If you only have an hour, the tuk-tuk worth taking is the one to the Caldera del Rey volcano: it's the only route that leaves the hotel strip, taking you to a crater and a banana farm. The coast route covers what you can see walking along the seafront. If you want to get around for several days, hire a 125 cc scooter for three days, not one, and use it to hop between beaches from Los Cristianos to La Caleta. To go up Teide, a jeep or an excursion is better: on a scooter it's slow, cold and exposed.
Our picks
1
The tuk-tuk that leaves the resort
One hour to the Caldera del Rey: a protected natural monument, a banana farm and caves. The most distinctive tuk-tuk ride on offer.
GetYourGuide1 hour
Costa Adeje: Secret Volcano Tuk Tuk Tour
4.6 (258 reviews)
from €24Check availability
2
Both routes in one
A 2-hour double tour combining coast and volcano; rated 4.7 from more than 600 reviews.
3
Drive yourself up Teide
A Jeep Wrangler from Costa Adeje at sunset, 4 hours, rated 4.9. It sticks to the road, as the park rules require.
GetYourGuide4 hours
From Costa Adeje: Teide self-drive sightseeing tour in a Jeep Wrangler at sunset
4.9 (96 reviews)
from €55.80Check availability
4
Half-day jeep safari
Five hours from Playa de las Américas for anyone who'd rather someone else drove.
GetYourGuide5 hours
From Playa de las América: Half-Day Jeep Safari Tour
4.6 (73 reviews)
from €61Check availability
Tuk-tuk tours in Costa Adeje: three routes
The tuk-tuks in the south belong to Tuk Tuk Tenerife (Tuk Tuk Sweet Tours SL), with 100% electric vehicles and a meeting point at Avenida de España 10 in Costa Adeje. They're shared tours with an English-speaking driver, and there are three to choose from:
- Adeje coast route, 1 hour: beaches, Puerto Colón, Torviscas, Fañabé and La Caleta.
- Caldera del Rey ("the secret volcano"), 1 hour: the natural monument, a banana farm and caves.
- Combined tour, 2 hours: both routes back to back.
Each 1-hour route costs from €24 per adult, and on GetYourGuide the double tour is listed from €38. On the platforms cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead. The company doesn't publish how many people fit in each tuk-tuk or the price in euros of a private trip: if you're going as a group, ask.
The Caldera del Rey sits behind Siam Park. It's also where some horse rides set off through a volcanic valley planted with bananas, mangoes and avocados, if you'd rather see it another way.
Tuk-tuk in Santa Cruz
In the capital, Senda Ecoway sells an electric tuk-tuk tour of Santa Cruz de Tenerife "from €126". Its website doesn't say whether that's per vehicle or per person, and the difference is huge: ask before you book. To see the city on your own, the Santa Cruz sightseeing bus is the cheap alternative.
Scooter and motorbike hire: real prices
Hire means riding on your own, with no guide. As a benchmark, here are the rates published by Tenerife Moto Rent, at Calle Juan Reverón Sierra 4 in Los Cristianos:
| Bike | 1 day | 2 days | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 or 125 cc (Sym Symphony, Peugeot Tweet) | €50 | €75 | €99 | €150 | €210 |
The 300 cc maxi-scooter (Yamaha XMAX, Honda SH or Piaggio Beverly) costs €60 a day if you take it for one or two days and €55 a day for three to seven. The price includes two helmets, basic insurance, unlimited mileage and delivery to your hotel. The minimum age is 18 and the deposit is €100 to €150.
Look at the first column: a single day at €50 is the worst deal. For €99 you get three days, so each day works out at about €33.
What licence you need for a scooter
Up to 125 cc on a car licence, but not just any. Spanish rules let you ride motorbikes of up to 125 cc, 11 kW and 0.1 kW/kg on a category B car licence if you've held it for at least 3 years. A newly qualified driver can't hire a 125. Some shops add their own conditions, such as being 21.
Over 125 cc, a motorbike licence. For the 300 cc maxi-scooter the shop asks for a category A motorbike licence. The car-licence shortcut stops at 125 cc.
If your licence isn't Spanish (a UK or Irish one, say). That B-for-125 equivalence is a Spanish rule and only applies in Spain. Shops do rent to riders with foreign licences, but there's no clear official answer on whether the authorities accept it in the same way: ask the shop and check that your insurance covers you.
Where it makes sense. A 125 is comfortable for getting around Los Cristianos, Las Américas, Costa Adeje and La Caleta. On the TF-1 motorway you're slow and exposed, and the climb up Teide, above 2,000 m, is cold with strong crosswinds. For that day, a Teide excursion is a better bet.
E-bikes
In the south, hiring an e-bike costs about €30–36 a day, €92 for four days and €125–150 a week, delivered to Los Cristianos, Las Américas or Costa Adeje with a lock included.
Bikes can use all the island's forest tracks. The exception is e-bikes with more than 0.5 kW of assistance: they count as motor vehicles and need the Cabildo's (island council's) authorisation for the VM network. The rules are on the Cabildo's forest tracks page.
Jeep safaris and jeeps up Teide
The platforms sell two formats: a Jeep Wrangler you drive yourself from Costa Adeje up Teide at sunset, lasting about 4 hours, and a half-day jeep safari from Playa de las Américas, lasting about 5 hours.
What to know first: inside Teide National Park vehicles may only use the TF-21, TF-24 and TF-38 roads, and the tracks are off limits, so a "safari" through the park is on tarmac. Outside the park, forest tracks are also closed to motor vehicles except on the authorised VM network. The Cabildo has also announced limits on convoys of quads, buggies and 4x4s on Teide; for now it's an announcement, not a rule in force. If you're after a more adventurous drive, compare with the buggies and quads, which have short authorised dirt circuits in Adeje.
What to choose for your plans
- An hour free in Costa Adeje, with children or older relatives: the tuk-tuk to the Caldera del Rey. For more ideas, see Tenerife with kids.
- Several days in the south and a car licence held for over 3 years: a 125 scooter for three days or more.
- A motorbike licence and a taste for the open road: the 300 cc maxi-scooter.
- Driving up Teide, but not on two wheels: the sunset jeep.
- Getting around without driving or spending much: the tourist train or the guagua (the local bus).
More tours on wheels
GetYourGuide1 hour
Costa Adeje: Secret Volcano Tuk Tuk Tour
4.6 (258 reviews)
from €24Check availability
GetYourGuide4 hours
From Costa Adeje: Teide self-drive sightseeing tour in a Jeep Wrangler at sunset
4.9 (96 reviews)
from €55.80Check availability
GetYourGuide5 hours
From Playa de las América: Half-Day Jeep Safari Tour
4.6 (73 reviews)
from €61Check availability
GetYourGuide1 hour
Tenerife: Ocean View Electric Dirt Bike Coastal Adventure
5.0 (13 reviews)
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See all options on GetYourGuide →
How much is a tuk-tuk tour in Tenerife?
The electric tuk-tuk in Costa Adeje costs from €24 per adult for the 1-hour route (coast or Caldera del Rey) and from about €38 for the 2-hour combined tour. They're shared tours with a driver.
Can I hire a 125 cc scooter on my car licence?
Yes, if you've held a category B licence for at least 3 years; Spanish rules allow it up to 125 cc and 11 kW. For a 300 cc scooter you need a category A motorbike licence.
How much does it cost to hire a motorbike in Tenerife?
At a shop in Los Cristianos, a 50 or 125 cc scooter costs €50 for one day, €99 for three days and €210 a week, with two helmets, basic insurance and hotel delivery. A 300 cc costs €55–60 a day and they ask for a €100–150 deposit.
Is a helmet compulsory on a scooter?
Yes, for rider and passenger on every road. Riding without a helmet carries a €200 fine and 4 penalty points.
Can you take a jeep along dirt tracks on Teide?
No. Inside the national park you can only drive on the TF-21, TF-24 and TF-38 roads, and the tracks are closed to vehicles. Teide jeep safaris stay on tarmac.
How much does it cost to hire an e-bike in the south?
About €30–36 a day, €92 for four days and €125–150 a week, delivered to Los Cristianos, Las Américas or Costa Adeje with a lock included.
