The Octopus has covered a lot of Canary Islands’ best anchorages lately on our blog. Impossible to cruise this destination without mentioning the best anchorages in Tenerife. It’s the archipelago’s biggest island, dominated by the sleeping Teide volcano, Spain’s highest summit!
Tenerife is well known for its numerous pristine beaches, lively coastal cities, rich rainforests and spectacular volcanic landscapes. An island with a thousand breathtaking panoramas, to soak yourself in the unique atmosphere of Tenerife.
A destination where you’ll also enjoy mild to warm temperatures, all year long! Without further due, let’s go on a tour of the best anchorages in Tenerife based on the thousands of reviews and pictures posted on Navily!
3 things to do in Tenerife
1- Visit the Teide Natural reserve
Part of the UNESCO world heritage, the Teide National Park or Reserve is a landmark in Tenerife and the Canary Islands.
You’ll be able to contemplate the beauty of El Teide volcano, the third highest summit in the world with an altitude of 3715 meters.
It’s iconic and can’t be missed, obviously visible from anywhere in the island, but hiking in the park is a must do experience you won’t regret! You’ll enjoy breathtaking landscapes inhabited by fauna and flora endemic to the Canary Islands.
2 - Scuba diving : Discover the blooming seaworlds of Tenerife
Tenerife’s surrounding waters attract divers from all around the world with its unique aquatic landscapes inhabited by an exotic fauna and flora.
It’s the perfect place to pass your driving paddy and admire the singular beauty of its blooming sea life in impressive volcanic reefs.
Underwater wonders that you can discover all year long, under Tenerife’s eternal sunlight!
3 - Discover the Güímar Pyramides
It would be a shame to visit Tenerife without visiting the ethnographic park of Güímar pyramids, an open air museum holding many wonders.
You’ll enjoy the discovery of six stepped pyramids avering 4 meters in height, with unclear origins.
The park’s gardens are of unique beauty, and you’ll enjoy walking in its many allies. An enigmatic place full of mystery that has interested many sailors stopping by the island!
The best anchorages in Tenerife
Playa de Antequera
On Tenerife’s northern coast, Playa de Antequera is an anchorage you shouldn’t miss.
Well sheltered from the west to the northeast by the north, it stays a little rolly at all times but still is enjoyable. For your anchor, sandbanks resting 10 meters deep, will ensure good holding.
There, you’ll find yourself surrounded by nature in a wild, depopulated setting, with only a few other boaters anchored there. No restaurants, beach bars or luxury hotels, the anchorage is a peaceseeker’s dream.
The beautiful black sand beach and its turquoise water are the anchorage main attraction but you’ll also have the chance to wander on a few coastal paths across untouched natural ground.
Some will lead you to the small Village of Las Casillas, near the anchorage. A first impression of Tenerife’s unique coastlines and atmosphere.
La Puntilla
Our next anchorage is located in the south of the island, in Puntilla bay. Well protected from the northwest to the east by the north and featuring shallow sandbanks (6-10 meters) of good holding, the bay offers security and comfort for sailors stopping by.
At first glance, the coastline is not the most impressive with a few buildings and proximity to the airport. Nevertheless, you’ll enjoy a nice view on the black sand beaches of Playa Montana Roja and Playa de la Tejita and mountains in the background.
On land, you can undertake a hike that will lead you to the heights of the Montana Roja, a sleeping volcano offering a breathtaking view of the archipelago.
Walking across volcanic landscapes of red and black and enjoying its unique atmosphere is a must, when dropping anchor at la Puntilla!
Finally, you’ll find a few local restaurants and bars to enjoy in the city near the anchorage. A perfect end to a beautiful stopover in one of Tenerife’s best anchorage.
Baya de la Ballena
Benefiting from great protection from winds blowing from the west to the east by the north, Baya de la Ballena is an ideal anchorage for a long stopover in the south of Tenerife.
In addition, the sandy bottom resting 10 meters deep will ensure good holding.
It doesn’t feature the best landscape but is a strategic place giving you access to many amenities.
On one side of the anchorage you’ll see a touristic and developed coastline with a tiny beach, Playa de la Ballena. On the other side, a much wilder setting with impressive black rocky cliffs plunging in the anchorage deep blue waters and imposing mountains in the horizon.
In this great setting you’ll enjoy many activities such as snorkeling, paddleboarding, hiking or simply relaxing on the beach. Many opportunities to enjoy this place fully, which makes it one of the best anchorages of the Island on Navily!
Playa de las Vistas
We continue our itinerary of the best anchorages in Tenerife, on the south coast, in another exceptional anchorage : Playa de las Vistas.
There, you’ll be sheltered from the north-west to the east by the north. Very spacious, this anchorage can comfortably accommodate a large number of boats in sandy bottoms at around 12 meters deep.
Offering a view of houses and buildings, the anchorage presents a developed and urbanized setting. It’s not the most picturesque of landscapes, but it has the advantage of giving you exclusive access to many activities and amenities.
At anchor, enjoy the view on the long golden sand beach of Las Vistas and the impressive El Tiede stratovolcano.
Get on shore to undertake a hike in the heights of the anchorage, across a wonderful natural park. For those who wish, you also have the opportunity to enjoy a golfing session in a unique setting surrounded by lakes and hills, at Golf Las Americas.
Playa de Las Vistas is a safe, relaxing and entertaining anchorage, not to be missed on your journey along Tenerife’s coast.
Our next stopover takes place on the western side of the island at Playa de Barranco Seco.
The anchorage is located in a cove well sheltered from winds blowing from the north to the southeast by the east. Finally, In this magical place, you’ll easily drop anchor in sandbanks 8 to 12 meters deep.
The setting is surely one of the most impressive on the island, facing a breathtaking coastline. In this deserted place, an imposing natural rempart surrounds the cove, meeting the deep blue waters of the anchorage in a clash of colors and waves. It’s a unique landscape that unfolds before you, a delight to boaters in quest of evasion.
Moreover, Playa Barranco Seco features unique underwater worlds worth exploring. Grab your snorkeling or diving gear to discover a blooming sea life in the anchorage’s rich waters.
At the end of the day, you can enjoy the dying sunlight burning auburn on the nearby Island of la Gomera. The cherry on the cake of a wonderful stopover.
To end our sailing expedition around Tenerife, The Octopus takes us to another gem of an anchorage, not so far from our previous destination. Playa de Masca is another majestic place to drop anchor, in 8 meters of sand. Well protected from the north to the east by the north, the anchorage offers safe haven and a wonderful scenery.
From the deck of your boat, you can admire a natural wall formed of eroded volcanic rocks, plunging abruptly into the deep blue waters of the creek.
At night, when the sky is filled with stars, the wild landscape is a soothing scene to enjoy. A destination that will surely move you by its natural beauty.
Finally, you will enjoy total disconnection with the civilized world, as the anchorage is pretty far from anything. No shops, restaurants, bars in view, perfect conditions to enjoy your stopover peacefully.
This last destination puts an end to our tour of the best anchorages in Tenerife.
If you have experience sailing the island, don’t hesitate to share it with the Navily community!
To deepen your knowledge on the Canary Islands, dive into our latest articles on the spanish archipelago in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.
Fair winds Captain,
The Octopus
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