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Most Tenerife packing lists are written by people who have never been. They tell you to bring a swimming costume and a sun hat, which you had worked out, and then miss the four things that actually catch British visitors out: the sand gets hot enough to hurt, the sun is stronger than the temperature suggests, Teide can be near freezing while the coast is in the twenties, and your plugs will not fit.
Here is what to pack, what to leave at home, and what is genuinely cheaper to buy once you land. That last part matters more here than in most destinations, and it will save you more money than anything else on this page.
Contents
- The four things people get wrong
- Sun protection
- For the beach
- For Teide and the high ground
- For boat trips and water sports
- Tech and practical bits
- If you are travelling with children
- What to buy out there instead
- Practical tips
- Frequently asked questions
The four things people get wrong
Before the list, the four errors that come up again and again.
Packing for the temperature rather than the sun. Tenerife sits at about 28 degrees north, roughly level with the Canary current off the Sahara, so the UV is stronger year-round than the mild air temperature suggests. A pleasant 22 degrees in February will still burn you in an hour.
Assuming the whole island is warm. It is not. The coast can be 25 degrees while the top of the Teide cable car sits at 7 to 11 degrees, and near freezing in winter with snow on the ground. People turn up at 3,555 metres in shorts and flip-flops every single week.
Bringing British plugs. The Canaries use European type C, E and F sockets at 230V. Your UK three-pin plugs will not fit anything.
Buying things at home that are cheaper there. The Canaries sit outside EU VAT and use a much lower local tax instead, which makes sun cream, spirits, perfume and electronics noticeably cheaper on the island. More on that below.
Sun protection
The single most important category, and the one where people under-pack.
Bring a high factor sun cream, SPF 30 as an absolute minimum and SPF 50 for the first few days, children and anyone fair. A good SPF 50 sun cream is worth having in your hand luggage for the flight and the first afternoon, even if you plan to buy more locally. Reef-safe formulations matter if you are snorkelling, since the standard chemical filters are hard on marine life and you will be swimming over the real thing at the volcanic reefs. A reef-safe mineral sun cream is the better choice for anyone doing our snorkelling spots.
Pack after-sun regardless of how careful you plan to be. Aloe-based after-sun is the thing you will want at 9pm on day one.
A proper hat beats a baseball cap, because the burn most people get is on the ears and the back of the neck. A wide-brim or legionnaire-style sun hat that packs flat is the sensible buy. Sunglasses should be genuinely UV rated rather than a cheap pair off a market stall, because dark lenses without UV protection open your pupils and let more damage in. UV400-rated sunglasses are the standard to look for.
One thing worth knowing that catches people out: during a calima, when Saharan dust turns the sky a milky yellow, the haze does not block the UV. People assume it is overcast, skip the cream, and burn badly.
For the beach
South Tenerife’s beaches are a mix of imported golden sand and natural black volcanic sand, and the black sand is the thing to plan for. It absorbs heat and by midday in summer it is genuinely too hot to walk on barefoot. It is also coarser and stonier underfoot than Mediterranean sand.
Water shoes or beach shoes solve both problems and are the most useful thing on this list that most people leave at home. They also make the rocky entries at the quieter coves manageable. Our guide to the best beaches covers which are sand and which are shingle.
A quick-dry microfibre towel takes up a fraction of the space of a bath towel and is worth it if you are flying hand luggage only. Note that most hotels charge a deposit for pool towels and many will not let you take them off site.
Bring a refillable water bottle. Tap water on the island is technically safe but heavily desalinated and unpleasant to drink, so most people buy bottled. A large bottle from a supermarket refilling a flask is far cheaper than buying small ones on the seafront, and it keeps you drinking enough, which matters more here than you would think.
For Teide and the high ground
This is where packing goes wrong most dramatically. The cable car top station sits at 3,555 metres. Even on a scorching summer day at the coast it can be close to freezing up there, with a hard wind that makes it feel colder still. In winter there is often snow.
You need three things, and they take up almost no case space. A packable windproof jacket is the important one, because wind chill does more damage than the temperature. A lightweight fleece or mid-layer goes underneath. And closed walking shoes or trainers rather than sandals, since the ground is loose volcanic scree and the walkways are rough. If you are visiting between December and March, thin gloves are worth the space.
The same kit covers stargazing, which happens at altitude after dark and is colder again. Our stargazing guide covers where to go and what to expect. It also covers any serious walking, including the trails in our hidden gems guide.
Sun protection matters more at altitude, not less. UV intensity climbs roughly 10 per cent for every 1,000 metres, and the snow reflects it back at you.
For boat trips and water sports
If you have a boat trip booked, whether that is whale watching, the kayak and snorkel tour or jet skiing, two things earn their place.
A dry bag keeps your phone, passport and cash usable. Several operators do not allow phones on the water at all, and spray on a small boat is constant rather than occasional.
Motion sickness tablets or wristbands are worth packing even if you are normally fine. The Atlantic swell off this coast is heavier than the Mediterranean, and it gets noticeably worse in the windy conditions that come with a calima. Take tablets before you board rather than when you start feeling ill, which is too late.
If you snorkel regularly, bringing your own mask and snorkel beats hire kit, which is usually scratched and rarely fits well.
Tech and practical bits
The adapter is non-negotiable. The Canaries use type C, E and F sockets at 230V and 50Hz, so British type G plugs will not fit any socket on the island. A European travel adapter with USB ports is the one to get, because it charges several devices from a single socket and hotel rooms here are usually short of accessible sockets. Buy it before you fly. Airport prices are daylight robbery.
A power bank is genuinely useful here rather than just nice to have, because a full day out with the phone doing maps, photos and boarding passes will flatten it. Remember it has to travel in hand luggage, never in the hold.
On phones and data, check your roaming before you fly. Most UK networks now charge to use your allowance in Spain, so an eSIM or a local SIM can save real money over a week.
Bring your own medication in its original packaging with enough for the trip. Spanish pharmacies are excellent and pharmacists give proper advice, but many things sold over the counter in Britain are prescription-only here.
If you are travelling with children
Two additions make a real difference. A UV swim top or all-in-one sun suit means you are not reapplying cream to a wriggling child every 40 minutes, and it holds up far better in the water than any lotion. Combine it with water shoes, since hot black sand and small feet are a bad mix.
Beyond that, the usual: the beach toys are cheaper in any Chinese bazaar out there than they are at home, so do not waste case space. Our things to do with kids guide covers what to actually do with them once you land, and the rainy day guide is worth a look for the days the weather turns.
What to buy out there instead
Here is the part that saves you money, and the reason I would not tell you to buy everything before you fly.
The Canary Islands sit outside the EU VAT area and charge a much lower local tax instead. That makes a real difference to certain categories. Sun cream, spirits, perfume, tobacco and electronics are all noticeably cheaper on the island than in a British supermarket. If you are checking a bag anyway, bring one bottle of sun cream in hand luggage for day one and buy the rest at a Mercadona, Hiperdino or Lidl when you arrive.
Also not worth the case space: beach toys, inflatables, cheap sliders and flip flops, bottled water, and snacks. All widely available and cheap. Anything bulky that you can buy for a few euros at a supermarket, leave at home.
The things genuinely worth buying before you fly are the ones where quality matters or where you would be stuck without them: the adapter, prescription medication, decent sunglasses, water shoes in your actual size, a windproof layer for Teide, and anything technical like a dry bag or snorkel mask. Everything else can wait until you land.
Practical tips
- Pack one bottle of sun cream in hand luggage, under 100ml, for day one. Buy the rest locally at half the price.
- Put swimwear and a change of clothes in your hand luggage. Delayed bags happen, and the shops are not open at 1am.
- Power banks must go in hand luggage, never in the hold. Airlines enforce this strictly.
- Layers beat bulk. A packable windproof and a thin fleece cover Teide, stargazing and a cool evening on a terrace.
- Check your mobile roaming before you leave rather than after the first bill.
- Take a photo of your passport and travel insurance and email it to yourself.
- Evenings on the coast are cooler than people expect, especially November to March, so pack long trousers and a light jumper even for a winter sun trip.
- Leave room in the case. Between the duty-free prices and the markets, most people go home heavier than they arrived.
Frequently asked questions
What plug adapter do I need for Tenerife?
A European type C, E or F adapter. The Canaries run on 230V at 50Hz and British three-pin plugs will not fit. A universal adapter with built-in USB ports is the most useful option.
Do I need warm clothes in Tenerife?
For the coast, only a light layer for the evenings. For Teide, yes. The cable car top station can be near freezing even in summer, with snow in winter, so a windproof jacket, a fleece and closed shoes are needed whatever the coastal temperature says.
Is sun cream cheaper in Tenerife?
Generally yes. The Canaries are outside the EU VAT area, so sun cream, spirits, perfume and electronics tend to cost less than in the UK. Bring a small bottle for the first day and buy the rest at a local supermarket.
Do I need water shoes?
They are one of the most useful things to pack. The black volcanic sand gets extremely hot in summer, and several of the quieter beaches are stony rather than sandy underfoot.
What should I pack for a boat trip?
A dry bag for your phone and documents, motion sickness tablets taken before boarding, sun cream, a hat and a light layer. The Atlantic swell is heavier than most people expect, particularly in windy weather.
Can I drink the tap water?
It is treated and safe, but it is heavily desalinated and most people find it unpleasant to drink. Bottled water is cheap in supermarkets, and a refillable bottle saves buying small ones at seafront prices.
What should I not bother packing?
Beach toys, inflatables, bottled water, snacks and most of your sun cream. All are cheap and widely available on the island, and they eat case space you will want for the way home.
Prices and availability change, and this is general guidance rather than advice for your specific trip or health needs. Check current airline baggage and battery rules before you fly, and speak to a pharmacist or your GP about any medication you plan to travel with.