Picture this: you’ve finally landed on your dream vacation to Tenerife, and you’re ready for sun-soaked beaches and volcanic adventures. But then you find yourself stuck in a tourist trap, surrounded by overpriced menus and crowds that make Times Square look peaceful.
Here’s something most travel guides won’t tell you straight up. Tenerife is absolutely stunning, but not every corner of this island deserves your precious vacation time. Some spots have become so commercialized that they’ve lost their charm completely, while others fail to live up to the hype that travel influencers keep promoting.
I’m going to save you from the disappointment and wasted euros. Let’s talk about where you really shouldn’t bother spending your time.
Places to Avoid in Tenerife
These aren’t just random opinions thrown together. These are the spots that seasoned travelers and locals quietly suggest you skip, based on overcrowding, poor value, safety concerns, or just plain disappointment.
1. Playa de las Américas During Peak Season
You’ve probably seen the glossy photos. What you haven’t seen is the reality of shoulder-to-shoulder bodies on the beach, where finding a spot for your towel feels like a competitive sport.
This resort town transforms into absolute chaos between June and August. We’re talking about streets so packed you can barely walk, beaches where the sand-to-person ratio is laughable, and prices that shoot up faster than you can say “tourist season.” The noise levels alone, especially around the strip, can be overwhelming if you’re looking for any kind of relaxation.
The party scene here attracts a specific crowd too. If you’re traveling with family or you’re past the age where pub crawls sound appealing, you’ll find yourself constantly navigating through groups of rowdy tourists. The area has become so geared toward cheap package holidays that the local culture has been almost completely erased. What you get instead is a generic European beach resort that could honestly be anywhere.
Here’s what really stings: you’re paying premium prices for a decidedly average experience. A simple lunch that would cost you €8 in a local town will run you €18 here. And the quality? Don’t get your hopes up.
2. The Loro Parque Animal Shows
Listen, I know this one might be controversial because Loro Parque markets itself heavily as a conservation center. But spending €42 per adult to watch animals perform tricks feels increasingly outdated, doesn’t it?
The orca shows are particularly troubling. These massive creatures swimming in circles in pools that, no matter how the park frames it, cannot replicate their natural habitat. You’ll watch them jump through hoops and splash the audience, but if you pay attention to their behavior between performances, it’s hard not to feel uncomfortable.
The park’s conservation claims don’t quite add up either. Yes, they have breeding programs, but the emphasis remains heavily on entertainment rather than education. The dolphin shows follow a similar pattern—animals trained to perform for applause and fish rewards. Many visitors leave feeling conflicted about what they’ve just paid to witness.
Beyond the ethical concerns, the park gets incredibly crowded. You’ll spend a significant portion of your visit just standing in lines and fighting for viewing positions. For the price of admission, you could have an incredible hiking experience in Teide National Park or explore authentic local villages that actually need your tourism euros.
3. Siam Park on Weekends and Holidays
Sure, it’s been voted the best water park in the world. That doesn’t mean you should go when half of Europe’s tourists are thinking the exact same thing.
Weekend crowds here are genuinely ridiculous. The wait times for popular slides can stretch to 90 minutes or longer. You’ll spend more time standing in line than actually enjoying the attractions you paid over €40 to experience. The wave pool becomes so packed that it’s less “fun in the waves” and more “trying not to get kicked in the face by strangers.”
If you absolutely must visit, go on a Tuesday or Wednesday during school term time. The difference is night and day. But honestly, spending an entire day in a water park when you’re on an island famous for its natural beauty seems like a missed opportunity. There are secluded beaches and natural pools along the coast that won’t cost you anything except the bus fare.
4. The “Authentic” Restaurants in Puerto de la Cruz’s Main Tourist Strip
Walking down the main drag in Puerto de la Cruz, you’ll see restaurant after restaurant with staff members outside trying to lure you in with laminated menus featuring pictures of every dish. That’s your first red flag.
These establishments bank on you eating there exactly once. They’re not worried about repeat customers because there’s always another batch of tourists arriving. The result? Mediocre food at inflated prices, often microwaved and never quite what the photo promised. That “traditional Canarian stew” you ordered was probably prepared three days ago and reheated in industrial quantities.
What really gets me is how these places crowd out the genuinely good restaurants. Walk just two or three streets back from the waterfront, and you’ll find family-run spots where locals actually eat. The prices drop by 30-40%, and the quality increases exponentially. But tourists keep filling the waterfront traps because they look busy and seem safe.
That perceived safety is an illusion, by the way. Food poisoning reports from these tourist-heavy restaurants are more common than you’d think. When you’re churning through hundreds of customers daily with minimal regard for quality, standards slip.
5. Mount Teide’s Summit Without a Permit During High Season
You cannot just show up and take the cable car to the absolute peak anymore. You need a free permit, and during the summer months, these permits are gone within hours of becoming available.
Here’s what happens when people don’t know this: they pay €38 for the cable car ticket, ride up to the upper station, and then stand there staring at the final access path they cannot legally walk. The disappointment is palpable. You can see it on faces every single day during peak season.
Even if you do secure a permit, ask yourself if it’s worth it. The upper cable car station at 3,555 meters offers spectacular views already. The actual summit at 3,718 meters provides only a slightly elevated perspective, but you’ll be gasping in the thin air and dealing with altitude sickness symptoms if you’re not acclimatized. Many visitors feel dizzy, nauseous, or develop splitting headaches up there.
The crowds at the summit during peak hours create another problem. You’ve hiked or ridden up for this moment, and then you’re jostling for position with dozens of other people, all trying to get their summit selfie. It’s more stressful than enjoyable. Go early morning or late afternoon if you must go, but better yet, explore the stunning trails around the base that offer incredible volcanic landscapes without the circus.
6. Most “Whale Watching” Tours from Los Cristianos
The waters between Tenerife and La Gomera are home to pilot whales and dolphins. That’s absolutely true. What’s also true is that many tour operators here have turned wildlife viewing into a stressful experience for both humans and animals.
You’ll board a boat with 50 other people, and the captain will race toward any reported whale sighting. Then you’ll idle there, boat engine running, while everyone crowds one side trying to photograph distant dorsal fins. Multiple boats often converge on the same pod, effectively surrounding the animals. Spanish regulations require boats to maintain certain distances, but enforcement is patchy at best.
The “swim with dolphins” add-on that some tours offer is even worse. Wild dolphins don’t naturally want to interact with humans splashing around. The tours that advertise this often use fed or semi-captive dolphins, or they’re chasing wild pods until the animals are too exhausted to escape the swimmers. It’s sold as a magical experience, but it’s really just harassment with a marketing budget.
For €30-50, you’ll spend three hours on a crowded boat, possibly see some distant marine life, and contribute to a practice that stresses out the very animals you came to appreciate. There are better operators out there, but they’re not the ones shouting from the harbor front.
7. Shopping “Bargains” in Costa Adeje
Those designer handbags at 70% off? Fake. The electronics that seem impossibly cheap? Either counterfeit or gray-market imports with no warranty. The jewelry that’s “real gold, I promise”? I’ll let you guess.
Costa Adeje has developed a reputation for tourist-oriented shopping that ranges from overpriced to outright scams. The shops lining the main commercial areas know you’re here for a week, maybe two, and you’re unlikely to return to complain. Quality control is essentially nonexistent for many products.
Here’s a common scenario: you’ll buy what you think is a great deal on sunglasses, only to have them fall apart within days. Or you’ll purchase “local” crafts that were actually mass-produced in China. The resorts and hotels often have arrangements with certain shops, directing tourists there in exchange for commissions, so even the concierge recommendations can be suspect.
If you want actual local products, head to the Sunday markets in towns like La Laguna or the farmers markets in various villages. You’ll pay fair prices for genuine items, and your money goes directly to local producers rather than to operations that exist solely to extract maximum euros from tourists before they leave.
8. Beaches Near the Southern Airport
Playa de Los Abrigos and nearby beaches might seem convenient when you’re staying close to the airport. Save yourself the trip.
These beaches suffer from constant aircraft noise as planes take off and land throughout the day. Every few minutes, you’ll hear the roar of jet engines drowning out conversation and shattering any sense of tranquility. It’s particularly bad at El Médano, which otherwise would be a decent beach for windsurfing.
The water quality in this area also raises concerns. Industrial port activity, higher levels of boat traffic, and less-effective water circulation mean these beaches consistently rank lower in water quality tests compared to beaches just 15-20 minutes further away. You’ll sometimes notice a fuel smell in the air, especially when the wind shifts.
Tenerife has some genuinely beautiful beaches. Playa de Benijo on the north coast, for instance, offers dramatic black sand and powerful Atlantic waves. Playa de las Teresitas near Santa Cruz has golden sand and calm waters. Why settle for mediocre when excellent options are easily accessible?
9. Timeshare Presentation “Opportunities”
You’ll encounter them everywhere in the southern resorts. Friendly people offering you free excursions, restaurant vouchers, or attraction tickets. All you have to do is attend a “short presentation” about vacation ownership.
That 90-minute presentation will stretch to three hours minimum. You’ll be subjected to high-pressure sales tactics designed to wear down your resistance. They’ll separate couples to pitch to you individually. They’ll tell you the offer expires today, that you’re making a terrible financial mistake by saying no, that you’re denying your family future happiness.
Even if you’re absolutely certain you won’t buy, they’ll make those hours miserable. The psychological manipulation is real and professionally orchestrated. And that “free” dinner you were promised? It comes with so many conditions that you’ll probably end up paying for drinks and extras anyway.
The timeshare industry in Tenerife has a particularly aggressive reputation. Some companies have faced legal challenges over their sales practices. Your vacation time is valuable. Don’t hand over three hours of it to professional manipulators, no matter what they’re offering for free.
10. The Overcrowded Masca Gorge Trail
Masca village itself is stunning—a tiny hamlet perched dramatically in a ravine. But the famous hiking trail from the village down to the coast has become a victim of its own popularity.
The trail was actually closed for several years due to rockfall dangers and overcrowding damage to the path. It reopened in 2021 with new permit requirements, limiting hikers to 350 per day. You need to book in advance and pay €32, which includes the boat ride back from the beach and bus transport back to your car.
Even with these restrictions, the trail feels crowded during peak times. You’ll find yourself stuck behind slow-moving groups on narrow sections, unable to pass safely. The three-hour descent is tough on the knees, and the trail can be genuinely dangerous when wet. Several hikers require rescue assistance each year.
What bothers me most is how the permit system has commercialized what used to be a free natural experience. The €32 fee feels steep for what is essentially just a hiking trail. You’re paying for the privilege of walking down a gorge that’s often so busy it loses the sense of wilderness adventure that made it famous.
There are equally spectacular hikes across Teide National Park, the Anaga Mountains, and the Teno Rural Park that see a fraction of the foot traffic. You’ll get better photos, more authentic experiences, and save money in the process.
Wrapping Up
Tenerife remains an incredible destination. The island offers volcanic landscapes, authentic villages, exceptional local cuisine, and genuinely warm people. You just need to know where to look.
Avoiding these tourist traps means you’ll have more time and money for the experiences that make this island special. Skip the crowds and commercialization. Seek out the local spots, the quieter beaches, the family restaurants where nobody speaks English but the food is extraordinary.
Your vacation deserves better than overpriced mediocrity. Now you know exactly where not to waste it.
