Things To Do In Tenerife For Couples, The Honest Version

Our top four, in this order: a small group stargazing night on Teide with sunset above the clouds, a whale watching trip on a small sailing boat instead of a big tourist boat, a day at Siam Park, and one adrenaline hit, the quad safari or a shared jet ski. Add a sunset on a private yacht if there is something to celebrate. Pick three or four for a week, leave the rest to the beach.

Most couples staying in the south do not need one. Traffic on the motorway is heavy at rush hour, parking at Teide and at the beaches is full by mid morning, and the rental comes with pickup, return and insurance small print. Experiences with hotel pickup are easier and more fun. Rent a car only if you stay a week or more, love driving, and want the north and the small villages at your own pace.

Costa Adeje for luxury hotels, good restaurants and calm beaches, our first choice. Playa de las Americas if you want nightlife and a busier, cheaper, louder holiday. Los Cristianos for the balance: an old fishing town with Italian restaurants, beach bars and apartments, and the ferry to La Gomera. All three are close to the boats, the jet skis and the pickups.

Playa del Duque in Costa Adeje for the elegant lazy day, Fanabe next to it for the easy one, El Puertito near Adeje for snorkelling with turtles in a tiny cove, La Tejita by El Medano for a wild natural beach, Benijo in Anaga for black sand and a dramatic sunset, and Playa Jardin in Puerto de la Cruz for the north coast feel. The first two are walking distance from the hotels, the rest are worth a trip.

Sunset above the clouds on Teide and then the stars through a telescope, with a small group or completely private. Second place is a sunset on a sailing boat with whales on the way, third a sunset horse ride through the lava fields. For a proposal, the private stargazing or the private yacht, and a photographer on the beach the next morning.