Tenerife with Children – Parks

As well as numerous animal parks, Tenerife has beautiful urban parks. And then there are the national parks that are so different and so interesting for the entire family. In this article, Jolita from Travelling with Kids shares with you information about places to visit with children, her recommendations and tips.

Zoos and animal parks in Tenerife

Loro Parque

From then until today, and after a history of many challenges, Loro Parque has become one of the most respected zoological institutions in the world, both for its beauty, for its excellent facilities and for its absolute respect for nature. Together with the Loro Parque Fundación, it has the largest and most diverse reserve of parrot species and subspecies in the world. In 2017 and 2018, it received the Best Zoo in the World award from Tripadvisor.

The park is located on the northern part of Tenerife, in Puerto De La Cruz.

Pluses and Cons

Pluses: the park is well maintained, spacious and there are many shows. The park is large, with a large aquarium with an underwater tunnel and a separate penguinarium. There are many shows, which are included in the price of the visit, including a sea lion and seal show, a dolphin show, a spectacularly large orca show and a parrot show. There is a wide choice of dining options in the park – we like the buffet type the most as it gives a variety of food for everyone in the family.

Cons: Probably the single biggest one is the price, although children under 6 are free! Well, maybe the location on the island if you come to the southern part of the island for a holiday.

Tips: bring water, snacks for the kids, hats and sun cream. Make sure you arrive as early as possible, or as soon as the zoo opens – there are activities all day, and keep an eye on the show times, there are usually two shows every day. Don’t sit near the pool during the orca show, the areas are marked with splash zone stickers unless you really want to get soaked. Our kids take their swimsuits for this purpose and go as close as possible and then change.

Prices: from €40 for adults, from €28 for children aged 6 to 11, children under 5 free of charge.

Tickets at the best price can be found here, and if you plan to visit Siam Park as well, buy a TWIN ticket!

For the exact coordinates of this place, please visit the Tenerife Sightseeing Map on our website, Travelling with Kids ®.

Las Aguilas Jungle Park

Las Aguilas Jungle Park is a zoological and botanical park consisting of 7.5 hectares of jungle with more than 500 animals and several hiking trails with tunnels, suspension bridges, waterfalls, lagoons and caves. The park also boasts daily bird flight shows featuring exotic birds and birds of prey.

Location on the island: south Tenerife, Arona.

Pluses and Cons

Pluses: The park is located on the southern side of the island. Bird and sea lion and seal shows are included in the price of the visit. The park has a small and easy to navigate bouncy castle park and a summer toboggan run. Several cages allow you to enter and sit close to the animals.

Cons: The park is much smaller than Loro Park. Fewer shows. The choice of restaurants and eateries is rather limited.

Tips: take water, snacks for children, hats and sun cream. Be sure to check the bird show times – it’s definitely worth a look. If the weather is very windy, the show may not go ahead. The birds are released to fly just above your head and the show is quite long – sit in the shade.

Prices: from €28 for adults, €20 for children aged 5 to 10, €11 for children aged 3 to 4, free for children under 3.

Buy your tickets in advance using the secure ticket system.

For the exact coordinates of this place, please visit the Tenerife Sightseeing Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

Monkey Park

Monkey Park offers a chance to observe animals in their natural habitat. It is the only zoo in the Canary Islands that specialises in monkeys and is unique in that visitors can enter the cages and touch and feed the animals. In addition to primates such as lemurs, chimpanzees and many other breeds, the zoo also has a serpentarium and a collection of exotic birds including macaws, cockatoos and toucans. There is a pond with crocodiles and turtles.

Location on the island: south Tenerife, Arona, near the resort of Los Cristianos.

Pluses and Cons

Pluses: children love being able to touch and feed the animals. In the cages where you can enter you will find lemurs, guinea pigs, monkeys, giant tortoises and even iguanas. The price is really very attractive – it’s not a big park, but it’s hard to keep children away from the animals, especially if they are friendly. You can buy food for the animals at the ticket office, together with your ticket (food costs €3).

Cons: We haven’t noticed any of these during our 6 visits, but for children this small park is one of their favourites.

Advice: visit the zoo in the first half of the day, because that’s when the animals are the most active, willing to come and eat. In the afternoon they go to sleep and are not interested in food at all. As everywhere, take sun cream, water and hats with you.

The website is monkeypark.com, the tickets can also be bought there.

Prices: €10 for adults and children aged 12 and over, €5 for children under 12. Free for children under 5 years.

The exact coordinates of this place can be found on the Tenerife Attractions Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

El Carreton Organic Farm

‘Finca El Carretón’ is an agro-ecological, recreational and educational space surrounded by fruit plants, large trees and the largest and most diverse exhibition of native Canarian animals in the region.

Location on the island: above the town of Candelaria, near the capital.

Pluses and Cons

Pros: A great way to introduce the little ones to Canarian trees (avocados, mangoes) and to show local domestic animals. Birds, black piglets, goats are just running free and willing to be petted. You can also buy food to feed them at the ticket office. You can buy their fruit and vegetables. There is also a restaurant nearby.

Cons: We really liked it, although at the beginning we thought it was quite a high price for a visit to a pet farm.

Tips: water, hats and sun cream are essential.

The Organic Farm website can be found here.

Prices: €7 for everyone, free for children under 2 years.

For the exact coordinates of this place, see the Tenerife Attractions Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

Camel Park

Camel Park was the first camel centre in Tenerife. Camel Camel Park was the first camel park in Tenerife, the first camel park in the first century. The park has a restaurant. There are camel feedings and camel rides.

Location on the island: South Tenerife, La Camella.

Upsides: park is in the southern part of the island, camel feeding and camel rides.

Downsides: we were on a rather hot day so we didn’t ride – we thought that riding in the sun would be fun for the camels or for us.

Website and tickets can be found here.

Price: adults €5, children €3. Camel riding – for adults 22 euros, for children 11 euros.

For the exact coordinates of this place, please see the Tenerife Sightseeing Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

Horse riding – Centro hipico del sur

Description: Horse riding centre founded in 1990. Since its inception, it has focused on promoting this sport on the island, targeting both tourists and residents.

The website can be found here.

Prices: 15 minutes – 5 EUR, 30 minutes – 10 EUR.

Location on the island: South Tenerife, Buzanada.

Pluses: easy access to the centre, café on site.

Cons: most of the staff speak only Spanish.

Tips: it’s better to arrange the rides in advance, as they may not organise this service at the time you arrive.

There are other places that organise horseback riding – we’ve heard good things about both Finca de Caldera and Horse riding adventures. Xanadu Hipico is a restaurant with a racecourse where you can also ride horses.

For the exact coordinates of this place, please see the Tenerife Sightseeing Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

Urban and Botanical Parks

EL Montillo Park

Tenerife has a really large number of playgrounds, both large and small – most of them very well maintained, refurbished and with padded surfaces. There are also playgrounds near the beaches in tourist areas.

There is one park that stands out for me, which is not only a large playground, but a whole park, with a café and an artificial lake. The park is located in the north of Tenerife, in the Matanza region. It is full of the island’s indigenous vegetation and trees such as palm trees and dragon trees.

The 57,000 square metre park is free to visit and even has two observation decks with a magnificent view of the north of the island. And of course for children, there is a large playground with sandy surfaces and fun slides.

There is also a small lake with a waterfall. The information states that you can go boating in tiny boats, for children between 5 and 12 years old, under the supervision of a staff member. However, once we came, this attraction was not operating.

The park even has a separate area for dogs.

For the exact coordinates of this place, please see the Tenerife Sightseeing Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

Palmetum Park

Located in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, the Palmetum Botanical Park is unique in the world. A municipal rubbish dump has been transformed into a recreational space for plant enthusiasts, bursting with spectacular plant life. The Palmetum Gardens contain the largest collection of palms in Europe, believed to be the largest botanical collection of tropical island palms in the world.

Entrance to the park costs €6 for adults, €2.80 for children, and children under 2 years of age are free to enter.

Buy your tickets online here.

For the exact coordinates of this place, please see the Tenerife Sightseeing Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

Garcia Sanabria Park

A park in Tenerife’s capital, popular with residents and visitors. Here you can walk among exotic flowers, discover hidden sculptures among the trees and soak up the sunshine. And if you hear frogs croaking, head in the direction of the sound! What you find will amaze you – just keep your eyes peeled for tiny frogs.

The park covers an area of 67 230 square metres. The park has cafés, toilets, a large playground, and excellent paths for scooters and bicycles. And then there are the fountains and the beauty of the tree-lined avenues.

The park is free to visit.

For the exact coordinates of this place, please see the Tenerife Sightseeing Map on Travelling with Kids ®.

National Parks

Teide National Park

If you come to Tenerife and you haven’t made it to Teide, you haven’t been to Tenerife… Even if you’re visiting with small children and can’t take the cable car to a higher level, you can still enjoy the park itself, the trails and the enchanting views.

Teide National Park is the largest park in the Canary Islands. A unique landscape of craters, volcanoes and fossilised lava surrounds the spectacular Teide volcano, at an altitude of 3,718 metres above sea level. Teide Park has 41 marked trails of varying difficulty and duration, 3 visitor centres and a cable car.

Teide National Park, located in the centre of the island of Tenerife, is the largest and oldest of the four national parks in the Canary Islands.

Roques de Garcia

We love the Roques de Garcia. The 3.5 km route goes around a spectacular series of rocks that can be seen from across the valley. The start of the track is flat and accessible, but there is a climb north of the rocks. Part of it is adapted for people with mobility problems, so it can be walked with a baby.

With children, go as far as you are comfortable and comfortable, it is certainly enough – you will see the rocks, Teide itself, the local vegetation, and you will also meet the local lizards. For me, the most beautiful flower in Tenerife is the Tajinaste. It flowers in May.

It’s also really fun for the kids to run along the dunes of San Jose. It’s a beautiful place from which building material has been extracted for years, and you can walk freely – there are no paths. You can take beautiful photos and the views are incredible.

We also love going stargazing – you’ll see lots of photographers and stargazers in Teide at nightfall. Why? Because the further you get from the city lights, the more and brighter stars you can see. You can even find a meteor shower calendar online. Want to experience an unmissable experience? Go stargazing with a professionally guided tour.

Lift to Teide

If you’re travelling with older children, make sure you take the cable car. People with heart problems, pregnant women and children under 3 years old should not take the cable car because of the risks to their health from the high altitude. And it’s certainly not just a warning, as some people are afraid to take the lift and others may feel weak when they get up because of the thin air. Our children have stayed safely at the bottom so far, but really healthy and older children who do not have a pronounced fear of heights can go with you. The cost of the lift is €21. You can always check what the weather is like and whether the lifts are working on the Teide National Park page.

You can also buy an organised trip to Teide.

Tips. Always carry a windbreaker and, if you are travelling in the winter months or in the evening, a thicker jacket and hat. If you are travelling in the summer, remember that the sun’s rays are strong in the mountains, so it is highly recommended to apply sun cream and wear a hat.

For the exact coordinates of Teide Park, see the Tenerife Attractions Map on Traveling with Kids®.

Anaga National Park

Anaga is a mountain range, with sharp peaks and deep ravines, carpeted with carpets of laurel and dotted with charming villages. All this is less than an hour’s drive from the island’s capital, Santa Cruz.

The main villages in the area are San Andres, Taganana and Igueste de San Andres. There are many walks that cross the area. A couple of trails start at the visitor centre in Cruz del Carmen. Walk along the trail and enjoy the lush laurel forest. The mountains and valleys of the Macizo de Anaga mountain range are covered with laurel forests, also known as laurisilva, a type of subtropical forest that grows in areas of high humidity and mild temperatures. The trees are mostly evergreen with long, glossy leaves. The forest is full of mosses, lichens and lianas, making you feel like you are exploring somewhere more exotic than Tenerife!

Children in the Park

With children, you can definitely go on the Sendero de los Sentidos (Sensory Trail), the easy version of which is only 340 metres long. This road takes you into the laurel forest, where you can smell its scents, see its colours, feel its different textures and hear the sounds of the forest.

Be sure to visit the mystical Pico del Ingles. This is where everyone goes to take photos in the treetops. It is a very beautiful place.

In the Anaga forests, you will often see clouds rolling in, which makes the photos here very interesting and magical.

Tips: make sure you take warmer clothes when you go to these forests. If you encounter a wind-driven cloud, the temperature can vary by 10 degrees or more from the southern part. If you’re heading to Anaga, make sure you plan to visit the beaches mentioned in our article Tenerife with children: water activities – Bajamar, Punto de Hidalgo or Benijo and Almaciga.

For the exact coordinates of Anaga National Park, see the Tenerife Attractions Map on Travel with Kids ®.

Masca and Teno Mountains

The Teno Mountains are located in the north-western part of the island. Teno is an old volcanic mountain range. Start your journey in Santiago del Teide – stop for lunch if you have time. In late January/early February it is particularly beautiful and fragrant because of the almond blossom.

Continue on to Masca for the most adrenaline-pumping experience, as the serpentines are extremely narrow. Masca town is the start of the Masca Gorge, which you can walk all the way down to the water and then come back up again. It is quite difficult and requires not only stamina but also special footwear, without which you won’t even be allowed on the track. For more information, head over here.

You can also walk around the town itself and admire the Teno mountains.

Buenavista del Norte

Go down to Buenavista de Norte, visit Los Silos or, if you have more time, head to Punto del Teno, a beautiful wild beach with a lighthouse. But it’s definitely worth it – it reminds me of a harsh Iceland.

Tips: make sure you take warmer clothes when you go to the mountains. If you’re passing through Masca and heading towards Buenavista, stop at the roadside at the Mirador signposts and enjoy the views. Be prepared for a long drive, as the serpentines are particularly narrow and winding. Never leave your most important belongings in the car (documents, wallet, backpack, cameras, phones and other valuables), even if you only get out for one photo. The same applies to all tourist destinations.

For the exact coordinates of Masca, see the Tenerife Sightseeing map on Travelling with Kids®.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, also make sure to explore the following articles – you may find them useful too:

• Tenerife with children:water activities,
• Tenerife’s abandoned and exclusive places,
• Tenerife with children: museums.

This article is an original article prepared by Travelling with Children ®. Reproduction and use without permission is strictly prohibited.

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