Playa de Abama
Best for. Snorkellers and calm water swimmers who want a soft golden cove and do not mind earning it on foot.
Best spot. The sheltered middle of the cove for the calmest swim, then the rocky arms at the edges for the clearest snorkelling.
Know this. The funicular down is for Ritz Carlton guests only, so day visitors face a steep walk down and back up. The furnished loungers are for hotel guests too, so bring your own shade and water.
Playa de Abama is the golden surprise on a coast that is otherwise black. Tucked into the mouth of a ravine below the Ritz Carlton Abama in Guia de Isora, it is a small sheltered cove of soft, pale sand with a faint pink cast, brought in and groomed rather than born here, which is exactly why it stops you the first time you see it against the volcanic cliffs around it. On an island where most sand is dark lava, a clean golden cove like this is genuinely rare.
The water is the other reason to come. A breakwater and the rocky arms of the cove keep the sea calm and clear, with little current on a typical day, so this is a relaxed swim and one of the easier snorkels on the west coast. Slip in along the rocks at the edges and there are fish to watch in clear water, the kind of gentle, low effort snorkel that suits anyone with a mask rather than just the experienced. It reads as a calm cove first and a snorkelling spot second, and it is good at both.
Now the honest catch, because it shapes the whole day. The smooth funicular that glides down the slope to the sand belongs to the Ritz Carlton and runs for its guests, so if you are not staying at the hotel you reach the cove on foot down a steep path, and you climb back up at the end. It is a real descent, not a stroll, so wear proper shoes, carry water, and plan your energy for the return. The furnished loungers and table service on the sand are for hotel guests as well, which means day visitors should arrive self sufficient with their own shade.
Get those expectations right and Abama is a quietly lovely half day. Go in the morning for the calmest water and the best light, take your snorkel gear, and treat the walk as the price of a pretty, sheltered cove that far fewer people reach than the resort beaches nearby. The beach bar by the cove can sort a cold drink, with hours that move around the seasons and are to be confirmed, so do not rely on it for lunch.
Who should skip it. Anyone who wants level, easy access, a full service beach and space to roam will be happier on the groomed sand of El Duque or Fanabe in Costa Adeje. But if you want a calm golden cove and a soft snorkel and you are happy to earn it on the walk down, Abama is one of the prettier rewards on this coast.
Clubs on this beach
Abama is a resort cove where the furnished sand is reserved for hotel guests rather than a public daybed club, so for an open club day with loungers and table service we route you to the beach clubs of southern Tenerife.
No public beach club on this beach
The serviced part of Abama, with loungers, parasols and food brought to the sand, is reserved for guests of the Ritz Carlton Abama rather than open to day visitors. If you are not staying there you use the public cove with your own shade. For a club style day that anyone can book, with daybeds, pools and table service, the scene gathers along the south coast around Costa Adeje, and we list every option in the Tenerife beach clubs directory.
Guia de Isora, west coast
Playa de Abama sits below the Ritz Carlton Abama in Guia de Isora on the west coast, roughly half an hour by car from the southern airport and resorts. The cove lies at the foot of a ravine, with parking up on the road above that can be limited, so arriving earlier in the day helps.
If you are staying at the hotel the funicular carries you down to the serviced sand. If you are not, the way in is a steep walking path that you climb back at the end of the day, so wear proper shoes, carry water and pace yourself for the return.
Day visitors should come self sufficient, as the loungers are reserved for guests. Bring your own shade and your snorkel gear, and treat the beach bar as a cold drink rather than a full lunch, with hours to be confirmed locally.
Photo: Marco Stoppa via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a daybed or table at a beach club on the south coast, where the island club scene lives. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Playa de Abama
Is Playa de Abama open to the public?
Yes. Like every beach in Spain the sand at Abama is public and anyone can use it. The thing to know is access. The funicular that drops down the slope was built by the Ritz Carlton Abama and is for hotel guests, so people staying elsewhere reach the cove on foot down a steep path. The sand is open to all once you are down there.
How do you get down to Abama beach without staying at the hotel?
On foot. There is a steep walking path down through the resort grounds to the cove, and it is a real descent that you climb back up at the end of the day, so wear proper shoes and carry water. Parking sits up on the road above and can be limited, so arriving earlier helps. Allow time and treat the walk as part of the trip.
Is Abama beach good for snorkelling?
Yes, it is one of the better easy snorkels on this coast. The cove is sheltered by a breakwater and rocky arms, so the water stays calm and clear with little current on a typical day, and the rocks at the edges hold fish to look at. Bring your own mask and fins, keep an eye on conditions, and the calm is typical rather than guaranteed.
Why is the sand at Abama golden when most Tenerife beaches are black?
Because it was brought in. This coast is volcanic and naturally dark, so the soft golden sand with its faint pink tint at Abama is imported and groomed, which is exactly why it stands out. The result is a rare pale, soft cove on an island of black beaches, and a large part of why people make the effort to reach it.
Are there sunbeds and facilities at Playa de Abama?
The furnished area with loungers, parasols and table service is reserved for Ritz Carlton guests, so if you are not staying you bring your own shade and water. There is a beach bar and basic facilities by the cove, with hours that vary by season and are to be confirmed. Come prepared rather than expecting a full service beach if you are a day visitor.
