10 Things to Do in Tenerife in December

Although December in Tenerife is somewhat colder than other seasons, you won't have to worry about snowfall or long periods of rain. Therefore, during your stay on the island you will have no limits to have fun.

During your visit you will find many things to do in Tenerife. Among other options, you will be able to do outdoor activities to enjoy the emblematic landscapes, walk the streets freely, enjoy the nightlife, among other options.

It doesn't matter if you only plan to stay 3 days in Tenerife, because throughout December you will be able to enjoy an atmosphere of celebration. When the sun goes down, the streets are illuminated with hundreds of Christmas lights.

In addition, in the squares you will see a series of decorations and cribs, which provide a propitious setting to walk around and take pictures.

You can make the tour at your own pace, either on foot or on two wheels, as there are plenty of options for renting bicycles. You can also opt for a guided tour to learn about the history of the city's monuments.

The main squares you can visit include:

• Plazoleta de República Dominicana (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), where you will see a huge Christmas tree.
• Plaza del Príncipe de Asturias (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), with a beautiful decoration that simulates a tunnel of lights, food stalls and seasonal music.
• Rambla de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where you will see a series of light cones, illuminated trees and monuments.
• Plaza del Centro Cultural de La Villa (La Candelaria). There, you will enjoy a Nativity Scene, decorations in the garden areas and colorful lights.
• Plaza de La Catedral ( La Laguna), with a gigantic illuminated metallic sphere.
• Plaza del Cristo (La Laguna). You will see an interactive Christmas tree.

If you are a literature enthusiast and you are in Tenerife during the month of December, you have an appointment at the International Short Story Festival of Los Silos, which takes place in the municipality of the same name in the northwestern part of the island.

It is an annual festival held for over 20 years. There, from mid-November to the first weeks of December, you can find a wide range of narrative exhibitions, including national and international literary works.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops, storytellers' round and storytelling sessions. You can also enjoy music concerts to keep you awake at night and visit the exhibitions of the book fair to purchase a copy.

Information of interest

• Price: from 2€ per person (the price varies according to the activity in which you wish to participate).
• Hours: from mid-November to the first weeks of December (10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm)
• Where: International Storytelling Festival of Los Silos, Municipality Silos.

Attending the Regional Crafts Fair, held annually for more than 30 years on the island, is another of the best activities in Tenerife that you can enjoy during your stay in December. There, you will witness the work of more than 100 artisans from the island and the rest of the Canary Islands, who come together in this event.

Just go to the Tenerife Fairgrounds during the first two weeks of December, from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm. In this way, you will be able to see a wide range of handicrafts, consisting of:

• Basketry, made with banana leaves.
• Pieces of pottery, handmade without the implementation of a potter's wheel.
• Silk weavings.
• Knives, in which some ornamental details stand out in their handle, made with bones.
• Goldsmithing, with pieces in metals and alloys.
• Traditional gastronomy, with sweet and savory foods, characteristic of all the islands of the Canary Islands.

Information of interest

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm (first two weeks of December).
• Where: Regional Crafts Fair of Tenerife, at the Tenerife Fairgrounds.

To make the most of your 4-day visit to Tenerife during the month of December, you can join an edition of the Plenilunio de Santa Cruz. This is an annual event that puts at your fingertips a great cultural offer: theater, music, crafts, gastronomy, art and much more.

The series of cultural activities of the Plenilunio usually take place during the first weekend of December (two consecutive days). For this, the island's city council selects more than 10 closed and open spaces, which you will be able to tour.

• Garcia Sanabria Park, with the "Le Good Market", where you will see a market of trends and traditional and gourmet food stalls.
• Plaza del Príncipe, with circus activities and musical presentations.
• Plaza la Candelaria, ideal if you are in Tenerife with children, as it offers puppet shows, a toy library and other children's activities.
• Plaza de España, where you will enjoy a flea market and parrandas canarias.
• Special activities in enclosed areas. Such is the case of some of Tenerife' s museums such as the Casa del Carnaval, the Museum of Nature and Archeology, the La Recova Art Center, among others.

Information of interest

• Price: free admission.
• Hours: the first weekend of December (two consecutive days).
• Where: Plenilunio in the main squares and museums of Tenerife.

If you have traveled to Tenerife with children after the second half of December, then you can't miss the Parque Infantil y Juvenil de Tenerife (PIT).

There, the little ones of the house will have a great time with a series of playful, educational, sports and leisure attractions.

This annual event has more than 20 years of tradition on the island, so when you arrive at the park you will find a large number of locals and tourists.

In total, both you and the kids will be able to enjoy about 40 playgrounds, for family fun. Some of them are:

• Mechanical attractions.
• Artificial ice rink with skate rental.
• Stage with theatrical, circus and musical shows.
• Sports areas.
• Short workshops on handicrafts, make-up, balloon twisting, etc.

Information of interest

• Price: from 9€ per person.
• Hours: from mid-December to the first weeks of January (10:00 to 20:00 hours).
• Where: Parque Infantil y Juvenil de Tenerife (PIT), at the Tenerife Fairgrounds.

Ice skating is a characteristic activity of the month of December, which you can enjoy during your stay. You just have to go to the lake of the Plaza de España to live a fun experience in the famous Isla de Hielo rink.

You can glide quietly around the rink, as this is a covered and very large space, with capacity for up to 120 people. Also, if it is your first time, you will not have to worry, because the staff of the Ice Island is ready to explain the basics of skating.

Also, you should know that the rink opens its doors to the public every day of December from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. You can buy a ticket to stay at the rink for as long as you want (from 30 minutes) and you will have access to a pair of skates.

Information of interest

• Price: average ticket price 5 € (adults) and 4 € (children).
• Hours: Monday to Sunday (10.00 am to 10.00 pm).
• Where: Plaza de España, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Christmas markets are an activity that you can incorporate among the things to do in Tenerife at Christmas.

You can enjoy an atmosphere of celebration with music, lights and beautiful decorations. In addition, you will find a variety of stalls where you will have the opportunity to buy local products, fashion, seasonal decorations, souvenirs, handicrafts, food tastings and much more.

La Alameda Market

It is organized annually by the city council of the island to offer locals and tourists a series of Latin American handicrafts. Likewise, throughout the month of December and until the first days of January, you can find handicrafts, jewelry, handbags and wallets, among other products.

Rinconcito Christmas Market

The Rinconcito Navideño flea market is located in the Candelaria square and is usually only open during the first three weeks of December. Here you will find Christmas decorations and flowers, stalls with traditional sweets and children's attractions for the little ones of the house.

Christmas Market of Guía de Isora

This market is held every year by the commercial sector of the island. You can buy a wide variety of Christmas food typical of Tenerife and the Canary Islands. You will also find stalls with handmade products.

Guía de Isora Christmas Market

The Christmas market of Guia de Isora opens its doors for only four days in December. In this space you will find casual and festive clothing, made by local designers, art, gastronomy, handicrafts and much more.

Whether you are in Tenerife for 2 or 7 days, taking a trip to the best theme parks on the island during December is usually a good option. This is due to the good temperatures and cool weather prevailing in this month.

Jungle Park in Tenerife

When you enter the Jungle Park in Tenerife, you will see a great variety of birds of prey and some shows where they are the protagonists.

Also, in this zoological park you will be able to see more than 500 animals: lions, tigers, seals, among other species. You will be surrounded by an amazing natural scenery (rainforest) and you will walk through tunnels, trails, caves, bridges, while contemplating some lagoons and waterfalls.

Tenerife Forest Park

In the Tenerife Forest Park you can live an adventure in direct contact with nature (amazing landscapes and numerous canary pine trees). You can do fun sports activities, including climbing walls, climbing rope ladders, jumping on lianas and flying through the air on a zip line, among others.

Tenerife is an island whose volcanic nature gives it varied underwater landscapes and allows the water to remain between 20 and 22ºC during the winter season. Therefore, if you are visiting in December, you will have no problem to dive in any of the beaches on the north or south coast.

You can venture into a kayaking and snorkeling experience in Tenerife or kayaking among dolphins and diving with turtles. In this way, you will contemplate the marine fauna of this island.

In addition, during the activity you will have the opportunity to see sponges, octopus, rays, seahorses, crabs and algae. Also, if you are lucky, you will see some angel sharks.

Information of interest

• Price: from 38€ per person.
• Schedule: the experience lasts 3 hours (Approx.)
• Where: north and south coast of Tenerife.

Tenerife has quite a busy nightlife and New Year's Eve could not be the exception. Therefore, if you have planned to spend the last day of the year on the island, you are going to have at your disposal several options to have fun.

Parties and discos

One option to celebrate New Year's Eve is to visit the nightclubs in Tenerife, where you will enjoy live music and DJs. In fact, many of these places are associated with each other to offer special tickets that allow you to enter several clubs for the same price (about 30 euros).

In addition, there are the cocktail bars, which usually provide a quieter atmosphere with unlimited consumption, for a price that can range between 15 and 30 €.

Celebration on the beach

If you want to get away from the crowds and celebrate in a different way, then spending New Year's Eve on one of the island' s beaches (Puerto Santiago, Bollullo, Puerto Santiago, Los Gigantes, among others) is a good alternative.

All you have to do is prepare some cotillion bags, the traditional grapes and your favorite alcoholic beverage. You can watch the fireworks and enjoy with friends or family.

Cruise along the coast of Tenerife

Another way to spend New Year's Eve on the island is to join a cruise along the south coast of Tenerife, which usually incorporates dinner, drinks and music by a DJ. Plus, you'll take in the scenery and see the fireworks from a different perspective as you sail Tenerife's waters.

Although December is a winter month, in Tenerife you will rarely see the thermometer reading below 20ºC or above 26ºC. In fact, on a daily basis, the temperature variation is usually as low as 1ºC. In addition, the days are characterized by being cloudy and the percentage of precipitation is very low.

Therefore, you will enjoy a pleasant climate during the month of December on the island of eternal spring, being able to perform any type of outdoor activity: whale and dolphin watching in Tenerife, stroll through the main squares and streets, among others.

Temperatures in Tenerife are not usually very low during the month of December, so when you pack your suitcase you will not only need to pack coats and sweaters. You can also pack cool clothes: shirts, shorts and cotton T-shirts.

You can also add to your suitcase a swimsuit, hiking boots, a cap and a hiking backpack, as you could join day trips in Tenerife or any other outdoor activity.