Camping In Tenerife

If you love camping in the great outdoors, imagine pitching your tent on the gorgeous volcanic island of Tenerife.

The largest and most populated of Spain’s Canary Islands, Tenerife offers camping enthusiasts excellent location choices, breathtaking scenery, and a true ‘get away from it all’ camping experience.

It is getting more and more difficult to find camping destinations that don’t offer TV hookups and WIFI throughout their grounds as a main selling point. If you are looking to check out from the everyday hustle and bustle and get back in touch with nature, Tenerife is an oasis waiting to be explored.

What you need to know before your trip.
The majority of Tenerife’s campsites are owned by the government and are mostly found in the forested areas of the island. In order to camp legally in Tenerife, you must first purchase a camping license at the Registry and Citizen Services Office.

The Registry Office will provide you with a username and password that you can use to register your camping trip on their website and print off necessary permits that you will need to show camp rangers when you arrive. It is not possible to arrange your camping permit before your arrival to the island, as it must be applied for in person and no more than a week in advance.

Permits for camping on Tenerife are free of charge, but you should note that there is a maximum seven night stay with your acquired permits.

Types of Camping in Tenerife.
For such a small island, Tenerife has a wide array of geographical landscapes. From the volcanic mountain formations in the island’s central region, up to the rugged coastline of the North, and down to the sandy beaches of the South, there are plenty of choices for adventurous travellers. As far as camping on the island goes, it is mainly separated into two categories: wild camping and beach camping.

• Wild Camping – The most popular style of camping on Tenerife, wild camping, also known as free camping, is typically conducted without modern amenities such as electricity and the Internet and often has little to no bathroom or service facilities available.Wild camping encompasses the entire package of the camping experience. Sleeping under the stars, smack in the middle of nature, off the grid style.

The most popular of Tenerife’s wild camping areas are found throughout the mountain ranges and are all owned by the government. (So be sure you have that permit before heading out.) The facilities found at camp sites in Tenerife vary greatly and should be well-researched based on your preferred location. Although the majority offer basic amenities such as water and parking, only a few offer toilets or showers.

• Beach Camping – As with wild camping, beach camping on Tenerife is illegal without a permit. There is one privately run campground called Camping Nauta which provides actual plots for pitching tents, campers and RVs. It also offers amenities such as showers, toilets, and running drinkable water. This campground in particular is close to the beach which makes it a popular choice for sun seekers who want to camp with more luxurious amenities.

When visiting an island such as Tenerife, camping allows visitors to connect with the land in ways that aren’t typically possible when sleeping in a hotel. Whether you enjoy trekking volcanoes or discovering forgotten sea shells on the coast, the Tenerife camping experience will be one you’ll never forget. It won’t matter if you opt for the all natural camping in the mountains or the more glamorous camping by the beach, Tenerife will be an adventure of epic proportions.