Salty Surf and Spirituality: Tenerife’s Rebel Soul

Tenerife is much more than just volcanoes and picturesque villages. There’s a side of the island that pulses with the ocean’s energy, scented with salt spray, freedom, and surfboard wax. It’s the wild, authentic side, where waves aren’t conquered, but listened to. Welcome to the world of Canarian surfing, where the sport becomes a ritual, and the board is an extension of the soul.

The North: Meditation in Motion

In the north, around Punta del Hidalgo, Bajamar, and the black sands of El Socorro beach, surfing is pure salty silence. You won’t find instructors with flags or organized groups crowding the water. Here, you’ll find solitary surfers, eyes fixed on the horizon, waiting for the right wave as if it were an answer.

The northern waves are powerful and precise, unforgiving to those who don’t respect them. It’s surfing for those already comfortable with the sea, for those who don’t seek spectacle but connection. It’s the perfect place for those who consider every surf session a zen practice, an act of listening, balance, and breath.

El Socorro: The Cathedral of Solitude

El Socorro, near Los Realejos, is a small temple for experienced surfers. A dark beach that opens up between the cliffs, where the waves arrive constant and determined. The sunset here is a collective ritual: the sun dips behind the ocean, and everyone, in the water or on the sand, stops to watch in silence.

The South: Energy, Community, Challenge

Then there’s the south, with its warmer, more crowded beaches. At Playa de Las Américas, the spot known as La Izquierda (“the left”) is one of the most famous on the island. A tubing left-hander, fast and technical, perfect for those who want to test themselves.

Here, surfing is more social, more boisterous, but no less profound. You can feel an international, vibrant atmosphere, made of laughter, sunset beers, and colorful boards leaning everywhere. It’s the urban surf scene, where passion unites people of all ages and origins.

La Izquierda: Challenge and Spectacle

You don’t improvise at La Izquierda: it’s a spot for intermediate and advanced surfers, but the spectacle is guaranteed even for those watching. Surf schools line the promenade, and despite its fame, there’s still room to feel part of something authentic.

Two Souls, One Island

Tenerife offers two souls of surfing: the introspective and spiritual one of the north, and the energetic and shared one of the south. You can choose the one that reflects you most, or – why not – experience both. Going from a silent dawn at El Socorro to a festive sunset at Las Américas is like crossing two worlds united by the same sea.

What to Bring (and Leave at Home)

• A board suitable for the waves you want to ride (rental is easy throughout the south).
• A wetsuit is recommended in winter, especially in the north.
• An open mind and lots of respect: for the ocean, for other surfers, for the island.

Wave After Wave, Within Yourself

Surfing in Tenerife isn’t a postcard experience: it’s sand in your ears, salt on your skin, fatigue, adrenaline, and profound silences. It’s the sport that strips you of everything, except your essence. And perhaps that’s why, in the end, surfing here becomes spirituality.

It’s not just about riding waves. It’s about feeling alive, connected to something bigger. Tenerife awaits: you, your board, and the sound of the sea.