Tenerife Holidays: Resorts, Weather and Flights from the UK

Holidaying in Tenerife suits almost every kind of British traveller, which is why it fills so many winter and summer flights. Families tend to gravitate south, where Siam Park water park sits by Playa de las Américas, or north to Puerto de la Cruz for Loro Parque zoo and the seawater pools of Lago Martiánez.

Couples, including older couples looking for something gentler, often prefer the smaller places: Los Gigantes, a resort of under 3,000 residents on the west coast, or Puerto de la Cruz with its botanical garden, the Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotava, its lighthouse and the Castillo de San Felipe. If you like a bit of culture with your sunshine, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the island's capital of more than 200,000 people, has the Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre and three historic castles.

Costa Adeje is by far the most searched resort on the island, and it puts you 15 minutes from Tenerife South and close to the walking trail through Barranco del Infierno, a protected ravine above Adeje. Playa de las Américas, next door, is the closest major resort to the airport and the base for Siam Park. Los Cristianos, the third big southern name, doubles as a ferry port, handy if you fancy a day crossing towards Gran Canaria, whose port at Las Palmas lies about 56 miles away.

For something quieter, Los Gigantes is around 30 minutes from Tenerife South, with Guía de Isora about 24 minutes away; Golf del Sur and the windsurfing-friendly little town of El Médano are smaller still. In the north, Puerto de la Cruz is the classic older resort, with Loro Parque, an archaeological museum and the old town of La Orotava nearby, while Santa Cruz offers Playa de Las Teresitas and the rugged Roques de Anaga for hikers.

Tenerife is a true year-round destination, and the weather record from Adeje on the south coast shows why. Daytime highs run from about 20°C in February to 28°C in August, with nights rarely below 13°C. Every month except February counts as a good month to go; February is a shoulder month, slightly cooler at 20°C with around six rain days.

Summer is the driest stretch, with July recording no rainfall and August just a single rain day, though March brings the year's heaviest showers at 39mm. October still reaches 26°C, which makes autumn half-term a favourite. As with any holiday in Spain, Tenerife packages booked for school holidays usually cost more than those in term time, so if you are free outside them, comparing dates is worthwhile.

The island has two airports, but only Tenerife South (TFS) has direct flights from the UK, and it is perfectly placed for the main resorts: Playa de las Américas in about 14 minutes, Adeje in 15, Guía de Isora in 24 and Los Gigantes in roughly 30. On a package, your transfer from the airport to the hotel is normally included, so you step off the plane and onto a coach or private car.

Tenerife North (TFN) serves the capital, Santa Cruz, eight minutes away, and La Orotava in 18 minutes, but reaching it from the UK means connecting elsewhere. If you are staying in Puerto de la Cruz or Santa Cruz, most travellers still fly into the south and transfer across the island, or pick up car hire to explore at their own pace.

A package holiday bundles your flight, hotel and airport transfer into one booking, and when it is sold as a package it is ATOL-protected, so you are covered if something goes wrong with the firm you booked through. You choose your board basis, from room only or bed and breakfast to half board and all inclusive, depending on how much you plan to eat out.

On this page you can compare live package deals from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach side by side, whether you are after a week in Costa Adeje or short Tenerife breaks in Puerto de la Cruz. You can also check hotel prices, browse tours and tickets for places such as Siam Park and Loro Parque, and compare car hire for days out to Candelaria or Güímar.