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PolskiChoose Tenerife if you want variety, a big choice of resorts and things to do, mountains for hiking and plenty of flights. Choose Fuerteventura if you want space, calm and some of the best beaches in Europe, and you do not mind more wind and a quieter social life. Coastal temperatures are close; the difference is landscape, wind and pace.
Tenerife is the largest and busiest of the Canary Islands, with Mount Teide at its centre and two airports. Fuerteventura is long, dry and much less populated, famous for its dunes, wide beaches and steady trade winds. This comparison looks at what matters for a winter stay of one to four months.
Side by side
| Tenerife | Fuerteventura | |
|---|---|---|
| Main long-stay bases | Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje, Puerto de la Cruz | Corralejo, Caleta de Fuste, Morro Jable |
| Typical rent, one-bedroom, peak winter | About €1,100-1,800 in Los Cristianos | About €800-1,400 in Corralejo and Caleta de Fuste |
| Beaches | Mostly small, sheltered town beaches | Long, wide sandy beaches |
| Wind | Sheltered in the south | Often windy |
| Landscape | Volcanic peaks, forests, green north | Dunes, plains, desert-like hills |
| Things to do | Lots: hiking, towns, whale-watching | Beaches, watersports, nature |
| Airports | Two | One, near Puerto del Rosario |
Rents are indicative ranges from listings. See monthly rental prices in the Canary Islands.
Weather
Both islands are typically around 21 to 23°C by day from December to February and very dry. Southern Tenerife is sheltered by the mountains and is one of the sunniest, calmest places in Europe in winter. Fuerteventura is just as sunny but breezier, and on windy days it can feel a few degrees cooler on the beach. See Tenerife weather in January, Fuerteventura weather in January and how windy Fuerteventura gets in winter.
Lifestyle
Southern Tenerife offers an easy, sociable winter. Los Cristianos is flat and compact, with a long promenade, a real town centre and a large community of long-stayers from northern Europe. There are clubs, walking groups and plenty of restaurants. Read Los Cristianos for a long winter stay.
Fuerteventura is calmer and more spread out. Corralejo is the liveliest base, with a pedestrian centre and the dunes on its doorstep; Caleta de Fuste is quieter and less windy; Morro Jable in the far south is close to the long beaches of Jandía. Read Corralejo for a long winter stay and Fuerteventura for a long stay: is it too quiet?
Things to do
Tenerife has far more to do over several months: Teide National Park, the Anaga mountains, La Laguna, Puerto de la Cruz, whale-watching and ferries to La Gomera. See things to do in Tenerife on a long stay.
Fuerteventura is about the outdoors: surfing, kitesurfing, beach walks, boat trips to Lobos, the old capital Betancuria and the wild beach of Cofete. A short ferry from Corralejo takes you to Lanzarote for day trips.
Cost
Fuerteventura is generally cheaper, especially for rent. In Tenerife, the north around Puerto de la Cruz offers lower rents than the busy south. Food shopping costs about the same. See the cost of a 3-month winter in Tenerife and the cheapest Canary Island for a long stay.
Getting around
Tenerife’s TITSA bus network is extensive, and in the south you can easily live without a car; see the Tenerife bus pass for long stays. Fuerteventura’s buses are less frequent and distances are longer, so a car is more useful, at least for part of your stay. See monthly car hire in the Canary Islands.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Tenerife | Sheltered sunny south, lots to do, big long-stay community, easy without a car | Busier, higher rents, smaller beaches |
| Fuerteventura | Spectacular beaches, space, calm, lower rents, watersports | Windier, quieter, a car is more useful |
Who should choose which
Choose Tenerife if this is your first long winter, if you want a lively community, plenty to do and easy living without a car.
Choose Fuerteventura if you love beaches and nature, enjoy watersports or long walks, and prefer calm and space to a busy social life.
Travelling with someone without an EU passport? Check the dates with the Schengen 90/180 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tenerife or Fuerteventura warmer in winter?
Temperatures are similar, but southern Tenerife is more sheltered from the wind, so it often feels warmer.
Which island has better beaches?
Fuerteventura, by a wide margin.
Which is cheaper?
Fuerteventura is usually cheaper for rent.
Is Fuerteventura boring for a long stay?
It is quiet. Many people love that; others prefer a livelier base such as Corralejo or an island with more to do, like Tenerife.
Our verdict
Tenerife is the safer all-round choice for a long winter. Fuerteventura is the better choice for beach lovers and anyone who wants calm and space at a lower price. Compare all the islands in the best Canary Island for winter.