Tenerife Nightlife: Where to Go Out, Area by Area

The liveliest nightlife in Tenerife is in Playa de las Américas, where the Veronicas strip and the Starco centre stay open into the early hours. For a quieter night with a show, head to the entertainment bars of Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje, San Eugenio or Golf del Sur, and for a local Spanish night out, go to Santa Cruz or La Laguna at the weekend.

Most of the island’s after-dark entertainment is not clubbing at all. It is live bands, tribute acts, comedians, drag and cabaret, karaoke and quiz nights in bars that welcome every age group. DoTenerife lists what’s on tonight with start times in Tenerife time, so you can plan around a specific act.

The main nightlife areas at a glance

Area	Best for	Typical crowd	How late
Playa de las Américas (Veronicas, Starco)	Clubs, bar crawls, groups	18–35, stag and hen groups	Latest on the island
Costa Adeje, Fañabé, Torviscas	Cocktails, beach clubs, live music	Couples, 25+	Mostly bars, some late spots
San Eugenio	Show bars, cabaret, tributes	Mixed ages, many returning visitors	Around 2–3am
Los Cristianos	Relaxed bars, live acts, karaoke	Families, couples, long-stay visitors	Mostly bars
Golf del Sur, Las Galletas	Local show bars	Long-stay residents and repeat visitors	Earlier finishes
Puerto de la Cruz	Spanish bars, live music, casino	Mixed, more Spanish and German	Moderate
Santa Cruz and La Laguna	Local clubs, student bars	Locals, students	Late at weekends

Playa de las Américas: the late-night centre

If you want to dance until sunrise, this is the place. The Veronicas strip runs along the seafront promenade in Playa de las Américas and is lined with bars and clubs that get busy after midnight. Promoters on the street offer drinks deals to pull you in, and the clubs play mostly commercial dance, R&B and hip hop.

Just across the main road is the Starco commercial centre, a cluster of bars, sports pubs and show venues that tends to get busy earlier in the night. A common pattern is pre-drinks and a show at Starco, then the clubs on Veronicas later. See our full guides to the Veronicas strip and Starco.

Also in Playa de las Américas is Papagayo Beach Club, a large terrace venue on the seafront that runs as a restaurant and cocktail bar by day and a club by night. It sits at the smarter end of the market, with prices to match.

Costa Adeje and the smarter south

Costa Adeje, Fañabé and Torviscas are more polished. Expect seafront cocktail bars, hotel lounges with live musicians, and beach clubs with sunset sessions and resident DJs. It suits couples and groups who want a good night out without the pressure of a strip. San Eugenio, on the hillside above, has a long-running scene of show bars hosting tributes, cabaret and comedy.

Los Cristianos, Golf del Sur and the quieter south

Los Cristianos is the place for relaxed bars with a singer, a karaoke host or a quiz, and it is popular with long-stay winter visitors. Further east, Golf del Sur, Amarilla Golf and Las Galletas have a handful of entertainment bars with a loyal following. Nights here tend to finish earlier. Our Los Cristianos nightlife guide covers the town in more detail.

The north: Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz and La Laguna

Puerto de la Cruz has a mix of Spanish bars, live music venues, pubs and a casino at the Lago Martiánez complex. It is a good choice if you want something less international. See the Puerto de la Cruz nightlife guide.

Santa Cruz, the capital, and La Laguna, the university city, are where Tenerife locals go out. Things start late (often after midnight) and are busiest on Friday and Saturday nights. During Carnival in February the whole of Santa Cruz becomes one enormous street party.

Types of night out

• Tribute acts and live bands: the backbone of southern Tenerife nightlife, from solo singers to full shows. Our tribute and live music guides cover the details.
• Comedy, drag and cabaret: several venues in the south run regular shows, some with dinner included.
• Karaoke and quizzes: common in Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas and the long-stay resorts.
• Clubs and DJ nights: mainly Veronicas, beach clubs and Santa Cruz.
• Dinner shows: from medieval banquets to drag cabaret. Most are bookable in advance.

Closing times and timings

Spain eats and goes out late. Show bars in the south usually start entertainment between 8pm and 10pm. Many bars wind down between midnight and 3am, while clubs on Veronicas typically run until around 5 or 6am at weekends. Hours depend on each venue’s licence and on local council rules, so check if you are planning around a late finish. Our guide to bar closing times explains the legal limits.

Costs

Prices in tourist bars are generally lower than in the UK, Ireland or Scandinavia, though seafront and beach-club venues charge a premium. Most entertainment bars do not charge entry; you simply buy drinks. Ticketed dinner shows and some headline acts are the exception.

Getting home safely

• Licensed white taxis are plentiful in the south and can be hailed on the street or found at ranks near the strips.
• Keep valuables out of sight and watch drinks in busy clubs.
• Be wary of street promoters offering “free” entry to venues you have not heard of, and of anyone selling flowers, massages or “lucky” charms late at night.
• The emergency number in Spain is 112.

For a wider plan of the evening, pick a resort from the areas page to see what is on locally.