Best Black Sand Beaches in Tenerife
If beach getaways are among your favorite travel destinations, you’ve likely lounged by the sea on beaches with white sand, golden sand, and even a pink sand beach. What about a black sand beach?
You’ll find beaches with black sand in several locations around the world including Hawaii, Greece, and Indonesia, and there’s even one in California. But for the best chance to find a black sand beach, you’ll love, visit Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands.
Located off West Africa, Tenerife has 40 miles of sandy beaches scattered along its 250-mile coastline. Tenerife’s golden sand beaches feature imported sand from the Sahara, but the island’s natural beaches have black sand that is the result of the erosion of lava fragments and materials from volcanos, including Mt. Teide, Spain’s tallest peak.
Update your Instagram pages and tick off an exotic black sand beach on your travel list with a visit to one of the best black sand beaches in Tenerife.
Playa El Bollullo
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
Situated in the northern part of the island, Playa El Bollullo is a black sand beach in Tenerife near Puerto de la Cruz and La Orotava. It’s a remote beach mostly visited by the locals looking for an escape from the city and remains a hidden gem for tourists.
Getting to Bollulo Beach involves driving down a narrow road and then descending a set of stairs. Dramatic cliffs that add to the scenery make it even more worthy of a visit. Get there by parking at one of the two restaurants on the beach, or take a 45-minute walk through the banana plantations on a coastal path from Puerto de la Cruz.
As with most beaches on the island’s north end, the waves and tides are quite strong and the water isn’t really suitable for swimming. Sun loungers are available for hire.
Playa Jardin
Playa Jardin, or “Garden Beach” is another exotic black sand beach in northern Tenerife near the city of Puerto de la Cruz. It’s actually composed of three smaller beaches – Playa Chica, Playa Maria Jimenez, and Playa del Castillo.
Playa Jardin gets its name from its delightful tropical gardens with stone walls and a manmade waterfall designed by César Manrique, a famous Spanish artist, and architect who had the vision to make the island’s coastline magical. Verdant flowering plants creep close to the beach’s ebony shore.
The often snow-capped peak of the active volcano Mount Teide in the distance and a row of colorful houses behind Maria Jimenez Beach make Play Jardin incredibly photogenic. You’ll find plenty of amenities on the beach including a children’s playground and on-duty lifeguards.
Playa de los Gigantes
Playa de Los Gigantes is a small black sand beach near the town of Los Gigantes, one of the most popular spots on Tenerife and home to one of Spain’s most impressive natural wonders. Massive cliffs towering up to 800 meters high earn it the name Acantilados de Los Gigantes which means “Cliffs of the Giants.” Other than by boat, the beach offers the best view of the gigantic towering cliffs.
It’s located on the island’s sunny west coast about 45 minutes by car from Reina Sofia, Tenerife’s southern airport. The holiday areas of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Américas are only 30 kilometers away. Over time, the town has merged with the resorts of Puerto de Santiago and Playa de la Arena. The three areas are close enough to be walkable.
The water surrounding the ebony sand is crystal clear and the waves are light. Los Gigantes is a relatively quiet resort town with restaurants, shops, cafes, and family-friendly bars.
Playa de Las Gaviotas
