PlanningWhat to Pack for Tenerife: Beaches, Hiking & Teide
A practical Tenerife packing list for beach days, northern forests and Teide, with seasonal layers, hand-luggage tips and links to official advice.
Planning
María José Ruiz Hidalgo · CC BY-SA 3.0 ESEl Médano, La Tejita & Montaña Roja: A South Tenerife Guide
Plan an El Médano day out with a town beach, La Tejita, volcanic scenery, five real photographs and official bus and visitor links.
On this page
Choose your El Médano day
Start with a choice: a relaxed town-and-beach visit, time on the open sands of La Tejita, or a walk in the volcanic landscape. You do not need to squeeze all three into one outing. Build your day around the wind, your walking ability and the return journey.
El Médano is in Granadilla de Abona on Tenerife's south coast. The beach beside town has cafés and restaurants close by; the more exposed stretches attract windsurfers and kitesurfers. Montaña Roja forms the distinctive volcanic backdrop.
Stay close to town for an easy first visit
For a simple plan, arrive in El Médano, explore the seafront, stop for lunch and choose a short beach visit if conditions suit. The town end and the watersports areas are not interchangeable: keep clear of launching equipment and follow local signs.
The official beach page lists showers, toilets and adapted access. Confirm what is operating when you arrive, especially if a particular facility is essential. A beach award or a sunny forecast does not guarantee safe swimming.
La Tejita: open beach beside the red cone
La Tejita lies beside Montaña Roja and feels different from the town waterfront. The official tourism page describes a roughly kilometre-long beach and pedestrian access from parking off the El Médano–Los Abrigos road. Cars are not allowed onto the protected beach.
Pack what you need before leaving town. Plan for the walk between your bus stop or parking place and the sand; a map pin is not a promise of a step-free entrance. Naturism is practised here, particularly towards the mountain.
Montaña Roja: make the landscape the main event
Tenerife ON identifies Montaña Roja as a Special Nature Reserve, with volcanic terrain, sandy habitats and coastal birdlife. Treat the reserve as a protected landscape rather than an extension of a resort promenade.
Choose a signed route that suits your group and check current notices before setting out. Wear shoes with grip, carry water and sun protection, and leave time to turn back. If wind or heat makes the walk uncomfortable, enjoy the view from the coast instead. This guide does not certify a trail as open or provide a surveyed hiking route.
Watersports: choose instruction to match conditions
Watching the sails and kites can be part of the visit even if you never enter the water. Tenerife's official windsurfing guide describes El Médano as an intermediate-to-advanced area and El Cabezo as a more demanding spot. Beginners should arrange instruction and let the school assess the day's conditions.
Ask where the lesson takes place, what equipment is included and what happens if the weather changes. Do not assume a lesson advertised in El Médano takes place on the central swimming beach.
Add Montaña Pelada on another outing
Montaña Pelada is a separate natural monument with a volcanic cone formed through interaction between magma and seawater. Its eroded coastline makes a useful second nature outing rather than a compulsory addition to a long beach day.
The official visitor page describes a pedestrian approach from Avenida Juan Carlos I towards La Jaquita and El Cabezo, continuing on foot towards the La Barca ravine. Check the current route and signs locally; this is not a guaranteed accessible promenade.
Getting here by bus
TITSA 470 links Los Cristianos with El Médano via places including Los Abrigos and La Tejita. TITSA 408 connects El Médano with San Isidro and Granadilla. Choose the exact stop and direction using the operator's current timetable.
Before leaving, check the return journey for your travel date and save the relevant stops. A bus passing La Tejita does not remove the final walk to the beach. Leave a margin rather than depending on the last listed service.
Frequently asked questions
- Yes. Check TITSA 470 from Los Cristianos or 408 via San Isidro, then plan the walk from your chosen stop. Confirm current departures and your return trip.
Places in this guide
BeachesSouthern Tenerife
El Médano
A laid-back southern beach town beside Montaña Roja, and one of Europe's best-known windsurfing and kitesurfing spots.
BeachesSouthern Tenerife
La Tejita Beach
La Tejita is a beach in the municipality of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife, Spain. It is listed as a protected area by the Spanish ministry for the environment.
Nature & ForestsSouthern Tenerife
Red Mountain (Montaña Roja)
A protected 171-metre volcanic cone beside El Médano, surrounded by dunes, coastal paths and the beaches of La Tejita and Montaña Roja.
Volcanoes & TeideSouthern Tenerife
Montaña Pelada Natural Monument
A coastal volcanic cone near El Médano formed by an ancient submarine eruption, with fossil dunes and plants adapted to sand and salt.
Sources and planning notes
Official sources checked 6 October 2026. Suggested day plans are GoToTene editorial recommendations. Bus services, access arrangements and beach facilities can change.
Image credits
Real photographs, reused from or added to the GoToTene Sanity library. Historical images illustrate the places; they do not confirm today's sea conditions or facilities. Images may be resized or cropped for display; adaptations of ShareAlike images remain under their respective licences.
El Médano town and its curving beach seen from the slopes of Montaña Roja. — María José Ruiz Hidalgo
Waves, kites and a sandy shoreline at El Médano. — Papm1949 / Wikimedia Commons
Montaña Roja rising beside the sand and sea at La Tejita. — Carlos Lopez Echeto Marrero
La Tejita beach at dusk with coastal lights beyond the sand. — Diego Delso, delso.photo
Eroded volcanic rock and a small cove beneath Montaña Pelada. — Jose Mesa / Wikimedia Commons
Places featured in this guide
BeachesSouthern Tenerife
El Médano
A laid-back southern beach town beside Montaña Roja, and one of Europe's best-known windsurfing and kitesurfing spots.
Nature & ForestsSouthern Tenerife
Red Mountain (Montaña Roja)
A protected 171-metre volcanic cone beside El Médano, surrounded by dunes, coastal paths and the beaches of La Tejita and Montaña Roja.
BeachesSouthern Tenerife
La Tejita Beach
La Tejita is a beach in the municipality of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife, Spain. It is listed as a protected area by the Spanish ministry for the environment.
On the map
More Tenerife guides
Planning
BeachesBest Beaches in Tenerife
A practical guide to Tenerife’s most distinctive beaches — from sheltered golden sand near Santa Cruz to volcanic black-sand coves, surf beaches and the wild Atlantic coast of Anaga.