Walking in Tenerife

If you were planning a walking holiday, the Canary Island of Tenerife probably isn’t the first place to come into your head. But it really is somewhere you should seriously consider and in this piece I’m going to set out why you should choose Tenerife as a walking destination.

First of all the obvious, located just 200km from the west coast of Africa, this sub-tropical island enjoys year around warm weather. With daily highs on the south coast of Tenerife rarely failing to reach 21ºC, the island really is a fair weather walker’s paradise. The clear skies and high elevations, rising to a whopping 3,718m mean you are rarely deprived of a view.

Walking in Tenerife is extremely varied, the mountainous nature of the island means there are many diverse micro-climates providing a staggering array of natural environments. There’s network of well marked trails and mixture of shorter, mid-distance and long distance trails. You can take your pick of summit climbs, cross-country trails, coastal walks or even strolls around historic towns.

The coastal areas and lower elevations are rocky and dry littered with cacti and quirky vegetation which can survive with little to no rainfall. Large canvas covered banana plantations litter the coastal areas and you’ll find small holdings full of exotic fruit trees and potato fields as you climb higher.

The peninsulas of Teno (north-west) and Anaga (north-east) each also offer a different walking experience, including sleepy villages nestled in steep ravines and jagged tops covered with pockets of ancient laurel woodland.

The interior upland areas are covered in crown of pine forests, before giving way to the caldera and volcanic landscape of Las Cañadas National Park from which MountTeide itself rises to 3,718m, some 1700m higher than the surrounding plateau. The high elevation of the interior (over 2000m above sea-level) means in winter temperatures can plummet relative to the coast and is not uncommon to see MountTeide covered in snow during the early part of the year.

Teide itself is the ultimate goal of any serious hill-walker visiting Tenerife, as the highest mountain in Spain and the highest volcano in Europe, climbing Mount Teide is a great one for the log-book, but also a serious challenge of endurance for any mountaineer wanting the test themselves in high-altitude conditions.

If your previous experience of Tenerife has been a bucket and spade holiday, then you won’t have seen much of the island’s culture. The island has so much to offer. The Canarian people are warm and friendly, patient and welcoming, if a little slow to action, but that’s the pace of life on a North Atlantic island, we’re used to waiting for things so tend not to rush.

Why not head out into the country-side, take a walk through the vineyards to a local bodega and sample some locally produced organic wine? Work up appetite by walking up to a remote village and enjoy lunch in a family run restaurant? Or take a stroll along the coast to see one of the many folk festivals?

The rich volcanic soil also means Tenerife retains a deep connection with its agrarian past, whilst many old farm fields have been abandoned hundreds are still worked, some commercially others by hobbyists who share their horticultural spoils with families and friends. Show an interest and you might be offered some fresh figs, almonds or even a few oranges to try.

First colonised by the Castillians (modern Spain) in the 15^th Century and inhabited by the aboriginal Guanches for at least 2,000 years before that, Tenerife has rich human history to complement its 7 million years of natural history.

This history is self-evident to anyone who sets out walking in the island; you may happen across a ruined farmhouse, cave-house in the country-side. Or discover an old colonial manor or pretty church in the historic towns of La Orotava or Vilaflor.

There are also numerous museums and whilst most are based in the capital Santa Cruz, you can find the occasional local gem such as the ‘Casa del Capitan’ in San Miguel, which can be reached following a moderately challenging short walk from the nearby village of Aldea Blanca.

In conclusion, Tenerife really is an island that will surprise walkers of all abilities, whether you are looking for a quiet stroll around a quiet historic town, a country walk or even if you are looking bag a few impressive summits. You will be surprised by the huge variation you discover on such a small island.

Interested in walking in Tenerife?

Tenerife Outdoors organise walking holidays for walking clubs, tour operators and private parties, as well as guided day walks on Tenerife and La Gomera. Visit their web site: http://www.tenerifeoutdoors.com or email: info@tenerifeoutdoors.com