Playa de las Teresitas

Playa de las Teresitas is a long, gentle beach of warm golden sand on the northeast coast of Tenerife, about five kilometres from Santa Cruz. It lies beneath the steep slopes of the Anaga mountains, with the traditional village of San Andrés at one end. The beach is protected by an offshore breakwater that keeps the water calm and safe for swimming — unusual on an Atlantic-facing coast, where conditions can be rough.

The beach is popular with local families on weekends and with visitors staying in Santa Cruz, but it's large enough not to feel overcrowded. Facilities include sunbed rental, showers, and several small fish restaurants in San Andrés village. The combination of sheltered water, golden sand, and dramatic mountain backdrop makes it the most photogenic beach on the island. The drive along the coast road from Santa Cruz takes about 15 minutes.

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A story
Playa de las Teresitas doesn't have natural sand — the beach was built in the 1970s using Saharan sand imported from the Western Sahara coast of Morocco. About 270,000 cubic metres of golden sand were brought in by ship and protected by an offshore breakwater. Before the project, this was a volcanic black-sand beach like most others on the island's northeast coast. The investment was spectacular — the beach is now one of the most beautiful in the Canaries.