Snorkelling in Tenerife is worth it for the volcanic seabed, the rock fish and the odd ray, not for a guaranteed date with a turtle. If you fancy trying your luck, the most honest option is a small trip with a dive centre or a kayak-and-snorkel outing from Los Cristianos; the cheapest is to go on your own to a cove with easy access first thing in the morning. Steer clear of any boat that promises turtles in exchange for food: that's exactly what the law bans.
Our picks
1
The top-rated snorkel trip
Two hours in a marine protected area, rated 4.9 from more than 700 reviews, photos included.
GetYourGuide2 hours
Tenerife: Snorkeling in a Marine Protected Area - Free Photos
4.9 (735 reviews)
from €37.80Check availability
2
Good-value kayak and snorkel
Kayak safari with snorkelling and a bite to eat; rated 4.8 from more than 900 reviews. Best if you enjoy paddling.
GetYourGuide3 hours
Tenerife Kayak & Snorkelling Safari with Wildlife and Snacks
4.8 (913 reviews)
from €22.50Check availability
3
To try diving as well
Combines diving and snorkelling in a turtle area, three hours; nearly 2,000 reviews.
GetYourGuide3 hours
Tenerife: 2-in-1 Scuba Diving & Snorkelling in Turtle Habitat
4.7 (1,996 reviews)
from €75Check availability
4
Away from the south-west
Snorkelling in Abades bay on the east coast. Few reviews so far, but it's a different coastline.
GetYourGuide1.5 hours
Abades: Tenerife Turtles and Rays Snorkelling Trip
4.5 (8 reviews)
from €55Check availability
Turtles in Tenerife: your real chances of seeing one
Tenerife has more spots where the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) has been recorded than any other Canary Island. Most are juveniles hatched on beaches in Guinea-Bissau, Suriname, Mexico or Costa Rica that use the islands to feed and grow. They've been recorded at El Puertito de Adeje, Alcalá, Palm-Mar, Las Galletas, Los Cristianos, La Caleta, El Médano and Abades. Some individuals stay in the same area for years: photo-identification studies have measured stays of 1.1 to 7.6 years.
Now for the honest figures. One seller of "turtle" boat trips admits they appear on one excursion in three. Another claims that by 2020 there were no turtles left at Armeñime, the El Puertito area, and that a turtle known as "Legends" died in an illegal trap in 2016. Both sell excursions, so take this for what it is: nobody has a reliable, up-to-date count.
What's realistic: reef fish, a ray or two and, if you're lucky, a turtle. The seller of the kayak-and-snorkel trip from Los Cristianos puts it plainly: turtles are "likely but never guaranteed", and there's no refund if none show up.
El Puertito today: building works, a court order and swimming bans
El Puertito de Armeñime, in Costa Adeje, is the best-known cove for seeing turtles. Adeje town council describes it as a small cove with a "marine micro-reserve" and a conservation and education project running since 2005. It averages 6 m deep, reaches 15 m at most and has hardly any current. There are no facilities.
The current situation is a different story:
- The Cuna del Alma development. A complex of 420 luxury villas is being built around the cove on about 430,000 m². Since 9 April, under an interim order from Arona's Court of Instruction No. 1, work has been halted inside the 100 m coastal protection strip (a restaurant, an outdoor pool and a buggy car park). That halt affects only a small part of the plot: the rest of the project carries on. In September, the Canarian press also reported that the Canary Islands Government's director general of Coasts is under investigation over the permit granted in that strip.
- Damage. An expert report submitted by the Puertito Libre association estimates that two-thirds of El Puertito is already affected and warns of more boat traffic and a greater risk of collisions for juvenile turtles.
- Water quality. The council has closed the beach to swimmers more than once because of high levels of faecal bacteria.
If you go, go first thing. The official tourism page for this dive site itself warns about the tourist boats that arrive later.
Where to go snorkelling in Tenerife from the shore
The coves that dive centres and official guides mention again and again:
- El Puertito de Adeje. The classic, with the caveats above.
- Palm-Mar and La Arenita. A rock wall below Montaña de Guaza. This is where the kayaks from Los Cristianos head.
- Alcalá. On the Guía de Isora coast, north of Costa Adeje.
- Abades bay. On the east coast, a good alternative when the south-west is choppy.
- Radazul bay. Near Santa Cruz; the official diving listing covers snorkelling and parking.
For more coves, sandy or otherwise, see our guide to Tenerife's beaches.
On a tour: boat, dive centre or kayak
Boat from Puerto Colón. The typical "turtle" trip costs €45 per person, leaves at 13:30, takes about 20 minutes each way by boat and gives you about 50 minutes in the water, with a maximum of 10 people. Wetsuit, mask, fins and guide are included; ages 8 to 75, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Dive centre. Guided snorkelling costs €39 at Aquarius (El Fraile, near Las Galletas) and €40 at Ocean Trek (Costa Adeje). If you get the bug, the same centres offer diving try-dives.
Kayak + snorkel. From Los Cristianos you paddle under the Guaza cliffs towards Palm-Mar and stop to snorkel: €37 per adult and €22.50 for 6- to 11-year-olds at Club Canary, €45 at kayak-tenerife.com. In Los Gigantes, Teno Activo charges €36. All the details are on the kayaking page.
| On your own | With a tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Item | on your own | on a tour |
| Price | free if you bring your own kit | €36–45 per person |
| Kit | your own; without a wetsuit the water feels cold from February to April | wetsuit, mask and fins included |
| Where | a cove you can reach from the shore | boat or kayak to the spot the guide chooses |
| Safety | no guide or support boat | guide in the water |
| Times | whenever you like; best first thing | fixed times |
The rules: no touching, no feeding and no swimming with dolphins
- Turtles. The green turtle is protected under both the Spanish and the Canary Islands catalogues of protected species. Law 42/2007 bans chasing or disturbing protected species, with fines from €100 up to €200,000 for serious offences. Keep your distance and don't touch or chase them.
- Food. In the Franja marina Teno-Rasca special area of conservation, which covers the coast of Buenavista del Norte, Santiago del Teide, Guía de Isora, Adeje and Arona, feeding wildlife and anchoring over seagrass meadows are banned.
- Dolphins. Swimming with wild dolphins or whales is illegal. Canary Islands Decree 178/2000 bans swimming or diving within 500 m of a whale or dolphin, and Royal Decree 1727/2007 bans swimming or diving inside the 60 m exclusion zone. No operator can sell it to you. If you want to see them, do it from an authorised whale and dolphin watching boat.
When to go: sea temperature
The sea is warmest in early autumn, not in July. September and October average around 23.7–23.8 °C; from February to April it drops to 19–20 °C, and without a wetsuit you'll feel it. Tours provide wetsuits all year round, and from February to April you'll be glad of one even when the sun's out.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm water | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | likely | likely | ideal | ideal | ideal | likely | likely |
unlikelylikelyideal
On the scale: 3 is water at 23 °C or above, 2 between 21 and 23 °C, 1 below 21 °C. For the weather on land, see when to go to Tenerife.
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Practical tips
- You need to be a confident swimmer. The agencies ask for it, and under-16s need parental permission on the boat trips.
- Bring your own water and sun cream if you're going to El Puertito: there's no beach bar and no facilities.
- With children, the kayak-and-snorkel trip from Los Cristianos takes them from age 6 and has a child rate. More ideas in Tenerife with kids.
- If you'd rather stay dry, the submarine from Amarilla Marina (formerly Marina San Miguel) dives to the seabed without you having to swim.
Where can you snorkel with turtles in Tenerife?
Green turtles have been recorded at El Puertito de Adeje, Alcalá, Palm-Mar, Las Galletas, Los Cristianos, La Caleta, El Médano and Abades. No spot guarantees a sighting; the trips mostly leave from Puerto Colón and Los Cristianos.
Am I sure to see turtles on a trip?
No. One boat-trip seller reckons they appear on one trip in three, and the Los Cristianos kayak seller warns there's no refund if none show up. Reef fish and rays are the most likely sightings.
Can you swim with dolphins in Tenerife?
No, it's illegal. Canary Islands rules ban swimming within 500 m of a whale or dolphin, and Spanish national rules ban swimming inside their 60 m exclusion zone. You can only watch them from authorised boats.
Can you feed the turtles?
No. Feeding wildlife is banned in the Teno-Rasca marine protected area, and disturbing a protected species can bring fines from €100 up to €200,000 in serious cases.
How much does a snorkelling trip cost in Tenerife?
About €39–45 per person with a dive centre or by boat from Puerto Colón, and €36–45 for kayak and snorkel. Kit, including a wetsuit, is usually included.
Can you snorkel at El Puertito right now?
There's no record of the beach being closed to the public, but there's building work around it, a partial court-ordered halt and past swimming bans because of bacteria. Check Adeje council's notices before you go.
