Anaga Rural Park, Tenerife – A Complete Guide

Known for its jagged mountains covered in lush vegetation, deep ravines, laurel forests, wild black sand beaches, winding roads and tiny mountain towns, Anaga Rural Park was one of the most breath-taking places we visited in Tenerife.

The park is one of the oldest and most diverse areas of the Canary Islands, offering plenty of outdoor activities and hiking trails. So, if you’re visiting Tenerife with a more active holiday in mind, then a day trip to Anaga should be on your itinerary. In this guide, we’ll detail how to get to the park, the best things to do there and other useful information, such as the best time to visit and what to pack for your day trip.

If you’d like to see our experience visiting Anaga Rural Park, make sure to watch our dedicated Anaga video which we’ve shared on our YouTube channel Kitti and Jon.

About Anaga Rural Park in Tenerife

Parque Rural de Anaga is located close to Santa Cruz de Tenerife in north-east Tenerife. In 2015, Anaga was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, recognising the park’s rich biodiversity and cultural heritage.

It’s a massive mountainous area – occupying 7% of the island – with jagged peaks and deep ravines. There are also numerous black sand beaches dotted along the coastline, many of them only accessible by foot. In addition, Anaga is also home to some of the oldest laurel forests in the world, dating back to the Tertiary period. Laurel forests are subtropical forests with high humidity and dense vegetation, often surrounded by low-lying clouds. There are also laurel forests on the other islands of Macaronesia, such as the Azores or Madeira. Anaga also reminded us of the cloud forests of Monteverde that we visited in Costa Rica.

Considering just how close Anaga is to Tenerife’s two most populous cities, including the capital, it’s wild that once you enter the park, you’ll feel like you’re in one of the most remote areas on the island.

Things to Know Before Visiting Anaga Rural Park in Tenerife

Entry Fees and Permits. Anaga Rural park is free to enter and most hikes are also free and don’t require permits. However, you need to apply for a free permit if you wish to hike through the Enchanted Forest (Bosque Encantado or El Pijaral). It’s a popular trail, so you need to book it way in advance.

Driving can feel challenging for less experienced drivers due to the narrow, winding roads. Clouds and fog can roll in at any time of the day reducing visibility on the steep mountain roads. Therefore, make sure to always drive with caution. Read our tips on driving in Tenerife.

Parking. Whilst there are no parking fees, parking is often limited, due to narrow roads and small villages. Therefore, arrive to hiking trails as early as you can.

Weather conditions. The weather can change quickly in Anaga, so be prepared to experience a variety of climates all in one day. Low-hanging clouds and mist are common, as are high humidity, strong winds and sunshine. We’ll go into more detail on what to wear and the best time to visit further down.

Phone reception is limited in the park. Therefore, we suggest downloading offline Google Maps for navigation and AllTrails for hiking before you set off.

How to Get to Anaga Rural Park in Tenerife

By Hire Car

Anaga Rural Park is about 25 km (16 miles) from the capital city, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The most convenient way to visit the park is with a rental car. Depending on where you’re staying in Tenerife you can get to many of the main places of interest within 1 to 2 hours. This is because the roads within Anaga Rural Park are quite narrow and curvy, so it takes longer to drive around.

We rented a car for the entire week we were in Tenerife and it was the best way to get around the island independently. If you want to do the same, we suggest hiring a car from Tenerife Airport using the Cicar car rental company. Their prices are great and we had a very positive experience with them.

By Public Bus

Another option for visiting Anaga Rural Park independently is with a bus. Tenerife’s public bus company is called Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife (TITSA).  See all timetables, routes and maps here.

It’s worth noting that public transport within the park is less frequent and the bus won’t necessarily reach all the places you may want to visit. In addition, due to the narrow and winding mountain roads, bus journey times are also much longer. Therefore, we would only try to visit Anaga by bus if we stayed either in Santa Cruz de Tenerife or in San Cristobal de la Laguna.

By Organised Tour

If you don’t have a hire car, then the best way to visit Anaga is with an organised tour. Many day tours to Anaga include guided hikes, scenic stops and visits to picturesque towns. However, make sure to carefully read the offer before booking, especially when it comes to pick-up locations. Find tours to Anaga Rural Park.

🎫Below we’ve listed our top Anaga Rural Park tour choices:

• Full-Day Anaga Tour. If you’re staying in the south of Tenerife, then this is a fantastic tour option. Apart from Anaga, the tour also stops at the lovely San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
• Anaga Mountains & Enchanted Forest Hiking Tour. This is another great tour that would pick you up from the southern parts of Tenerife.
• Private Anaga Day Trip. This private tour offers a hotel pick-up no matter where you’re based in Tenerife. You’ll also visit Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the coastal town of San Andrés with its beautiful Las Teresitas beach, and the towns of Taganana and La Laguna.

Things to Do in Anaga Rural Park

Hike the Enchanted Forest Trail (Bosque Encantado)

• Trailhead / Car Park: La Ensillada (here on Google Maps)
• Trail Length: 6.6 km (Circular) (view map on AllTrails)
• Elevation Gain: 300 m
• Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (fitness level dependent)

One of the most popular hikes in Anaga is the Enchanted Forest (Bosque Encantado or El Pijaral).

It is a 6.6 km circular trail with an elevation gain of 300m that can take 2-2.5 hours to complete. You’ll be walking through some of the best preserved laurel forests in Spain. It’s a type of subtropical rainforest with diverse endemic flora and fauna, including huge ferns. Along the trail there are a few points of interest, such as Mirador del Cabezo del Tejo from where you can enjoy panoramic views of Anaga.

IMPORTANT NOTE. This is the only hiking trail within Anaga Rural Park where you need to apply for a free permit. The permit is to control the number of visitors and to keep disruption to the natural area to a minimum. In the peak season, you’ll need to secure your permit way in advance. If you attempt it without a permit and get caught, you can incur a hefty fine.

In our opinion though, there are several more scenic trails in Anaga than the Enchanted Forest one. And they don’t require a permit.

Hike the Path of the Senses Trail (Sendero de los Sentidos)

• Trailhead / Car Park: Cruz del Carmen (here on Google Maps)
• Trail Length: Route 1 – 340m / Route 2 – 544m / Route 3 – 1.3 km (view map on AllTrails)
• Elevation Gain: 83 m
• Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (fitness level dependent)

The Path of the Senses combines three different trails, with a variety of lengths and difficulties. Route 1 is the shortest and ideal for those with reduced mobility. Routes 2 & 3 are slightly longer, taking you deeper into the laurel forest. We picked Route 3, which was pretty much downhill all the way to Mirador del Llano de los Loros, then uphill back to the car park.

Each trail is designed so you can interact with nature through your senses, so take your time to really appreciate what this beautiful laurel forest has to offer. We really loved the moss-covered trees with their branches intertwining so it looked like we were walking through a tunnel. To make the walk even more mysterious, low clouds were rolling in, which was perfect for some moody photos.

Facilities. The car park isn’t huge, but visitors are constantly coming and going. There’s also a visitor centre (Centro de Interpretación del Parque Rural de Anaga) which has a small museum area and help desk, where you can get information on the trails. There are also toilet facilites. Both the visitor centre and the toilets opened at 9:30 AM.

Enjoy the Views from Mirador Cruz del Carmen

If you’re hiking the Sendero de los Sentidos trail, don’t forget to walk out to the Cruz del Carmen Viewpoint, located to the right of the trailhead.

From this vantage point we got some incredible views of La Laguna in the distance and the surrounding green hills. On a clear day you can even see Teide Volcano, the highest point in all of Spain. Unfortunately, Teide was hiding behind thick clouds on the day we visited, but the views were still pretty spectacular.

Top Tip. It’s common for clouds to roll in and out of the valley, obstructing the views. For this reason, we suggest checking the visibility before and after your hike, as you may get lucky.

Walk Along Tunel de las Hadas (Fairy Tunnel)

Just a short drive from Sendero de los Sentidos, there’s a very unique spot called Tunel de las Hadas. Translating to Fairy Tunnel in English, it’s an old road section with tall moss-covered stone walls on either side and trees growing on top. The tree branches are intertwined, creating a cool tunnel effect, very similar to some of the sunken roads we walked along in Devon, UK.

The tunnel is probably best seen when the weather is a bit gloomy and there are some low hanging clouds, creating a mysterious atmosphere. It’s also a very popular spot to visit within Anaga, so come early if you want to take some creative photos.

Note. You can park along the road and also walk to Mirador Pico del Inglés from there.

Check Out the Views from Mirador Pico del Inglés

Once you’ve seen Tunel de las Hadas, make sure to follow the road (Camino Viejo al Pico del Inglés) all the way to the viewpoint, called Mirador Pico del Inglés.

We weren’t sure if the walk along the road would be worth it, but we were so glad that we didn’t turn around. From the viewpoint, we got sweeping views over the lush, jagged mountains of Anaga, all the way to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. Whilst we weren’t lucky enough to see Mount Teide, it was still a stunning viewpoint.

Stop at Mirador Risco Amogoje

If you already have – or are planning on – visiting Masca, then driving along TF-134 towards Taganana is a must when visiting Anaga Rural Park. The windy road is an adventure in itself, with hairpin curves and jaw-dropping views at every corner.

Before you descend down into Taganana, there’s a lovely viewpoint called Mirador Risco Amogoje that we suggest stopping at. It had panoramic views of the dramatic coastline and jagged peaks, with the slopes of the mountains dotted with white-washed homes and terraces in the distance.

Note. Since the viewpoint is along a huge curve in the road, you should only stop here on your way down to Taganana to avoid pulling across to the other side of the road with no clear visibility of oncoming traffic.

Walk Around the Beautiful Village of Taganana

After the adventurous drive along TF-134, we found ourselves in the picturesque village of Taganana. It is one of the oldest villages in Tenerife and is also the main settlement in Anaga Rural Park.

In the 16th century they cultivated sugar cane here. Then, from the 17th century, they focused on wine making. This is why you’ll see many vineyards on the slopes. Until 1968, Taganana was only accessible by boat. Just like Masca, the road opened the village up to visitors who enjoy nature, wildlife and history.

Within the village, you can check out some of the main churches such as the Church of Our Lady of the Snows, which dates back to 1505. There’s also Ermita de Santa Catalina Mártir de Alejandría just across from it, dating back to 1621. Whilst there aren’t a huge amount of eateries, there are a few top-rated ones, such as Casa Picar, who serve traditional Spanish tapas and fresh seafood.

If you love outdoor activities, then there are many hiking trails in the area, like the Las Vueltas de Taganana or the Taganana to Tamadite Beach trail. (Always get up-to-date trail information on the TenerifeON website). In addition, some of the most beautiful wild beaches are also located along the coast of Taganana, which we’ll detail in the next section.

Visit Playa del Roque de las Bodegas

Located at the bottom of Taganana is the stunning Roque de las Bodegas Beach. This black sand beach is one of the most popular ones to visit in the vicinity of Taganana.

Depending on the time of year and day you visit, you may see the beach either more sandy or more rocky. If you come during low tide, you can relax on the beach and also walk out to the Roque de las Bodegas Viewpoint. There’s a walkway built along the side of the outcrop, from where we got some fantastic views of the coastline dotted with huge rock formations in the distance. Just bear in mind that the access may be restricted during high-tide, when the waves are too high.

There are also a few eateries you can try here, such as Restaurante Playa Casa Africa, although don’t expect a lot of options. This is why we loved this beach because it felt natural without all the typical tourist facilities.

Parking. There is quite a lot of free on-street parking along the road.

Stop at Playa de Almáciga

Further along the coast is Almáciga Beach, another beautiful volcanic black-sand and rock beach in Anaga.

Whilst it’s not ideal for general swimming due to the strong currents, we saw a handful of surfers enjoying the waves here. It’s the perfect wild beach where you can enjoy the crushing waves as well as the dramatic landscapes of the park. There’s also Restaurante La Ola here, which serves a variety of dishes.

Parking. There is free-on-street parking along the road.

Admire the Sweeping Views of Playa de Benijo

One of the most beautiful black-sand beaches in Anaga is Benijo Beach. It’s located further along the coast from Playa de Almáciga, just outside the village of Benijo.

Sadly, when we visited the access stairs leading down to the beach were still closed. Even if it had been accessible, having to delay hiking the Roque de Taborno trail meant that we arrived to Benijo during high-tide, so the beach was non-existent. From the viewpoint along the road, we could still appreciate the massive rock formations out in the Atlantic though.

Top Tip. We suggest checking up-to-date reviews before your visit to see if they have reopened the access trail. If the beach is accessible, make sure to check tide times before visiting. For the best experience, arrive during low-tide and ideally closer to sunset, when the light is also much better.

Hike the Roque de Taborno Trail

• Trailhead / Car Park: Lay-by in Taborno (here on Google Maps)
• Trail Length: 4 km (Circular)
• Elevation Gain: 235 m
• Level of Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (fitness level dependent)

One of the most scenic hikes you can do in Anaga Rural Park is the Roque de Taborno trail. Often called the “Matterhorn of Tenerife”, Roque de Taborno is an impressive volcanic rock formation near the mountain village of Taborno.

It’s an easy to moderate 4 km long trail with an elevation gain of 235 m, that takes around 2-3 hours to complete. The trail will treat you to 360-degree panoramic views of Anaga, including views out to the Atlantic and dramatic cliffs and lush valleys dotted with traditional Canarian villages in the distance.

Top Tip. Avoid our mistake, and arrive early to be able to secure a parking spot in Taborno. The mountain village is tiny and there aren’t many places to park. Alternatively, you can also aim to visit later in the day.

Relax on Playa de Las Teresitas

If you’d like to relax on one of the most beautiful golden sandy beaches in Tenerife, then add Las Teresitas Beach to your itinerary. Whilst strictly speaking the beach isn’t within Anaga Rural Park, it’s pretty easy to get to if you’re heading back towards Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Las Teresitas Beach isn’t just lovely to lay on, but also incredibly picturesque. To appreciate it fully, we drove up to Mirador de la Playa de las Teresitas following the small TF-121 road out of San Andres. There weren’t any dedicated parking spaces, although we could safely pull over at the side of the road (roughly here on Google Maps). Be careful when crossing / walking along the road out to the viewpoint!

After the magnificent overview of the beach it was time to drive back and go for a dip in the water. What’s quite unique about Las Teresitas is that the golden sand was transported here from the Sahara desert in Africa. Thanks to the kilometre-long breakwater, the water is also perfect for swimming, even for children. You don’t have to worry about huge waves like at many beaches across the island.

Parking and other facilities. There’s a massive parking lot with free parking next to the beach. There’s also toilets, showers, kiosks, restaurants and sun loungers.

Wander Around San Cristóbal de La Laguna

Another lovely city to visit just outside Anaga Rural Park is San Cristóbal de La Laguna. Mostly referred to as La Laguna, it was founded in the late 15th century. Until 1723, it was the capital of Tenerife. What’s worth noting about La Laguna is that it’s the first example of a town planned with a grid system, and so was the forerunner for many settlements built in Latin America during colonial times. Today, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as the cultural capital of the Canary Islands.

Things to Do in San Cristobal de la Laguna:

• Walk along Obsipo Rey Redondo Street, which is lined with historical buildings as well as cafes and restaurants.
• Stop by Plaza de la Concepción, the main square in La Laguna.
• Check out Iglesia de la Concepción, a beautiful 16th century church at the main square. For a small fee, you can climb up to the tower and enjoy the views of the city and beyond.
• The Cathedral of La Laguna is the main religious building in the city. It dates back to the 16th century and has a Canarian Baroque exterior.
• Visit Casa de los Capitanes Generales, a beautiful 17th century building that’s now the Office of Tourist Information.

Since we were staying in Puerto de la Cruz, we decided to stop in La Laguna at the end of our day trip to Anaga. This way we could arrive to the hiking trails early and then get dinner in La Laguna at the end of the day.

Best Time to Visit Anaga Rural Park

It’s possible to visit Anaga all year round, although it’s worth noting that the park has microclimates and it’s also the wettest part of Tenerife. For hiking, the best time of year to visit Anaga will be either spring or autumn. You can hike in the summer months too, but expect temperatures to be higher with more people on the trails. Overall, no matter what time of the year you’re visiting, you should be prepared for weather conditions to change quickly and plan accordingly. Whilst the weather forecast can give you a rough idea, you can also look at the weather cameras to see real time conditions.

When we visited at the end of April / start of May, we had all sorts of conditions across the two days we were in the park, including heat, humidity, low hanging clouds and cooler temperatures.

In terms of time of the day, if you want to do some hiking, make sure to arrive at the trailheads early. This way, you have a better chance of finding parking and also beating the crowds and hotter temperatures, especially in the summer months.

What to Wear and Pack for Anaga Rural Park

What you need to wear and pack for a day in Anaga will depend on the activities you’re planning on doing. For example, if you’re just hiking, you should wear weather appropriate outdoor clothing. Since the weather can change quickly, we suggest having a warmer layer and a rain jacket with you. It can be quite hot and humid, so wear light, breathable materials, especially in the summer. Strong winds are also common, which is why you want to pack something warmer.

In terms of footwear, the trails can be muddy and uneven, so we suggest having sturdy shoes, such as hiking boots or shoes. If your Tenerife trip is very outdoor focused, packing some hiking poles may be a good idea too. Of course, the sun can be pretty strong, so don’t forget about sun protection either.

If you’re also planning on visiting a few beaches, don’t forget to take some slides or flip-flops, swimwear and towels.

Lastly, we also suggest packing plenty of drinks and snacks, especially on a hiking focused visit. Whilst there are cafes and restaurants in small towns, it’s always good to come prepared.

How Long Do You Need in Anaga Rural Park

Ideally, we suggest allocating at least one full day to visiting Anaga Rural Park. One day will allow you to do a few shorter hikes, visit some of the small towns and stop at viewpoints along the way.

However, if you’re in Tenerife for the incredible outdoor activities, then you should spend two days in Anaga. This will give you the chance to complete longer hiking trails and will generally feel less rushed.

Driving around Anaga can be a bit slow due to the narrow and windy mountain roads, so expect getting between locations to take longer. If you wish to maximise your time in Anaga, we suggest spending a night or so in La Laguna.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Anaga Rural Park

We absolutely loved Anaga Rural Park. It was such a different environment from Teide National Park, with its jagged mountains and lush cloud forests. We came back to Anaga twice during our trip, however we could’ve come back for at least one more day to do more hiking if we had the time.

We hope this guide has given you a good overview on how to visit Anaga Rural Park. If you found this blog post useful and want to show your support, you can buy us a coffee here.