Hiking on Tenerife (91 Hikes)

 

Tenerife is the perfect hiking island and impressed me a lot on my first visit in 2014. The mountains Anaga, Teno, the national park Teide National Park and also the south offer more than you can do in 14 days. In the meantime I have spent several months on the Canary Island and have developed many exciting hikes myself. They all end up here on the site and in my Hiking Guide Tenerife.

 

Photo gallery from Teneriffa

The most beautiful barrancos

The most famous gorge is the Barranco de Masca. However it can only be hiked down and up again with a registration. But there are many alternatives on Tenerife. The second best known is the Barranco del Infierno. It is now secured against falling rocks and costs € 9 to enter. You walk along a paved path in the midst of beautiful nature. Despite the restriction to 300 people per day it is quite crowded.

In the Anaga Mountains I recommend the Barranco Bermejo near Chamorga. You should first descend the barranco and then climb up to the Casas Tafada. This way you can enjoy the barranco and walk the ascent partly in the shade. The Barranco de Igueste is above Teresitas Beach. The tour is very short, so you can spend the afternoon on the beach. The tour from Taganana via Afur and the Barranco de Tamadite is quite demanding but a real experience.

 

To the north you can climb directly into the Barranco de Ruiz from the car park on the TF-5. Because of the increased danger of falling rocks this is currently closed. The way back is then directly along the Atlantic Ocean. From Los Silos you can climb up to Erjos and then look down into the Barranco de los Cochinos on the way down. From January to March during the almond blossom we recommend the Barranco de Santiago near Tamaimo..

 

Almond blossom at Tamaimo.

The right routing

To enjoy a hiking holiday you need the right route. Generally I try to plan the tours in such a way that I generally try to plan the tours in such a way that the ascent takes place first followed by a recovery phase and then the flat descent. The ascent is easy on the joints are spared but you need to be in good shape. After a recovery phase the descent takes place with the load on the joints. If you were to start the descent now the joints would already be under too much strain during the final ascent. Of course it is not always possible to keep to this schedule. But especially on difficult tours this approach can reduce the load on the joints. In my opinion hiking poles should also be used for medium and difficult hikes. Here you can distribute the forces on the ascent and cushion them on the descent.

 

Hiking at over 3000 metres

If you want to hike at an altitude of over 3000 metres it makes sense to get used to the altitude slowly. You should start with a hike in the Canadas at an altitude of 2000 metres, then increase to 2700 metres (Gujara, Montana Blanca) and only then hike to the Teide or Pico Viejo. Taking a day's break or a hike in the Anaga/Teno between the first 2000-metre hikes can't hurt either. You are less susceptible to altitude sickness and also more efficient.

climatic conditions

In terms of climate you can hike on Tenerife all year round. July to September are the hottest months and from November to February you can expect 5-7 rainy days a month. If you live in the north you should go to the Teide National Park when it rains. There the sun often shines above the cloud line. Exceptions are storms that affect the entire island. The next day access to the national park is often blocked because of fallen trees. After 24 hours the roads are usually clear again.

 

Such masses of snow as in February 2016 are rather rare. However in the Canadas at 2000 metres above sea level and on the Teide snow regularly falls in the winter months. The main hiking trails are then closed.

 

For a trip to Teide National Park, check a webcam located in the Canadas in the morning. For example the following link:

 

Permits in the Anaga Mountains

Besides the summit climb of the Teide where you need a permit there are also 4 areas in the Anaga Mountains there are also 4 areas where this applies:

 

- Reserva Natural Integral Roques de Anaga

- Reserva Natural Integral de Ijuana

- Monte de Aguirre

- Reserva Natural Integral del Pijaral

 

The first two areas are not accessible or are very difficult to access. For the del Pijaral area, there is the possibility of an online permit on this site. It is free of charge and only valid for one day. You should check the weather forecast a few days in advance and then book. It is enough to have the permit email with you on your smartphone.

 

Teleferico

There are a few hikes on Tenerife where you need to take the up or down the Teide with the Teleferico. First thing in the morning you should go to the official website see if the mountain railway is running. Often the status on the page only changes around noon. Sometimes, for example after storms you have to check the status via a chat window. By the way the weather information is very rarely updated.

 

On weekends or public holidays it may be useful to purchase a ticket for a specific time on the website. However, internet bookers also have to wait on site. The check-in on days with high demand is not exactly optimal. The staff are eager but often give the wrong information.

Hiking/road map

As a supplement I can recommend the road map by freytag & berndt. As a car map it gives a good overview of the island. As a hiking map I see it as a supplement to find the exact starting point of a hike. You get a good overview of the island and can better understand the context. More you can find here.

 

GPS tracks and tracking app

If you are travelling on your own you need the GPS tracks and an offline-capable app because in the high mountains a mobile network is not available. My GPS records were corrected by me when I took detours. I hiked all the tracks myself. They are part of my Hiking Guide. As a GPS app I recommend OsmAnd with the offline map of the Canary Islands.

 

The most beautiful videos from Tenerife

On my Youtube-Channel you can see many videos from Tenerife. Among other things a 10-part documentation of the most beautiful hikes.