurray for hostels, the right selection for solo vacationers or anybody eager to see the island on a shoestring, with dorm beds costing as little as €20.
Nice choices for feeling the excitement of the capital, Santa Cruz, embrace the Tenerife Expertise Hostel close to the primary bus station and chilled backpacker fave Wanderlust Hostel. For sea views, extra summery vibes and the prospect to hit the waves, examine into Casa Grande Surf Hostel in south coast El Médano. Up north, 9-room Albergo Montes de Anaga presents privateness and R&R with beautiful mountain views away from the crowds.
Hire a casa rural
If you happen to’re touring as a household or with a group of mates, renting a self-catering condo or villa is a no-brainer – you may cut up the associated fee, dine in and get to see a aspect to the island away from the large resorts.
You’ll discover unimaginable casas rurales everywhere in the island, which, regardless of the identify, swing from slickly trendy residences with winery views to rustic cottages with their very own swimming swimming pools. These can work out to be a improbable worth at as little as €20 per particular person per evening. Useful web sites to get you began in your search embrace Casas Rurales, Rural Tenerife and Tenerife Vacation Residences.
Hand around in conventional Canarian cities
Prices mount shortly in Tenerife’s resorts, however consider a day or two within the island’s charismatic cities, and also you’ll get a real slice of island life at no cost or little value. In Santa Cruz, take a wander alongside the tree-shaded Rambla and stroll among the many sculptures and subtropical bushes at Parque García Sanabria.
Within the north, it prices nothing to roam the cobbled streets of La Orotava, house to among the island’s most placing conventional structure, swim within the lava swimming pools of fairly Garachico or discover the beautiful botanical gardens in Puerto de la Cruz.
Go for the menú del día
If you wish to eat out for small change in Tenerife, make lunch your essential meal. Many easy cafes and eating places supply a no-frills menú del día (menu of the day) for as little as €10, together with an appetizer, essential course, glass of wine and dessert or espresso. Asking for faucet water (agua del grifo) saves on shopping for bottled water, however you may get a raised eyebrow and even a agency “no.” As a rule of thumb, keep away from eating places on the seafront, the place the view nearly actually comes at a value.
Eat Canarian-fashion at a guachinche
The final word method to eat out on a budget in Tenerife is the common-or-garden guachinche. Discovered largely within the wine-rising north, these full of life, in style household-run eating places pop up for a few months every year in random settings, from garages to backyard sheds, backyards to banana plantations.
Let’s be clear: prettiness will not be the purpose. Typically guachinches are ramshackle with handmade indicators, cobbled-collectively furnishings and no view to talk of. However you’re right here to eat, and you may achieve this historically and properly, digging into hearty dishes like puchero (meat and chickpea stew), carne de cabra (goat) and conejo en salmorejo (rabbit braised in white wine). A meal with homegrown wine thrown in can set you again as little as €10. Carry money and at the very least a smattering of Spanish.
Having bother monitoring down a guachinche? Obtain the Android or Apple app, Guachapp.
Graze the markets for picnic fixings
Volcanic wines and smoked goat cheese, recent bread, tangy chorizo, chili-spiked mojo and ripe tropical fruits picked that very morning – Tenerife’s properly-stocked produce markets are a superb method to get a shot of native life, and all of the stuff you want for a nice picnic within the mountains or on the seashore.
Be a part of hungry locals to raid the stalls at La Laguna’s Mercado Municipal and Santa Cruz’ Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África. In any other case, you may refill on fundamentals at Hiperdino and Mercadona grocery shops everywhere in the island.
Day by day prices in Tenerife
Hostel room: €20
Fundamental room for 2: €60
Self-catering condo (together with Airbnb): €50
Public transport one-day journey card: €10
Cortado (espresso): €1.20
Menú del día: €10
Beer (0.5l): €2
Lunch at a guachinche with wine: €10
Bocadillo (sandwich): €4
Tapas dinner for 2: €30