Summary

Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is a year-round surf destination with waves for all levels. Known for its powerful reef breaks, volcanic coastline, and sunny climate, Tenerife has earned its reputation as part of the “European Hawaii.”

The island offers a perfect balance of consistent surf, incredible scenery, lively beach towns, and unique activities like hiking Spain’s highest peak, Mount Teide. Whether you’re a beginner looking to catch your first wave or an advanced surfer chasing barrels, Tenerife has something for you.

When to surf Tenerife

The best time to surf Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, is from October to April for bigger and more consistent waves. Beginners will be able to enjoy smaller waves during the summer season.

Getting there

• By Air: Two airports:

  • Tenerife North Airport (TFN)

  • Tenerife South Airport (TFS) the busiest, with most international flights.

• By Ferry: Regular ferries connect Tenerife with Gran Canaria, La Palma, and mainland Spain (Cadiz).

Safety/things to know

• Tenerife is the most visited island in the Canary Islands. Expect busy beaches, especially on the south coast.

• Winter swells can be powerful and dangerous for beginners—always check local surf conditions.

• Localism exists at some spots. Respect the lineup and be polite to local surfers.

• Reef booties are recommended for reef breaks.

• Afternoon winds can affect surf conditions—morning sessions are usually cleaner.

Surf spots in Tenerife

Playa de Las Americas

This busy and accessible beach has several surf spots for all levels, making it perfect for beginners and intermediates. It’s also the center of Tenerife’s nightlife and tourism.

• Wave direction : Left and right
• Bottom : Sand
• Best tide : Any
• Skill level : Any
• Optimal swell direction : SW
• Optimal wind direction : E

El Charco

El Charco produces heavy, barreling waves when solid northwest swells hit. It’s a challenging spot best left to advanced surfers.

• Wave direction : Left and right
• Bottom : Reef
• Best tide : High
• Skill level : Intermediate and advanced
• Optimal swell direction : NW
• Optimal wind direction : S

El Socorro

El Socorro is a reliable beach break with waves for all levels. It’s a favorite among both locals and tourists and can hold solid swells.

• Wave direction : Left and right
• Bottom : Sand and reef
• Best tide : Any
• Skill level : Any
• Optimal swell direction : N
• Optimal wind direction : SW

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• Summary

• Fuerteventura

• Tenerife

• Gran Canaria

• Lanzarote

• When to go

• Getting there

• Safety/Things to know

• Surf spots

Summary

The Canary Islands are composed of 7 major islands located just off the Moroccan coast. They quickly became one of Europe’s premium surfing destination with year-round sunshine and amazing surf. Just like Cape Verde, the Canary Islands are exposed to strong winds which makes them also very popular amongst the kite surfing and wind surfing communities.

Out of the whole archipelago, there are 4 islands you really should consider for a surf trip. Let’s have a closer look at each of them.

Fuerteventura

Second largest island behind Tenerife, Fuerteventura, which stands for “strong wind”, is also the one with the most surf spots. The city of Corralejo, located on the north side of the island, is where most people base themselves for their surf trip on Fuerteventura as it has the biggest selection of accommodation, bars, restaurants and cafes.

Read our complete surfing guide to Fuerteventura

The good thing about this island is the big variety of surf spots that will suit beginners, intermediate and advanced surfers. You will be able to chose from beach breaks like El Cotillo, Playa Blanca and Cofete Beach or powerful reef breaks like The Bubble and Los Lobos.

Tenerife

Tenerife is the biggest island of the archipelago and also the most visited. It has so much to offer from hikes, stunning landscapes, nightlife, luxury resorts, top restaurants and of course, insane surfing. 

The best place to base yourself for a surf trip is on the north side of the island around the Bajamar area. This region has incredible reef and beach breaks while being away from the very touristy Playa de las Americas. If crowds don’t scare you, the latest is still a very good surfing region and it is also where you will find most of the nightlife on the island.

Read our complete surfing guide to Tenerife

Another good town is Puerto de la Cruz which is pretty central on the west side giving you good access to many surf spots along the coast.

Spain’s highest peak, Mount Teide, is also located on Tenerife and attracts hikers from all around the globe every year.

Gran Canaria

Most of the surf spots on Gran Canaria are located on the north side of the island. Las Palmas is undeniably the most popular place to settle and base yourself with a lot of accommodation, restaurants and surf camps.

La Cicer is the number one surf spot near Las Palmas and will suit all levels of surfing. However, it remains very popular and can get a bit crowded. Nearby are a few other very good spots like El Lloret and La Barra.

Read our complete surfing guide to Gran Canaria

Further west are the towns of San Andres and El Puertillo which are also surrounded by many surf spots. Most of them being shallow reef breaks, make sure you read tides carefully and watch out for sea urchins.

Lanzarote

Lanzarote is the smallest of the 4 major surfing islands in the archipelago. However, it still has just as many decent breaks as the rest of them.

Like for most of the Canary Islands, the best surf in Lanzarote is located on the west side. Playa de Famara is a large beach break, perfect for all surfing levels.

Read our surfing guide to Lanzarote

Experts will find challenging waves at San Juan and El Quemao, two extremely powerful and technical spots that are sometimes compared to some of the world’s best waves.

When to go

The Canary Islands are blessed with year round swell and sunshine. Whether you come for a summer holiday or to escape the winter chills, you will definitely find waves and have a very pleasant time.

Beginners might prefer the summer swells that occur between May and October which are more gentle and forgiving. For a bit more action, the north Atlantic swells will hit from November to April. However, as it goes on any island, if the waves are too big on one side, you can always seek a more sheltered area or simply go check another side of the island that will offer totally different conditions.

Getting there

Flying is the only and best way to get to the Canary Islands. All seven major islands have an airport and depending on where you fly from, you will most likely have to transit in Madrid.

To hop from an island to the other, the best way is probably by sea with one of the many ferries that link the islands between them.

Safety/things to know

• Many powerful and shallow breaks. Read tides carefully and watch out for sea urchins.
• The Canary Islands offer very windy conditions

Surf spots

Fuerteventura
El Cotillo
The Bubble
La Pared
El Muelle
Rocky Point

Tenerife
La Izquierda
El Conquistador
Punta Blanca
El Socorro

Gran Canaria
El Cicer
El Lloret
La Barra
Quintanilla
Molokai
Boquines

Lanzarote
San Juan
Playa de Famara
El Quemao

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