Essential Information
Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is home to around 931,646 total residents, including foreign residents who make up 22.71% of the population.
Healthcare
Tenerife’s excellent healthcare facilities make it an appealing choice for expats. There are many public and private healthcare options to suit every budget.
If you opt for public healthcare, you’ll have access to high-quality, affordable care facilities. The public healthcare service can be accessed via hospitals like Hospital Universitario de Canarias in La Laguna and Hospital del Sur in Arona.
If you’d prefer private healthcare, Hospiten Rambla in Santa Cruz and Hospital Quirónsalud Costa Adeje provide first-class healthcare services and English-speaking staff.
Many of the island’s smaller towns have their own local health clinics and medical centre, and you’ll find well-stocked pharmacies in all of Tenerife’s major towns and cities if you need help with minor ailments or medical issues.
For more information on how to access healthcare in Spain, take a look at our Healthcare in Spain article.
Employment Opportunities
Searching for jobs in Tenerife? The island offers diverse employment opportunities, particularly if you’re looking for jobs in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Seasonal jobs in hotels, bars, restaurants, and tourist attractions are regularly advertised in tourist hotspots like Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos, and Puerto de la Cruz. However, you may find that you’re only required during the high season between November and April.
The service sector (including administration, transport, retail, and commerce) is another significant source of employment in Tenerife. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the island’s capital and employs many people in professional and administrative roles - just bear in mind that most employers prefer applications from Spanish speakers.
If you’re looking for agriculture jobs, head to the northern part of the island for roles in wine production and banana cultivation.
The island has a growing focus on sustainable tourism and eco-friendly initiatives, with several ongoing renewable energy projects in Tenerife. The Tenerife Science and Technology Park (PCTT) offers work opportunities in renewable energies, biotechnology and ICT.
Internet speeds are fast in most of Tenerife's major towns and cities. According to the Fair Internet Report, the average broadband speed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is 192 Mbps, with the fastest reported speed of 939 Mbps. Tenerife has a growing number of dedicated co-working spaces like CoWorking in the Sun in Costa Adeje and Coworking Nomad in Santa Cruz.
Being able to speak Spanish is a huge advantage if you’re looking for jobs in Tenerife. However, you might be able to find work opportunities in tourist areas and international companies where English is widely used.
To search for jobs in Tenerife, you can use sites such as InfoJobs, Milanuncios, and LinkedIn.
If you’re interested in setting up your own business in Spain, check out the Spanish Chamber of Commerce website here.
The Official Tenerife Forum and the Tenerife Magazine Facebook group are good places to find out about job opportunities for expats on the island.
Schools & Education
Tenerife province has many schools and education centres, with options to suit all age ranges and educational requirements. To begin searching for a school in Tenerife, visit the Consejería de Educación del Gobierno de Canarias website.
For families with very young children, there are many guarderías (nurseries) and escuelas infantiles (infant schools) across the island. These settings provide early childhood education and care for children aged 0 to 3, with both public and private options available. For example, in Santa Cruz, you’ll find facilities like the public Escuela Infantil Municipal Faina and private Escuela Infantil Oso Mimoso.
Formal education in Spain begins at age 3 with Educación Infantil (preschool), followed by Educación Primaria (primary school) from ages 6 to 12. Most schools in Tenerife are public (colegios públicos). These are funded by the government, and examples in Tenerife include CEIP Tomé Cano in Santa Cruz and CEIP La Luz in La Laguna.
There are also several fully private schools on the island, some of which offer international curricula. The Colegio Británico de Tenerife in La Orotava offers education following the British curriculum. Fees are around €300 per month at the time of writing, although family discounts are available if you have more than one child.
If you’re looking for alternative education options on the island, consider Montessori schools such as Green Village Montessori in Guamasa, El Jardin de los Sentidos in Candelaria, or Kinder Garden Tenerife in Los Cristianos.
Higher education in Tenerife is primarily provided by the University of La Laguna, one of the oldest universities in the Canary Islands. For vocational training courses, you can enrol at CIFP César Manrique in Santa Cruz, which specialises in technical and professional training.
If you want to complete your basic education or learn new skills in Tenerife, the island has has several adult education centres, including Centro de Educación de Personas Adultas Farola de Santa Cruz.
In Tenerife, language education is seen as a high priority. Remember that in Spanish schools, children must learn Spanish and may also learn some Canarian dialect. Many schools participate in bilingual programmes, typically offering some subjects in English alongside Spanish. However, the level of English proficiency varies between schools.
The island offers a range of educational options, but most schools outside the capital and other major towns are public schools. If you’re looking for international schools or alternative education options, it’s best to consider moving to urban areas or places with significant expat populations.
Check out our article on Finding the Right School in Spain for more information.
Transport/Getting Around
Tenerife’s main airport is Tenerife South Airport (Tenerife South-Reina Sofía Airport), which handles most international flights.
Tenerife North Airport (Los Rodeos) mainly offers domestic and inter-island flights. Both airports provide connections to major European cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Paris, and the rest of the Canary Islands.
The island’s strategic location also makes it a convenient stopover for flights to Africa and the Americas.
Tenerife has an extensive public bus network operated by TITSA, which connects all major towns and tourist areas.
There is also a tram system (Metropolitano de Tenerife) with two lines. Line 1 runs between SC Interchange and Trinidad, and Line 2 runs from La Cuesta to Tincer.
Plans are in progress for a third line, which is proposed to run along the coast of Santa Cruz from Adeje to Arona.
Tenerife is also investing in an island-wide railway network, expected to be completed by 2045.
Taxi services are readily available in Tenerife’s major towns and tourist areas, and ride-hailing apps like Cabify and Uber are available in certain parts of the island.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife and some other towns have invested in bicycle infrastructure and have an increasing number of dedicated bike lanes.
You can take a ferry to the other Canary Islands from the ports in Santa Cruz and Los Cristianos.
If you want to explore some of Tenerife's smaller towns and rural areas, it’s best to drive. The TF-1 motorway runs along the eastern and southern coasts of the island, while the TF-5 serves the northern part of the island.
Secondary roads provide links with smaller communities, but these can be difficult to navigate in the island's more mountainous areas. If you choose to live in one of the smaller towns or rural areas, you will probably want to buy a car for convenience.
