Yes, you can smoke at Tenerife South Airport (TFS) — at the designated outdoor areas outside the terminal, landside, and on the open-air smoking terrace inside the Montaña Roja VIP Lounge after security. The terminal interior is smoke-free, so you smoke either outside the building or from the lounge terrace.
Tenerife Sur (Reina Sofía) is the Canary Islands’ busiest tourist gateway, handling the bulk of holiday charter and low-cost traffic to the south of the island. It runs from a single terminal, so once you know whether you have lounge access your smoking options are straightforward: outside the building before security, or the Montaña Roja terrace after it.
After Security (Airside)
The only smoking spot past security is the open-air terrace inside the Montaña Roja VIP Lounge, up in the boarding area on Level 2. The terrace looks out over the apron and runway, with a few tables set among small cacti, and both smoking and vaping are permitted there. Regulars describe it as a calm place to wait and watch aircraft away from the main hall.
Access is the catch: the lounge is a paid facility. You can get in with a Priority Pass or similar lounge membership, with eligible business-class or frequent-flyer status, or simply by paying the walk-up fee at reception. There is no free public smoking area anywhere airside — no separate open-air gate terrace of the kind some other Spanish airports run. If you do not have lounge access and want a cigarette after check-in, you would need to exit, smoke at the outdoor areas landside, and re-clear security, so budget time for that on a tight connection.
Before Security (Landside)
Smoking is not allowed anywhere inside the terminal, so before check-in and security you smoke outside the building. There is a designated outdoor area near the main entrance on the arrivals side, and further marked spots out by the parking areas serving departures. Step outside the terminal doors to a signed smoking area and you are clear to light up.
Arriving passengers follow the same rule: wait until you have cleared passport control, collected your bags, and stepped outside the arrivals hall before smoking. The Canary Islands’ mild, dry climate keeps these outdoor areas comfortable to use throughout the year, which softens the lack of a free airside option.
Vaping
Vaping is treated the same as smoking at Tenerife South. E-cigarettes are not allowed inside the terminal, so use the Montaña Roja Lounge terrace after security or the outdoor areas outside the building for both cigarettes and vapes. Do not vape in the toilets — it can trigger the smoke detectors.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor terminal | No | Smoke-free throughout |
| After security / airside | Yes | Montaña Roja VIP Lounge open-air terrace (Level 2); paid entry only |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Designated areas by the main entrance and the parking areas |
For Spain’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Spain airport guide.