Calima in Tenerife: what to do (and what to avoid)

The sky turns orange, the horizon disappears into a dry haze, and a fine layer of dust settles on cars and balconies. In Tenerife, this phenomenon has a well-known name among locals: calima. Here's what you need to know — and more importantly, what to do that day.

What is calima?

Calima is a hot, dry wind that carries fine sand particles from the Sahara to the Canary Islands, about 300 km off the African coast. It happens several times a year, more frequently between late winter and summer. The air fills with suspended dust, the sky turns orange to whitish, visibility can drop to just a few kilometers, and temperatures often rise a few degrees.

Is there calima today?

The simplest way to check: look at live Tenerife weather. A calima alert shows automatically by zone as soon as the phenomenon is detected from AEMET data, with the same reliability as the app's regular weather. If no alert appears, there's no calima reported in that zone right now.

What to do during a calima

A calima doesn't mean the day is lost — it's mostly about adjusting your plans.

Beaches: often fine if the sea stays calm — calima affects the air, not directly the sea state. Check today's swimming risk, which is calculated independently of calima. Bring sunglasses and avoid staying exposed for hours if you're sensitive.

Hiking and altitude: best avoided where possible, especially on the Teide or at altitude, where dust-laden air can make exertion harder and sharply reduce the views.

Indoor activities: a good day for museums, malls like Siam Mall, wine bodegas with tastings, a guachinche, or a spa session. Also check our guide on what to do in Tenerife when it rains — several ideas work just as well for calima.

What to avoid

• Prolonged outdoor physical effort, especially for asthmatics or those sensitive to respiratory irritation
• High-altitude hikes, where dust reduces visibility and can make the air more irritating
• Outdoor activities for young children or older people if the calima is intense
• Leaving clothes or laundry outside — fine dust settles everywhere

Calima vs simple clouds or rain

Calima comes from the south-east, carried by a hot wind loaded with Saharan dust. Clouds and rain usually come from the north, brought by moist trade winds, and have nothing to do with suspended sand. Another commonly confused phenomenon: the sea of clouds, a low cloud layer formed by the trade winds — visually very different from calima's orange haze. All three are visible zone by zone on /meteo.

In short

A calima shouldn't ruin your Tenerife trip: check the weather by zone, favor indoor activities or the beach if the sea stays calm, avoid exertion at altitude, and simply be more careful if you're sensitive to respiratory irritation. The phenomenon usually clears within a few days.