Tenerife weather in January
January is the coolest month on the south coast, yet the afternoons stay warm enough for lunch outside. The north is cool and green, and Mount Teide can turn white. The figures below are long-term averages from AEMET, the Spanish weather agency, for 1981 to 2010.
The south coast in January
Warm days, mild nights
At Tenerife South Airport, afternoons average 21.7°C and nights 15.2°C. It is a good guide to the resorts of the south coast, from Golf del Sur to Costa Adeje.
Sun and rain
The month has about 193 hours of sunshine, and rain of at least a millimetre falls on only about 2 days.
The sea
The sea is around 20°C, cooler than in December.
Daylight
The sun rises at about 08:00 at the start of the month and 07:55 at the end, and sets at about 18:20 and 18:45. Tenerife is on the same time as the UK.
North and south: where the sun is
The north of the island catches the trade-wind clouds, so it is greener, cloudier and wetter than the south.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
On the north-east coast, the capital is about as warm as the south, with afternoons of 21°C and nights of 15°C. It sees rain on about 4 days and 178 hours of sun. Transfers to Santa Cruz.
Tenerife North Airport
The airport sits at 632 metres by La Laguna, so it is cooler: about 16°C in the afternoon and 10°C at night, with rain on about 8 days. If you land there, keep a jacket in your cabin bag. Transfers from Tenerife North.
Mount Teide in January
At the Izana observatory, 2,369 metres up near Teide, January afternoons average 8°C and nights 1°C, with frost on about 12 nights. Snow falls there on about 2 days in the month. The cable car climbs higher still, to 3,555 metres, so take a warm jacket even after a day on the beach. More in the Tenerife guide.
What to pack for Tenerife in January
Summer clothes for the day, a warm jumper or a light jacket for the evening, when the south coast drops to about 15°C, and a proper coat if you go up Mount Teide or stay in the north. Sun cream, too: the sun is still strong. A medium case and a cabin bag per person travel free with every transfer.
What's on: the Three Kings and the start of Carnival
On the evening of 5 January, the Three Kings parade through towns across the island, as all over Spain. In Santa Cruz, the 2027 Carnival opens with its gala on 22 January.
Landing in Tenerife this January?
Your driver waits inside arrivals with your name on a sign, at a fixed price for the whole group. Tenerife weather in other months: November, December, February, March, and the whole year in our Tenerife guide.
Averages for 1981 to 2010 from AEMET stations at Tenerife South Airport, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife North Airport and Izana. Sea temperature: approximate average from published sea-temperature records. Sunrise and sunset: calculated for the south coast.