Tenerife is a volcanic island with many beautiful beaches, but most of them have black sand. Playa de Las Teresitas is one of the few beaches with beautiful, golden sand and this is the reason why this beautiful beach is one of the most popular places in Tenerife.
Located in San Andres, near the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Playa de Las Teresitas is one of my favorite beaches on the island. The beach has excellent facilities, the water is crystal-clear and the views are spectacular.
What more can you wish for?
In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know about Las Teresitas Beach, one of the best beaches in Tenerife. Let’s get to it!
1. Why is Playa de Las Teresitas covered in golden sand?
It is a bit weird that, unlike most beaches in Tenerife, Las Teresitas has golden sand, right? We’ll there is a long story behind this beautiful golden sand. Here it is.
Many years ago, Playa de Las Teresitas was covered in black sand and black rocks. The area surrounding the beach was known for its large plantations of bananas, avocados and vegetables.
In the 1950s, when the construction of Santa Cruz de Tenerife port started, many beaches in Santa Cruz started to disappear because their sand was used to build the port.
Given the circumstances, the locals and local authorities decided to build an artificial beach in San Andres during the 1960s. The nearby farms were demolished and the original Las Teresitas Beach was expanded and covered with Saharan sand.
The local authorities chose to bring in sand from Sahara because it was cheaper than black sand. Also, a golden beach was more appealing to tourists.
That’s how Playa de Las Teresitas got its current shape and look. When visiting the beach, you’ll notice a breakwater built a few meters from the shore. This underwater dam keeps the golden sand from being sucked into the ocean.
Although Las Teresitas Beach is artificial, its beauty can’t be denied. In my opinion, this is one of the best beaches in Tenerife, together with Benijo Beach and El Duque Beach.
2. What to expect at Playa de Las Teresitas
The beach is about 1,3 kilometers long and it has a width of 80 meters. There is a free parking lot right behind the beach. The parking lot can easily accommodate over 100 cars and the best part about it is that there is a lot of shade from the Royal Poinciana trees.
From the parking lot, you can first stop at the changing rooms if you need to, or you can head directly to the beach. The beach is bordered by beautiful palm trees, making it look like one of those iconic beaches from the Philippines.
At Las Teresitas Beach, you’ll find all the facilities you need. There are sunbeds for rent, toilets, showers, as well as restaurants and bars. There is even a health center.
When we arrived at the beach, we wanted to see the entire place, so we walked from one end to the other. The views from the two ends of the beach are completely different, but equally beautiful.
From the southern part of the beach, you can admire a gigantic cliff (this is where the Las Teresitas viewpoint is located, but more about this later), while from the northern part of the beach, you can admire the village of San Andres and the colorful houses perched on a cliff.
If you don’t want to rent a sunbed, you can simply lay your towel on the beach. You can even find shade below the palm trees. We chose to stop at a bar and have a drink.
I have to admit that the prices are a bit spicy. For a glass of Coca-Cola we paid 2 EUR while an alcoholic drink starts at 4 EUR. If you want to save some money, bring something to drink and some snacks with you.
-> Other must-see places in Tenerife:
- Climb Mount Teide – The tallest mountain in Tenerife
- Take a whale watching cruise
- Siam Park – The world’s best water park
If you’re looking for a beautiful beach, with all the facilities for a relaxing day, Las Teresitas is the perfect choice. Keep in mind that it gets pretty busy during weekends and holidays.
3. Playa de Las Teresitas Mirador – Mirador Gaviotas
If you searched for photos of Las Teresitas Beach, you’ve probably already seen the iconic photo taken from a nearby cliff. To get there, follow the TF – 121 road to Las Gaviotas.
After a few turns, you’ll arrive at Mirador Gaviotas. Unfortunately, there is no official parking, but you can leave your car on the side of the road. From Mirador Gaviotas, walk a few meters back to Playa de Las Teresitas and you’ll see it – one of the best views in Tenerife.
From this point, you can see the entire beach and the town of San Andres in the distance. The green palm trees, together with the golden sand and turquoise water create a spectacular scenery.
We stayed at Las Teresitas viewpoint for about half an hour, trying to take the perfect picture. After a few tries, I manage to take an Insta-worthy photo. Mission accomplished!
4. Places to see near Las Teresitas Beach
I recommend stopping for a few hours in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the biggest city on the island. Here you can find museums, shopping malls and buildings with unique architecture like Auditorio de Tenerife.
If you’re looking for hidden gems, I recommend driving to Taganana Village and Benijo Beach. Taganana is one of the most isolated villages on the island, only a few hundred people live here. The village and Benijo Beach are located in the Anaga Rural Park, one of the most beautiful areas in Tenerife.
The mountains rising from the ocean and the scattered houses of Taganana create a unique view. I’ll leave the photos below to speak for themselves.
Other places you need to visit in Tenerife are Mount Teide, Spain’s tallest mountain and Siam Park, world’s best water park.
5. How to get to Las Teresitas Beach
If you’re staying in the Santa Cruz area, you can take the bus to Playa de Las Teresitas. Hop on bus number 910 that starts at Intercambiador Santa Cruz and get off at Las Teresitas bus station.
When exploring Tenerife, I recommend renting a car. We rented our car from Oasis for about 35 EUR per day. In one day you can visit many tourist attractions. We circled the entire island in one day and visited places like Charco el Diablo, El Duque Beach, Bollullo Beach and Los Gigantes.
I recommend taking your time to visit each of these places. We were on a tight schedule and wanted to see as much as possible.
If you choose to rent a car, you can park it in the Las Teresitas parking lot. The parking is free and is located right behind the beach.
6. Where to stay in Tenerife
There are thousands of hotels in Tenerife. The entire island relies on tourism. Therefore, it might be a bit challenging to find the perfect accommodation. I’ve been searching for the best hotels on the island, for every budget. Here are my recommendations.
- Budget – Atlantic Holiday Hotel – amazing ocean view, beautiful modern studio, good location, friendly staff, good amenities
- Mid-Range – Labranda Bahia – beautiful pools, good location, spacious rooms and good services, friendly staff, all-inclusive
- Luxury – Fantasia Bahia – perfect for couples and families, excellent services, all-inclusive, huge & modern rooms, beautiful pools
7. Final thoughts
Playa de Las Teresitas is one of the must-see places when in Tenerife. This golden sand beach is the perfect place to relax for a few hours and forget about all your worries.
If you have any questions about this place, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments section below. May the travel bug bite you!
Pin it for later!
Aurelia Teslaru is a professional travel blogger and the writer behind Daily Travel Pill. With a 4-year experience as a travel writer and photographer, Aurelia only shares travel guides about destinations that she visited.
She has been to more than 40 countries during the past 10 years and aims to explore 50 countries before turning 30 years old. Aurelia is a digital nomad who transformed her passion for travel into a lifestyle. Read more about her here.
To follow her adventures, check out her Instagram and Facebook pages!