Things to Do in Costa Adeje: 20 Best Activities & Experiences

Costa Adeje is one of those holiday destinations where doing absolutely nothing is completely acceptable.

You've got beaches.

You've got sunshine.

You've got bars within walking distance.

And somebody will almost certainly bring you a cocktail if you sit still for long enough.

But if you actually want to do something while you're in Tenerife, Costa Adeje is one of the best bases on the island.

The resort sits on Tenerife's south-west coast and gives you easy access to beaches, water parks, boat trips, watersports, restaurants, nightlife and some of the island's most spectacular natural scenery.

You can spend the morning flying over the Atlantic on a parasail, the afternoon partying on a boat and the evening watching the sun disappear into the ocean.

Or go hiking at 8am.

If you're that sort of person.

Whether you're visiting as a couple, family, solo traveller or with a group of mates, here are 20 of the best things to do in Costa Adeje.

1. Join a Tenerife Boat Party

We might be slightly biased.

But if you're travelling with friends and you're looking for one of the most memorable things to do in Costa Adeje, getting out onto the Atlantic is difficult to beat.

A Tenerife boat party combines pretty much everything you came to the island for in the first place.

Sunshine.

Music.

Drinks.

Ocean.

People in holiday mode.

And nobody suggesting you spend the afternoon looking around a supermarket because the apartment needs washing-up liquid.

It's particularly good for groups, birthdays, hen parties, stag parties and younger travellers, but you don't need an excuse to book one.

Get everybody together, choose your package and spend an afternoon partying off Tenerife's south coast.

Then you've still got the entire evening ahead of you.

Whether that's an advantage or a warning depends on your group.

2. Spend a Day at Siam Park

If there is one attraction you will repeatedly hear about while staying in Costa Adeje, it's Siam Park.

The Thai-themed water park is located right in Costa Adeje and divides its attractions into relaxing, family and adrenaline experiences.

You've got rides including Tower of Power, Singha, The Dragon, Kinnaree and Mekong Rapids, alongside the Mai Thai River, Siam Beach and the huge Wave Palace.

Tower of Power alone involves a 28-metre high near-freefall slide.

We'll let you decide whether that sounds fun.

Siam Park currently opens daily, with longer summer opening hours between May and October.

Give it most of the day rather than trying to squeeze it between other plans.

You'll probably want a lie down afterwards.

3. Relax on Playa del Duque

Not everything needs to involve being launched through a tube at 80 km/h.

Sometimes Tenerife gets it right with:

Beach. Sea. Sun. Done.

Playa del Duque is one of Costa Adeje's most polished beach areas, surrounded by restaurants, shops and higher-end hotels.

Adeje Council describes it as one of the area's premium beaches and notes that it has received Blue Flag recognition.

It's a great choice if you want a quieter beach day followed by lunch or cocktails along the promenade.

Take a towel.

Find a spot.

Make no major decisions for several hours.

Perfect.

4. Head to Playa de Fañabé

If Playa del Duque is polished and relaxed, Fañabé is a little more lively.

It's one of the main beaches along the Costa Adeje coastline and has restaurants, bars and activities close by.

This makes it particularly useful if you're travelling with a group where everyone wants something different.

One person can sunbathe.

Someone else can disappear for lunch.

Someone will want watersports.

Someone will announce at 11:17am that they're ready for their first beer.

Everybody wins.

Fañabé is also one of several officially listed bathing areas along Adeje's extensive coastline.

5. Go Whale and Dolphin Watching

Tenerife's Atlantic coastline gives you the chance to see marine wildlife without travelling halfway across the island.

Boat excursions leave from Puerto Colón, Costa Adeje's marina, with operators offering trips along the south coast to look for whales and dolphins in their natural environment.

Puerto Colón specifically lists boat excursions and whale-watching experiences departing from the marina.

This is a completely different type of boat trip from a party cruise.

Less DJ.

More dolphin.

Both have their place.

If you're visiting as a couple or family, this is one of the experiences we'd seriously consider booking.

6. Ride a Jet Ski

If you've spent ten minutes beside Puerto Colón, you've probably seen somebody flying across the water on one.

Jet skiing is one of the classic Costa Adeje activities.

And there's something fundamentally entertaining about handing your mate a powerful watercraft and discovering almost immediately whether they should ever have been trusted with one.

Puerto Colón officially lists jet skiing, diving, snorkelling, parasailing and cruises among the activities available from the marina.

Book with a reputable operator, listen to the safety briefing and don't spend the entire session trying to overtake your friends.

You will.

But we tried.

7. Try Parasailing Over the Coast

Want a better view of Costa Adeje?

Go up.

Parasailing takes you high above the water behind a boat, giving you views across the coastline while your feet dangle over the Atlantic.

It looks terrifying from the beach.

Once you're actually up there, it's usually considerably more peaceful than you'd expect.

Until you remember how high you are.

Parasailing is another activity available around Puerto Colón alongside other watersports.

It's a good choice for couples, friends or anyone wanting something memorable that doesn't occupy an entire day.

8. Go Snorkelling or Diving

You didn't travel to an Atlantic island just to look at the water.

Get in it.

Snorkelling is the easier option if you want to explore beneath the surface without committing to a full diving experience.

If you want to go further, there are diving operators around the south coast catering to different experience levels.

Again, Puerto Colón lists both diving and snorkelling among its marine activities.

It's particularly worth considering if your holiday itinerary has started becoming:

Beach.

Pool.

Bar.

Beach.

Pool.

Bar.

Nothing wrong with that.

But Tenerife does have an entire ocean sitting there.

9. Take a Sunset Cruise

Somebody in your group wants a boat.

Somebody else wants something romantic.

Problem solved.

A sunset cruise gives you the south Tenerife coastline at one of the best times of day, when the afternoon heat begins to disappear and the sky changes colour over the Atlantic.

For couples, it's easily one of the better things to do in Costa Adeje.

For groups, you can also look at private charters if you'd rather have the boat to yourselves.

Puerto Colón has multiple cruise and charter options operating from the marina.

Just don't spend the whole sunset filming the sunset.

Look at it occasionally.

10. Have Dinner in La Caleta

A short distance up the coast from central Costa Adeje sits La Caleta.

It's a small coastal area with a very different feel from the busier resort centres.

Come here in the evening, walk by the water and find somewhere for dinner.

Seafood works particularly well.

Obviously.

You're next to the sea.

The surrounding La Caleta area also contains a protected Site of Scientific Interest covering coastal landscape and habitats.

If you've been partying around Las Américas or Costa Adeje for several days and suddenly decide you need one civilised evening, La Caleta is a strong choice.

Whether the evening remains civilised afterwards is up to you.

11. Walk the Costa Adeje Seafront

You don't need to book something every day.

The coastal promenade is one of the easiest ways to explore the resort on foot.

Walk between the different beaches and waterfront areas, stopping whenever you find somewhere good for food, coffee or drinks.

You can combine areas around Torviscas, Fañabé and Playa del Duque without feeling like you're setting off on an expedition.

It's particularly good around late afternoon when the temperature begins to drop.

And because you're technically walking, you can tell yourself the three cocktails were part of an active holiday.

12. Hike Barranco del Infierno

Time for something completely different.

Barranco del Infierno begins above Adeje and takes you away from hotels, swimming pools and beach bars into a protected ravine.

The round-trip trail is approximately 6.5 km and takes around three to three and a half hours.

Access is controlled, visitor numbers are limited, and advance reservation is recommended. Appropriate footwear is mandatory and visitors are provided with helmets for the route.

It's one of the best Costa Adeje activities if you enjoy walking and want to experience the natural side of southern Tenerife.

Just maybe don't schedule it for 8am the morning after number one on this list.

13. Play Golf at Golf Costa Adeje

If your perfect holiday involves spending several hours trying to persuade a tiny white ball to travel in the correct direction, Costa Adeje has you covered.

Golf Costa Adeje sits in the south of Tenerife and has both its Championship Course and the Los Lagos course.

The main course was designed by José Gancedo and incorporates features of the area's former agricultural landscape, while Los Lagos is designed to be accessible to beginners and higher-handicap players.

It also means you can technically disappear for several hours and tell everybody you've been exercising.

14. Have a Beach Club or Pool Day

There comes a point during every holiday when everyone agrees not to plan anything.

That's the beach-club day.

Find somewhere with loungers or a pool.

Get comfortable.

Order drinks.

Move only when absolutely necessary.

Costa Adeje's resort scene makes this easy, particularly around Fañabé and Del Duque.

If you're celebrating something — birthday, hen party, anniversary or simply managing to get eight friends onto the same flight — look at reserving a bed or VIP area.

Sometimes doing very little is the activity.

15. Explore Puerto Colón

Puerto Colón isn't just somewhere you go to board a boat.

The marina is worth wandering around, particularly if you're staying nearby.

You'll find boats, marine activities, restaurants and the neighbouring Playa de La Pinta, making it easy to combine a couple of hours around the marina with a beach afternoon.

It's also the starting point for a huge range of activities including cruises, jet skis, parasailing, snorkelling and other excursions.

Basically, if your Costa Adeje itinerary involves the ocean, you're probably going to end up here at some point.

16. Go Shopping

Yes.

We know.

Somebody came to Tenerife and decided the thing missing from the holiday was shopping.

Fortunately for them, Costa Adeje has everything from resort shops and souvenir stores to more premium shopping around the Playa del Duque area.

The council specifically highlights the range of restaurants and higher-end shopping close to Playa del Duque.

It's a useful option for the middle of the day when you want a few hours away from the beach.

Or when somebody forgot to pack half of what they own.

17. Visit the Quieter Beaches and Coves

Costa Adeje isn't just one giant resort beach.

The municipality has a long list of beaches and bathing areas including Playa del Duque, Fañabé, Torviscas, La Pinta, La Caleta, La Enramada, Troya, El Puertito and Diego Hernández, among others.

If you've got several days in the area, explore beyond whichever beach happens to be opposite your hotel.

You might find somewhere quieter that suits you better.

Some areas have more facilities.

Others feel considerably less developed.

That's half the fun.

18. Spend an Evening in Costa Adeje

You don't need to travel into Playa de las Américas every time you want an evening out.

Costa Adeje has plenty of bars, restaurants, cocktail spots and entertainment scattered around the main resort areas.

For a good night:

Start with dinner.

Find somewhere for cocktails.

Move on when somebody declares they've found a "better place".

Repeat.

If you want a much bigger clubbing night, Playa de las Américas is right next door, so it's easy to start around Costa Adeje and move towards the busier nightlife later.

Just establish how you're getting home beforehand.

Good decisions become increasingly difficult after midnight.

19. Take a Day Trip to Mount Teide

Costa Adeje makes a good base for exploring much more than Costa Adeje.

And Mount Teide should be near the top of that list.

As you climb away from the coast, Tenerife changes dramatically.

Beach resorts disappear.

Volcanic terrain takes over.

Eventually, you're driving through a landscape that barely looks like the same island you left earlier that morning.

You can visit during the day, but sunset is particularly impressive.

If you stay after dark, Tenerife's high-altitude environment is also famous for stargazing.

This one deserves a decent chunk of the day.

Don't try to do Teide, Siam Park, a boat party and a nightclub on the same Tuesday.

Tenerife will still be there tomorrow.

20. Go Paragliding Above South Tenerife

We've saved a big one for last.

Look inland from Costa Adeje and you'll notice something fairly obvious.

Mountains.

And when you've got mountains beside an ocean, people inevitably decide they should jump from them attached to fabric.

Tandem paragliding experiences operate in southern Tenerife and can give you an incredible aerial view across the coast.

You don't need to know how to paraglide yourself — tandem experiences pair passengers with trained pilots.

If heights don't bother you, this is one of the most memorable ways to see the south of Tenerife.

If heights do bother you?

Number 14 remains available.

Lie down beside a pool.

Nobody is judging you.

What Are the Best Things to Do in Costa Adeje for Couples?

Costa Adeje works brilliantly for couples because you can mix activities with plenty of downtime.

A good couple's itinerary might include:

Whale watching → Playa del Duque → sunset cruise → dinner in La Caleta → Teide sunset → spa or pool day.

You don't need every day packed with excursions.

One big activity every day or two leaves plenty of time for the reason you probably came to Tenerife in the first place:

Being on holiday.

What Are the Best Things to Do in Costa Adeje for Groups?

This is where Costa Adeje really shines.

For groups of friends, birthdays, hen parties or stag dos, we'd prioritise:

Tenerife boat party → Siam Park → jet skis → beach day → karting or watersports → dinner → nightlife.

Because everything is concentrated around southern Tenerife, you can build a busy holiday without spending half of it travelling.

If you're organising a birthday in Tenerife, we've also put together a full guide to the best ways to celebrate.

And if you're coming for a hen or stag do, plan the major group activities before you arrive.

Trying to convince twelve people to agree on something at 10am after a night out is one of the hardest known forms of human communication.

What Are the Best Free Things to Do in Costa Adeje?

You don't need to spend money every day.

Some of the easiest options are also free:

Beach days.

Walking the promenade.

Watching the sunset.

Exploring La Caleta.

Swimming.

Finding a viewpoint.

And sitting beside the Atlantic wondering why you don't live somewhere warmer.

Costa Adeje has beaches and bathing areas spread right along the municipality's coastline, so you could spend several days simply exploring different parts of the coast.

Is Costa Adeje Worth Visiting?

Absolutely.

If you want to stay in southern Tenerife, Costa Adeje gives you one of the best combinations of beaches, restaurants, activities, nightlife and access to the rest of the island.

It can be relaxed when you want it to be.

It can also be completely ridiculous when you want it to be.

Spend Monday at Playa del Duque.

Tuesday at Siam Park.

Wednesday hiking Barranco del Infierno.

Thursday on a boat party.

Friday wondering what happened to Thursday.

That's a holiday.

How Many Days Do You Need in Costa Adeje?

For a first trip, five to seven days gives you enough time to enjoy Costa Adeje without turning the holiday into an endurance event.

With seven days you can comfortably fit in:

A couple of beach days.

Siam Park.

A boat trip.

One major watersport activity.

An island excursion.

A proper night out.

And at least one day where absolutely nothing productive happens.

If you're staying for ten to fourteen days, start exploring further across Tenerife as well.

Costa Adeje makes an excellent base — but the island deserves to be seen.

Planning Your Costa Adeje Holiday?

The hardest part isn't finding things to do in Costa Adeje.

It's deciding which ones fit into the holiday.

If you're only visiting for a week, pick a few big experiences and leave room between them.

And if you're travelling with friends and want one afternoon where everyone is together, the music's playing and Tenerife's coastline is disappearing behind you...

You know where we're going with this.

Get aboard a Tenerife boat party, grab a drink and make one of those holiday memories that gets brought up every time the group gets together for the next five years.