4 DAY TENERIFE ITINERARY WITH A TODDLER

Travelling to Tenerife with a toddler is one of those rare parenting wins where everything just works: easy drives, calm beaches, short distances, and enough adventure to keep adults happy without overwhelming little ones. Over four sun‑soaked days you can dip into volcanic landscapes, splash in toddler‑friendly shallows, wander colourful towns, and still make it back in time for naps and early dinners. This itinerary is designed to be relaxed, practical, and genuinely enjoyable for families—no rushing, no overstuffed days, just the best of Tenerife at a pace that suits small legs and big memories.

Day 1 

• Visit Tiede national park and do the Roques de Garcia hike
  
  This is 3.5km loop and will take 1-1.5 hours at a relaxed pace. Although we took our baby’s carrier, she went in it for around 30 seconds! The remainder of the time she walked or Daddy had to carry her

It’s a beautiful walk which is easy to navigate, there is no scrambling involved and the views are magnificent. It is exposed so make sure you have plenty of sun cream, water and a hat

Other hike options include: 

• Mirador de Samara – 1hr30, 250 metres of altitude 
• Chinyeo Volcano – 1hr30, easy

• Spend the remainder of the day by the pool and enjoying the hotel facilities
  
• We ate at L’Olio in the Gran Melia

Day 2

• Drive to Masca

Masca is a 40 minute drive from the Gran Melia and 49 minutes from Tenerife South Airport. It is extremely difficult to park and there are very few parking spaces with the majority being taken by coaches. 

There is not a lot there and not somewhere which feels particularly safe the wander around due to being high in the mountains which lots of sheer drops. Everything we researched to do here were Miradors (viewpoints) and as much as the views are stunning, we would think again before revisiting with a toddler. 

The roads are also extremely windy and narrow. If you are not a confident driver 

abroad, we would not recommend driving here.

The miradors are: 

• de Masca
• Carretera Masca
• Mirador la cruz de Hilda

We stopped at Cruz de Hilda and managed to get a parking space. This cafe has a terrace with the most spectacular views so if do decide to visit Masca this is a must.

We had a beer and a summer wine (which is the canary islands version of Sangria) and it was perfect!

• Drive from Masca to Garachico 

The drive between the two is 45 minutes, 

Garachico is what we hoped to find more of in Tenerife. It is a quaint municipality and it feels like you really get a glimpse of what the locals do, eat and where they like to spend their time – a nice escape from the all-inclusive resorts. 

There are natural saltwater pools here which are not to be missed and if you’re brave enough you can enjoy some cliff jumping (or like us, enjoy being the spectators!)

Other sights include the Castle of San Miguel, exploring the cobblestone streets, visiting the tropical gardens and the dragon tree park which is home to the oldest and largest dragon tree in the world and said to be over 800 years old.

We ate by the waterfront at El Caleton and had some canarian potatoes which were 

boiled whole potatoes with three different dips – red and green pepper sauce and mayo

Day 3 

• Drive to Anaga

Anaga Rural Park is a lush, green mountainous area in northeastern Tenerife. It is a 1hr5 minute drive from the Gran Melia, 40 minutes from Tenerife South airport and 17 minutes from Tenerife North airport. 

We opted against visiting here as we thought the drive would be too much with our toddler when we were only visiting for 4 days and nights. Our toddler also seems to get

car sick when we are on windy roads so we decided against the evitable clean up. 

From our research we read that you needed to apply for a permit to hike through El Pijaral enchanted forest although we cannot verify this given that we didn’t visit.

We planned to visit: 

• Anaga’s magical cloud forests
• Casa Santiago restaurant perched on a mountain 
• Playa de Roques de las Bodegas and Playa de Benijo beaches
• Mirador Risco Amogoje
• Sendero de los sentidos – shortest and easiest hike
• Mirador de cruz del carmen 
• Mirador pico del ingles
• Tunel de las Hadas – fairy tunnel!

• La Laguna

La Laguna is 20 minutes from Anaga and is worth a visit. Many blogs suggest a stay in La Laguna if your trip allows. It is a historic town and the cultural capital of Tenerife. 

We had planned to visit: 

• Cafe plaza Catedral
• Browse the shops
• House of general captains
• Place del Adelantado
• La Laguna market 
• Bodega El Lomo

Day 4 

• Relax in your hotel and use the hotel facilities. We stayed at the Gran Melià Palacio de Isora, Tenerife.
• The Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora works well for families with toddlers because the facilities are set up to make daily routines straightforward. The main lagoon pool has large shallow areas where small children can sit and play safely, and there’s a separate children’s pool with simple splash features that suit younger toddlers rather than older kids. The resort layout is mostly flat with wide paths, so getting around with a stroller is easy, and lifts connect all key areas. Family rooms offer enough space for a cot without blocking walkways, and bathrooms are large enough for bath‑time. Restaurants provide highchairs, children’s menus, and early dining times, which helps keep evenings predictable. There’s also a Baby Club and Kids’ Club that accept younger children for short supervised sessions, giving parents a bit of flexibility. Overall, the facilities are practical, accessible, and designed to support families who need a mix of play areas, quiet spaces, and easy movement around the resort.