If you're coming to learn to surf, stay in the south and book in Playa de las Américas: that's where the schools are, along with the seafront with showers and lifeguards, and waves from October to March. If sails are more your thing, head to El Médano, ten minutes from Tenerife South airport, where the trade wind blows for much of the year and the beach is divided into zones for schools and riders.
What we don't recommend is mixing the two: El Médano isn't the place for your first surf lesson, and nor is the most famous wave in Las Américas, La Izquierda. Before you pay, ask the school which break the lesson is at.
Our picks
1
The most flexible lesson
Private or small group in Playa de las Américas, 2 h, from €35 and rated 4.8 from more than 1,200 reviews.
GetYourGuide2 hours
Playa de las Américas: Private or Small-Group Surf Lesson
4.8 (1,246 reviews)
from €35Check availability
2
The most reviewed, with photos
All levels, 2 h, rated 4.8 from more than 1,600 reviews; photos included.
GetYourGuide2 hours
Tenerife: Surfing Lesson for All Levels, Photos included
4.8 (1,646 reviews)
from €42Check availability
3
Small group
2-hour lesson in Las Américas in a small group, from €40.
GetYourGuide2 hours
Surf Lesson in Playa de las Américas, Tenerife | Small Group
4.7 (245 reviews)
from €40Check availability
4
For teenagers and adults
"Premium" group for over-14s only, from €37.50.
GetYourGuide2 hours
Premium Surf Group Lesson (14+ Years Old)
4.8 (70 reviews)
from €37.50Check availability
Where to learn: surf schools in Playa de las Américas
The seafront at Playa de las Américas is where the island's surf schools are concentrated. The promenade has showers, lifeguards and parking along the avenue, so you don't need a car or a tour: the lesson takes place on the resort's own beach.
The bottom is volcanic reef, not sand. The benchmark wave, La Izquierda de Las Palmeras, breaks over rock with a critical take-off and fast, hollow sections; it has hosted events on the world qualifying tour and, according to the official break listing, works best from October to March at high tide with waves of 1 to 3 m. It's a wave for experienced surfers; on small days, for intermediates.
Surf lesson prices
A beginners' lesson almost always lasts 2 hours, with kit included.
| School or channel | Group lesson | Private | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| K16 Surf School (direct) | €40, 2 h | €90 | 1 instructor per 5 pupils; kit, third-party liability insurance and a snack included |
| Ika Ika (reseller price) | from €35, 2 h | — | minimum age 7; under-14s private lessons only |
| Club Canary (reseller) | €34 | — | group |
| Platforms (cards below) | from €33 | depends on product | check the maximum group size |
K16 bills itself as an official school of the Canary Islands Surf Federation and says it has 21 years' experience; it also sells surfskate sessions at €70 an hour.
A €5 difference between one lesson and another matters less than the ratio. With five pupils per instructor you get corrected on every wave; with ten, you spend half the lesson paddling with nobody watching you. Always ask.
El Médano: kitesurfing, windsurfing and wing foiling
El Médano, in Granadilla de Abona, about 8 km and a 10-minute drive from Tenerife South airport, lives off the wind. The north-easterly trade wind is funnelled past Montaña Roja; one local centre talks of more than 250 sailable days a year, typically 15 to 35 knots, and recommends adding 5–10 knots to the Windguru forecast when it blows from the north-east. The official listing says kitesurfing goes on all year and that summer, with northerly and north-easterly winds, is the most popular season.
The beach is zoned: teaching areas for the schools, a free-riding area, zones for advanced riders near the jetty, windsurfing areas, swimming areas and a caution line at the end of the beach that mustn't be crossed. There are lifeguards and a marked area for rigging kites. Windsurfers talk about the south bay, the harbour breakwater and El Cabezo.
Kitesurfing prices
Kite lessons are sold by the hour and are almost always private. At Sogni Canarias, with kit, insurance and IKO certification included:
| Private lesson | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 hour | €70 |
| 3 hours | €180 |
| 6 hours | €355 |
| 9 hours | €510 |
| Advanced clinic, 2 h | €250 |
They also sell lessons shared between two or three pupils; ask whether the price is per person or per group, because it isn't clear. For windsurfing and wing foiling, the town's main centre publishes packages without prices: ask for a quote by email before you go.
To get there without a car, TITSA line 470 links Los Cristianos, Las Galletas and Golf del Sur with El Médano, and the 408 comes from Granadilla and San Isidro. More on the town in other towns in Tenerife.
When to go: waves, wind and water
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waves in Las Américas | ideal | ideal | ideal | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | ideal | ideal | ideal |
| Kitesurfing in El Médano | likely | likely | likely | likely | likely | ideal | ideal | ideal | likely | likely | likely | likely |
| Warmest water | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | unlikely | likely | likely | ideal | ideal | ideal | likely | likely |
unlikelylikelyideal
From October to March the groundswell arrives that makes the Las Américas reefs work. In summer the southern waves are smaller, which suits many beginners better. Kitesurfing in El Médano is most popular in summer, with northerly and north-easterly winds, although you can ride all year.
The water is never really warm: 19–20 °C from February to April and 23–24 °C in September and October. The schools include a wetsuit. For the month-by-month weather, see when to go to Tenerife.
Surfing in the north: experienced surfers only
The north coast picks up northerly and north-westerly groundswell in winter. Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo, El Socorro (Los Realejos) and Almáciga, out in Anaga, are breaks for experienced surfers; at El Socorro the tourist office warns about currents. In Puerto de la Cruz there's a beginners' lesson on Martiánez beach, which the tourist office describes as "usually quite rough": if you go, go with a school and never on your own.
More lessons, paddleboarding and board hire
If the sea is too big or too flat, stand-up paddleboarding is the alternative: there's hourly hire in Los Cristianos and lessons on Las Teresitas beach in Santa Cruz from €18.
GetYourGuide2 hours
Tenerife: Surfing Lesson for All Levels, Photos included
4.8 (1,646 reviews)
from €42Check availability
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Playa de las Américas: Private or Small-Group Surf Lesson
4.8 (1,246 reviews)
from €35Check availability
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Surf Lesson in Playa de las Américas, Tenerife | Small Group
4.7 (245 reviews)
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Playa de las Américas: Private or Small Group Surf Lesson
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4.8 (70 reviews)
from €37.50Check availability
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Tips for your lesson
- No car needed. TITSA line 467 runs along the coast between Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje, and the 40 comes from Tenerife South airport.
- Bring waterproof sun cream, a towel and swimwear. The school provides the kit.
- With children, check the minimum age. At Ika Ika under-14s can only do private lessons: book ahead in the school holidays. Other ideas in Tenerife with kids.
- Ask about insurance. K16 includes third-party liability insurance and Sogni includes insurance with kite lessons; if another school doesn't mention it, ask.
- If you don't surf, there's plenty more sea. Kayaking and snorkelling are relaxed options for the same morning.
Where can you learn to surf in Tenerife?
In Playa de las Américas, in the south, where you'll find the schools, the lifeguards and the showers on the promenade. El Médano is for kitesurfing, windsurfing and wing foiling, not surf lessons.
How much does a surf lesson cost in Tenerife?
A 2-hour group lesson costs from about €33–35 on the platforms and €40 direct with a school, all kit included; a private lesson is around €90.
When is the best time to surf in Tenerife?
The best waves in Playa de las Américas arrive from October to March. In summer the sea is smaller, which can be better for starting out.
Do you need a wetsuit to surf in Tenerife?
Yes, the water averages 19–20 °C between February and April and is around 23–24 °C in September and October, the warmest months. The schools include one in the lesson.
How much does it cost to learn kitesurfing in El Médano?
A private lesson costs €70 an hour and a 3-hour course €180, with kit, insurance and IKO certification included at the school we checked.
Is La Izquierda a good wave for beginners?
No. It breaks over volcanic reef with a critical take-off and is a wave for experienced surfers. Ask your school which break the beginners' lesson is at.
