Anaga Hiking Tour Tenerife: Laurel Forest & 3 Viewpoints

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2 options

Guide in English, Spanish or Russian09:00

Guide in English, Spanish or Russian09:00

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Three viewpoints and a walk through a forest older than the Ice Age

You're picked up from your hotel, driven to Anaga Rural Park in the north, and guided through a 3-hour hike that visits three panoramic viewpoints and passes through a relict laurel forest that's been unchanged since before the Ice Age. You'll see cave houses carved into cliffs, walk a maintained mountain trail, and return via the old capital of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Pickup, guide, trekking poles, and transport between stops are all included. You just show up ready to walk.

Step-by-step itinerary

Anaga Hiking and Scenic Views

• Pick-up from north Tenerife
• Drive through northern Tenerife towns
• Stop at panoramic viewpoint
• Drive to trailhead through laurel forest
• Explore village with cliff cave houses
• Hike along mountain crest trail
• Stop at two spectacular viewpoints
• Walk through ancient laurel forest
• Return via San Cristóbal de La Laguna
• Drive back to starting point

The Experience

Most people come to Tenerife for the beaches or Mount Teide. This hike takes you the opposite direction: north, into Anaga Rural Park, where the landscape feels like it belongs to a different island entirely. You start in a car, not on a trail. After pickup from your hotel (or from Garachico if you're on a northern route), the drive winds through towns like La Orotava and Puerto de la Cruz before reaching the trailhead about 30 minutes later. The contrast hits fast: you go from coastal towns to a dense, misty forest where the air smells green and old.

The hike itself is moderate (3 hours, 5.5 kilometers, 220 meters of ascent starting at 420 meters altitude), which means it's not a scramble but it's not a stroll either. Your guide, a local who knows the park's stories, leads you up a maintained trail through the ancient laurel forest, the kind of vegetation that survived the last Ice Age and now exists almost nowhere else on earth. You'll stop at three viewpoints along the way. One of them opens into a full 360-degree panorama on clear days, the kind of view that makes you understand why people settled here centuries ago. Between the viewpoints, you walk past traditional cave houses built directly into the cliffs: half the village is carved into the rock, a way of living that's been there for generations. There are stops for photos and for the guide to explain what you're looking at, so you're not rushing.

The return route takes you through San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife's first capital, before heading back to Santa Cruz (about 30 minutes) or south to your hotel (around 60 minutes depending on where you're staying). The whole day is structured (you're not figuring out buses or timing yourself), and the group stays small, which means the guide can actually talk to you instead of herding thirty people. Trekking poles are included, which matters on the descent, and the vehicle is air-conditioned for the drives between stops. The tour runs Wednesdays and Sundays if you're joining the shared group from the north. Other days and private options exist but operate differently.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and return transport.
• air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers between stops.
• professional local guide.
• three panoramic viewpoints including a 360-degree vista.
• walk through the ancient laurel forest.
• trekking poles.
• civil liability insurance.

Days and timesTue · Wed · Thu · Sat · Sun · 09:00

Ages18 to 75 years · 9 to 17 years · 3 to 8 years · Under 3 — No ticket type: can't be added to a booking

Meeting point and pickupNo pickup · ends where it starts

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Sherpa

Is this one for you?Right for anyone wanting to see a different side of Tenerife without arranging transport or timing a hike themselves: the fixed schedule and included pickup handle both, leaving you free to focus on the forest and the views.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Russian.

Can children come?

9 to 17 years; 3 to 8 years. Under 3: no ticket type, they can't be added to a booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

What's the fitness level needed for this hike?

Moderate. It's 3 hours, 5.5 km, with 220 meters of ascent. Not steep, but you need to be comfortable walking uphill for that duration.

When does the tour run?

The shared group option with northern Tenerife pickup runs Wednesdays and Sundays. Private tours may operate on other days.

How long is the drive from the south of Tenerife?

About 70 minutes to the first viewpoint from the Santa Cruz cruise port, and roughly 60 minutes back to the south at the end of the day.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, professional guide, trekking poles, and civil liability insurance. Lunch is not included.

Can I do this tour if I'm staying in the north?

Yes. If you join the shared group, the itinerary includes a transfer route covering Garachico, Icod de los Vinos, Buenavista del Norte, La Orotava, Puerto de la Cruz, Tacoronte, and San Cristóbal de La Laguna.

Is there a 360-degree viewpoint?

Yes. One of the three viewpoints offers a full 360-degree panorama on clear days, showing the island's rugged terrain from all angles.

What's the ancient laurel forest?

Relict vegetation from the Tertiary era that survived the last Ice Age. It's a rare ecosystem found almost nowhere else, and the hike passes through it as part of the trail.

Are there cave houses to see?

Yes. Part of the hike passes a village where traditional dwellings are built directly into the cliffs: a centuries-old way of living integrated into the natural rock.