This article is about hiking in northern Tenerife. Even if you’re not planning to go hiking, you can just as well use it as a guide for scenic drives or sightseeing by public bus.

From La Laguna / Santa Cruz and northwards, a mountain range rises with peaks exceeding 1,000 meters. This area receives quite a bit of rainfall, and moisture from the cloud cover settles here, making it very green. At the top you’ll find laurisilva forest (laurel forest), the same type as on La Gomera – see La Gomera hiking. But it’s green much further down too, with pine trees, shrubs and cultivated land. Only below about 200 meters does it become drier, where cacti take over. In the lowlands, steep and deep valleys cut inland, creating a dramatic landscape.

Here are mentioned some bus routes, but look here for more details. You will also find information about towns and villages in the north here: Tenerife North – Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz

All maps are screenshots from Locus Map and opeandromaps.org Read here about maps: Navigation apps for hiking

Punta del Hidalgo – Cruz del Carmen. PR-TF10 and PR-TF11

A very popular starting point for hikes is Cruz del Carmen, just over half an hour from the city. It lies at 970 metres in the laurisilva forest and is the starting point for four trails, all of which go downhill.

I prefer walking uphill. It’s easier on the knees and ankles, and it’s nice to get the heart rate up. So instead of walking 900 vertical metres downhill from Cruz del Carmen, I took the bus to Punta del Hidalgo, a coastal town on the opposite side of the island. From there, two trails lead up to Cruz del Carmen: PR-TF10 and PR-TF11. I chose PR-TF10, as it allowed me to branch off at the village of Las Carboneras and take the bus back down from there. Las Carboneras lies at 650 metres, and after a week of hiking in the mountains, I could definitely feel it in my legs.

From Punta del Hidalgo, the trail climbs quickly along the mountainside beside a deep ravine. It’s an easy trail to walk, and in the steeper sections steps have been carved into the rock. You get outstanding views down the valley towards the sea. In places, the trail follows natural ledges in the rock, offering pleasant shade when the sun is out. You start in cactus landscape, but soon it turns green with grass and low shrubs. Towards the end, you’re rewarded with a magnificent view of the valley on the other side, down towards Las Carboneras and the small village of Taborno on the opposite slope, with the sea far below in the distance. One of the finest hikes I’ve done in the Canary Islands.

If you continue on towards Cruz del Carmen, you soon enter the laurisilva forest (silva means forest in Latin, so it’s a bit redundant). The sun and views disappear, but instead you experience the magical feeling of walking among moss-covered trees, where shafts of sunlight filter down through the leaves.

Taborno

Taborno is a long, narrow village located on a ridge between two deep valleys with steep mountain sides, rising from a small plateau at the top. The views are spectacular in all directions. A walk out to the striking rock formation Roque de Taborno is highly recommended. It lies about 1 km further along the ridge and offers phenomenal views – but definitely not for those afraid of heights.

If you’d like a bit more walking without too many elevation changes, you can do a short loop of just over 2 km using PR-TF9 and PR-TF2 behind Taborno. Alternatively, you can walk up to Cruz del Carmen, or head north towards Afur and Taganana.

Afur

Afur, at 200 metres above sea level, is another possible starting or ending point. There is a trail up to Taborno, or you can follow Barranco de Afur down to the sea, about 2.5 km. There’s also a beach there, but you must either return the same way or continue along PR-TF8 along the coast to Taganana. This is said to be a fine hike, but the trail was closed in January 2026 due to landslides. It’s important to check this in advance on Tenerife ON (see below).

The downside of Afur is that bus 076 has few morning departures, but there are several return trips in the afternoon, so getting back is not a problem.

Malpaís de Güímar – Coastal walk

If it’s raining in the mountains, you can instead take a walk along the coast, where it’s usually dry. Malpaís de Güímar is a nature reserve located about half an hour south of Santa Cruz by bus. Here you’ll find a small volcano and a vast lava field stretching down to the coast.

A trail runs along the coast between the settlements of Puertito de Güímar and El Socorro. This easy trail winds through a rugged lava landscape where green shrubs and succulents cling stubbornly to the rock.

Along the way, you pass Salinas del Pedrón, ancient salt pans once used to produce salt by evaporating seawater.
In Puertito de Güímar, you can also see small underground houses built into the lava.

Bus 120 serves both settlements, so it doesn’t matter where you start. Alternatively, you can take bus 111 to Camino del Socorro by the motorway above the volcano, walk around it and down to the sea. Both buses depart from the Intercambiador in Santa Cruz.

Benijo – Chamorga – Casas de Tafada (PR-TF 06.3)

At the very northern tip of the island, there’s a fine route from Benijo to Chamorga, with several options to continue in different directions. Take bus 946 from Santa Cruz to Almáciga, then walk about 1 km further along the road to Benijo, where the trails begin. The bus ride itself is an experience.

Along the way, you pass the village of Taganana, which is well worth a visit in its own right (see below). The trail also runs alongside the dramatic Benijo beach, which is especially impressive in bad weather.

There are two possible routes up the mountain: PR-TF 06.2 and PR-TF 06.3. PR-TF 06.2 follows a gravel road for the first few kilometres to the small village of El Draguillo, before zigzagging uphill. This was the old main road across the mountain and is fairly wide, stone-paved, with steps in the steepest sections.

I prefer narrow trails, so I chose PR-TF 06.3 instead. This is a narrow path that climbs straight up the mountainside at first and is therefore quite steep. Still, it’s perfectly manageable, with no particularly exposed sections. The views down towards the sea and the village of Taganana are magnificent. PR-TF 06.2 offers much less in terms of views, as it follows a valley upwards.

Higher up, where the forest begins, PR-TF 06.3 joins 06.2 and continues up to the pass Cruz del Draguillo. Here it crosses the blue-marked PR-TF 7, and you can choose whether to descend steeply to the village of Chamorga through dense forest, or follow the blue trail in either direction across the forested mountains.

From Chamorga, you can take bus 947 back to Santa Cruz. The bus doesn’t run very often, and there is no mobile coverage here. The few houses in Chamorga are beautifully located at the head of a narrow valley, and there’s a cosy bar where you can relax while waiting. Alternatively, you can continue hiking, for example to Casas de Tafada – an old ruin once used by shepherds for shelter and storage.

From there, you can continue down to the rugged coast and the Faro de Anaga lighthouse.

The trail towards Casas de Tafada, PR-TF 06.1, runs along the mountainside high above the valley and offers spectacular views down into the valley and out towards the sea. It’s quite exposed in places where it clings to the slope, with narrow stone steps carved into the rock. But the views – especially as you approach Casas de Tafada – are among the very best Tenerife has to offer.

Teide via TF-24 – PR-TF 25

The often snow-covered volcano Teide rises to 3,700 metres and can be seen from many places on Tenerife. It’s possible to reach the summit either by cable car or on foot. If you prefer less strenuous hikes, the slopes below the crater offer many options. Some of these are described in the Tenerife South article: Tenerife South – Hiking

From northern Tenerife, the easiest access is via TF-24. Unfortunately, there are no buses on this road, so a rental car is the simplest option. We didn’t have a car, but came up with another plan. The bus company Transportes La Esperanza runs bus 041 from La Laguna to La Esperanza, a town located where the forest on Mount Teide begins. From there, we planned to take a taxi further up to Las Lagunetas, where many trails start.

That didn’t work out. There was a taxi rank in La Esperanza, but no taxis to be found, even after calling the dispatcher. “Sunday,” they said. So the only option was to stick out our thumbs and hope for the best. Amazingly, after just two minutes we got a lift from a Malaysian man living in La Laguna. A few days earlier, I had hitchhiked from Chamorga and was also picked up immediately, that time by a Romanian couple. The Malaysian said hitchhiking works reasonably well on the island – but only tourists will stop. Luckily, there are plenty of them.

From Las Lagunetas, we took PR-TF 25 downhill towards Agua García, where we could catch bus 54 back to La Laguna. The hike starts through a beautiful, open pine forest with dappled sunlight filtering through. It then descends steeply, still through pine forest, before turning into denser scrub. If you prefer staying in the pine forest along the mountainside, you’ll cross several forest roads along the way. The final kilometre runs through a clear-cut area and is less appealing. Distance: 6 km.

Teide from Puerto de la Cruz via TF-21

Another option for Teide is the TF21 road. Take bus 348 from Puerto de La Cruz and get off at a suitable place. The bus goes all the way to Parador del Teide. From here, you can walk back down towards Los Christianos as described here: Tenerife South – Hiking, hike around in the caldera (crater), or walk up or down the slope towards Teide. Casa del Caminero is a nice place to start.

You can follow forest roads east through the pine forest and take PR-TF35 down to Aguamanse, where you can catch a bus back. Or walk west and take E7/GR131 down to Chasna. I chose the latter to avoid the forest fire area above Aguamanse. There was a large fire here in 2023 that destroyed a lot of forest. Pine trees tolerate fire quite well, but the trees look a bit scruffy after a fire. The branches burn up and new branches grow out from the trunk, so they look like poplars for years.

The forest roads are gravel roads and nice to walk on if you don’t want to climb too much, or walk down steep slopes. But the E7/GR131 is not particularly steep and easy to walk both up and down.

Bus 348 fills up quickly, so be sure to arrive early. It filled up just outside the city center when I took it early Februar, but I think they put on an extra bus. If you are coming from Santa Cruz, it is best to take the 108 to Oratava and change to the 348 there to avoid the detour down to Puerto de la Cruz. From Chasna, it took me just under an hour to get back to Santa Cruz. There are two buses from Chasna. Both go to Oratava.

The 348 only has one departure in the morning and one return in the afternoon.

Igueste – Chamorga (PR-TF 5)

Igueste is the northernmost village on Tenerife’s south coast, and the bus ride there on line 945 is spectacular. You pass Playa de las Teresitas just north of Santa Cruz – the finest beach in the north – before climbing higher with stunning sea views.

Get off at the stop Cruz and follow an asphalt road at the bottom of the barranco (ravine) for 1.5 km uphill. Make sure to turn off at the right spot – I missed the junction and ended up with an unwanted extra loop.

The asphalt section is a bit dull, but the reward is a dramatic trail beyond, and very steep. The path zigzags almost straight up, gaining 500 vertical metres. Parts of it are built with steps and it’s relatively easy to walk, apart from the steep climb. When you reach the first summit, there’s a knife-edge ridge with a dramatic valley plunging down on the other side. After that, the trail levels out a bit – and here, unbelievably, people have built holiday cottages! Then it descends slightly before climbing again to a total of 650 metres.

If you don’t have time or energy to continue down to Chamorga, you can take bus 947 back from La Cumbrilla, just outside the tunnel. The return road is extremely narrow, and the bus driver’s skills are impressive.

Santa Cruz – Barrio Nuevo to La Cuesta

You don’t have to travel far to find good hikes. Take bus 902 to Barrio Nuevo, the highest point in Santa Cruz. From there, a trail runs along the mountainside towards La Laguna. The bus terminus varies depending on the departure. Get off at Cueva Roja if the bus goes there; otherwise, get off at Barrio Nuevo and walk up the steep road.

From Barrio Nuevo and along the trail, you have panoramic views over the city. The path starts steep but then levels out. It’s quite exposed, with safety wires to hold onto in places, and is not suitable for those with a fear of heights.

On the way back, follow the red-marked CST trail down to La Cuesta, where you can take bus 26 back to Santa Cruz. Alternatively, you can continue on towards La Laguna on foot.

Buses – Getting around

Tenerife has a very well-developed bus network. Buses run surprisingly often, even to the most remote corners. The bus terminals (intercambiadores) are easy to navigate and well supplied with information.

On buses, you can pay with a travel card, app, cash or bank card. On the tram, you need to buy a combined bus-and-tram ticket from the machines available at all stops.
Read more about buses and routes here: Tenerife North – Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Puerto de la Cruz

Apps

Make sure you have a map app on your phone. I can recommend Locus Map with free maps from openandromaps.org. All the maps in this article are taken from there. Read more here: Navigation apps for hiking

The Tenerife ON app gives you an overview of all hiking routes on Tenerife and updates on closures, etc. It can be downloaded for free.

ten+móvil – routes and payment for TITSA buses and the tram.

All about Tenerife: Tenerife EN

All about the Canaries: /canaryislands/

A short video: