Playa del Socorro – A Complete Surf & Travel Guide

Where is Playa del Socorro?

Playa del Socorro sits on Tenerife’s rugged north coast, tucked between the banana terraces of Los Realejos and the cliffs west of Puerto de la Cruz. It’s a wild-feeling spot compared with the tourist-heavy south, and quite a far cry from Playa de las Americas and those place – which is one reason I really like it!

Getting here is easiest by rental car. Public transport does run through the area, but buses don’t drop directly at the beach and the service is infrequent, especially outside peak hours and the main vacation season.

With a hire car from Tenerife North or South airport, you get reliable access down the winding coastal road and the freedom to explore nearby surf breaks without relying on complicated connections. There’s parking just above the beach on the main coast road.

What’s Playa del Socorro like?

Really, really good looking!

Playa del Socorro is striking from the moment you descend the steep access road. A deep crescent of black volcanic sand fills the base of a gorge-like valley framed by tall, green mountains, giving it a remote, amphitheatre feel despite being only minutes from nearby towns.

The facilities are fairly solid for a north-coast beach. Well, that is to say that there’s parking, a kiosk selling snacks on the shore (though it hardly ever looks open), and a bus connection to nearby towns (the 546 last time I checked).

The vibe is very local, especially during early mornings and evenings when the light hits the cliffs and regulars drop in for a surf. It’s a beautiful, elemental place where you feel the raw side of Tenerife’s coastline without losing the convenience of easy access. AND – crucially – without huge crowds of holidaymakers.

>>Read more about the best beaches in Tenerife right here

Surfing in Playa del Socorro

Socorro is a beach with two personalities.

On smaller summer swells, the eastern side of the bay becomes surprisingly mellow. A right-hand reef point there shapes short, friendly walls that suit learners and improvers. A few sloppy but fun A-frame waves form in the middle of the bay at a mid tide. Both spots are often quieter than nearby Puerto de la Cruz.

It’s also an undeniably gorgeous place to surf, thanks to the dramatic cliffs that block some of the prevailing trade winds.

HOWEVER, when the north swell engine ignites – usually in winter but also during strong out-of-season NW pulses – the place steps up fast. Socorro is very exposed, so almost any new energy in the Atlantic hits here with force. The waves get punchy, the rips get strong, and the whole beach becomes an experts-only arena with hollow sections and fast-moving peaks.

One thing to bear in mind: It’s one of the rare spots on this side of the island that can remain surfable under strong summer easterly trades because the surrounding mountains offer natural shelter. That’s GREAT for learners and surf schools, becuase they can come to Socorro to catch it on those key smaller days and have a clean session.

When to surf in Playa del Socorro?

Tenerife’s prime surf season is winter, when deep low-pressure systems across the North Atlantic send steady lines of swell toward the island.

At Playa del Socorro, this is when the beach lights up, though it’s generally the domain of advanced surfers thanks to the size, power, and speed of the waves.

Summer, meanwhile, brings smaller, cleaner days. This is the best window for beginners and progressing riders, especially on the mellow right-hander to the east side of the beay. The infamous Tenerife trade winds are less of an issue here, as the mountains temper the blow, leaving Socorro more protected than many other north-coast beaches. That’s a nice addition. Thanks mountains.

Surf spots near to Playa del Socorro

• Puerto de la Cruz – A cluster of reef and shorebreak peaks right in town. It’s convenient, varied, and has quick-access waves, but it gets busy with locals and visiting surfers.
• Los Patos – A long black-sand beach backed by steep cliffs. Powerful and punchy on winter swells with rippy channels and shifting sandbars. A raw, challenging spot for experienced surfers only.
• Bajamar – A more exposed north-coast zone with several reefs offering longer walls and consistent winter surf. It handles size well and has a more open-ocean feel than Socorro, attracting a core local crew. That said, Bajamar is now kinda the self-established surf hub of the north coast, and a great place to stay if in doubt.

Where to stay in Playa del Socorro?

This part of Tenerife’s north coast is pretty undeveloped, or at least it is compared to the south. The best way to do it is to eiteher choose one of the main towns in the area – Bajamar, Puerto de la Cruz – and stay there, or accept that you’re going to be a bit away from the urban action and get a coastal stay in the vicinity of your favored beach.

I like the latter, but then I like peace and quiet…

• Hacienda El Socorro – A very, very cool place to be. More like a Balinese clifftop hotel than a villa in the Canaries, the Hacienda El Socorro has an infinity pool overlooking the whole bay, walking access to the beach, and spacious rooms that are perfect for traveling couples. A cracking option.
• Finca Doña Juana – There’s a bit more of a traditional feel to this villa made of local stone. It’s perched on the cliffs just to the west of the beach, has gardens filled with fruit trees, and a real-away-from-it-all feel.