Walking in Tenerife is no longer a matter of just setting off: the headline trails have quotas, time slots and often a fee, and some close without much warning (right now, the Barranco del Infierno). With no paperwork at all you have Roques de García on Teide, the Paisaje Lunar near Vilaflor and the laurel forest at Cruz del Carmen in Anaga. For the summit of Teide or Masca, plan weeks ahead or pay for a guided walk that sorts the logistics for you.
Our picks
1
The cheapest guided walk
Anaga and its laurel forest in 3.5 hours from €34, inside the Biosphere Reserve.
GetYourGuide3.5 hours
Tenerife: Anaga Hiking, Magic Forest, Biosphere Reserve
5.0 (26 reviews)
from €34Check availability
2
Teide summit with the paperwork
A 4-hour guided ascent advertised with the official permit included; check whether the cable car is in the price too.
GetYourGuide4 hours
Tenerife: Climb to the summit of Mount Teide with an official permit and a guide
4.8 (25 reviews)
from €135Check availability
3
Masca without the headaches
Guided descent, boat and transport in a single 6-hour package.
GetYourGuide6 hours
Tenerife Barranco de Masca: Guided hike + boat trip + transport
4.7 (369 reviews)
from €145Check availability
4
Teide on foot with a guide
Six hours in the national park with a visit to a lava cave and a top rating.
GetYourGuide6 hours
Tenerife: Hiking Tour in Teide National Park and Lava Cave
5.0 (59 reviews)
from €89Check availability
The main hiking trails in Tenerife at a glance
| Trail | Area | Route | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teide summit (PNT 10) | Teide | 0.66 km from the cable car, about 55 min | €15 eco-tax (non-Canarians) + cable car | Tenerife ON, up to 56 days ahead |
| Montaña Blanca – La Rambleta (PNT 07) | Teide | 8.29 km uphill, +1,309 m, about 6 h | €6 weekdays, €10 weekends and public holidays (non-Canarians) | Tenerife ON, up to 56 days ahead |
| Roques de García (PNT 03) | Teide | 3.47 km loop, 1 h 55 | free | no |
| Barranco de Masca | Teno | about 5 km downhill, 4 h | €40.66 + bus + boat | caminobarrancodemasca.com |
| Barranco del Infierno | Adeje | 6.5 km there and back, 3 h | €15 | barrancodelinfierno.es (currently closed) |
| El Pijaral (Enchanted Forest) | Anaga | just over 6 km loop | free | Tenerife ON, up to 14 days ahead |
| Paisaje Lunar (PR-TF 72) | Vilaflor | loop from the village | free | no |
| Chinyero (PR-TF 43.2) | El Tanque | 4.85 km one way, 1 h 40 | free | no |
Every trail has its own page on Tenerife ON, the island council's (Cabildo's) platform, with the bus stop code, the car park and any current incidents. Check it the same morning, not the night before.
Teide trails
Roques de García: the no-paperwork walk
The most rewarding route in the park: a 3.47 km loop, about two hours and around 200 m of ascent. It starts from the Mirador de la Ruleta (TF-21, km 46), opposite the Parador, and the first stretch is wheelchair-accessible. It's currently free with no booking, but the Cabildo has announced advance booking here, at Chipeque and at Minas de San José: check the trail page before you go.
It's also the best route without a car: buses 342 (from Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos) and 348 (from Puerto de la Cruz) stop at "Parador del Teide" (code 7684). There's one a day each way, and the return comes through at around 16:00.
Montaña Blanca and the climb on foot
PNT 07 climbs 8.29 km from the TF-21 (km 40.7, at 2,348 m) to La Rambleta (3,536 m), next to the cable car's top station, with 1,309 m of ascent. At 4.6 km, at the junction with PNT 7.1, there's a checkpoint: from there on you need a Tenerife ON permit, and between 09:00 and 17:00 there's an eco-tax (€6 on weekdays and €10 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays for non-Canarians). The slot you book is the time you pass the checkpoint, and the permit covers going up and coming down.
The trick: the first 4.6 km to Montaña Blanca need no permit, and they're the way to try the climb up Teide without the paperwork. If you make it to the top, you can buy the cable car ride down there with a QR code.
Kit is checked at the checkpoint: hiking boots, long trousers, a warm layer, a foil blanket, hat and gloves, water, a phone and a head torch. Without it you won't get through.
The Teide summit and other trails with a permit
The summit (PNT 10 Telesforo Bravo) is booked on Tenerife ON up to 56 days ahead, on Mondays at 07:00 Canary time (the same as UK time), and costs €15 for visitors from outside the Canary Islands during cable car hours. We explain it step by step in our Mount Teide guide. Trails PNT 09 (Teide–Pico Viejo–Narices del Teide), PNT 23 (Regatones Negros) and PNT 28 (Chafarí) follow the same system, with up to 15 people per booking.
Barranco del Infierno: booking, price and status
When it's open, it's the easiest bookable trail in the south: 6.5 km there and back to a waterfall, about three hours and around 250 m of ascent. Price: €15 for non-resident adults (from age 12), €5 for Canary Islands residents and a reduced rate for ages 5 to 12. Under-5s aren't allowed in, under-16s go with an adult, a helmet is compulsory for the whole route and pets aren't allowed.
Entry is in the morning only, in groups of 20 every half hour:
- from 1 June to 15 September, entry from 08:00 to 10:30 (closes at 13:30);
- from 16 September to 31 May, from 08:30 to 11:30 (closes at 14:30).
The entrance is at Calle de los Molinos 46, Adeje (+34 922 780 078), with no car park or bus stop: park in the town and walk up.
Barranco de Masca and Anaga
Masca is the most spectacular route on the island and the one with the most red tape. You only walk down (about 5 km, 4 hours, hard) to the jetty, and leave by boat for Los Gigantes. You have to arrive on bus 355 from Santiago del Teide (arrive by car or taxi and you'll be turned away) with your boat out already bought; for non-residents it costs €40.66 (€20.33 for ages 8 to 17), minimum age 8. The beach is closed. At the moment the calendar only offers descents from Wednesday to Saturday: check on caminobarrancodemasca.com. The whole chain of timings is explained in our Masca guide.
Anaga, at the island's north-eastern tip, is all laurel forest and mist. The Enchanted Forest (Bosque Encantado) is the El Pijaral trail: free, with a Tenerife ON permit that opens only 14 days ahead (Mondays at 07:00), five people per booking at most. Download it, because there's no signal up there. Commercial groups can't go in, so if a tour advertises the "enchanted forest", ask where it actually goes: it won't be El Pijaral. The guided walk sold as "Enchanted Forest" above Masca, for example, walks above Masca, in Teno, not in Anaga. With no permit you have the Cruz del Carmen trails, with a visitor centre and buses 76 and 275 from La Laguna. More detail in our Anaga guide.
Walks with no booking: Paisaje Lunar, Chinyero and Punta de Teno
- Paisaje Lunar (PR-TF 72). A loop from the Plaza Obispo Pérez Cáceres in Vilaflor, free with no booking. Buses 419 and 482 to "Vilaflor Centro" (8362). It closes on mouflon control days; check the alerts.
- Chinyero (PR-TF 43.2). From Los Partidos to the Chinyero volcano: 4.85 km one way, 1 h 40 and 350 m of ascent, easy. It starts from Pino Loro, at km 14 of the TF-373 (El Tanque), with a dirt car park and bus 360.
- Punta de Teno. Right now the TF-445 is closed every day to private cars, pedestrians and bikes: you can only get in on bus 369 from Buenavista bus station (20 minutes, €1 each way), by taxi or in an authorised vehicle. Check times and exceptions on the Buenavista town council website.
Closures, alerts and rules
Every closure is posted on tenerifeon.es/alertas. At the moment there are fire-prevention measures, restrictions in the area burnt in August 2023 (Hoya del Abade picnic area closed) and mouflon control days. In storms the protected areas across the whole island close, as happened during Storm Therese.
In winter, with ice or snow on Teide's high trails, crampons, an ice axe and a signed declaration are required, and access may be closed. Before you go up, check AEMET's mountain forecast, from Spain's met office.
And smoking and vaping are banned throughout Teide National Park, on trails and at viewpoints too.
Guided walks or hiking on your own
The free routes are easy enough with a car; by bus too, though the timetables are tight (TITSA guide). A guided walk pays off in three cases: the Teide summit when there are no Tenerife ON slots left, Masca without juggling bus, permit and boat, and Anaga if you'd rather not drive its narrow roads.
| On your own | With a tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Item | on your own | on a tour |
| Permits | you sort them on Tenerife ON or the trail's website | some tours include them; check the listing |
| Transport | car or infrequent buses | pick-up included on most |
| Cost | from free to €40.66 plus transport | from €34 (Anaga) to €189 (Teide summit) |
| El Pijaral | yes, with your own permit | no: closed to commercial groups |
| Best part | your own timetable | logistics sorted and a guide who knows the ground |
GetYourGuide7 hours
Anaga Mountains & Enchanted Forest, Tenerife Hiking Tour
5.0 (443 reviews)
from €139Check availability
GetYourGuide5 hours
Tenerife: Hike Above Masca in Enchanted Forest with Pick-up
4.9 (464 reviews)
from €89Check availability
GetYourGuide6 hours
Tenerife Barranco de Masca: Guided hike + boat trip + transport
4.7 (369 reviews)
from €145Check availability
Tiqets03:30
Masca Hamlet & Teno Massif: Guided Hiking Tour from Las Portelas
no reviews yet
from €48.50Check availability
GetYourGuide3.5 hours
Cruz del Carmen: Hiking in Anaga with Local Food Products
4.9 (206 reviews)
from €55Check availability
GetYourGuide7 hours
Tenerife: Guided Hike to the Peak of Mount Teide
4.8 (89 reviews)
from €189Check availability
Tiqets06:00
Masca Ravine: Guided Descent + Boat Ride + Transfer
5.0 (3 reviews)
from €145Check availability
See all options on GetYourGuide →
If you're after cheap guided walks, Civitatis sells night ascents of Teide from €26 and Anaga routes from €24, plus free walking tours of Santa Cruz, La Laguna and La Orotava; we look at it in our Civitatis review. For a town walk around the capital, see things to see in Santa Cruz. And if you want to stretch your day on Teide into the night, see stargazing on Teide.
FAQs
Which hiking trails in Tenerife need booking?
The Teide summit, the upper section of Montaña Blanca, the Barranco de Masca, the Barranco del Infierno and El Pijaral in Anaga. Roques de García, the Paisaje Lunar, Chinyero and the Cruz del Carmen trails are open to all at the moment.
How much does the Barranco del Infierno cost?
€15 for non-resident adults and €5 for Canary Islands residents, with a reduced rate for ages 5 to 12. Under-5s can't go in and the trail is currently closed, so check its website.
Can I walk up Teide without a permit?
Only as far as the Montaña Blanca junction, 4.6 km from the start of PNT 07. Beyond the checkpoint and on the final stretch to the summit you need a Tenerife ON permit.
Can I hike the Barranco de Masca on my own?
Yes, by booking the descent on caminobarrancodemasca.com, arriving on bus 355 from Santiago del Teide and with your boat out already bought. For non-residents it costs €40.66 plus bus and boat.
Where can I check whether a trail is closed?
On tenerifeon.es/alertas and in the incidents box on each trail's page. Closures for fire, storms or wildlife control are posted there.
