The Best Places for Walking on Tenerife

Discover Tenerife’s Stunning and Diverse Countryside on Foot

Sep 1, 2009

From ancient forests to surreal landscapes, sleepy valleys and dramatic mountain ranges, Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, is quite simply a walkers' paradise.

The Canary Islands of La Palma and La Gomera have long had a reputation as ideal destinations for walking holidays. Both are lush and relatively undeveloped in tourism terms with large swathes of virgin countryside. Tenerife, on the other hand, is generally considered as a year-round sun, sea and sand destination full of purpose built tourist resorts - not really the destination of choice for those who enjoy a bit of local culture and exploring the countryside on foot.

In recent years this perception of Tenerife has begun to change. More and more people are discovering that there is more to the island than the popular cheap and cheerful holiday island image. Purpose built tourist resorts account for only a small geographical area of Tenerife’s arid southern coasts; much of the island’s landmass is covered by national parks, forests and dramatic mountain ranges peppered with tiny villages. The diversity of countryside and scenery exceeds that which any of the other Canary Islands can offer and walkers can find themselves exploring ancient laurel forests, surreal volcanic landscapes, sweeping pine forests, verdant valleys and seemingly never ending ravines which snake from the coast to the heart of the island. A network of Camino Reales (old merchant trails) have acted as a link between communities for centuries and nowadays provide ready made paths for the intrepid walker.

On an island which receives millions of visitors annually, there is any number of places where it’s possible to walk all day and never encounter another living soul. The following is a brief guide to 3 of the most outstanding areas on Tenerife for exploring by foot.

Areas for Walking on Tenerife

Seven million years in the making, the Anaga Mountains cover a substantial chunk of the north and east of Tenerife. Plunging ravines make progress anywhere in the Anaga Mountains a slow process by car, one of the reasons why it’s a perfect area for walking. Merchants’ trails link tiny communities whose inhabitants still tend narrow agricultural terraces built into the steep hillsides by hand, just as they have done for centuries. In one village many of the residents still live in caves. The scenery is spectacular; pine and ancient laurel forests cover the rugged slopes with an emerald carpet. It is the number one location for walking on Tenerife.

WOW Factor: The scenery is never less than breathtaking and the troglodyte community at Chinamada is fascinating.

Downside: Thick clouds can hug the Anaga Mountains at any time of year, spoiling views.

The beauty of the Orotava Valley has proved a magnet for explorers and naturalists for centuries. In the last few decades the lower valley has been extensively developed as towns have expanded and isn’t quite as impressive as when adventurers such as Sir Richard Burton were moved to wax lyrical about it. However, head upwards and the settlements become more rural and eventually die out altogether at La Caldera above Aguamansa to be replaced by thick pine forest. There is a bewildering network of trails through the forest and it’s easy to get lost without a decent guidebook, but the scenery is enchanting. When the sea of clouds rolls in obscuring the towns near the coast it’s easy to see why Victorian travelers were captivated by the Orotava Valley’s charms.

Downside: The descent on some routes can be a bit precarious when the ground is littered with dry pines.

The Mount Teide crater has to be one of the most unique walking locations in the world. Surreal rock formations, lava streams – long since cooled thankfully, towering rust red volcanic cones, glistening jet black basalt plains and fields of pumice stone combine to create a landscape which feels as though it belongs on another planet. The Teide National Park is visited by millions of people, but strike out along any of the well signposted paths and within a few minutes, the crowds are left behind and replaced by a serene unusual world where herds of lumbering brontosaurus wouldn’t look out of place.

WOW Factor: Climbing Mount Teide is the ultimate walking experience on Tenerife, especially if combined with a night on the mountain to witness dawn from the summit.

Downside: The sun shines almost every day of the year in the crater which sounds wonderful, but as there is very little shade, sunburn can be a real danger.

These areas are only a snapshot of what Tenerife has to offer as a walking holiday destination. Throw in other great walking areas on the island such as the Valle de Santiago, the Adeje and Teno Mountains and the Güímar Valley and the result pretty much adds up to what is ostensibly a walker’s paradise.

The copyright of the article The Best Places for Walking on Tenerife in Spain Travel is owned by Jack Montgomery. Permission to republish The Best Places for Walking on Tenerife in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.