Iโve been living in Tenerife since October of last year but in the Capitol of Santa Cruz. Since I was here to work remotely but also reclaim my Spanish citizenship, I opted to sign a rental contract, which runs 1/3 the cost of an Airbnb.
If you plan to stay more than 3 months, I would strongly recommend that. Any leasing office can help you and their fee (one month) is easily saved with the hugely reduced rent. All you need is a passport.
I do not particularly enjoy living in Santa Cruz. Itโs more of a pueblo than a true city โ although it doesnโt look like it. The locals in Santa Cruz donโt have as much interaction with foreigners as in other parts of the island and so they can be a bit reserved and stand-offish. Though they are warm on first meeting, itโs hard to get to know them or break into their circles.
Few locals go out in the evenings, and entertain at home instead. This is very different from other parts of Spain. After 7pm itโs pretty dead except for a few streets with shops or bars. This is true throughout most of the island with the exception of the South.
No matter where you live, get involved with some kind of local activity to meet people. To say the people here have โisland mentalityโ) as in Hawaii would be a polite way of putting it. Iโve had rocks thrown at me while surfing, and had a guy punch me in the face just walking down the street. But this was all in the Bajamar area which is notoriously redneck. Visit but beware. Haha.
Iโve only spent a few days in Puerto de la Cruz, and while itโs pretty, itโs also pretty freaking dead most of the year. This was once the hot spot for travelers but no more. If you donโt speak German, you wonโt be able to interact with most visitors. And further, most visitors there are old and dying. That being said, there is a co-working space there that you linked to, but every time I went it was completely empty. For the price they ask, Iโd suggest you check it out first. If youโre gonna be alone you can save the loot and work from home.
As stated by someone else, car rentals are cheap. You can actually rent a car monthly for 300 euros, which is a screaming deal. This includes full insurance and theyโll even take cash, so thereโs no need to let them have your card on file. You can then take that car on the ferry to other islands, which is a great way to explore.
There is also a great bus network that covers the whole island which is super cheap. Not sure what the other poster was talking aboutโฆsounds like they only explored taxis. These buses have pretty much 24-7 service along major routes and you can cross the island for about 3 euros. Itโs a great way to get around, comfortable and air conditioned.
Tenerife is full of awesome hiking, fishing, surfing. If you like nature, youโll love it. If you want a more cosmopolitan experience with lots of digital nomads, definitely go to Gran Canaria instead. With only 40 miles between them, these islands are worldโs apart. Iโd suggest visiting both before locking anything down in terms of housing.
In closing, just donโt expect to โexperience Spainโ while here in the Canaries. The islands are mostly full of Venezuelans and Cubans. This means people are even more โtranquiloโ than in Spain. Plans made are never firm, and expect things that should happen quickly to take a long time.
The food is not Spanish by any means and rather bland. But Iโm from California and eat like a Mexican, so maybe itโs just my taste. Not saying itโs bad, just not very good either. If youโve been to Colombia, the food experience is similar, but the locals arenโt as friendly.
Iโd rate it a B- compared to other places Iโve been. But you can live insanely cheap and the weather is great.
Iโm leaving to live in Madrid Aug 15 so if you wanna meet up when you arrive let me know.