Tenerife Water sports

El Medano on the southeast corner is one of Europe's serious wind spots. The trade winds funnel between the mountains and accelerate across the bay, which gives windsurfers and kitesurfers reliable conditions for most of the year and has made the town a training base rather than a resort.

The rest of the coast is gentler. Surf schools work the beach breaks around Playa de las Americas and the northern coast near Puerto de la Cruz, paddleboards go out from the calm southern bays, and the marinas rent jet skis and run parasailing. Kit rental is easy and lessons in several languages are standard.