The east coast of Tenerife - Attractions & Photo Spots

For one day we took our time to explore the most beautiful sights and photo spots on the east coast of Tenerife. And there were indeed some: an impressive stone arch, fascinating rock formations on the coast, pyramids inland, a basilica by the sea as well as the lively capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife and a fantastic white sandy beach.

Table of contents

The sights on the east coast of Tenerife

The stone arch of San Miguel de Tajao

The impressive rock arch“Arco de Tajao”can be found directly on the TF-1 motorway at exit 46. If you leave the motorway and drive in the direction of San Miguel de Tajao, after only a few meters on the left, there is a gravel parking lot. Here we parked our rental car and walked from there down to the stone arch. Alternatively, you can also turn left in front of the gravel parking lot down to “La Jaca / La Listada” and search for a parking bay near the rock arch (map in Google Maps).

The arch can best be viewed from the sea side, as the blue of the sky shines through. When we were here in the late morning, there was actually only one other couple there, so we could take a few photos in peace. Unfortunately, the visibility was not quite as good with us, as there were (as you can see on the photos) severe forest fires in the nearby mountains. By the way, the arch is not blocked off, which means you can actually walk over the stone arch.

The stone arch on the east coast of Tenerife

The stone arch in Tenerife

The rock formations at Playa Amarilla

The most beautiful “beach” of Tenerife for us is Playa Amarilla – and not because of the beautiful sand (which does not exist here), but because of the bizarre rock formations. The water and the waves have shaped the rock here so impressively for years that it has even been declared a natural monument. Even if the beach is made of coarse stones, some people were here – but more for sunbathing on the rocky outcrops than for bathing 😉

Playa Amarilla on the Costa del Silencio

The stony beach

Die Playa Amarilla

The rock formations

Die Playa Amarilla

The Pyramids of Güímar

“A pile of stones…” was our first thought when we looked at the pyramids of Güímar through the fence. Since the area was still closed due to corona, we could only catch a glimpse of the rock pyramids. In fact, the pyramids are six rectangular elongated, pyramid-shaped terraced buildings made of stacked lava stones. Researchers and archaeologists have found out through excavations that the pyramids must have been built in the 19th century. Once there were nine of these stone buildings in Güímar, today only six remain. It is apparently unclear to this day what the original function of these pyramids was.

The Pyramids of Güímar

The town of Candelaria & the Basilica

Candelaria is a small village on the east coast of Tenerife with almost 28,000 inhabitants. We were able to park our car directly free of charge at the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias. From here we were able to explore the shopping street and the two main attractions perfectly on foot. The place is known above all for its large basilica Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria,which makes Candelaria the most important Catholic pilgrimage site of the Canary Islands. Every year, the Basilica and the Miraculous Image of the Virgin of Candelaria is visited by about 2.5 million pilgrims and tourists.

Our tip: The best view of the basilica is from Calle Dr. Llarena, which is located above the church.

The Basilica of Candelaria

Diagonally opposite the basilica, on the sea side of the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias, there are nine larger-than-life statues of the most famous Guanch kings (“Estatuas De Los Menceyes”). From the large square we walked along the main shopping street Calle Obispo Pérez Cáceres and at its end we have become a view of the black sandy beach.

The shopping street in Candelaria

The black beach in Candelaria

Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias

Statues de los Menceyes

The capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was founded in 1494 and has been the capital of the island of Tenerife since 1833. Together with the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, it is also one of the two capitals of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. The city is located directly on the sea on the northeast coast of Tenerife and has around 210,000 inhabitants. During our city tour we were able to get to know the most beautiful sights such as the Auditorio, a palm garden, the old town with a traditional market hall and a beautifully landscaped botanical garden. Our detailed article on Santa Cruz de Tenerife can be found here.

The Auditorio de Tenerife

The Parque García Sanabria

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción

The Old Town

The beach Playa Las Teresitas

About 9 km north of Santa Cruz is the Playa de Las Teresitas,a sandy beach about 1.5 kilometers long. It is one of the few white beaches in Tenerife, because primarily the island has beaches with black sand of volcanic origin. In 1973, about 270,000 tons of white sand from the Sahara were piled up at Playa de Las Teresitas to create an oasis of peace and relaxation for locals and tourists. In fact, the beach is still one of the most famous and popular beaches on the island. Off the coast, breakwaters have been installed, so that nothing stands in the way of relaxed bathing and splashing. We noticed positively that there are enough free parking spaces directly on the beach as well as appropriate sanitary facilities.

Our tip: For a perfect view of Playa de Las Teresitas, a detour to the viewpoint Mirador Playa De Las Teresitas, which can be easily reached by car within 5 minutes, is worthwhile.