Can you drink tap water in Tenerife? The clear answer

Short answer: yes. Tap water in Tenerife is safe to drink and meets the same quality standards as in Germany, Sweden or France. It won't upset your stomach. But here's what no guide tells you: you might not like the taste.

Why does it taste different?

A large share of the island's water comes from desalination plants (reverse osmosis of seawater). In Tenerife, nearly half of household water is desalinated. The process is clean — it's drawn from the Atlantic, filtered and desalted — but:

• The result is very soft water, sometimes with a "flat" or mineral taste you don't expect.
• By law a minimum amount of chlorine is added to prevent bacteria, and that slight chlorine hint is what you notice most.

None of that is bad for you. It's purely a matter of taste.

So tap water or bottled?

• Drinking, cooking, brushing your teeth: tap water is fine.
• If the taste bothers you: buy bottled water. Locals have done it for decades out of habit, so cheap 5–8 litre jugs are everywhere.

Where to buy cheap water

• Supermarkets (Mercadona, HiperDino, Lidl): 5–8 litre jugs for €1–2. Cheapest per litre.
• Beach bars and kiosks: pricey small bottles, better avoided.
• Local trick: ask for "agua del grifo" in restaurants — many serve it free or nearly free, and it's perfectly safe.

Golden rules

• Don't drink from public fountains or taps not marked as drinking water if you're unsure.
• In the rental car or backpack, one big jug in the boot saves you a fortune over small bottles.
• Bar ice is made from drinking water — don't worry about the ice.

Sources

• tappwater.co — ¿Puedo consumir agua del grifo en las Islas Canarias?
• abc.es — ¿Se puede beber el agua del grifo en Canarias? (dietetics expert, OCU ranking)
• aguastenerife.org — Consejo Insular de Aguas de Tenerife (CIATF)