Your first view of the great volcano Mount Teide (3718m, 12188ft) will probably be from the aeroplane window. A few days later you will be there, walking across the Cañadas del Teide, a massive crater of 16km diameter to arrive at the 4 star Parador del Teide, your overnight stop (2200m.). The following day choose between the cable car which takes you to 3550m or the fascinating Roques de Garcia and its lava caves before returning to the warm coast. Mount Teide is Spain's highest mountain and the third tallest volcano in the world and Tenerife is the highest island in the Atlantic and is the largest of the Canary Islands at 1275 square miles, 2053 km2. 

Walking on North Tenerife is hugely varied and our aim is to show you as much as possible. Before the Cañadas del Teide adventure, you walk in the rugged Anaga Peninsula - its top covered in dripping ancient 'laurisilva' woodland, descending past fertile cultivated fields, tiny villages, then dry cactus strewn valleys to reach the rocky coast. The next day the walk navigates us through a maze of forest trails eventually entering the silent world of tall, majestic Canarian pines. The short coastal walk passes banana plantations and views of the vineyards in the beautiful Orotava Valley leading us to the black sandy beach of Bollullo with its bar/restaurant. And finally the northwest is explored with its own mountain range, the Teno and views across the sea to the island of La Gomera and down the cliffs to the impossibly located village of Masca.

Tenerife has an excellent bus service, which has enabled us to keep the tour costs down. Discounts on the buses are given to those paying by the 'Bonobus' cards. A card will be included in your travel pack. Apart from the Parador del Teide, you stay in two hotels, one in the ancient university town of la Laguna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and 4 nights in the elegant resort of Puerto de la Cruz on the north coast

This tour could be combined with 8 day La Gomera walk to make a fabulous two-week Canarian walking holiday.

Travel Information

Season: Any month. The benign Canarian latitude makes this tour possible at any time of year although altitude and microclimates can give many changes in temperature on the same walk.  Summers of course are hot and at altitude the effects of temperature are ameliorated but the sun – UV index is very strong.(Excluding 16-26 February carnival time).

Access: The northern airport is a short taxi ride to the first night stop in La Laguna. Or take charter or 'low cost' airlines (Easyjet from Gatwick or Monarch from Gatwick, Luton, Birmingham or Manchester) direct to Tenerife South airport. From there take the 341 bus to Santa Cruz (1 hour, 5.00 E each when using bonobus) and then taxi to La Laguna (approx 15.00E). Tour ends in Puerto de la Cruz. From the bus station take the 340 for either airport or the more frequent 102 to the north airport or on to Santa Cruz to catch the frequent 341 for the south airport. If you are combining with the Gomera walk, then we recommend flying to the South airport.

Level of Difficulty

Fitness: We grade the tour as 'Moderate to Challenging’. However the walk should present no difficulties for anyone in reasonable condition and accustomed to walking in hilly areas. Stretches of a few metres only may be considered vertiginous by some. On Day 7 there is a longer vertiginous stretch but this section is optional.

Day Stages:  10 - 20 km per day with ascents/descents of up to 1000 metres.  

Waymarks: Signposting and waymarking is patchy but you will be armed with our walking notes with photos and/or maps of key points.

Accommodation & Meals

All hotels are booked on a B&B basis except the one night at the Parador del Teide which has dinner included (not drinks). In both La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz there are many reasonably priced restaurants very close by. A meal for two including drinks normally costs between 12E–18E per person. No lunches are included but both hotels are close to shops and bakeries and both have refrigerators in their rooms. The normal hotel in San Cristobel has a kitchenette as well. The Parador has a snack bar offering takeaway food. We inform you with each walk when there is a bar restaurant along the way.

q       Nights 1 & 2: San Cristobal de La Laguna 560m altitude. We use a 3* Aparthotel, in the centre of this old university town, a World Heritage Site. Rooms are ensuite with heating/air conditioning, TV and a small kitchen bay. There is a bar cafeteria and breakfast room. Dinner can be taken at one of the restaurants or cafeterias in town. La Laguna is full of wonderful examples of early Canarian architecture and is well worth a look round. It is a 20 minute walk to the bus station.

q       Nights 3 & 4: Puerto de la Cruz. This friendly 2* hotel is located in the pedestrian centre of Puerto de la Cruz, an attractive coastal town. All rooms have ensuite bathrooms, TV and many have balconies. There is a swimming pool on the roof of the building and a small gym in the basement. On the morning of Day 5 you leave the bulk of your luggage at reception, to enable you to take the 09:15 bus to El Portillo with your day sack containing toothbrush and essentials for one night. Nights 6 & 7 are also spent here. It is a 10 minute walk to the bus station.

q       Night 5:  Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide. This famous 4* hotel has very comfortable rooms, satellite TV, minibar, etc. Bathrooms provide shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, cologne, hairdryer, etc. so no need to include these items in your day sacks. There is also an indoor pool, sauna and gym. On Friday nights, there is star gazing under the guidance of a local astronomer. Dinner is included in the hotel's elegant dining room. Next door, the hotel runs a cafeteria open to non-residents, an ideal place to buy lunch on Day 6. 

q       Nights 6 & 7: Puerto de la Cruz. Back to the hotel as above.

General Information

Baths: Although many bathrooms have baths with showers over them, it is normal to take a shower rather than a bath to conserve water.

Breakfast: These are buffet style offering a wide variety of food and drink. It is not the hotel's policy to allow guests to take away food from the breakfast buffet.

Single supplements: These are payable on all rooms. You will normally be given a double room with single occupation.

Language: Minimal English is often spoken but some Spanish will be useful. Take a phrase book or dictionary.

Luggage: When staying in hotels, sometimes your luggage will have been taken to you room awaiting your arrival. However don’t be surprised if your luggage is waiting for you to take it up to your room.  Note that there is no baggage movement when you stay at the Parador, so you need to take and carry enough clothing for an overnight stay and don’t forget your toothbrush! 

Outline Itinerary

q       Day 1: Arrival. If arriving at Tenerife North Airport take taxi to hotel - approx 12 Euros, 10 mins. If arriving at TFS airport take 341 bus from outside terminal building to Santa Cruz - 5.00 Euros using ‘Bonobus’ discount card, take approx 1 hr. From Santa Cruz bus station (Estacion de Guaguas), take taxi to hotel in La Laguna approx 20 Euros. Dinner at your own choice of restaurant.

q       Day 2: Anaga Peninsula, north east Tenerife. After breakfast and picnic preparation, it's a 20 min walk to bus station (map provided) to catch bus to Cruz del Carmen at 09:15 or 10:15. Walk starts by the bus stop which is also next to a welcoming cafe. You are plunged immediately into the lush and damp 'laurisilva' woodland where you have a pleasant stroll going gently downhill until you emerge into the open onto the road to see cultivated slopes and your first glimpses of the sea. Panoramic views of the rocky hills greet you and the weather probably improves as you arrive at Chinamada. The bar/restaurant is a good place to stop (closed on Tuesdays). Then onto the more challenging half of the walk. Underfoot becomes dry and rocky and the descent becomes steeper, but the views and colours make it well worth the effort. (4.5 hours from Cruz del Carmen). Then its a 45 minute bus journey back to La Laguna.

q       Day 3: Forest walk from Santa Ursula to La Caldera. After breakfast and picnic preparation (the only bar is at the end of the walk), ask the hotel to get you a taxi. This will take you to the start of the walk (30 mins away) and then leave your luggage in the hotel at Puerto de la Cruz. The first half of the walk is a mostly gentle but sustained ascent from 800m to 1500m finding your way through the maze of forest paths. Gradually laurisliva gives way to giant Canarian pines and you start to glimpse breathtaking views of Mount Teide through them. Down amongst the pines to La Caldera at 1160m and a bar to greet you. A beautiful walk on which you may well meet no one until the very end. (Approx 5.5 hours walking). Catch the bus to Puerto de la Cruz - approx 45 mins and your new hotel.

q       Day 4: Optional coastal walk. This is a bus-free day if you do the optional walk to Bollullo beach, which starts and returns to your hotel taking you up and out of the town with lovely coastal views. Banana plantations take over from residential areas with fabulous views up to you right to the Orotava valley. It takes approximately 1.5 hours to get to Bollullo beach. In good weather it could be nice to go for a swim. There is a bar restaurant above the beach where you could have lunch before returning on the same route.

q       Day 5: El Teide Adventure. The Seven Cañadas walk. Arrive early for the 09:15 bus to El Portillo and the Parador. There are often walking groups already queuing. The bus takes you up past La Caldera to El Portillo (1 hour). Here there is a cafeteria for coffee and sandwiches. A few metres up the road is The Visitor's Centre where you could pick up some interesting information about the Mount Teide area (mostly in Spanish!). The walk starts at 2000 metres, above the tree line and takes you 18km along the length of a huge crater. A unique experience and a geologist's dream, where the history of the island's formation is in full view. Reward yourselves with a swim and a sauna on arrival at the Parador.

q       Day 6: Teide Adventure Part 2. Either take the bus at 10:45 to Teleferico to take the cable car (24E) up to 3550m. But check first at the hotel if the cable car is running. The cable car leaves you 200m short of the summit and you can walk in both directions for amazing views of the other islands. Or the alternative is to take the fascinating Roques de Garcia circular walk from the Parador passing famous landmarks like "El Dedo de Dios" (God's finger) and "Catedral" and discovering lava caves along the way. Return on the16:00 bus from the Parador to Puerto de la Cruz (1.5 hours).

q       Day 7: The Teno Mountains, north west Tenerife. A new mountain range! It starts with another bus ride to Erjos where the walk begins in green countryside passing ponds, then climbs up to Montaña Jala with wonderful views across the sea to La Gomera. For those who choose there is a partially vertiginous detour to Degollada de la Mesa - worth it for the amazing views of the village of Masca situated 700m almost vertically down the rock. Then back through woodland to Erjos and the famous Restaurante Fleytas for the 17:30 bus back to Puerto.

q       Day 8: Check out of hotel and take your last bus ride to the airport. If you are continuing on to La Gomera, take the 101, 102 or 102 bus to Santa Cruz bus station where you can buy your ferry tickets and free bus connection.

What's Included

7 nights bed & breakfast, 1 evening meal, map, written descriptions of each days walking itinerary and a bus discount card. Not included are taxi, bus and cable car, and meals and drinks other than those stated.