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Tenerife & El TeideIsle of contrasts To explore Tenerife’s little-known north-west corner on foot is to discover a side to the island that few visitors experience. Here, inspirational views stretch far across the sea and up to El Teide, whose towering peak surveys the varied landscapes, adding drama to the scenery wherever you are walking. Our holiday reveals the fertile coastal plain (dotted with banana plantations) and the alternating expanses of pine forest and black volcanic sand that lie behind it, while our thrilling – and highly recommended – extension takes you into the desert-like lava fields of the Teide National Park above the cloud line. The routes involve more descent than ascent, but all will satisfy keen walkers. We provide a hire car so that you can access the best walking. Nights: 7 (or 10 with extension)
Starting point: Hotel Rural Victoria, La Orotava. Converted from a 300-year-old nobleman's house built in traditional Canarian style, this is a comfortable hotel in the heart of La Orotava's old quarter. There is plenty of space in which to relax, including an interior courtyard and a rooftop sun terrace offering views over the town, sea and mountains. Your stay is on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to dine at the hotel's own restaurant, which serves delicious Canarian cuisine, or elsewhere in the town. Days 1 & 2: with the freedom a hire car brings, there are various options as to how to spend your time in La Orotava. Visit the capital, Santa Cruz; relax on the Playa de las Tereitas, Tenerife's most beautiful beach; or drive to the wild Anaga Massif in the far east of the island, which is characterised by cliffs and deeply cut gorges. Alternatively, we provide route notes for several walks. The first (12.5km) starts with a taxi ride (pay locally) into the wooded central zone of the island and skirts the edge of a pine forest before descending to La Orotava through hamlets and market gardens, with sweeping coastal views. The second explores the magnificent pine forest surrounding the tall rocky crag known as Los Órganos because it resembles the pipes of a church organ. There are fabulous views in clear weather of El Teide and the neighbouring island of La Palma. It is also possible, provided there is no snow on El Teide, to enjoy the walks we suggest for the To the Teide Extension, some of which require a permit which you can obtain from Santa Cruz. Accommodation: Hotel Rural Victoria, as above. Day 3: today you move between hotels. As the drive is not long, you could do one of the walks near La Orotava if you haven't already done so, or one of the walks near your next base, Garachico. Accommodation: Quinta Roja, Garachico. Run by the charming Paloma, who is a keen walker, this stylish, high-quality hotel makes an excellent place at which to spend your last four nights. Set on the main square of this pretty coastal village, it has been lovingly converted from a 16th-century former nobleman’s house and is an elegant blend of old and new, with a small sauna and jacuzzi as well as a rooftop terrace, interior courtyard, reading room and small wine bar. Breakfast only is included, leaving you free to take your pick of Garachico’s restaurants for dinner each night. We include the light and airy superior rooms. Days 4, 5 & 6: We suggest four walks that can be easily accessed from Garachico using your hire car. The first circuit (11km) is a circuit giving time to explore the meadows and terraced fields of the stark but beautiful Teno Plateau. Following old trails for the most part, it winds over and along several crests, offering views of the west coast and La Gomera, as well as passing through a section of subtropical rainforest. The second (10km), also circular, starts through an impressive gorge and leads up into the subtropical forests of Monte del Agua ('Water Mountain') along ancient, pretty trails and shaded forest tracks. The laurel woods are some of the oldest on the island. The return leg crosses open countryside to reach the small settlement of Juncia. From here a tar lane offers panoramic views as it winds downhill back to your starting point. The third (9.5km) is an interesting and varied circuit weaving around the Barranco de Santiago along paths and tracks, passing through the beautiful, small villages of Arguayo and Tamaimo. With some spectacular views over the western side of Tenerife and, on a clear day, out to the neighbouring island of La Gomera. The fourth option (6km) is one of the most spectacular walks on the island. It leads up to and along the mountain ridge that separates the two most impressive gorges on the west side of the island, with views far down into them both. From the furthest point of the walk you can look across to the mighty sea cliffs near Los Gigantes before retracing your steps back to your car. The out and back route is not overlong but the terrain is rocky and challenging - and vertiginous in places. Accommodation: Quinta Roja, as above. To the Teide Extension (please note: this extension is not available 15 Dec-15 Feb) Day 7: today you drive into the centre of the island, and the volcanic, desert-like scenery of the Teide National Park. It is a striking landscape, made all the more special by the silence, the views and the astonishing colours, of which tones of yellow, red, brown and ochre dominate. Although it is very dry, the Park is home to a wide variety of plants, 50 of which are endemic to the Canary Islands, including the Teide violet. High above, Egyptian vultures, sparrow hawks and red kites patrol the blue skies, watching for reptiles such as the tizon lizard. You will probably have time for an unforgettable walk past the various weird and wonderful rock formations of the Roques de García. Many of these striking natural monuments resemble fingers pointing into the sky, and another looks like a cathedral, with several tower-like formations. (6km, 2hrs) Accommodation: Parador (3*), Cañadas del Teide. The great feature of the Parador is its location in the cauldron-shaped crater beneath El Teide, with uninterrupted vistas of the peak. The facilities include an indoor pool, sauna and gymnasium, a good restaurant, and even an observatory for star-gazing. Day 8: for your first day at the Parador, we suggest an easy circular route that leads across the volcanic landscape once more and incorporates a ride on the cable car (pay locally) to just below El Teide's summit (you can only access the summit itself if you have obtained a permit from Santa Cruz). From here, it is well worth walking to the Mirador de la Fortaleza for views not only of the ironically named Montaña Blanca ('White Mountain', which is actually coated in black lava) but also, in clear weather, the entire north side of the island, all the way to the north-eastern tip. A second viewpoint pverlooks the southern part of the island as well as giving a wonderful overview of El Teide's cauldron-shaped crater. (13.5km, 4.5hrs plus detours to viewpoints) Accommodation: Parador, as above. Day 9: your final walk explores a veritable lunar landscape, revealing more of the extraordinary petrified lava formations so typical of the Teide National Park, and affording yet more memorable views as it leads to the peak of Monte Guajara (2,718 metres) before returning along the same route. (14km, 6hrs) Accommodation: Parador, as above. Recommendations for extra nights: if you wish to extend your holiday, we recommend you do so by combining the walk with a stay in the parador on either La Gomera or La Palma. Please contact us for details. Alternatively, you could spend a week at one of our self-catering cottages on La Palma. Prices travel 2007/08: If you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system.
Room upgrade: Garachico, junior suite £9pppn Recommended destination airport: Tenerife North or South Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route, times and price to suit you. Similar holidays: La Gomera - Hidden Gem of the Canaries (grade 2-3) > Any queries? Let us call you back |
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With expanses of black sand, green pine forests, red rock formations, charcoal-grey lava fields and white clouds which sometimes billow like a skirt around the waist of El Teide, Spain’s highest peak, Tenerife is an island of many different colours. It is also an island of stark contrasts, its topography as dramatic as the volcanic activity that shaped it so many millennia ago, and walking here is immensely rewarding. 
Rock formations in the national park 
