April 25, 2025, 6:48 a.m. | Reading time: 5 minutes
The Canary Islands are known for their beautiful beaches, guaranteed sunshine and unique nature. But they are also a popular destination for many hikers. Whether short walks or long stage hikes - the islands can be explored in a variety of ways. Sunnytrips author Frank Lehmann was on several of them in hiking boots and reveals his best tips. In part 1 we go to Tenerife!
We land at TFS Airport, Tenerifa Sur. Get in the rental car and head up into the mountains. Beach life, no thanks! The town of Vilaflor is located at 1,500 meters and is a cute place with 2,000 residents and lots of accommodation. A perfect starting point for hiking in Tenerife.
Through the lunar landscape Paisaje Lunar
Hiking on the highest mountain in Spain
Hiking through gorges in Tenerife
Hiking through the volcanic landscapes of Tenerife
Through the lunar landscape Paisaje Lunar
The next morning: My friend and I slept well and first visited the Dulcería Hermano Pedro bakery. Be sure to try the almond cakes! Another café con leche and we're in our hiking boots. We want to go to the Paisaje Lunar lunar landscape. The PR-TF 72 is very well signposted and a great path leads us through the coniferous forests to the bizarre tuff stone formations. On the way back we walk past centuries-old pine trees up to 50 meters high. In the evening we have 16 kilometers in our legs - that's a good start in Tenerife.
The following day we didn't really trust the weather. That's why we drive through the south in the car and look at the city of La Laguna in the northeast. The entire old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and of course you can also go hiking in the neighborhood. The Parque Rural de Anaga is a picturesque natural park. We walk for three hours through the misty laurel forest, the starting point is at the Mirador de Zapata. Class!
Hiking on the highest mountain in Spain
But if you want to hike in Tenerife, you obviously have to go up to the Pico del Teide. The mighty, extinct volcano is Spain's highest mountain at 3,715 meters. Okay, you can easily go up with the cable car. This is probably what 95 percent of all visitors do. Take a few selfies and go back down to the valley to eat greasy tapas in the visitor center.
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Clearly we didn't do that. We start at the Ermita de las Nieves church. The first highlight is the Roques de García rock formation. 1.7 million year old volcanic rocks stretch into the sky. The rock nicknamed “Finger of God” is THE symbol of Tenerife. From there we continue up to the Pico Viejo crater. The air is getting thin there, because this peak at 3,135 meters is no small feat. Warm clothing is a must because we now have to go through snowfields to get to Teide. With proud heat we finally reach the summit.
My tips: the ideal hiking time is May and June, when the Teide flora blooms in all colors. Take plenty of water with you because the sun is beating down there. You should be at the parking lot by nine o'clock, otherwise it will be tight. And for one stage you can take the cable car, after climbing 1600 meters in altitude in five hours we didn't want to hike down the whole thing.
Attention, you need a permit for the last 20 minutes of hiking to the summit, and longer hikes on Teide should also be reported to the authorities. There are many tour providers who obtain these permits, for example here. But you can organize all of this yourself, easily and free of charge, on the National Park Administration website.
National ParkThe Teide on Tenerife - the most extraterrestrial place in the Canary Islands
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Hiking through gorges in Tenerife
I would like to recommend two absolute highlights in the west of the island. The hellish gorge Barranco del Infierno is definitely worth it. Approval must also be obtained for this. The fun costs 13 euros and is easy to book in advance online.
And then of course the Masca Gorge! A little overcrowded, but really an indescribable natural phenomenon. However, the entrance fee costs 30 euros and you also have to book the boat for 20 euros, which picks up the hikers after the descent and takes them to the harbor in Los Gigantos. So at 50 euros it's not a bargain. My tip: come very early, because there are almost no parking spaces in Masca. Or take a taxi from Santiago del Teide – that’s 15 euros well spent.
Hiking through the volcanic landscapes of Tenerife
When we look at the mighty volcanic landscapes, we can't help but be amazed. Our destination: the Chinyero volcano. Its eruption in 1909 was the last volcanic eruption on Tenerife to date. Parking is free at Mirador de los Poleos. From there you go through green and healthy pine forests until you reach the Chinyero cinder cone. We felt like we were on the moon. Black and red landscapes, the bright blue sky and then the fresh pine trees that emerge from the cooled lava slag.
My tip: definitely go around the Chinyero neighbor Volcan Arenas Negras. You can start well at the Arenas Negras parking lot. The hike is about 17 kilometers long – an absolute recommendation!
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