Hiking on Tenerife: the 8 most beautiful hikes

In short: In a small area, Tenerife offers laurel forest, ravines, cliffs and high mountains. You walk most trails without registering and without a guide. For the Teide summit, the Masca gorge and the Barranco del Infierno you have to book in advance, and access on Teide and in Masca costs money.

The eight most beautiful hikes

The selection ranges from a short loop to a high mountain hike.

1. Sendero de los Sentidos, Anaga: a short, well-built trail through the laurel forest at Cruz del Carmen. Ideal to start with.
2. Chinamada to Punta del Hidalgo, Anaga: from the cave village along a ridge down to the coast, with wide views of the sea.
3. Masca gorge: the island’s best-known descent, from the village of Masca through the narrow gorge down to the sea. Demanding.
4. Roques de García: a loop around the rock pinnacles in the caldera, with Teide in the background.
5. Teide summit: on foot via Montaña Blanca or by cable car to La Rambleta, and from there the last stretch to the crater. Only with a permit.
6. Barranco del Infierno, Adeje: a gorge trail to a waterfall in the south. Access is limited, you need a reservation.
7. Paisaje Lunar, Vilaflor: through pine forest to pale pumice columns that look like a lunar landscape.
8. Teno mountains: old paths between mountain villages and terraced fields in the northwest, with views of the cliffs and Punta de Teno.

Teide: permit and fees since 2026

Since 19 January 2026, two trails on Teide have charged a fee during certain time slots. You book via the Tenerife ON portal. The amounts apply to visitors not resident in the Canary Islands and come from reports by the public broadcaster RTVC (as of October 2026).

If you walk all the way to the summit via Montaña Blanca, you pay for both trails, so up to 25 €. Children under 14 go free. According to RTVC there are 300 places per day for the summit trail, and new dates are released on Mondays at 7:00 am Canary Islands time. The sources state the booking window differently, so check it in the portal. Rebooking and cancelling are only possible if the trail is closed. Required items include long trousers, warm clothing, mountain boots, a torch, gloves and a hat; otherwise, according to RTVC, you will be turned away without a refund.

The cable car costs 42 € return for adults and 21 € for children aged 3 to 13. The cable car ticket does not include the summit permit. Everything else is in the article on Teide.

Masca and Barranco del Infierno: where you have to book

Outside the national park, too, the most popular trails have limited quotas.

• Masca gorge: booking via the official website is mandatory. The boat transfer at the end has to be booked separately. When the system was introduced in July 2024, access cost 28 € for adults not resident in the Canary Islands, according to RTVC. The booking page shows the current price.

Best time, weather and equipment

You can hike all year round. It is most pleasant from October to May. In high summer, it’s best to start at sunrise in the south and in the caldera, because there is hardly any shade. In Anaga and Teno it is often foggy and wet; on Teide it is cold, windy and sunny all at once.

Why it is cloudier in the north is explained in the article Canary Islands weather.

Getting there, parking and the way back

Many trails are one-way hikes. Sort out your way back beforehand: a Titsa public bus, a taxi or a boat as in Masca. The hiking car parks in Anaga and in the national park are small and full by late morning. For Teide, according to Diario de Avisos, access controls and car parks requiring a reservation have been announced. Which town makes a good base is shown in Tenerife north or south.

Frequently asked questions

As of October 2026. Opening hours, prices and entry rules change. Check them on the official websites before your visit.

Cover image: H. Zell · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0