El Médano is a small village in the south of Tenerife, a magical and alternative place, very attractive for tourists from the Canary Islands and all over the world. It is a reference place for kitesurfing lovers, but also for those who love other activities in nature, such as diving and snorkelling. El Médano is a village that will certainly not leave you indifferent.
Below we present the El Médano Tourist Guide with our selection of the most recommended places to visit.
Index
El Médano Tourist Map
Natural sites in El Médano
Montaña Roja (Red Mountain)
Montaña Roja is a 171 m high volcano located in the protected area of the Montaña Roja Special Nature Reserve on the beach of El Médano. It is the most characteristic mountain of the village, it can be seen from almost anywhere you are.
To reach it you have to cross the village and walk along the beach which is usually full of sportsmen in the sea doing kitesurf, the sport par excellence of El Médano. When you reach the foot of the mountain you can start your ascent on foot and after 20 minutes you will have reached the top where you can enjoy spectacular views.
Bocinegro Mountain Viewpoint
Next to Red Mountain is a lower altitude mountain, the Black Horn. If climbing Red Mountain is too much for you, you can start by climbing Bocinegro which is more accessible and suitable for all ages and physical conditions. Depending on your pace, in 10 minutes you can be at the top and enjoy the fantastic views. You will feel the sea breeze and be able to contemplate the immensity of the ocean at your feet. The viewpoint is an ideal place for bird watching.
Montaña pelada
Montaña Pelada (Bald Mountain) is at the other end of town. Although it is also of volcanic origin it is totally different from Red Mountain and Bocinegro, both in its shape and colors. You can also climb it, although this mountain is not suitable for all levels because at times it has a degree of inclination that forces you to climb it a little. Its views are also impressive, and the most extraordinary thing is that being away from it, except on weekends and holidays, it is usually a place to enjoy a moment of solitude and contact with nature.
Los Abrigos Natural Swimming Pools
The Natural Pools of Los Abrigos are next to the village of Los Abrigos, which is the village next to El Médano. They are pools created naturally with volcanic rock and sea water. You can snorkel in the same pools and enjoy the marine fauna. Then you can sunbathe on one of the rocks. They are hard to find but worth a visit.
El Médano beaches
Get ready to sunbathe on a fine sandy beach or take a nice swim to cool off:
Montaña Pelada beach
The Montaña Pelada beach is a small cove with black sand, depending on the day you can enjoy the waves and surf. It is one of the areas of the town where the wind is most noticeable but if you go one day when there is not too much you can enjoy one of the best coves on the island. If you want to stay near this beach we recommend you the Aloe Vera hostel, you will be near the village but enjoying the tranquility and in days of little affluence you will be able to enjoy a paradisiacal beach practically only for you.
La Tejita Beach
La Tejita beach is on the other side of Montaña Roja, to access it you can drive and leave it in the parking lot of the beach, or walk from El Médano. If you want to discover the area around the foot of the mountain you can walk several meters and go diving in the sea from different accesses. In La Tejita there are also hammocks that you can rent for a very reasonable price. On a day that is not windy, who needs a Caribbean beach with La Tejita? After the bath you can go to the pirate beach bar to have a fresh sea bream.
La Playita de El Médano (El Médano small beach)
The Medano has many bathing spots, each with something special. You can swim at the pier, at the main beach of the village, at the cabezo or at the beaches near the Montaña Roja.
The little beach of El Médano is of black and fine sand, ideal if you go with children because it has a very accessible entrance to the sea. Very quiet bath seeing the Red Mountain to one side and the Teide in the distance. After the bath, or before it you will have all the restaurants within walking distance. The Plaza de El Medano has an incredible variety of restaurants and, as you will see throughout this article, other highly recommended restaurants are just a 2 minute walk away.
Bars, cafés and restaurants in El Médano
Would you like to have a beer and some tapas in front of the sea? Or have a good fish in a restaurant with the family? You can also enjoy a coffee with the fresh morning view of the Red Mountain or finish the evening with a few drinks. El Médano has it all:
Hong Kong Restaurant
Because not everything is going to be Canarian food, El Médano has restaurants from practically all over the world, and of course, it also has a Chinese restaurant. At the Hong Kong restaurant you can enjoy a wide variety of dishes at an affordable price in the middle of El Médano square. From the terrace of the restaurant you will enjoy the view of the beach with the red mountain in the background. They also have takeaway service if you prefer.
- Type of cuisine: China
Tasca La Gofio Can
Best card and unbeatable location. If you want to enjoy the best Canarian recipes, La Lata del Gofio is undoubtedly in the TOP 3 of the best places in town. Watercress stew, escaldón de gofio, goat meat, grilled goat cheese with mojos are some of the star dishes of this place. Don’t forget to ask for a tapa of almogrote, a mixture of hard cheese and mojo from the Canary Islands, which you can eat by spreading it on bread.
An ideal place to have a tapa as well as for lunch or dinner. During the day you can enjoy the incredible views and during the night you will get the breeze and the smell of the sea.
- Type of cuisine: Canarian
Wairua Pizzeria
The Wairua pizzeria is the most popular in El Médano and its good reputation is justified as it makes the best pizzas in the whole of southern Tenerife. Not only that, they also have a very appealing menu with other Italian specialities. We recommend that you book before you go, if you go directly without a reservation you may find a queue and have to wait. It is located in the centre of the village, so whether you are going to eat after your stay at the beach or have dinner and then want to have a drink, you can do it on foot in a matter of minutes.
- Type of food: Italian
Bombay Babu at La Tejita
Continuing with the wide variety of types of food from around the world offered by El Médano, the Bombay Babu restaurant offers Indian food of the highest quality. It is located in the La Tejita Shopping Center, which is next to the beach. You can eat while looking at the Red Mountain through a huge window from a different perspective than the one you can see from El Médano. Tandori chiken, pita bread with different types of humus or rice cooked in the Indian style are some of its specialties.
- Type of cuisine: India
Las Fuentes Restaurant
Las Fuentes restaurant is in a village near El Médano, 10 minutes away by car. They are known for their rice dishes and other Canary Island recipes. It has a very nice and typical canarian patio.
- Type of food: Canarian
Restaurant Mirador del Salto El Cordero II
The Restaurant Mirador del Salto El Cordero II specializes in meats, abundant food and very good prices. The restaurant is very big and has a very nice view. It is in a village near El Médano, in the same municipality of Granadilla de Abona, 13 minutes by car from the village.
- Type of food: Canarian
La Jaiba El Médano
A seafood restaurant could not be missing from our recommendation list. In the Medano you can go and enjoy the best seafood and fish at La Jaiba. We recommend that you order a good Canarian wine and octopus, they cook it in every way you can imagine. It is also very well located, 5 minutes walk from the Plaza de El Médano.
- Type of food: Seafood
Enxebre
The Enxebre is one of the few bars in El Médano that serves free tapas with the drink you order. They have good quality dishes at a good price that you can enjoy sitting on the terrace of the bar. Iberian secret, cheek, octopus, snails, lacon, knuckle, pizzas are some of the dishes you can enjoy in this restaurant.
- Type of cuisine: Galician
Sabores Coffee
The cafeteria Sabores is on Avenida José Miguel Galván Bello, at the entrance to El Médano. It has a terrace where you can sit down to drink or eat something. Inside there is a billiard table to play while you enjoy the afternoon or evening.
Manfred’s soul cafe
Manfred’s Soul Café is the quintessential bar in El Médano, no matter what time you go. It has an extensive schedule, open from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm uninterruptedly, Monday to Sunday. It is the reference place to have breakfast, to have an aperitif, a beer in the afternoon or a few drinks in the evening.
You may wonder what makes it so special? A mixture of everything. On the one hand, without a doubt, its views, you will be next to the town’s pier and you will be able to see in the distance, in all its immensity, the Red Mountain, and on the right you will have a vision of the whole town. They always have very nice background music that matches the philosophy of the village, sailor, with people from all places and with an alternative atmosphere.
Their breakfast menu is undoubtedly the best in El Médano, and for snacks, lunch or dinner there is plenty of variety. But the best thing about the bar is its atmosphere, Manfred’s soul café is where anyone who wants to have a good time usually goes.
Chiringuito Pirata
El Chiringuito Pirata is a magical place that you can’t miss on your way to El Medano. It’s not easy to find, but everyone who comes here always has the same feeling: how can this spectacular place be hidden here? At the chiringuito they serve drinks and food, some of the most typical are ceviche, octopus salpicón or pirate chicken. You will eat at a long wooden table that you may occasionally share with other people sitting next to you. There are also some kegs where you can rest your beer while enjoying the view and the sun.
If there is something characteristic of the chiringuito pirata is its unmistakable board, always pointing out funny and motivating phrases that are already a reference, when you arrive look, it will surely bring a smile to your face.
In front of the chiringuito there is a small cove where you can bathe, it is not usually too crowded, rather people come to enjoy having the chiringuito next to them, but the bath is very nice and you can lie down quietly to sunbathe and enjoy the day.
If you have to choose a time of day to go and enjoy the beach bar I would say that you should do it in the afternoon to enjoy the sunset. You will also be able to appreciate the special luminosity that the Red Mountain gives off, which you will also see from a very different perspective.
- Type of cuisine: Canarian
Bar terrace Casa Grande
The Casa Grande is one of the best known hostels in El Médano. It is located in the centre of the village, two streets from the beach. Recently it has inaugurated a bar on its terrace where Jam Sessions are organized regularly, where musicians from the village or from other places play and improvise with all kinds of instruments. I recommend you to go there because there is a lot of level and it ends up creating a magical atmosphere. Besides, it’s a good place to meet people, usually locals and newcomers who are staying at the hostel. Wherever you are from and whatever your age, you will be welcome.
Boomerang Cafeteria
The Cafeteria Boomerang is located in the Galicia square, one of the little squares of the town, three streets away from the beach. It opens from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. It is an ideal place to meet and watch football matches and other sporting events, and is usually crowded with locals.
- Type: cafeteria, bar, tapas and beer
La estación
One of the town’s quintessential bars. It’s two streets away from the pier. La estación is open all day, when you go there you will find a good atmosphere, any time is good to have a caña de Dorada and a tapa of wrinkled potatoes with mojo.
- Type: cafeteria
Bar “Qué pasa”
The Qué Pasa is a place located right in front of one of the beaches of El Médano. It is currently one of the busiest nightlife venues in the village. Inside it has a billiard room where you can play while listening to music and enjoy having your favourite drink. Many nights there are parties with a very good atmosphere. It is just a few steps from the beach, so it is also an ideal place to have a drink after a refreshing swim.
Other recommendations for eating and drinking in El Médano:
Sports, kitesurf, windsurf and surf in El Médano
Adrenaline, fun, water and salt. That’s kiting, windsurfing and surfing in El Medano. Are you up for it?
Surf spot 1. El Cabezo
El Cabezo is one of the beach areas of the town. If you want to surf in El Medano this beach is the best for it, you will have to be aware of the weather and wind forecast, but if the weather is right in El Cabezo you can spend a very full day surfing. On the beach there is a beach bar where you can enjoy an aperitif in the sun, and depending on the day you go you can eat paella for a small fee.
Surf spot 2. El Médano beach
This beach is ideal for kitesurfing, the ideal sport for a windy area and therefore ideal for a village with El Médano. There is an area that is also ideal for surfing
Bike Point Tenerife – El Medano
At Bike Point Tenerife they specialize in bicycles. You can rent different types: road, mountain or electric. You can sign up for bike tours organized by the same company, there is one especially interesting to go around the Teide.
The bicycle is also very useful if you are going to spend several days in the village and want to move around in a sustainable way.
Bahía Water Sport Center
Bahia Water Sport Center is a water sports school. You can rent boards and equipment so you can practice your favorite sport on your own or you can book a course at the school. They also have a shop if you want to buy quality equipment. You can practice Kitesurf and Windsurf.
SogniCanarias WaterSports
Sognicanarias Watersports is also a school and water sports shop. You can practice kitesurfing, surfing, and windsurfing. The company also has a photographic service so you can keep an unforgettable memory of your trip!
Snorkel and diving in El Médano
Enjoy the southern seabed of Tenerife by snorkeling at El Médano. For all snorkeling and diving in Tenerife, you know you have our dive center Medanodive ready to accompany you to discover the Canarian sea 🙂
Snorkel point 1 – El Médano Quay
The El Medano dock is an ideal spot for swimming, sunbathing, fishing if you have permission to do so, and, of course, snorkelling. The dock has been one of the places where turtles have been seen in Tenerife.
Snorkel point 2 – Punta de los mejillones
There is another good place in El Medano to snorkel and that is at Mussel Point. You can go on foot from the village or by car. It is an interesting area to snorkel because it is not usually crowded and therefore you can observe the marine fauna in its natural habitat without being disturbed.
Medano Dive Tenerife
Medano Dive Tenerife is our diving school. We are in Medano but we do dives in different parts of the island. Contact us and book your diving trip.
Some shops in El Médano
- INCA informática – El Médano