Hotels near Playa de las Teresitas

Tenerife's beaches are mostly black volcanic sand, which makes Playa de las Teresitas immediately distinctive - a 1.5-km crescent of golden sand imported from the Sahara in the 1970s. Backed by the dark green slopes of the Anaga mountains and lined with palm trees, it looks more Caribbean than Atlantic. The beach sits in the fishing village of San Andres, 7 km northeast of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and is used almost exclusively by locals rather than tourists.

A breakwater keeps the waves gentle, making this one of the safest swimming beaches in Tenerife and ideal for families. Facilities include free showers, changing rooms, lifeguards, and a handful of chiringuitos (beach bars) serving fried fish and cold beer. There is no entrance fee. TITSA bus line 910 runs from Santa Cruz bus station to San Andres in about 20 minutes. Parking is free along the seafront road but fills up on weekends by late morning.

Pro Tip: Drive (or take the bus) a few hundred metres past the beach to the Mirador de las Teresitas viewpoint for one of Tenerife's best photo opportunities - the golden crescent framed by mountains and turquoise water. After the beach, walk into San Andres village for lunch at one of the family-run fish restaurants along the waterfront - the fried vieja (parrotfish) is a local speciality.