Drive & Hike in Tenerife

Fly to one of Tenerife's two airports, pick up your rental car, and then drive to the island's lush north coast and your first accommodation in La Orotava. Its beautiful historic quarter with Plaza de la Constitución, Casa de los Balcones, and the steep streets fascinates and invites you to wander.

The day begins with a short drive up to Aguamansa, where you meet El Teide's forest-covered slopes. Here you begin a circular walk through the lush vegetation of Valle de Orotava. With a wonderful view over the entire valley, there are several options for making your hike longer or shorter as you wish.

Today you check out from Orotava and drive along the north coast to Teno, the island's geologically oldest part. Here in the northwest the mountains are high, the valleys deep, and the villages remote. There are a number of beautiful hikes to choose from, with everything from magnificent views to untouched laurel forests (remnants of the vegetation that in prehistoric times covered much of Southern Europe). Then check into your accommodation in Garachico on the north coast. Tenerife's most beautiful little port town was once its main harbor, but was filled with lava during the volcanic eruption of 1706. That froze Garachico in time, and today you can enjoy colonial architecture and small personal restaurants, as well as the fantastic rock pools.

The Masca ravine is one of the most beautiful places on the island, but due to landslides the hike through Barranco de Masca is temporarily closed. Private car traffic is also restricted to the village, so if you want to visit this Machu Picchu-like place, take the local bus or a taxi. 

The day's second option is a hike around Chinyero in the island's youngest volcanic landscape. The most recent eruption here occurred in 1909 and it looks as if it were yesterday: jet-black lava sand, bright green Canary pines, surprising flowers, and the azure ocean all around. 

Today you put your bag in the car again and drive up towards the island's highest parts, which are entirely a national park. The giant crater Las Cañadas is reminiscent of Mars or perhaps Utah, and is crowned by Teide's perfect volcanic cone in the middle. The feeling of a road trip is palpable as you drive along the only road crossing the area and check in to the wilderness hotel Parador de las Cañadas, which stands in solitary majesty.

You then have two fine hikes to choose from: The short circular walk around Roques de Garcia offers all the area's colors and shapes in compact form, while the more demanding tour goes to the crater rim's highest peak, Guajara (2717 m above sea level), for an unbeatable postcard view of Teide.

Before you leave the bizarre landscape of Las Cañadas, you can do the hike you didn't have time for yesterday, or take the cable car up to Teide itself (read more below for important information about this). Then drive past the world-famous astronomical observatories and down through the deep pine forests towards La Laguna, where you will stay for the trip's final nights.

La Laguna was Tenerife's first capital and is said to have been the model for later colonial cities in South America. Perhaps that's why the feeling of being far from Europe arises here, even though it's exactly the opposite! The setting is very beautiful and cultural life is rich, not least thanks to the city's university. You can also drive down to the southeast coast to visit the current capital Santa Cruz, with its mix of historic and modern. We offer suggestions for city walks in both cities.

We've saved perhaps Tenerife's most excellent hiking area for last. The Anaga peninsula is like its own world, characterized by steep mountains, deep valleys, humid forests, and dramatic coastline. It's the part of the island that most resembles La Gomera. Today too you can choose between two excellent hikes. One goes from the peninsula's top down through forest to a magnificent landscape of cultivation terraces and picturesque farming villages. The other begins at the end of the road in Chamorga and heads out onto the headland in roadless country. A worthy conclusion to the trip in Tenerife's most beautiful part.

The trip ends after breakfast, unless you choose to treat yourself to a few extra nights of relaxation in the world's best climate.