Can you walk across Tenerife?

Yes. The GR 131 (Anaga-Chasna) crosses Tenerife for 85.55 km from El Rosario and La Esperanza, through the Corona Forestal and Las Cañadas below Teide, to Arona in the south, with no booking needed. I walked from Cruz del Carmen in Anaga to Vilaflor in five days, about 80.5 miles by my GPS, and stopped there sick, one stage short of the coast.

Can you wild camp on Tenerife?

No. Camping in Tenerife's protected natural spaces and public forests needs an authorization, which means booking one of the Cabildo's camping zones on Tenerife ON (no fee shown in 2026, 7 nights at most per person), and camping isn't allowed in Teide National Park. The Cabildo lists a 400 euro fine for camping in a restricted zone.

Do you need a permit to climb Teide?

Yes, for the last 0.66 km to the summit (trail 10, Telesforo Bravo). Book it on Tenerife ON; since January 19, 2026, slots between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. cost 15 euros for visitors. A night at the Refugio de Altavista, reopened in July 2026, includes an early-morning summit permit.

How much is the Teide cable car?

In 2026 a return ticket is 42 euros for visitors (23.50 one way). From October 25 to December 31 the last ride up is at 4 p.m. It closes in strong wind, and the ticket doesn't include the summit permit.

Is there water on the GR 131 on Tenerife?

Not reliably between La Esperanza and El Portillo: the taps at picnic areas and camping zones are often marked not drinkable. Fill up in La Esperanza and Aguamansa and carry 2 to 3 liters.

When is the best time to hike across Tenerife?

By AEMET's averages, March to May and October to early November. December to February brings rain and cloud in Anaga and frost, snow and wind up high; summer is hot in the south and the season of highest fire risk.

The Canary Islands film: Tenerife, Spain

Tenerife, Spain · 5 days · 80.5 miles

Canary Islands Hiking Guide

Across Tenerife on foot, from Anaga to Vilaflor below Mount Teide in 5 days.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
Teide: permits and the cable car

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The route

My GPS recording of 5 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Canary Islands route: 5 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Cruz del Carmen, Vilaflor and Pico Sur. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 5 days
Distance: 80.5 miles
Climbing: About 16,640 ft (5,070 m) up
Permit: None for the trails I walked
Route: Cruz del Carmen to Vilaflor

What's inside

Where things stand. Tenerife in October 2026: the GR 131 closure before La Caldera, fire and cull closures, the Teide summit fee and the coming Anaga fee, checked on the Cabildo's and the national park's own pages.
All five days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to cut it short, maps with elevation profiles, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings of all five days, with waypoints for Cruz del Carmen, Taborno, Playa de Tamadite, Taganana, Almáciga, La Laguna, La Esperanza, the camping zones, Aguamansa, El Portillo, the Parador, the Degollada de Ucanca and Vilaflor, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Camping, Teide and the rules. Why wild camping isn't allowed and the Cabildo camping zones to use instead, the Teide summit permit, the cable car and the Refugio de Altavista, drones, culls and fines.
Bases, buses and a plan. Where to base yourself, the TITSA buses that reach the trailheads (some once a day), and a nine-day plan that splits my route into shorter days.
Weather and safety. The months that work, December cold and short days, wind and snow up high, the dry forest stretch, fire, and what to carry.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of checks and a printable one-page summary of the route.

About this trip

In December 2024 I set out to walk across Tenerife alone: from the green Anaga mountains down to the north coast and back, through La Laguna, up the GR 131 through the pine forest, past Aguamansa and El Portillo, across Las Cañadas below Teide, and over the caldera rim to Vilaflor, where I stopped, sick. It's the trip from my film Hiking Alone in the Canary Islands. This guide covers Tenerife only. It has my GPX files, maps and notes for all five days, where to sleep and camp legally, the buses, Teide's 2026 permits and the cable car, water, seasons, a plan for a shorter-day crossing, and a trip sheet.

Watch the film on YouTube (113K views).

The Day 4, Above Aguamansa to the Parador page from the Canary Islands Hiking Guide

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Above Aguamansa to the Parador

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 62-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
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Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

Can you walk across Tenerife?: Yes. The GR 131 (Anaga-Chasna) crosses Tenerife for 85.55 km from El Rosario and La Esperanza, through the Corona Forestal and Las Cañadas below Teide, to Arona in the south, with no booking needed. I walked from Cruz del Carmen in Anaga to Vilaflor in five days, about 80.5 miles by my GPS, and stopped there sick, one stage short of the coast.
Can you wild camp on Tenerife?: No. Camping in Tenerife's protected natural spaces and public forests needs an authorization, which means booking one of the Cabildo's camping zones on Tenerife ON (no fee shown in 2026, 7 nights at most per person), and camping isn't allowed in Teide National Park. The Cabildo lists a 400 euro fine for camping in a restricted zone.
Do you need a permit to climb Teide?: Yes, for the last 0.66 km to the summit (trail 10, Telesforo Bravo). Book it on Tenerife ON; since January 19, 2026, slots between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. cost 15 euros for visitors. A night at the Refugio de Altavista, reopened in July 2026, includes an early-morning summit permit.
How much is the Teide cable car?: In 2026 a return ticket is 42 euros for visitors (23.50 one way). From October 25 to December 31 the last ride up is at 4 p.m. It closes in strong wind, and the ticket doesn't include the summit permit.
Is there water on the GR 131 on Tenerife?: Not reliably between La Esperanza and El Portillo: the taps at picnic areas and camping zones are often marked not drinkable. Fill up in La Esperanza and Aguamansa and carry 2 to 3 liters.
When is the best time to hike across Tenerife?: By AEMET's averages, March to May and October to early November. December to February brings rain and cloud in Anaga and frost, snow and wind up high; summer is hot in the south and the season of highest fire risk.

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