Siam Park and Loro Park are among the best of their kind in Europe and can each absorb a full family day, while Mount Teide's cable car ride to the crater rim puts families above the clouds in a way that resets the whole trip. Garachico, a historic coastal town rebuilt after a volcanic eruption, is the kind of low-key afternoon excursion that makes the rest of the island make more sense. FamiVentura covers Tenerife with guides to its volcanic landscapes, reliable family parks, and the local side of the island that most resort visitors miss.
La Vieja is the kind of place that only exists because local people eat there: a fishing village restaurant in La Caleta where the daily menu is whatever the boats brought in that morning, served on a terrace 30 metres from where the boats are moored. No tourist menus, no photos of food. Whole grilled fish priced by weight, seafood rice, fresh calamari. Children find the harbour and the boats interesting; teenagers find the absence of resort pretension refreshing. A 10-minute drive from Costa Adeje and a completely different meal.
Ask for the daily catch options when you sit down rather than looking for a menu with photos: the server will explain what came in that morning and the per-kilo price, which is how the restaurant communicates
Arrive at 13:00 for lunch when the selection is freshest: by late afternoon some options will have sold out
The harbour wall directly in front of the restaurant terrace is accessible after the meal: children can walk along it and watch the boats while adults finish at the table
SeafoodFishing villageLocal
Tapas in La Laguna Old Town
La Laguna's tapas bars are on the student circuit rather than the tourist circuit, which means lower prices, local customers, and food made for people who eat it regularly. Children can share croquetas and tortilla without any pressure about finishing plates; teenagers can work through the Calle Herradores bars in the classic university evening format. The tram from Santa Cruz makes getting there easy and cheap, and the combination of the historic streets and the bar atmosphere makes for a better evening than most of what the resort south offers.
Bars typically open from 12:00; evenings from 19:00
Price
Around €2-5 per tapa
Duration
2-3 hours
Booking required
No
Tips
Take the tram from Santa Cruz: it is cheap for a group, works for all ages, and the 20-minute journey is part of the experience rather than just transit
Start with a circuit of the cathedral square and Convent of Santa Catalina before moving to the tapas bars: this keeps children engaged with the architecture before the restaurant phase of the evening
The bars around Calle Herradores are the target for tapas: look for handwritten chalkboards with daily specials rather than photo menus, and order a couple of dishes at a time rather than all at once
TapasLa LagunaLocal
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La Bodeguita de Enfrente, Puerto de la Cruz
La Bodeguita is the kind of restaurant that has existed in the same building for four generations because it is worth going back to: Canarian market cooking without theatrical presentation. The daily specials on the chalkboard change with the morning's produce. Papas arrugadas with house-made mojo rojo and mojo verde are the starting point; the fish and seasonal meats are the reason people return. Children who have not tried Canarian food before find the potato-and-mojo format approachable. Teenagers find the whole north coast detour worthwhile when this is the meal.
The papas arrugadas with both mojos is the dish to order first for anyone new to Canarian food: it costs around €5, serves two, and is the most direct way to understand what Canarian cooking actually is
The chalkboard changes daily: ask what came in from the market that morning and order from that list rather than the printed menu
The restaurant is in the old town of Puerto de la Cruz near the historic church square: park near the seafront and walk in, as the old town streets are too narrow for comfortable driving