3x great hiking trails on Tenerife

Marieke Willems3 weeks agoleave a comment

A wonderful place to hike is the island of Tenerife. The nature is so varied and impressive and you will be rewarded with panoramic views. I’m not a highly trained walker, but I’m someone who likes to go for a walk. Tenerife has truly amazed me with the beauty and versatility of nature. I share my tips for great hiking trails in Tenerife!

3x great hiking trails on Tenerife

The island of Tenerife

Many people go to Tenerife to enjoy the sun, sea and beach. There are several lovely and beautiful sand and lava beaches to be found on the island. Especially Costa Adeje, Playa de las Americas and Los Christianos are popular. These are seaside resorts with many tourists, hotels, shops, cafes, restaurants and lively boulevards. This makes it all the more special that only a few kilometres away from these tourist spots are completely deserted and beautiful nature reserves. Hikers can only imagine themselves to be in the world here and experience peace and quiet! The uniqueness of Tenerife is also that the island consists of several landscapes and microclimates. It can be snowing on the Teide in the middle of the island, raining in the north, cloudy in the east and at the same time the sun can shine in the south.

I have made several hiking trails in Tenerife on Tenerife! These are my 3 favourite walking routes in Tenerife. Recommended for every level walker!

1. Hiking in the El Teide park

Tenerife is of course known for the impressive volcano El Teide and the accompanying national park. It is the highest mountain in Spain with 3,718 meters, one of the most visited parks in Europe with more than 4 million visitors per year and it is Unesco World Heritage. It goes without saying why I have included this park in my list of favourite hiking trails in Tenerife! The volcano erupted for the last time in 1909, fortunately that was more than 100 years ago.

Did you know that Tenerife literally translated means “white mountain”? This white mountain can be found in the middle of the island: the volcano El Teide.

The national park is easy to reach by car, because through the park runs the highway TF-21. You can easily park there and this road takes you along various viewpoints and hiking trails. The national park El Teide has a total area of about 20,000 hectares and so there is much to discover when you visit it. The park consists of an old volcanic crater and the vast lava fields that have been created by the many volcanic eruptions. This park and the lava field is largely above 2,000 meters, but there is plenty of plant and animal life present (more than 500 plant species and 1,000 insect species). The national park El Teide looks almost extraterrestrial because of the rough and striking boulders, the many colours and the unique lava fields. It reminds me most of a lunar landscape!

Walking route Roques de García

In the El Teide National Park there are 9 marked hiking trails to choose from. I have chosen a short walking route of 3.5 km. This route is highly recommended! The route starts opposite the Parador and takes you around the Roques de García. This is a peculiar old male wall with extreme erosion on the rocks. The most photographed on this route is the Roque Chinchado, the ‘finger of God’. Since the base erodes much faster than the top, it is known that this rock will ever fall over. You walk along the striking rocks towards the Teide and this path consists mainly of loose stones and sand. Good walking shoes are nice. This is the most popular route in the park and therefore it can be crowded. It is advisable to start early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the many buses with tourists. You can make this route independently, but also with a guide. This walking route is most beautiful in spring when all the plants are in bloom.

Level: low
Duration of the walk: 2 hours
Starting point: the Mirador de la Ruleta, a viewpoint.
Tip guide: Aventoure

Walking route the 7 Cañadas

This is a less busy hike than the one I described above. This walking route is 18 km in total and is beautiful. This walking route is clearly signposted, has few differences in height and is mostly flat. This makes it a relaxed route for walking. Around every corner a different and unique landscape appears. This walking route offers a great diversity of beautiful places that seem to be deserted for everything and everyone. Along the way you will also see the mountaineers on the mountains.

Level: low
Duration of the walk: 5 hours
Starting point: Parador
Tip guide: Aventoure
Bring food and drinks for the road

Climbing the top of the Teide

The volcano was created about 150,000 years ago as a result of an eruption. Climbing the Teide is a tough walk of about 6 hours. But you can also go to the top of the Teide by cable car, which will take you up in eight minutes. You have to walk a little bit, because the cable car takes you to an altitude of 3,555 meters. From this platform La Rambleta you have a great view over the park and the rest of Tenerife. The view from the top is breathtaking.

Level: high
Duration of the walk: 6 hours
Tip guide: Adventoure
You always need a permit when you want to go to the top and that’s why you have to arrange this in advance. This also applies to the cable car.

2. Walking at Teno Rural Park

The Teno Rural Park is located in the far west of Tenerife and is one of the most beautiful nature reserves on the island. This area is so rugged, wild and is also the oldest part of the island. Walking here is magnificent. You will see impressive mountains, steep rocks and deep ravines. There are marked hiking trails to choose from. I have chosen for the walk of 14 km. This walk is known as the Guerguespad and is located above El Barranco de Masca. This is a must! The visitor center of the park is in the village of El Palmar and there you will find information about the 13 hiking trails.

The hike starts with walking through laurel forests, fields and field roads with the Teide somewhere in the background. After two hours of walking, the environment changes and you can see the steep mountain ridges and endless ravines. The road consists of hairpin bends on narrow paths and gives you spectacular views over the Masca ravine. The volcanic mountain formations are impressive! The last few hours of the hike is breathtakingly beautiful.

Level: middle
Duration of the walk: 6 hours
Bring food and drink
Starting point: El Palmar
Tip guide: Canarias Nature Guides

3. Hiking at the Anaga Mountains

The Anaga Mountains originated from the fusion of 3 islands with a volcanic character. The Anaga Mountains are located in the north of Tenerife and are a biosphere reserve with laurel forests, rugged landscapes, deep ravines, few roads and rocky mountain paths. In this part of Tenerife there is regularly fog that hangs between the trees. Favourable to the climate and provides a unique view. The Anaga Mountains are a unique place with certainly one of the most beautiful marked hiking trails in Tenerife.

I chose to start my hike in the tiny village of Chamorga and followed the hiking route El Draguillo. This hike starts with a climb of about half an hour to the top of the ridge. At the top the view is great: you can see the sea, the huge mountain ridges and a wide view. From there I walked along the coast and this part of the route consists of a few hours of hard descent to the coast on a path along a rocky slope. But walking pays off, because on the coast you can enjoy the beautiful and almost deserted lava beaches. I visited the small village of Taganana and spent an hour and a half lying on the beach and rested from the walk. Until not so long ago, this village was only accessible by boat. Because I didn’t have the energy to walk back, I took a boat taxi to go back.

Level: middle
Duration of the walk: 6 hours
Bring food and drink
Starting point: Chamorga
Tip guide: Anaga Experience

Tips for when you go hiking in Tenerife

Take into account the height differences on the route and be aware of the height.
The hiking equipment: mountain boots, raincoat, cap, backpack, water, food for the whole trip. Also bring long trousers and a T-shirt with long sleeves and possibly a walking stick. Due to the height differences there are very large temperature differences which you will be surprised by.
If it has rained, the ground can be slippery.
Follow the marked paths.
Always take your garbage with you, because this way the beauty of the landscape is preserved.
Picking plants can lead to irreplaceable losses.

What is the best travel time for Tenerife?

Tenerife is a great walking destination all year round. The island has a temperate subtropical climate, which means that the average temperature is between 20 and 30 degrees all year round. The hottest months are July and August and in these summer months it may be on the warm side to go hiking. But in fact, all months are perfect for making these hiking trails on Tenerife! Always look first at the weather forecast, before you start a route. There is a difference between the weather in the north and south of Tenerife. The warmest weather is in the south and west of Tenerife and in the north it is a few degrees cooler.

Did you know that Tenerife has the lowest temperature difference between summer and winter in the world?

Tenerife

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Spain