Anaga Massif, laurel forest on the summit and black beaches below.

Anaga is the north-eastern tip of Tenerife: a massif of sharp ridges and ravines that drop to the sea, with the island's largest laurel forest on the summit and hamlets hanging from the slopes. It is a Rural Park and Biosphere Reserve, and takes up roughly 7% of the island. What is surprising is how close it is: from Santa Cruz you are on the summit in half an hour, and you can reach almost everything by guagua. It can be seen in a day; with a night in El Bailadero or La Laguna you can take in the forest and the coast without rushing.

How do you get there from Santa Cruz?

There are two entrances. From the west, from La Laguna, the TF-12 climbs through the Las Mercedes forest to Cruz del Carmen: about 25 minutes from Santa Cruz. From the south, from Santa Cruz you head for San Andrés and at the roundabout take the road to El Bailadero and Taganana: about 35 minutes to the Roque de las Bodegas coast. The two join at El Bailadero, from where the descent to Taganana and the summit road to Chamorga, about 20 minutes more, set off. These are mountain roads, narrow and with many bends: map times fall short.

You can also do it without a car. From the Santa Cruz interchange leave the 946, which passes the El Bailadero junction, Taganana and Almáciga in an hour, and the 947, which climbs to Chamorga in about 80 minutes. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the 946 leaves at 6:45, 9:10, 11:40, 14:15, 17:05 and 19:55, and the 947 at 7:00, 10:15, 15:00 and 18:25. From La Laguna, which you reach by tram, the 076, 275 and 077 climb to Cruz del Carmen; the 076 continues to Afur and the 077 to El Bailadero. With so few departures, you plan the day with the timetable in hand.

Where to park

At Cruz del Carmen, in the visitor centre car park, which fills up mid-morning on Sundays. On the coast, next to the Roque de las Bodegas beach, with few spaces. In Taganana and Chamorga you park at the entrance to the village, without getting in the neighbours' way. For El Pijaral, at La Ensillada, on the summit road. The rule is the same across the massif: arrive before 10:00 or come by guagua.

Do you need a permit for El Pijaral?

Yes. El Pijaral is a strict nature reserve within the park, and its only path, the 6.4 km circular from La Ensillada to Cabezo del Tejo, requires prior authorisation from the Cabildo de Tenerife. It is free and is requested on the Tenerife ON portal, with your user account, up to 14 days in advance: places for the following week are released every Monday at 7:00. Only individuals can request it; companies and guides cannot do this route. You must carry the downloaded authorisation. If you can't get a place, the Cabildo suggests the Bosque de los Enigmas from Cruz del Carmen, which has free access and the same laurel forest. In Anaga the path from La Asomada to the Cruz de Afur, in the Monte Aguirre exclusion zone, also needs a permit; the rest of the paths are freely accessible.

What to do in a day

Laurel forest and coast. In the morning, Cruz del Carmen: the Sendero de los Sentidos if you are with children, the Bosque de los Enigmas if you want an hour and a half of forest. Then the road to El Bailadero and the descent to Taganana, with its church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves. Fish lunch at Roque de las Bodegas and, to walk it off, the coast path to Almáciga and the Benijo viewpoint.

On foot and by guagua. The 9:10 946 drops you at the El Bailadero junction. You walk down to Taganana along the Azanos path, about 3 km mostly downhill, continue to the coast, have lunch and return on the 15:30 or 18:10 guagua from Almáciga.

The tip. The 947 or the car to Chamorga, the hamlet at the end of the road, and from there the Tafada path to the Anaga Lighthouse, without shade and with Roque Bermejo below. It is for people who walk.

When to go

All year, but not every day is the same. The northern trade wind often leaves the summit wrapped in cloud, which is what keeps the laurel forest alive: up there it is several degrees cooler than in Santa Cruz and your clothes get wet even without rain. Mornings are usually clearer. From October to April the forest is at its best and the coast routes can be done without heat; winter brings more rain, and in heavy rain don't enter the ravines. In summer, the coast and the tip only at dawn. Before setting out, check the alerts on Tenerife ON: paths are closed and permits cancelled for bad weather or fire risk.

Can you swim at Benijo?

No. Benijo beach has been closed because of rockfalls since 8 July 2024 and Santa Cruz City Council fines anyone who goes down. You can see it from the viewpoint on the coast path. The Roque de las Bodegas and Almáciga beaches are still the ones on this coast, with a northern sea that breaks hard: swim only when the sea is calm.

Where to stay and eat

Inside the park, the Albergue Montes de Anaga, in El Bailadero, with shared rooms from €20 per person and a kitchen for guests. With more services, in La Laguna, half an hour from Cruz del Carmen: the Hotel Aguere, in an 18th-century house in the old town, or La Laguna Gran Hotel, with a rooftop pool. For eating, the fish at Roque de las Bodegas, at Casa África or La Ola, and in La Laguna, the Nómada restaurant. Up on the summit there are few places: bring water and something to eat.