Welcome to Tenerife! Apart of having some great sand beaches(that you can check here). The island is well known for having some of the best natural pools in the Canary Archipelago.
Natural pools are pools that are filled up with water from the sea, on some it happens with tides, and on others, water is pumped to the pool. but they are all filled with salty water.
We have also created a map to check where are they located on the island and which are the closest to your natural pools to your location. The map is divided into two categories: All-Natural, which means there are no man-made structures, (Except for some stairs to get in and out), and Artificial Natural pools which are the ones that use walls to retain the water, and how the majority of them are.
If you have any questions about any of the pools stated in this article please don’t hesitate to use the comment section.
Here is the list of the Best Natural pools on the island of Tenerife.
1. Los Gigantes Natural Pool
Los Gigantes Natural Pool, also known as Charco de Isla Cangrejo is a man-made pool that gets water both from a pump and from the sea when the tides are high.
The pool is accessed through stairs that start here. Where there are no more than 15 parking spots, so either you get lucky or you’ll need to find parking in the surroundings.
This pool is great even on days when the sea gets rough, as it is well protected from waves.
2. Los Abrigos Natural Pool
Los Abrigos is a natural gem, it looks like a perfect pool, but it is all-natural. It fills up from a big entrance to the right that you can swim under and get to the open sea.
To access just park on the side of the road and take the trail, it only takes a 2-3 minute walk.
The best time to go there is during low tides, and it gets a bit dangerous when the sea is rough. So it is better to avoid coming unless the sea is calm.
3. Jover Natural Pool
Jover Natural Pool is a small pool towards the northeastern part of the island. It is not very popular as it is a bit far away from the main tourist attractions.
There is plenty of parking spots right next to the pool and during high season (Winter and Summer) there are lifeguards on site.
4. Cueva La Vaca
Cueva La vaca is located in Puerto Santiago, close to Los Gigantes Cliffs and right next to Playa De La Arena. This is more a place for exploring the cave or cliff jumping into the center than for a relaxing swim so we will give you 3 options to check it out:
- Swimming From Playa de la arena: You can park your car and get ready at Playa De La Arena. Then swim for 5-7 minutes on the left side of the beach and access the cave.
- Checking it out from outside: You can park your car in this parking lot and access the trail that starts making a right at the end of the stairs, walk for 2 minutes and you’ll see the pool. *Although there are places that you can jump from to the cave, there are some rocks you can jump right into so we recommend checking before through options 1 & 3.
- Swimming from the closest access: Following the steps from number two you can pass the Cave and walk for a minute to the stairs that access the sea. From there you will just need to swim for 1 min to get to the cave.
5 & 6. Punta Del Hidalgo & Bajamar
Puta Del Hidalgo are Bajamar are two towns located in the northwestern part of the island, both within a 5-minute drive from each other. So you can chose either or go to both.
Punta Del Hidalgo
Punta del Hidalgo Natural Pool is a pool meant for relaxation. Is not very deep and it has a circular shape.
During high season there are lifeguards on the pool and there is also access to a small beach to the right, but it is somehow rocky.
There are also toilets and sweet water showers. and some nice cafes and restaurants right next to the pool.
Bajamar
Bajamar on the other hand has 2 different pools and they are often constantly hit by waves as you can see in the picture, these pools are better for doing laps and parking is a bit more limited than in Punta del Hidalgo. There is also a small sand beach right next to the pools, protected by a huge breakwater, so the beach is normally calm.
Both, the beach and the pools have ifguards during high season.
7. El Caleton Natural Pools
El Caleton Natural Pools are found in the municipality of Garachico, a small picturesque town that is not well connected by roads (you can access through a mountain pass if you come from the south or roads that pass along several municipalities if you are coming from the North of the island).
El Caletón counts with a system of pools. (Making them the biggest natural pools in the island) The main one is just a big natural opening in the sea that counts with multiple stairs and accesses, and there is even a balcony for jumping. Then there are a few more pools that have been created artificially to be protected from the sea. There are some that even have slides and lifeguards even allow jumping from tall rocks at one of them.
Note that when the sea is rough they close the big main pool, as it gets dangerous with big wave, o make sure to check the live webcams.
Finally, try to avoid going on weekends as they get to crowded, and even finding parking becomes a challenge.
8. La Piscina (Arona)
La Piscina is a natural pool that is near Los Cristianos. It has a lounge area with a bar that serves cocktails, it has hammocks and canopy beds for its users, and beach sand all over the bar.
The pool’s floor is also filled with sand and the maximum depth is between 1.80 and 2.40 meters, depending on the tides.
There is a small sand area that you can access for free as the hammocks and beds on the bar are only for users. There is not much water constantly coming in which makes some little algae grow on the water, but also makes the water warmer than the sea.
9. Mesas del Mar Pool
Mesas Del Mar Natural Pool is found as its name indicates in Mesas del Mar which is a town that can only be accessed by a winding road, going down a cliff, this is why the views from the natural pool are amazing.
The main parking lot for the entire town is right next to the swimming pool.
There are often big waves crashing into it but it is safe to use. During high seasons there are a couple of lifeguards on duty.
There is also a wooden deck with space to relax and leave your things and freshwater showers
10. Charco Del Viento
The route from the main road to the parking lot (which has around 25 parking spots). It’s narrow and won’t fit 2 cars, but there are a few passing places on the way.
Apart from a refreshing swim in an all-natural pool, this place is also great for snorkeling. But beware of the tides, waves as well as the stones and rocks underwater. Rocks also get very slippery when tides go down so be very careful when entering the water.
There are no showers and no lifeguards on site.
If you think we forgot to mention anything, don’t hesitate to write in the comment section!
Thank you for reading!
