Playa de Las Teresitas is an anomaly among famous beaches — genuinely beautiful not despite its artificial origins but, in a sense, because of the extraordinary ambition that created it. The beach that exists today was constructed in the 1970s when the government of Tenerife imported approximately 3 million bags of golden sand from the Western Sahara desert to transform a previously unremarkable rocky bay into a proper sandy beach. The result, framed by palm trees, an offshore breakwater that tames the Atlantic swell, and one of the most dramatic mountain backdrops of any urban beach in Europe, is a remarkable success.
The setting amplifies everything. Las Teresitas lies in a natural bay formed by the Anaga mountain range — the ancient, densely forested volcanic massif that forms Tenerife’s northeastern corner. The mountains rise almost vertically from the sea behind the beach to peaks of 900–1,000 metres, their slopes covered in Canarian laurel forest (laurisilva), a relict ecosystem from the Tertiary period that survives only in the Macaronesian islands. This backdrop gives Las Teresitas a grandeur that no purpose-built resort beach can replicate: it feels like the landscape of a painting.
The palm-lined promenade, the small village of San Andrés immediately behind the beach, and the shallow, calm water inside the breakwater create a genuinely pleasant, human-scaled beach environment. Despite being Tenerife’s most accessible quality beach from the capital, Las Teresitas has resisted the overdevelopment that has affected Tenerife’s southern coast. The village of San Andrés retains a working-fishing-village character, and the area around the beach has managed to stay relatively low-rise.
The beach itself extends roughly 1.5 kilometres and is generously wide by Canarian standards. The golden Saharan sand is fine and soft. The breakwater ensures that the water inside the bay is almost always calm — essential for a beach that serves as the primary swimming beach for the city of Santa Cruz. Water temperature follows the general Canary Islands pattern: 19–20°C in winter, rising to 22–23°C in late summer.
The Village of San Andrés
The small fishing village that backs onto Las Teresitas is one of the most authentic settlements in Tenerife’s northern reaches. San Andrés is best known on the island for its fish restaurants — specifically, for serving the freshest possible fish from the local Atlantic catch. The village’s small harbour still operates as a working fishing base, and the restaurants that line the beach promenade and the village street have been serving fried fish (pescado frito) and local seafood for generations.
Particularly celebrated is the chicharrón (fried pork rind) and vieja (parrotfish) — local specialities worth seeking out. Eating lunch in San Andrés after a morning on Las Teresitas beach is one of the most authentically Canarian things to do in the capital region.
Getting to the Beach
Getting to Tenerife
Tenerife has two airports:
Tenerife North Airport (TFN) — handles mainly domestic Spanish traffic and some European connections. Located 30 km from Las Teresitas.
Tenerife South Airport (TFS) — the main international airport, handling the majority of charter and international flights. Located approximately 65 km from Las Teresitas. Direct flights from:
- UK: London, Manchester, Birmingham, and many other regional airports (easyJet, Ryanair, Jet2, TUI, British Airways)
- Germany: Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, and others (Condor, TUI, Lufthansa)
- Scandinavia: Multiple routes from Norwegian, SAS
- Netherlands: Amsterdam (Transavia, KLM)
- Most other Western European countries
From Santa Cruz to Las Teresitas
- By bus (Titsa): Bus line 245 connects Santa Cruz bus station to San Andrés and Las Teresitas. The journey takes approximately 25–30 minutes and is inexpensive.
- By car: The TF-12 road runs from Santa Cruz directly to San Andrés (approximately 8 km, 15 minutes). Parking is available near the beach, though it fills early on summer weekends.
- By taxi: From Santa Cruz centre, approximately 15–20 minutes.
When to Come
Las Teresitas follows the general Canary Islands climate pattern but with some important local characteristics:
- Year-round: The beach is genuinely pleasant in every month. The mountains behind the bay provide some shelter from the prevailing northeasterly trade winds, making conditions often calmer here than on the island’s exposed coasts.
- Summer (June to September): The hottest months. The beach serves the local Santa Cruz population intensively, and weekends in July–August can be very busy with local families.
- Winter (November to March): Mild (20–23°C high), sunny, and less crowded. An excellent escape for Northern Europeans. The sea is cool (19–20°C) but swimmable for those accustomed to it.
- Weekdays: Significantly less crowded than weekends year-round, particularly in summer.
Places to Stay
Las Teresitas itself has minimal accommodation — it is a day beach for the capital. For accommodation:
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (8 km) is the natural base — the island’s capital and administrative centre has a range of hotels from business to boutique. It is generally underrated as a tourism destination, with a fine botanic garden (Jardín de Aclimatación), excellent restaurants, and a famous carnival (February–March).
Puerto de la Cruz (approximately 40 km on the north coast) is the main beach resort of Tenerife’s north coast — more charming and less package-holiday-dominated than the south coast resorts.
Tenerife’s southern resorts (Playa de las Américas, Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje) are further afield but offer the largest range of accommodation for sun-holiday visitors.
On the Beach and Beyond
Anaga Rural Park
The ancient Anaga Mountains immediately behind Las Teresitas form part of the Anaga Rural Park — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve containing one of the best-preserved areas of Tertiary-era laurisilva forest in the world. Hiking trails through the dense, mist-covered forest to remote villages and sea cliffs are among the most spectacular walks in the Canary Islands. The park is accessible from San Andrés (a road leads up the mountain behind the beach).
Santa Cruz Carnival
Tenerife’s capital hosts one of the world’s largest and most celebrated carnivals, held in February–March. The carnival is second only to Rio de Janeiro in scale and spectacle, with elaborate costumes, competitive dance performances, open-air concerts, and a general transformation of the city into a week-long street party.
Loro Parque (Puerto de la Cruz)
One of Europe’s most acclaimed zoological parks, located in Puerto de la Cruz on the island’s north coast. Originally a parrot park (hence the name, “loro” = parrot), it now encompasses orca and dolphin shows, gorillas, lions, tigers, and an exceptional aquarium. A full day is required.
Teide National Park
The summit of Mount Teide — at 3,718 metres, the highest peak in Spain and the highest volcano in the Atlantic islands — is accessible by cable car (teleferico) from the national park visitor centre. The lunar landscape surrounding the summit is UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Europe. A half-day excursion from Las Teresitas.
Visitors Ask
Why is the sand at Las Teresitas golden when most Tenerife beaches are black volcanic sand? Because the sand is imported. In the 1970s, approximately 3 million bags of fine golden sand were transported from the Western Sahara to create this beach. Tenerife’s natural beaches have black volcanic sand — beautiful in its own way but less commercially appealing to sun holiday visitors. Las Teresitas was created specifically to provide the capital city with a conventional golden sand beach.
Is the water calm at Las Teresitas? Yes, unusually so for an Atlantic beach. An offshore stone breakwater was built at the same time as the sand importation, and it effectively eliminates Atlantic swell inside the bay. The water inside the breakwater is almost always calm — more like a protected Mediterranean bay than an Atlantic coast beach.
Is there a lifeguard at Las Teresitas? Yes, during the main season (approximately May to October). Red flag/green flag beach safety system is in operation.
What are the restaurants like in San Andrés? San Andrés is genuinely excellent for fresh fish. The restaurants are unpretentious and competitively priced by Tenerife tourist-area standards. The fried fish plates (mixed fish fry), grilled octopus, and fresh seafood are the specialities. Eating here after a morning on the beach is strongly recommended.