The editor's take
Just outside Santa Cruz, Las Teresitas curves for 1.5 kilometres beneath the silhouette of the Anaga mountains — a beach so theatrical it was built by importing tonnes of sand from the Western Sahara in the 1970s. A protective breakwater turns the Atlantic into a still, swimmable lagoon, making it a favourite of Tinerfeño families. The promenade is lined with palm trees and unfussy chiringuitos serving grilled fish and local wine straight from the barrel. There are no resorts here, only Sundays full of multi-generational picnics — which is precisely the appeal. Come on a weekday morning and you'll feel like you have the most photogenic beach in Tenerife to yourself.
Skip the central section and walk to the eastern end for thinner crowds.
Climb the Mirador de las Teresitas above the road for the postcard shot.