Tenerife

Best time to visit Tenerife: weather month by month

Tenerife has warm weather all year, but the months are not the same. The south coast is warmest from July to October, wettest in December and busiest in February. Here is the year month by month, with the official averages from the Spanish weather agency.

Picolo Editorial

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In short: when is the best time to visit Tenerife?

Best for winter sun: December to March on the south coast, with average highs of 22 to 23°C at Tenerife South.
Warmest months: July to September, with average highs of 28°C and the sea at around 23 to 24°C.
Driest months: May to August, with almost no rain days at all.
Best for walking and Teide: April to June and October, with mild days and long light.
Quietest months: May, June and November, between the main holiday peaks.

Our choice in winter: Royal Hideaway Corales Beach in La Caleta, an adults-only hotel where every room is 65 m².

Check availability and prices at Royal Hideaway Corales Beach

Picolo has been to Tenerife in winter, spring and autumn, and the advice below is our own.

Tenerife weather month by month

The averages below come from AEMET, the Spanish weather agency, for Tenerife South Airport near the southern resorts (1981 to 2010). Sea temperatures are for Los Cristianos, from Weather2Travel.

January: highs of 21.7°C and lows of 15.2°C, 1.8 rain days, 193 hours of sun, sea around 20°C.
February: highs of 22.0°C and lows of 15.0°C, 2.2 rain days, 195 hours of sun, sea around 19°C.
March: highs of 23.1°C and lows of 15.6°C, 1.9 rain days, 226 hours of sun, sea around 19°C.
April: highs of 23.1°C and lows of 16.0°C, 1.1 rain days, 219 hours of sun, sea around 19°C.
May: highs of 23.9°C and lows of 17.0°C, 0.3 rain days, 246 hours of sun, sea around 20°C.
June: highs of 25.4°C and lows of 18.8°C, no rain days on average, 259 hours of sun, sea around 21°C.
July: highs of 27.7°C and lows of 20.2°C, no rain days on average, 295 hours of sun, sea around 22°C.
August: highs of 28.4°C and lows of 21.1°C, 0.2 rain days, 277 hours of sun, sea around 23°C.
September: highs of 27.9°C and lows of 21.1°C, 0.6 rain days, 213 hours of sun, sea around 24°C.
October: highs of 26.8°C and lows of 20.0°C, 1.6 rain days, 214 hours of sun, sea around 23°C.
November: highs of 24.8°C and lows of 18.2°C, 1.9 rain days, 193 hours of sun, sea around 22°C.
December: highs of 22.8°C and lows of 16.5°C, 3.5 rain days, 195 hours of sun, sea around 21°C.

Our reading of the figures: December is the wettest month in the south, but even then it rains on fewer than four days. The sea lags behind the air, so it is warmest in September and coolest from February to April.

Winter, spring, summer and autumn

Winter, December to February: the coolest months, with highs of 22 to 23°C in the south and evenings around 15°C. Snow can settle on Teide. Christmas, New Year and February half term are among the busiest weeks of the year.

Spring, March to May: longer days and more sun, while the sea is at its coolest. Outside Easter, this is one of the most pleasant times for walking.

Summer, June to August: the warmest and driest months, with highs of 25 to 28°C. The trade winds take the edge off the heat by the sea, and mainland Spanish families fill the resorts in August.

Autumn, September to November: for many, the best balance. The sea is at its warmest, days stay in the mid to high 20s in September and October, and the summer crowds have gone, apart from October half term.

North or south: two climates on one island

Mount Teide, at 3,715 metres the highest point in Spain, splits the island in two. The trade winds push cloud up against the northern slopes, so the north is green, with banana plantations and more showers. The south lies in the rain shadow and is drier and sunnier.

For the most reliable sunshine, especially in winter, stay on the south and south-west coasts, from Los Cristianos to Costa Adeje and La Caleta. Puerto de la Cruz in the north has more Canarian character but more cloud. Check the forecast on AEMET before you go.

The best time for your kind of trip

Beach holiday: June to October, when the sea is 21 to 24°C. In winter it is warm enough to sunbathe in the south, but the sea is around 19 to 21°C.
Walking: spring and autumn for the Anaga mountains, the Teno massif and the trails around Teide. Snow and ice can close the highest paths in winter.
Families: Easter and October half term give warm weather without the midsummer heat. See Tenerife with kids.
Carnival: the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife takes place in February or early March. Book early if you want to stay in the capital.

Where to stay

For winter sun, stay on the south or south-west coast. Our guide to the best hotels in Tenerife compares ten hotels area by area.

Baobab Suites
The sea-view terrace at Baobab Suites in Costa Adeje on Tenerife. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)

Domes Baobab Suites

Baobab Suites stands above El Duque Beach in Costa Adeje, about 12 minutes on foot from the sand. The one-bedroom suites measure 64 m², and there are four restaurants, two outdoor pools, a spa and a free kids' club. Guests give it 9.6 out of 10 across 610 reviews.

Check availability and prices at Domes Baobab Suites

Royal Hideaway Corales Beach

Corales Beach stands in La Caleta, about five minutes on foot from Playa La Caleta. Every room is 65 m², and there are five restaurants, a spa and an infinity pool facing the ocean. It is adults only. Guests give it 9.6 out of 10 across 290 reviews on Hotels.com.

Check availability and prices at Royal Hideaway Corales Beach

The Ritz-Carlton, Abama
The pool and palms at The Ritz-Carlton, Abama on Tenerife. Photo: Hotels.com (Expedia Group)

The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama

Abama stands on a clifftop on the west coast, with seven outdoor pools, eight restaurants and rooms from 50 m². Guests give it 9.2 out of 10 across 890 reviews.

Check availability and prices at The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama

Getting there from the UK

Jet2 flies to Tenerife from 13 UK bases in winter 2026/27, according to Selling Travel. The flight from London takes about four and a half hours, according to Trip.com. For flight and hotel in one booking, see the package link below.

See flight and hotel packages to Tenerife

Our recommendation

The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama: winter sun on the west coast

Abama stands on a clifftop on the west coast of Tenerife, with seven outdoor pools, eight restaurants and a spa. The rooms measure 50 to 60 m², and the Abama golf course is seven minutes on foot.

Check availability and prices

A room at The Ritz-Carlton Tenerife, Abama with a white bed, wooden ceiling and a balcony facing the sea

A room with a balcony

On the hotel's photos, the rooms have a large white bed, a wooden ceiling and a balcony with palms and the sea beyond.

The beach below the cliff

Wooden loungers stand on pale sand below the cliff, with the Atlantic rolling in towards the rocks.

Our verdict

What Picolo chooses: late October or November for warm sea and fewer crowds, and January or March for winter sun outside the school holidays.

Why: in October the sea is still around 23°C and the highs near 27°C, while January and March average fewer than two rain days in the south.

The trade-off: the sea is coolest from February to April. If swimming matters most, go from June to November.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to visit Tenerife?

It depends on what you want. October gives warm sea and highs of around 27°C after the summer crowds. For winter sun, January to March is reliable in the south, with highs of 22 to 23°C and fewer than three rain days a month, according to AEMET. May and June are quiet and dry.

How warm is Tenerife in winter?

On the south coast, average highs are around 22 to 23°C from December to February and lows around 15 to 16°C, according to AEMET's figures for Tenerife South Airport. The sea is around 19 to 21°C. The north is cooler and cloudier, and Teide can have snow.

Which is the wettest month in Tenerife?

December, with an average of 3.5 days of rain of at least 1 mm at Tenerife South Airport, according to AEMET. November, January and February follow. From May to August there is almost no rain in the south. The north of the island gets more rain all year.

Is Tenerife warm enough to swim in winter?

For many people, yes, but it is cooler than in summer. The sea at Los Cristianos is around 19 to 21°C from December to April, according to Weather2Travel, compared with around 24°C in September. Many hotels have heated pools, so check the hotel page if that matters.

When is Tenerife busiest?

Christmas and New Year, February half term and Easter are the busiest winter weeks, and July and August are busy with families from mainland Spain and the rest of Europe. May, June and November are usually quieter, with good weather and more choice of hotels.

Sources

Temperatures, rain days and sunshine come from AEMET's standard climate values for Tenerife South Airport, 1981 to 2010. Sea temperatures come from Weather2Travel. Flight times come from Trip.com and the Jet2 winter programme from Selling Travel. Room sizes and guest ratings come from Hotels.com. The reading of the figures and our choices are Picolo's own. Last checked: 3 November 2026.

Enjoy the drive