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Do you consider yourself an adventurous person? Do you enjoy travelling around the world and discovering the most beautiful spots of each place? If you are planning your holidays in Tenerife and you are not sure about which are the best spots and the best activities in the island, don’t worry — we are here to help you!
At Overfly Tenerife our aim is to improve your travelling experience as much as possible. As you probably know already, we are experts in paragliding flights — but we want to provide you the best information about all the activities that you can practice in Tenerife apart from paragliding.
In previous posts, we have told you about golf, cycling, hiking and many others. But if you are interested in water activities, like surfing, you better read this post. The activity that we are going to talk about today is snorkeling in Tenerife. It is one of the most popular things to do in this island of the Canaries, and there is no doubt that it is probably the best snorkeling in the world.
There are some different companies in Tenerife offering snorkeling tours. This island is a paradise on Earth in many senses due to many different factors — such as its fantastic weather, its marvelous beaches, its delicious Canarian cuisine and so on. That is probably the reason why its deep ocean sights are astonishing too.
We need you to understand that snorkeling in Tenerife is one of those experiences that you need to live at least once in a lifetime. You will discover the best Tenerife sea life, the amazing Tenerife reef and all the beautiful sights hidden in it! You will even have the chance to practice swimming with turtles in Tenerife. So, without further ado, let us introduce you the best snorkeling spots in Tenerife!
Top 3 snorkeling spots in Tenerife
We want to give you a brief description of our top 3 snorkeling spots in Tenerife. We have chosen these three because they are our favorites and they are considered the best, but there are some more snorkeling spots around Tenerife Island.
Are you wondering where to go snorkeling in Tenerife? We will tell you all you need to know about them and some tips and advices just in case you decide to visit them. Off we go!
Snorkeling in El Puertito de Adeje, Tenerife
Since long time ago, El Puertito de Adeje — also known as Turtle Bay — has been the most popular snorkeling spot in Tenerife. The main reason why is because of our beloved turtles in Tenerife. In this beach, you will find a family of big green turtles living in the depths of the ocean. These turtles have been some kind of magnet for tourists, and that is the reason why there are plenty of companies doing snorkeling tours.
The beach of El Puertito beach, Tenerife is a beautiful withdrawal and it means a change of pace from some of the other overcrowded tourist beaches, such as Los Cristianos and Las Américas. Apart from this huge pro, El Puertito is a protected turtle bay where you will be able to apreciate the beauty of its boasts crystal clear waters. You will also enjoy the friendly treat of the sea turtles with their visitors — so all of these factors make this the perfect spot for snorkeling in Tenerife.
This island offers so much more than an astonishing landscape. There is a stunning world hidden under the water — and it has an amazing flora and fauna along with many different marine species, including our beloved and incredible turtles. There are three different types of turtles existing in Tenerife — the Atlantic Green Turtles, the Leatherback Turtles, and the Loggerheads.
The Atlantic Green Turtles is the most common specie to be seen in these waters. Their length goes from the 90 centimeters to the 2, 70 meters! You can find these amazing ocean turtles very close to the coast, and they are often very friendly, so they are the perfect companion when you are snorkeling.
The ocean at El Puertito has a depth of around 12 meters. So if you go snorkeling in this part of Tenerife, you can find the turtles at a depth of eight meters during the whole year. The terrain is made up of a rocky reef, and this kind of reef also brings a lot of different types of fish and sea life.
This snorkeling experience in Tenerife is a trip frequently organized by the AWF (African Wildlife Foundation). There are volunteers that spend the whole day in El Puertito, and that gives them the chance to see marine life very close and the opportunity to learn about the different organisms found around Tenerife.
You can find some small bars and restaurants in the coastal town of El Puertito. This gives volunteers the chance to eat comfortably at lunch time.
Nevertheless, the selection is kind of limited — so, we strongly recommend you to pack your own lunch. Remember that you are going to be out there swimming all day!
To sum up, this experience gives you the chance to be close to these majestic creatures and many other fascinating and weird fish species that cannot be found anywhere else. There is a whole world full of colors and life waiting for you right there. Definitely, there is no doubt that El Puertito is always the perfect choice for snorkeling!
Snorkeling in Palm Mar Wall, Tenerife
Now, we are moving to Palm Mar Wall. It is located in the North-east of the Atlantic Ocean, to the south of Tenerife Island. Palm Mar Wall is a vertical wall that descends to 24 meters depth and has three levels inhabited of many different kinds of marine creatures. At the end of the dive, divers stop at a small cave.
The wall has a shape of a horseshoe, creating infinity of holes and hiding-places for all types of sea creatures. This is other of the best snorkeling spots located in Tenerife, and it is situated between Los Cristianos and Palm Mar town. But this spot is not as famous as the one mentioned before, although it is surprisingly easy to access. This is a great place to do a drift dive.
Very close to Palm Mar Wall, there is a big cave located half underwater. Imagine how exciting must be snorkeling there. In fact, the best way is to start your snorkeling tour at this cliff is beginning at the end of Los Cristianos beach and swimming along the wall to Palm Mar.
When you get closer to Palm Mar, the underwater sea life is probably richer than anywhere else, and you have quite high chances to see spectacular fish, like rays resting at the bottom, or even meet green turtles too. For sure, you will find plenty of exotic fish like roncadores and breams.
Other of the best attractions of this spot is the floating fish farms in the ocean right in front of the Palm Mar Wall. You will also find other animals looking for easy food, so don’t be surprised or afraid if you will see a bottlenose dolphin very close to you.
If you go snorkeling by your own, thing that we don’t recommend, be careful while you are snorkeling along the wall, and don’t swim too far from the shore. Why? Because there are a lot of Jet Ski safaris and tours made along the wall, so it could be very dangerous.
Some of the animals that you will see will be devilfish or pelagic fish at the first level of the wall. Then, at the second level, you will see bearded seals and lobsters. Finally, at the third level, you will have the chance to discover angel sharks, Atlantic rays and croakers.
The best season for diving in Palm Mar Wall is from June to September, due to the water temperature rises to 24ºC. You come to the island in these months, don’t hesitate to visit this zone and practice snorkeling in this side of Tenerife!
Snorkeling in Faro de la Rasca, Tenerife
This is the last, but not least perfect spot to practice snorkeling in Tenerife. It is situated in the area around the lighthouse Faro de La Rasca, which is located approximately in the middle from Las Galletas to Palm Mar.
This time, you have the chance to practice snorkeling amongst the underwater volcanoes in the south of Tenerife. This is one of the most interesting volcanic landscapes beneath the sea in this island and it is facing the Rasca Lighthouse (Faro de Rasca), located in the southernmost point of Tenerife.
If you get under these crystal-clear waters of the Atlantic, you will discover a range of submerged ravines. They were created thousands of years ago by lava flows. As the lava cooled, it formed these erratic structures. Their shape is like a prismatic flight of stairs, and it is known as the ‘organs’ of the Canary Islands. Faro de Rasca is also a spot full of marine life, so it is a delight for underwater photographers and experienced divers.
This is a great chance to swim amongst schools of fish close to Las Galletas. You can get there by boat in less than ten minutes from the nearby port of Las Galletas. Snorkeling normally involves an eight-meter vertical drop down to the “organs” of Tenerife and then a journey between canyons, stone arches and tunnels.
During your journey, you will find dense schools of yellow and silver grunt fish hover over small sandbars. In this spot you will probably find angel fish and croakers. In this stunning blue ocean, you will see beautiful shoals of barracudas dancing in circles. And, on the rocks, you will glimpse pretty anemones waving their graceful tentacles.
Apart from snorkeling, you can swim in the area around the lighthouse in direction of Pal Mar and then return and swim from the lighthouse to Las Galletas. But you need to be brave enough, because in this area you can find cuttlefish very often. They are the masters of camouflage!
Along your snorkeling trip in Tenerife, there a lot of areas with quite flat waters from 5 to 20 meters deep and rocks underwater. Normally, life is concentrated at this point. You will have the chance to see rays, barracudas, and even octopus among others!
If you go more towards the North, there are also perfect snorkeling spots by Abades and Arico. Nevertheless, these spots depend a lot on the weather conditions — so, you have to choose a day without wind to avoid fighting with big waves and reduced visibility.
If you are looking for a great snorkeling spot to spend a great snorkeling day, this is the perfect place for you! So if you are not really interested in turtles in Tenerife, you can choose Faro de Rasca as your snorkeling spot in Tenerife!
Snorkeling equipment — what do you need in Tenerife?
If you want to enjoy the best snorkeling experience in Tenerife, believe us when we say that good snorkel equipment will improve your experience to the maximum. Everybody want to find the snorkeling gear that fits perfectly, enabling you to be relaxed and focused on the marvelous spectacle that you are living under the water.
We wanted to make some kind of the best snorkeling equipment review in Tenerife. In this section you will learn everything you need to know about snorkeling equipment options, and how to get the option that fits perfectly for your face, feet and mouth. That is the reason why buying is better than renting, even for beginners. Rentals rarely fit right — nevertheless, it is still an option.
Once you have a good set of diving equipment, it will last you for years — even with minimal care. Let’s see the essentials of snorkeling equipment that you need for your trip to Tenerife!
Masks and fitting
Snorkel masks are probably the first thing that comes to your mind when you talk about snorkeling, and that is because it is probably the most important part of snorkeling equipment. You can find a large variety of styles, sizes and materials — you can get them with one window, or up to four. Some of them have plastic skirts, but if they are a hundred percent silicone, they are so much better.
The most important thing to take in account is to get a mask of good quality that fits you perfectly, due to this is crucial. But, how can you check if they fit perfectly or not? You can check it in a few easy steps.
First, put the mask on without putting the strap around your head. Then, inhale lightly through your nose and finally let the mask go. If the mask automatically sticks to your face simply from the vacuum that you create by inhaling, get ready to buy that mask, because it fits you considerably well.
If you are not sure, put the mask strap on and exhale from your nose. If it fits you, you will be able to force the exhaled air out under the mask skirt without much effort. Contrarily, emptying the mask if water comes in is going to be a bit difficult. Finally, put the mask on a wear it for a couple of minutes.
This way, you will notice if the mask puts uncomfortable pressure anywhere on your face. These places on your face are typically the tip of the nose, between the eyes or on the forehead. If all of these are comfortable, you have found the perfect mask for you.
Snorkeling fins
Snorkeling fins are crucial if you are planning to practice snorkeling in Tenerife, (or anywhere else on the world). The choice of your snorkeling fins will depend on your skill level, strength and if you like to free-dive or not. This choice is pretty broad.
You can choose between a closed and an open foot, with split fins or solid or compact travel versions.
Snorkeling Wetsuit
On the one hand, if you are planning to practice snorkeling in tropical waters, protection against exposure may be simply a swimsuit and lots of sun cream. But a good snorkeling wetsuit will definitively be helpful to provide you a bit of protection against the sun and a bit of warmth for extended snorkel journeys.
On the other hand, if you are planning to practice snorkeling in cooler waters, a neoprene top can help to keep you warm — it can be a short-sleeved, sleeveless or full-sleeved top, as you rather. And, for even cooler waters, you should consider a wetsuit, either a shorty or a full-length.
If we have convinced you about the fact that snorkeling in Tenerife is one of the best choices if you visit the island, don’t hesitate to contact us in order to solve any of your doubts. We will be pleased to help you anytime!
