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How to meet people in Tenerife, from Santa Cruz and La Laguna to the south coast

Updated: · Hellohood

In short

Hike with others: a group trip up to Teide National Park or into the Anaga forests is the classic way to make friends here. La Laguna's old town is lively with students in the evening, and El Médano gathers surfers and kitesurfers on the beach. Hellohood shows small plans nearby on a map that you can join today.

Tenerife is less one city than a handful of very different places on one island. Santa Cruz is the working capital, La Laguna next door is a historic university town with the liveliest evenings, Puerto de la Cruz in the green north mixes locals and long-stay visitors, and the sunny south around Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje is resort country. El Médano has a laid-back crowd of surfers and remote workers. The good news is that people come for the outdoors, so hikes and beach days turn strangers into friends fast; the challenge is that everyone is spread out, so you need to pick a base.

Hellohood puts small plans on a map, like a sunrise drive to the Teide, a walk in Anaga or a sunset at Playa Jardín, and you join with one tap before a group chat opens. The Tenerife chat is useful for finding a seat in someone's car or asking about buses, and if you add your trip you can see who else is on the island on your dates. The app is still new here, so if the map looks quiet, start a plan yourself, like a morning swim at Las Teresitas, and let people nearby join.

Where people meet in Tenerife

  • Plaza de España, Santa Cruz — The big square by the port with its reflecting pool, the natural meeting point in the capital.
  • Playa de Las Teresitas — The golden beach at San Andrés, a short ride from Santa Cruz, where locals go on weekends.
  • Playa Jardín and Lago Martiánez — The black-sand beach and seawater pools of Puerto de la Cruz, good for an afternoon and a sunset.
  • El Médano beach and Montaña Roja — Kitesurfers on the water and a red volcanic hill to climb at sunset, an easy place to start a conversation.
  • Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África — The colourful market in Santa Cruz, busiest on Sunday mornings when the Rastro fills the street next to it.

Neighbourhoods where people hang out in Tenerife

  • Santa Cruz — The capital, with Plaza de España, shopping streets and terraces; very local, busiest on weekday evenings and during carnival.
  • San Cristóbal de La Laguna — A UNESCO-listed old town and university city linked to Santa Cruz by tram, with student bars and the island's best nightlife for locals.
  • Puerto de la Cruz — The old resort town on the green north coast, with a fishing harbour, Playa Jardín and a mix of locals, Europeans and long-stay visitors.
  • Los Cristianos, Las Américas and Costa Adeje — The sunny south, with beaches, promenades and the island's most international nightlife.
  • El Médano — A small beach town near the south airport, famous for windsurfing and kitesurfing, with a relaxed nomad scene.

Things to do alone in Tenerife (that easily turn social)

  1. Join a group hike in Anaga, where the forest trails make conversation easy and someone always has a spare seat in the car.
  2. Take a kitesurfing or windsurfing lesson in El Médano and stay for sunset on Montaña Roja.
  3. Spend an evening in La Laguna's old town, where students fill the bars and squares.
  4. Go to the Sunday Rastro in Santa Cruz and follow it with coffee at the market.
  5. Take a boat trip from Los Cristianos to spot whales and dolphins, and chat with the others on deck.

Hostels, pub crawls & the social scene

Hostels on Tenerife are spread out: you will find them in Santa Cruz and La Laguna, in Puerto de la Cruz, in El Médano and around Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje. La Laguna and El Médano feel the most social, with students in one and surfers and remote workers in the other. Ask in the common room who is driving up to the Teide or hiking in Anaga, and offer to share a rental car. Pub crawls run in the south's nightlife areas, but the island's best social activity is outdoors, so a sunrise hike or a beach day is the natural non-drinking alternative.

Regular things you can just show up to

  • Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife — One of the world's biggest carnivals, in February or March, when the whole capital parties in the streets in costume.
  • Free walking tours — Tip-based tours through La Laguna's old town and central Santa Cruz, a good way to meet other travellers.
  • El Rastro de Santa Cruz — The Sunday morning street market next to the Mercado de Nuestra Señora de África, a local ritual.
  • Sunset on the west and south coast — Every clear evening people gather on the beaches and promenades to watch the sun drop behind La Gomera.

Tips for solo travellers & newcomers

  • The north is greener and cloudier, the south sunnier and drier; bring a warm layer for the Teide, where it can be cold even in summer, and note the trail to the very summit needs a free permit booked ahead.
  • Tenerife is generally safe; watch your things on beaches, do not leave valuables in cars at trailheads, and ignore sales touts in the southern resorts.
  • Solo female travellers can join women-only plans on Hellohood, and it is always a good idea to meet in public places first.
  • In the south English is everywhere, but in Santa Cruz and La Laguna Spanish is the daily language, and a few words help a lot.
  • Locals go out late, especially on Friday and Saturday in La Laguna, while hikers start early to beat the clouds and the heat.

Day trips that are better together

  • Teide National Park — Drive or take the bus up to the volcanic landscape around Spain's highest peak, a day that is better shared with a car full of people.
  • Anaga — By bus or car from Santa Cruz or La Laguna to laurel forests and ridge trails, best hiked as a small group.
  • La Gomera — The ferry from Los Cristianos takes you to the neighbouring island's green valleys, an easy group day trip.

Best time to go

Spring-like all year; winter is high season for visitors to the sunny south, while summer is hot and dry and the best time to hike the high Teide.

Plan ideas to start on Hellohood

  • Sunrise drive up to the Teide
  • Morning hike in Anaga
  • Sunday at the Rastro in Santa Cruz
  • Evening drinks in La Laguna's old town
  • Sunset on Montaña Roja in El Médano

How Hellohood works

  1. Open the map and see small plans nearby — today, tonight, this weekend.
  2. Tap to join: a group chat opens so you can say hi first.
  3. Meet in a public place. Or start your own plan in seconds.

FAQ

Is Tenerife good for solo travellers?

Yes, especially if you like the outdoors. Hikes, surf lessons and beach days make it easy to meet people, and the island has a large international community. Choose your base carefully: La Laguna and Santa Cruz feel like real cities, El Médano is small and social, and the southern resorts are busier with holidaymakers.

Is Tenerife safe to travel alone, also for women?

Tenerife is generally considered safe, including for women travelling alone. Watch out for petty theft on beaches and from parked cars, strong currents on some northern beaches and changing weather on mountain trails. Meet new people in public places first, and use women-only plans on Hellohood if you prefer.

Where do solo travellers stay in Tenerife?

La Laguna for student life and history, Santa Cruz for city life, Puerto de la Cruz for the green north, El Médano for surfers and nomads, and Los Cristianos or Costa Adeje for sun and nightlife. Buses connect them, but a car makes day trips much easier.

How do I make friends in Tenerife as an expat or nomad?

Join regular activities: weekly hikes, a surf or kite school, a co-working space in El Médano or Puerto de la Cruz. Many expats live in the south, while Spanish speakers will find a broader local circle in La Laguna and Santa Cruz. Offering lifts to hikes is a great icebreaker.

Is there a language exchange in Tenerife?

Informal language exchanges and tandems happen, especially in La Laguna with its university. The easiest way is to post your own plan, for example Spanish and English over coffee in La Laguna, and see who joins.

Is Hellohood free?

Yes. No paywall and no ads: joining plans, creating your own, using the Tenerife chat and adding trips cost nothing. The same account works on Gran Canaria and in any other city.

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