43% of the Canaries total population lives on the largest island of Tenerife.  It has been a popular destination for tourists since the 19th century although the main boom in tourism occurred in the second half of the 20th century, and especially since the 1980s when the sunnier south of the island was developed.

The island has two airports with Tenerife South, (formerly Reina Sofia), accommodating the majority of the tourist traffic, and Tenerife North, (formerly Los Rodeos), mainly managing inter-island and other domestic flights.

Tenerife South airport was inaugurated in November 1978.  The airport is situated on the southern tip of the island in the municipality of Granadilla de Abona.  It is located just to the north of the town of Los Abrigos and to the east of the tourist hotspots of Los Cristianos and Playa de las Americas.  It is the second busiest airport in the Canaries after Gran Canaria handling 12,3 million passengers and almost 85.000 aircraft movements in a year. The traffic mostly consists out of holiday traffic from across Europe, with the UK, Germany and Scandinavia providing a large proportion of these flights.  Most passengers arrive and depart on Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 family aircraft, although TUI, Jet2 and Condor also fly bigger aircraft sometimes. Binter ATR 72s and the odd bizjet make a welcome change from the norm. Tuesday and Fridays are busy but Sunday is the busiest day at TFS. However, the airline variety declinded during the last years, the traffic is not that interesting anymore here.

There is a rough dirt track which runs north from the town of Los Abrigos and then east along the southern boundary of Tenerife South airport before turning south again, routeing around the tomato farms covered in white plastic sheeting, back to the main TF-643 road west of the junction for La Tejita.

Written by Clive Grant, Gerrit Griem, Marcus, Gordon and Maximilian Schulz. Last change: September 2025 – Spot 1

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
07/25	3,200m x 45m (10,499ft x 148ft)
Terminals	One terminal is used for all flights.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not necessary
Car/Public Transport	Although Spot no.1 is less than 1km from the town of Los Abrigos, a car is really needed to get to the best spots.  Runway ends can also change suddenly which makes a car even more necessary.
Restrooms	Nothing directly at the spots. In the village of Los Abrigos cafes and restaurants
Drinks/Food	Supermarkets and cafes in Los Abrigos
Hotels	Apartamentos Isla de Oro in Los Abrigos is probably the most convenient place to stay.
Season	Tenerife is an all year round destination, although it’s busiest during the summer and winter peaks.  Daylight hours are shorter in winter, although the light is better.  There is also less chance of heat haze in winter, especially for traffic on the taxiway.  The winter also provides a greater variety of traffic.
Runway Usage
07	As the main trade winds are from the north-east, Runway 07 is the one used most often.
25	Although not used as often as Runway 07, sudden changes in wind direction are not uncommon, requiring the use of Runway 25.

Landing spot - 07 arrivals

WHERE	Starting in the town of Los Abrigos, go to the far eastern end of Calle la Gaviota and at the end of the road turn left onto the dirt track. The first 100m is probably the worst bit of the route, so take care, especially if driving. Alternative is by foot. Just park in the town of Los Abrigos and walk a few minutes. But just okay for #1. For #3 you need approximate 20 minutes, for #5 35 minutes.
WHAT	Choose your spot to get the angle you prefer for landing traffic on Runway 07.
TIME	All day until late afternoon. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need. Be aware, that the beginning of the track once entering the dirt track is super tricky! The soil got worse the last few months/years: it is very bumpy and slippery now! You will either need a 4×4 to be able to enter or otherwise park here somewhere (e.g. Calle La Gaviota) and walk in all the way.
FOCAL LENGTH	80-200mm

TFS-Spot1

TFS-Spot1

TFS-Spot1

Starting point at Los Abrigos

First part is on a dirt track

Start of path to get to 1

Main gate to 1 allowing access by car

Crash Gate P6 - 07 arrivals

WHERE	See #1 how to access the southern side of the airport. Following the dirt track east from Spot No.1 till the perimeter fence and the crash gate P6. Find your preferred spot in this area. There are some small mounds where you can climb on for a slightly better angle. No ladder needed.
WHAT	07 arrivals only. The mound nearest the fence is good enough to get landing shots with the mountains in the background, but if you’re confident with your rock climbing skills, the tallest mound further back gives more opportunities.
TIME	All day until late afternoon. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need. Heat haze is an issues during the summer!
FOCAL LENGTH	80-200mm

TFS-Spot2B

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West point spotting tower - arrivals and departures 07, dep 25

WHERE	See #1 how to access the southern side of the airport. Further along the track is a rather basic structure which provides views over the fence.
WHAT	07 arrivals and departures including traffic on the parallel taxiway (heat haze!). 25 departures. For traffic on the runway you’re likely to get the top of the fence in your photos from this spot.
TIME	All day until late afternoon Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need.
FOCAL LENGTH	80-250mm

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Crash gate P7 - 25 arrivals and departures

WHERE	See #1 how to access the southern side of the airport.. Continuing east along the track you will come to Crash gate P7.
WHAT	25 arrivals and departures. Although this spot could also be used for Runway 07 traffic, there is no need as other spots are better, particularly as you need to shoot through the crash gate latch here.
TIME	All day until late afternoon.  Also, for 25 arrivals taking the first exit, the light is good here till later in the evening. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-250mm

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Mid point spotting tower - all arrivals and departures

WHERE	See #1 how to access the southern side of the airport. Thanks to the Canary Islands Spotting Group, (cispotting.net), roughly half way along the runway is a spotting tower which works well for whichever end of the runway is in use.  It’s also closer to the fence than the West point spotting tower so you should normally be able to avoid getting the fence in your photos.
WHAT	All arrivals and departures including traffic on the parallel taxiway (heat haze!).
TIME	All day until late afternoon. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	There is a bench on the spotting tower but there is no shade and there are no facilities so bring what you need.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-250mm

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Crash gate P10 - all arrivals and departures

WHERE	See #1 how to access the southern side of the airport. Continue on the track until it turns away from the fence at Crash gate P10.
WHAT	All arrivals and departures including traffic on the parallel taxiway.
TIME	All day until late afternoon. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need.  Also, you need to shoot through the latch in the crash gate so this spot is not ideal, especially as Spot No.5 is nearby and much better.  However, on a hot day it may mean you can get lift off shots on Runway 07 from here when traffic may still be on the ground passing Spot No.5.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-250mm

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Touchdown point - 25 arrivals and departures

WHERE	See #1 how to access the southern side of the airport. You have to be both adventurous and very keen to get touchdown shots to trek to this spot.  You need to walk along the narrow path from Crash gate P10 with a steep drop on one side, stopping before you get to the red and white striped ‘pill box’ structure on the other side of the fence.  Also, when you get there you need to shoot through the mesh of the fence, so it’s far from ideal.  Still, it might be worth it for the odd photo of aircraft burning rubber on touchdown.
WHAT	25 arrivals and departures
TIME	All day until late afternoon. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so he light is not so good.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-250mm

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Landing spot - 25 arrivals

WHERE	On the eastern airport perimeter road. Continue on the TF-643 and turn left into the Carretera al Hermano Pedro before you reach the city of El Médano. Just park next to the road.
WHAT	Landing traffic on Runway 25 only.  You can choose your spot according to the angle you prefer for landing shots.
TIME	All day until late afternoon. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need .
FOCAL LENGTH	80-250mm

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TFS-Spot8A

Los Abrigos - 25 departures

WHERE	If you’re staying in Los Abrigos and you don’t mind using a long lens, there are several places from which to take airborne shots, including the eastern edge of the town.
WHAT	25 departures
TIME	All day until late afternoon. Summer – At sunrise the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good till a bit later. Winter – Towards sunset the sun will be in line with the runway so the light is not so good.
MISC.	Shops and cafes nearby
FOCAL LENGTH	400-500mm

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Hill - Arrivals 07

WHERE	If you are coming from the southern spots drive trough the villages Los Abrigos  and drive northwards on the TF-65 which leads to the Autopista TF-1. Taxe the next right into the TF-645 heading to Atogo. After a few minutes you will find the entrance to another dirt road which brings you to the approach path of RWY 07. Once there you can either drive to the western point (10A) or to a small mound a bit to the northeast (10B). From the dirt road climb up the mound to your left.
WHAT	Choose your spot to get the angle you prefer for landing  traffic on Runway 07. Line up and departures can be shot from different positions at 11A. 11B is recommend for line ups only.
TIME	From afternoon till sunset in the summer only! Holding Point for 07 dep from late noon till sunset.
MISC.	There is no shade and there are no facilities at this spot so bring what you need. There are several mounds around here, both points are elevated: you can easily clear the fence, so no ladder is needed. Take care as this road is really a bumpy dirt road with big holes: so be careful once coming in with your rental car!
FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm Option B Line-Ups: A320 = 170mm / B757 = 130mm

Entrance Road off TF645

Take left road down to 11

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Position 11A:

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TFS-Spot10A

Position 11B:

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Mound with Bench - Apron, Taxiway, Runway

WHERE	Park at the previous spot #10 and walk down to the fence or just take the gravel road down here from just after the mound/spot 10. Once you got here, there is the viewing mound with seat/bench from where you can easily take some pictures. This spot was used to be a construction site so do not wonder about old containers or similar abandoned stuff!
WHAT	From here you can see the apron with all the movements plus the helicopters and private jets park right in front of the spot. Here is also the last exit on to the taxiway so you get great close-ups and an occasional wave from pilots.
TIME	Taxiway/Runway: From afternoon till sunset in the summer only! Apron: earlier from noon to sunset but also depends on how the planes are parked.
MISC.	No ladder needed as you are on a little mound. There is no shade and there are no facilities except a small bench at this spot so bring what you need.
FOCAL LENGTH	200-400mm Apron ~400mm / A320 on taxiway = 270mm

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Entrance to the area:

The “observation deck” itsself:

The view from the deck:

Rubblemound - Apron, Taxiway, Runway

WHERE	This spot is located near the closed kinda terminal facility. The driveway and nearby parking is used for taxis nowadays only, but however, this can be entered with a normal car as well. Then just head to the roundabound at the western end and next to this one you’ll see kinda hill made out of rocks, which has to be climbed for the shots we show below.
WHAT	This spot is mostly used for night shots of aircraft parked on the apron infront (mostly Bizjets or freighters) or the nearby taxiway and runway parts.
TIME	Taxiway/Runway: From afternoon till sunset in the summer only. Apron: In the very early morning or from sunset to sunrise.
MISC.	No ladder needed. Nearest facilities for food, restrooms and so on is (inside) the nearby terminal 1. Heat haze IS a problem, especially on warmer days. Climbing the mound is very dangerous as the mound is not really stable, take care!
FOCAL LENGTH	150 – 400mm B737(-700)BBJ on apron = 250mm

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White House - All runway movements

WHERE	This location is everything else than easy to access. You get to it partly by car then have to walk the rest. Keep on the road ‘Calle al Hermano Pedro’ passing point ‘8’ going north. Past the Cueva Del Hermano Pedro. Within ten seconds, the practice fire dump passes you on the left (building that looks like a fat cross). There is then a straight tarmac road angling back left. There is always a chain across the entrance, but you access it by turning off 30mts before it on a dirt track by a derelict low building. Take that dirt track and you’ll join the tarmac road. Drive up three quarters to the end then turn right where you see that white area. Follow that little windy road but come off it on to the dirt when you get to the disused buildings (grey roofs, white outlines). Park the car on the top left corner of the fence of the building. Now you have to walk along that dirt track heading directly south to the runway until you see a building. Position yourself on the elevated hill along the runway.
WHAT	Great location for all runway movements on either the taxiway or the runway. Arrivals on 07 will use the exit in front of you or will take the last one and roll by your position. The helicopter base is on your left hidden by trees, but the helicopters fly-taxi by, so you’ll get great close-ups of them.
TIME	From afternoon till sunset in the summer only! Heat haze is an issue for ground photos in the afternoon.
MISC.	No ladder needed. There is absolutely nothing nearby so be prepared!
FOCAL LENGTH	XXX

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