Anaga Rural Park

Starting from the Cruz del Carmen visitor centre (parking, toilets, café, trail maps), this loop descends through the finest section of laurisilva in the park — ancient laurel, til, heather trees draped in epiphytic moss — before arriving at Chinamada, the cliff-face cave village with no road access. The descent through the forest is the best single experience Anaga offers: the trail is wide, the canopy closes completely above it, and the mosses are so dense that sound itself seems muffled. In October mist, it feels otherworldly in a way that photographs cannot convey.

Chinamada's small bar-restaurant serves homemade Canarian food — papas arrugadas with mojo, fresh fish, local wine — on a terrace with a direct view over the Atlantic cliff. The return climbs the opposite ridge with views across the massif to the southern resorts of Tenerife — the contrast between the two Tenerfies visible simultaneously is striking. Start early (08:00–09:00) to reach Chinamada before the lunchtime rush and to hike the return in cooler conditions.

Beginning in the white-washed village of Taganana — the most beautiful village in Anaga's northern coast, with a 16th-century church and dramatic cliff backdrop — this linear trail descends through vineyard terraces, patches of laurisilva, and eventually a dry coastal scrubland to arrive at Benijo beach: a wild black-sand cove enclosed by dramatic sea stacks, visited by a fraction of the people who crowd Los Gigantes or Las Teresitas. The black sand, the sea stacks, and the complete absence of sunbeds creates something genuinely rare on a popular island.

This is a one-way route requiring either a car shuttle or a pre-arranged private transfer pickup from Benijo. Alternatively, walk to Almáciga (1 km from Benijo) for the occasional bus back to Santa Cruz. The trail is well-marked throughout and the descent gradient, while consistent, is never technical. Taganana itself rewards 30 minutes of exploration before departing — the village centre and church are among the finest examples of historic vernacular architecture in rural Tenerife.

The most physically demanding trail on this list — beginning at the dramatic headland of Punta del Hidalgo (35 km from Santa Cruz via the north coast road, 45 min drive) where dragon trees grow from the cliff edge, then climbing continuously through successive vegetation bands: coastal euphorbia, mixed scrub, woodland, and finally the cloud-drenched laurisilva of the upper ridges. The elevation gain of 720 m in 7.2 km produces an ecological journey in miniature — you experience four entirely different ecosystems in a single morning.

Las Carboneras at the top is a tiny agricultural hamlet at cloud forest level, typically wreathed in mist even on days when the coast is sunny. The contrast between the hot, bright headland you started from and the cool, dripping forest surrounding Las Carboneras is one of the most dramatic micro-climate experiences available on any Canary Island. Requires a vehicle shuttle or taxi — arrange pickup at Las Carboneras in advance.

El Bailadero pass (where the forest-covered northern massif meets the drier southern aspect) is Anaga's most atmospheric road-accessible starting point — the cloud typically pours over the ridge here in a continuous slow waterfall, condensing on every surface. The trail to Roque Bermejo descends the massif's most remote corner to the island's northeastern tip, passing through increasingly wild terrain to reach a cluster of volcanic rocks at sea level where an abandoned lighthouse stands above a natural bathing pool.

Roque Bermejo is completely inaccessible by road. The handful of houses here receive all supplies by boat or by this trail — it is one of the last genuinely isolated communities in Tenerife, and the sense of reaching the end of the known island is compelling. The return climb requires solid fitness and planning — bring 2+ litres of water and start before 08:30 to avoid the afternoon heat on the exposed sections.

Chamorga is the last village at the end of Anaga's most remote road — a handful of houses, a bar, and a car park from which two excellent trails begin. This shorter option descends to the coast and a viewpoint over the Roques de Anaga — dramatic offshore volcanic plugs rising sheer from the Atlantic that form one of the most photographed silhouettes in Tenerife. The trail is accessible to reasonably fit walkers and the combination of forest, open coastal views, and volcanic sea stacks makes it one of the most scenically concentrated hikes in the park.

Combine this trail with an early lunch at Chamorga's bar (open most days until 16:00, call ahead to confirm) and the drive through the park — the TF-12 road between Cruz del Carmen and Chamorga is one of the finest mountain drives in Tenerife, and stopping at the mirador viewpoints en route adds at least as much beauty as the trail itself.

For those with limited hiking fitness, families with older children, or visitors who want a first taste of Anaga's laurisilva before committing to a longer trail, the Las Mercedes forest loop is the perfect introduction. Starting from the Las Mercedes area (10 minutes' drive below Cruz del Carmen on the TF-12), the loop circles through a section of particularly dense laurisilva where the canopy closes completely above the wide, well-maintained path. The endemic Tenerife blue chaffinch (Fringilla teydea) is frequently seen here, and the mosses and ferns at path-edge level are extraordinary even at a strolling pace.

This trail is well-signposted and impossible to get lost on. It is also frequently walked by Santa Cruz residents on weekend mornings, giving it a pleasant community atmosphere quite different from the remote routes. The Las Mercedes area restaurants (particularly Casa Maquila, 2 km below the forest) serve excellent traditional Canarian food for a post-hike lunch that rounds the day perfectly.

Igueste de San Andrés sits just 12 km east of Santa Cruz (20 min drive) at the end of the coast road below Anaga's southern face, making this the most accessible Anaga coastal trail from the capital. The path follows the clifftop south-east to Playa de los Órganos — named for its basalt column formations resembling organ pipes — a remote black-gravel beach accessible only on foot. The south-facing aspect makes this trail sunnier and hotter than the northern routes; go early and bring water.

The trail passes through tabaibal-cardonal scrubland dominated by endemic Canarian euphorbias and cacti — the same dramatic desert-meets-cliff ecology visible in the Anaga hero image. The coastal views south to Santa Cruz and beyond to Tenerife South are extensive. Combine with a visit to Las Teresitas beach (3 km from Igueste, the finest sand beach near Santa Cruz) for a full day with hiking in the morning and swimming in the afternoon.