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Across Tenerife: a still from my film

Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain · December 2024 · Solo

Across Tenerife

129.5 KM · 5 DAYS · 5,070 M

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

Watch the film 30:30 · 113K views

At a glance

Where
Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Distance
129.5 km (80.5 miles)
Days
5 walking days and a zero day, December 9 to 14, 2024
Climbing
About 16,640 ft (5,070 m) up and 15,120 ft (4,610 m) down
Difficulty
Long days with big climbs; well-marked trails and forest tracks, some steep and rough in Anaga
Route
Cruz del Carmen to Vilaflor
When I went
December 2024
Relief map of the Canary Islands route: 5 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Cruz del Carmen, Vilaflor and Pico Sur.
Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 45Highest 7,910 ft (2,411 m)

Elevation, start to finish: highest 7,910 ft (2,411 m), lowest 40 ft (13 m).

My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.

Everything I made about it

The film

Photos

  • The coast path on Anaga's north shore.
    The coast path on Anaga's north shore.
  • The Anaga mountains from my drone.
    The Anaga mountains from my drone.
  • Las Cañadas, the old caldera below Teide, from my drone, Day 4.
    Las Cañadas, the old caldera below Teide, from my drone, Day 4.
  • Teide from the trail up to the Degollada de Ucanca, Day 5.
    Teide from the trail up to the Degollada de Ucanca, Day 5.
A village on the cliffs of the Anaga coast, from my drone.
A village on the cliffs of the Anaga coast, from my drone.

The guide · 62-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition

Do it yourself

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

  • Where things stand
  • All five days
  • My GPX files
  • Camping, Teide and the rules
  • Bases, buses and a plan

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Music in this film

All music

What I'd take now

My current kit

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Short answers

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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