# Anaga Massif

Laurel forest at Cruz del Carmen, the El Pijaral permit, Taganana and the beaches of Roque de las Bodegas, 25–40 minutes from Santa Cruz by car or guagua.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/anaga-massif · Revisado: 2026-11-13

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.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Teide National Park (a 52.8 km), Teno and Masca (a 67.9 km), Agaete and the North-West of Gran Canaria (a 70.2 km), Tejeda and Roque Nublo (a 84.5 km)

## Qué hacer
- **El Pijaral, from La Ensillada to the Cabezo del Tejo** (2 h 30 · 6.4 km · With some fitness; individuals only, with authorisation · Free, with prior authorisation): El Pijaral is a strict nature reserve within the Anaga Rural Park, and one of the best examples of laurel forest in Tenerife: a sloping, damp forest with enormous ferns and moss-covered trunks. That is why access is regulated. You can only enter along one circular trail, from La Ensillada to the Cabezo del Tejo viewpoint and back, and only with prior authorisation from the Cabildo de Tenerife, which is free.
How to get the permit
It is processed on Tenerife ON, the Cabildo's portal for the island's nature, on the trail's own page:

Register free on Tenerife ON and log in.
Open the page for the La Ensillada - Cabezo de Tejo - La Ensillada trail.
Choose the day, the number of adults and children under 16, and the time slot.
Send the application and download the authorisation: there may be no signal in the area and they may ask to see it.

Places open at most 14 days ahead. Every Monday at 7:00, Canary Islands time, the following week's places are released; the days further away appear in grey. Weekends sell out, so log in on the Monday that applies.
Only individuals can apply. Organised tours by tourism companies or guides are not allowed: if anyone sells you a guided excursion to El Pijaral, be suspicious. The authorisation can be cancelled because of bad weather or a high risk of forest fire; check the alerts section of Tenerife ON the day before.
The route
It is a 6.44 km loop, 2 h 30 at an average pace and 574 m of accumulated ascent, between 758 and 896 m of altitude, with medium difficulty. You set off from the La Ensillada car park, on the ridge road that runs from El Bailadero to Chamorga, and the path takes you through the forest to the Cabezo del Tejo viewpoint, which looks out over Taganana and the north coast of the massif. It is marked with posts and signs bearing the name of the reserve.
Without a permit
If you cannot get a place, the Cabildo suggests two free alternatives in the same laurel forest: the Bosque de los Enigmas, from Cruz del Carmen, and the Pista de Las Hiedras, a flat 4.4 km forest track.
- **Sendero de los Sentidos at Cruz del Carmen** (35 min · 1.2 km · For everyone, including small children · Self-guided · free): The first and easiest taste of the Anaga laurel forest leaves from the Cruz del Carmen Visitor Centre along a stretch of the old royal road that linked the Anaga villages with La Laguna, and along the way panels with a nose, a hand or an eye invite you to smell, touch or look at something in the forest. It is the walk designed for anyone who arrives with small children, with little time or with no wish to walk far.
Déjate sorprender or Lo que encierra el Monteverde
The Cabildo has marked out two versions, one inside the other:

Sentidos 1, Déjate sorprender (Let yourself be surprised): circular, 0.96 km and 67 m of accumulated ascent. About 20 minutes. Very low difficulty by the MIDE method the Cabildo uses.
Sentidos 2, Lo que encierra el Monteverde (What the Monteverde holds): 1.24 km and 91 m of ascent; about 35 minutes. It includes the first and goes down a little further, to the Llano de los Loros viewpoint, with views of Santa Cruz and the Tahodio dam and ravine.

The ground is earth with the odd wooden step. With a pushchair it is awkward; with a baby carrier there is no problem. If the day is clear, do the second: the Llano de los Loros viewpoint is the reward, and in total it is only 91 m of ascent.
What the panels ask of you
The fun lies in following the drawings: each panel marks with its symbol which sense to use at that point and what to look for in the forest. With children it works like a treasure hunt: let them find the next panel and read what to do. Allow a little more than the 20 or 35 minutes if you stop at all of them.
The visitor centre, before or after
The Cruz del Carmen Visitor Centre is open every day from 9:30 to 16:00, and from July to September until 15:00. There they give you the day's trail conditions, and you have toilets and, next door, the Cruz del Carmen viewpoint, looking out towards La Laguna. If you are left wanting more, the Bosque de los Enigmas passes through here and stretches the walk to an hour and a half.
Getting there and parking
Cruz del Carmen is on the TF-12, at km 22.5, between Las Mercedes and El Bailadero, about 25 minutes from Santa Cruz by car. The visitor centre has parking, which fills up early at weekends: arrive before ten or go on a weekday. Without a car, TITSA lines 076 and 275 leave the La Laguna interchange and stop at Cruz del Carmen (stop 2232).
- **Bosque de los Enigmas from Cruz del Carmen** (1 h 40 · 4.8 km · Families with children who can already walk for an hour and a half · Self-guided · free): This is the laurel forest walk that the Cabildo suggests to anyone without a permit for El Pijaral: a self-guided circuit of about 5 km that can be started at the Zapata viewpoint or at Cruz del Carmen and that poses, in seven stops, questions about how the forest works. The Cabildo puts it at 1 h 40 at an easy pace and low difficulty; the leaflet from La Laguna Town Council warns of a short, steeper stretch with a risk of slipping.
Seven stops with a question
The idea is to walk, stopping where the leaflet tells you to. At the Zapata viewpoint it asks why on so many days you cannot see anything from there, and the answer is the sea of clouds that keeps the forest alive. Further on, an old laurel with fungi on the fallen trunks; a hollow cut into the rock where water was collected for the watering trough of the pack animals, next to an old forest rangers' house; the ridge, where the wind rules and the trees change to heathers and small-leaved yews; Cruz del Carmen, and the descent along the hillside to a small stream, from where an old zigzag path brings you back to the start. The answers are on the back of the leaflet, and the staff at the Cruz del Carmen Visitor Centre will sort out whatever is left.
Laurel, faya and viñátigo
The leaflet names the species you will see most: heather, faya, wild orange, laurel, hija and viñátigo, with trunks covered in moss and lichens hanging from the branches. If the trade wind blows, you will hear the branches creak and drops will fall on you even when it is not raining. It is a damp forest, in shade almost all year, a good route for a hot day on the coast. Part of the route coincides with the PR-TF 11 and PR-TF 12 trails, which descend to Punta del Hidalgo and Bajamar: follow the Bosque de los Enigmas signs so as not to stray.
Zapata or Cruz del Carmen
The official leaflet starts at the Zapata viewpoint, on the TF-143 road, with parking and a bus stop; the Cabildo describes it from Cruz del Carmen, on the TF-12. Cruz del Carmen has the visitor centre, toilets, a café and a restaurant, but its car park fills up early at weekends, and then Zapata is the alternative. From Santa Cruz it is about 25 minutes by car, or on TITSA buses 076 and 275 from the interchange. No booking or authorisation is needed.
If you want a guide
If you would rather have someone explain the forest, Senda Ecoway runs a walk with an official guide through this same laurel forest at Cruz del Carmen, followed by a meal at a guachinche. With small children, the Sendero de los Sentidos leaves from the same visitor centre and lasts less than half an hour.
- **Taganana and its interpretive trail** (1 h · 1.1 km · For everyone · Self-guided · free): Taganana is the big village of the northern slope of Anaga: white houses hanging in a valley closed in by mountains, terraced market gardens and, below, the sea. It lived from exporting sugar and wine, and that is the history told by the interpretive trail the Cabildo has marked out in the village: a 1.08 km circuit, half an hour at a strolling pace, with posts and panels. Its core lies within the Anaga Rural Park and some of its buildings are assets of cultural interest.
What to see
The centre of the village is the parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, where the path down from El Bailadero also ends. From there the walk goes up and down narrow streets and stairs between traditional houses, with views of the rock stacks that close off the valley. Allow an hour if you stop.
Getting there
By car, from Santa Cruz via San Andrés and the TF-12 to El Bailadero, and then the road that drops to Taganana: about 35 minutes. There is little room to park in the village; leave the car where it does not obstruct the locals. Without a car, TITSA bus 946 leaves the Santa Cruz interchange and passes through Taganana; on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays it leaves at 6:45, 9:10, 11:40, 14:15, 17:05 and 19:55, and takes about an hour to Almáciga.
What to combine it with
Walking down from El Bailadero along the Azanos path brings you right to the church. And ten minutes by car away is the beach at Roque de las Bodegas, with its eateries.
- **The Taganana coast, from Roque de las Bodegas to El Draguillo** (1 h 40 · 4.4 km · Almost everyone; with children, the first stretch to Almáciga · Self-guided · free): This is the path along Anaga's north coast: it leaves the hamlet of Roque de las Bodegas, opposite its black-sand beach, crosses market gardens to Almáciga beach, looks down on Benijo from its viewpoint and ends at El Draguillo, a hamlet with dragon trees and views of the whole coast of the massif. You come back the same way. The Cabildo gives it 4.44 km, 1 h 40 and low difficulty, with 365 m of ascent.
Benijo beach, closed
Santa Cruz Town Council closed access to Benijo beach as a precaution on 8 July 2024 because of rockfalls from the slope, and in 2026 it is still closed: the Local Police clear and fine anyone who goes down. The trail does not go down to the sand; look at it from the viewpoint. The Cabildo's information sheet also keeps a warning about rockfalls on the path.
In stages

Roque de las Bodegas – Almáciga. The shortest and flattest stretch, between farm plots. It is the one that works with children.
Almáciga – Benijo viewpoint. You climb above the coast until you see Benijo beach and the rocks in the water.
Benijo – El Draguillo. More solitary, with the north coast of the massif ahead of you. From El Draguillo the PR-TF 6 leaves for Chamorga, much harder.

Getting there
Take the TF-12 from San Andrés to El Bailadero and then the road that drops to Taganana and continues along the coast: about 35 minutes from Santa Cruz. There is parking beside the Roque de las Bodegas beach, scarce in summer and on Sundays. Without a car, TITSA bus 946 reaches Almáciga from the Santa Cruz interchange in a little over an hour; at weekends and public holidays it returns from Almáciga at 7:55, 10:15, 12:45, 15:30, 18:10 and 21:00.
- **From Chamorga to the Anaga Lighthouse via Tafada** (3 h 20 · 2.8 km · Experienced walkers; out and back or circular with the PR-TF 6 · Self-guided · free): Chamorga is the easternmost hamlet of the massif, at the end of the road, and from it leaves the only trail on the island that reaches the Anaga Lighthouse. The PR-TF 6.1 climbs the El Pilón crag, crosses the Paso de la Burra, climbs stone steps to the ruins of the hamlet of Tafada and drops to the lighthouse, with the Anaga rocks and Roque Bermejo at your feet. It is 2.78 km each way, 1 h 40, with 211 m of ascent and 412 m of descent. Medium difficulty.
Out and back or circular
The simplest thing is to return the same way: allow 3 h 30 including the climb back. Those who want more can close the loop along the PR-TF 6, which descends to Roque Bermejo and climbs back up the ravine to Chamorga; it is a high-difficulty trail with big height differences. Check the status of each section on Tenerife ON before setting out.
Sun and water
The Cabildo warns that it is a path with almost no shade. Set off early, with a cap, sun cream and at least a litre and a half of water per person. Do not count on buying anything in Chamorga or at the lighthouse.
Getting there
By car, take the TF-12 to El Bailadero and the ridge road to Chamorga: about 45 minutes from Santa Cruz, on a narrow, winding road. You park at the entrance to the hamlet. Without a car, TITSA bus 947 leaves the Santa Cruz interchange; at weekends and public holidays at 7:00, 10:15, 15:00 and 18:25, and returns from Chamorga at 8:20, 11:45, 16:30 and 19:55. It takes about 80 minutes. Take the 7:00 and come back on the 11:45 or the 16:30.
- **Descent from El Bailadero to Taganana via Azanos** (1 h 40 · 3.1 km · With good knees; almost all downhill · Self-guided · free): The old path that drops from the El Bailadero pass to the village is the classic way to reach Taganana on foot. It is 3.05 km, 1 h 40 and 630 m of descent for only 110 m of ascent, according to the Cabildo's information sheet for the PR-TF 4 trail. It is almost all downhill, with no technical sections, but with loose stone and steps that are hard on the knees.
From Roque del Valle to the Azanos district
You start at the hamlet of El Bailadero, on the ridge road, and soon skirt the bulk of the Roque del Valle. The path crosses the TF-134 road near the Roque de Amogoje, with Taganana and the hamlet of El Campanario ahead, crosses it twice more lower down and enters the village through the Azanos district. It ends beside the parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, in the centre, where the Taganana interpretive trail also starts, another half hour's stroll round the village if you feel like it.
Perfect without a car
TITSA bus 946 leaves the Santa Cruz interchange, passes through San Andrés and the El Bailadero junction and drops to Taganana and Almáciga. You can get off at the top, walk the path and catch it again in Taganana or on the coast. At weekends and public holidays it leaves Santa Cruz at 6:45, 9:10, 11:40, 14:15, 17:05 and 19:55, and passes through Taganana on the way back at 8:00, 10:20, 12:50, 15:35, 18:15 and 21:05. With the 9:10 you reach Taganana mid-morning and have plenty of time for lunch. Ask the driver for the El Bailadero junction stop. From La Laguna, line 077 reaches El Bailadero via Cruz del Carmen, with few services: at weekends it leaves La Laguna at 10:00 and 18:40.
By car
If you go by car, the path forces you to climb back up: either you do it out and back (with 630 m of ascent on the way back, allow double the time) or you leave one car below. The other option is to park in Taganana, take the 946 up to El Bailadero and walk down. There is little room in Taganana: leave the car where it does not obstruct the locals.
And then, the sea
From Taganana, the coast at Roque de las Bodegas is a few minutes by car or on the same 946. There are the restaurants La Ola and Casa África, and from there the coastal walk to El Draguillo begins.
- **Afur, Tamadite beach and Taganana on the PR-TF 8** (8 h 30 · 14.3 km · Experienced walkers with a full day · Self-guided · free): This is the great circular route of the northern slope of Anaga: it leaves from the square of the hamlet of Afur, goes down its ravine almost to Tamadite beach, climbs hard to the hamlet of El Chorro and Taganana and returns by the Monte de Las Vueltas and the Camino de Inchirés. The Cabildo gives 14.31 km and 1,600 m of accumulated ascent, about 8 h 30 at an average pace and medium difficulty by the MIDE method; Turismo de Tenerife, with a different track of the same circuit, estimates about 7 hours. It touches the sea and climbs to around 860 m, so allow a whole day and legs for it.
From the Afur ravine to the sea
The first part is the most rewarding. From the square at Afur the path goes down by the Era del Camino and enters the ravine, which carries running water for much of the year, and ends almost at Tamadite, a beach at the foot of the cliffs with no services. Swimming only makes sense with a calm sea: the north of Anaga receives swell and here there is nobody to warn.
The climb to El Chorro and Taganana
From the beach rises the slope that gives the route its fame: the path scrambles up the hillside to the hamlet of El Chorro, with the Atlantic at your back, and continues to Taganana. It is the hardest stretch of the route. In Taganana, halfway round, stands the parish church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves; if your strength will not stretch any further, the 946 bus to Santa Cruz leaves from there.
The return via Las Vueltas and Inchirés
From Taganana the path climbs again through the Monte de Las Vueltas to the forest house, and from there descends the Camino de Inchirés back to Afur. This is the part where the accumulated tiredness shows and the one that drags on longest if you set out late.
Short version
If you do not have the whole day, do only the descent through the Afur ravine to Tamadite and come back the same way. It is the prettiest stretch and you save yourself the climb to Taganana. Allow plenty of time: the return is all uphill.
Afur by car or on the 076
By car, take the TF-12 to the Afur junction, past Cruz del Carmen and Casas de la Cumbre, and then the road that drops to the hamlet; about 45 minutes from Santa Cruz. Without a car, TITSA line 076 leaves the La Laguna interchange, passes through Cruz del Carmen and reaches Afur in a little over an hour. At weekends it leaves La Laguna at 7:00 and returns from Afur at 14:45 and 17:45: the midday one does not leave time for the full circuit.
- **Guided walk through the Cruz del Carmen laurel forest and lunch at a guachinche** (5 h · Couples, friends and families; low intensity · Desde 65 € per person): If you want someone to tell you about the laurel forest, this is the plan. Senda Ecoway, an active-tourism company registered in the Canary Islands for hiking, organises a morning at Cruz del Carmen with an official local guide: about two hours of gentle walking through the forest and, at the end, a long lunch at a guachinche, the traditional eatery of northern Tenerife. In all it adds up to about five hours.
The two hours in the monteverde
You meet at 9:30 at Cruz del Carmen, in the heart of the Anaga Biosphere Reserve. The guide starts with an explanation at one of the viewpoints in the area and then enters the forest along a low-difficulty trail, stopping at ravines and rock formations and to look at the flora and fauna of the laurel forest. The route is done in Spanish or English. You do not need to be fit: the company classifies it as low intensity, and it suits couples, groups of friends and families who walk without hurrying.
Three hours at the guachinche
After the walk comes the other half, which lasts longer than the first: about three hours at the table. The meal changes according to the guachinche that day; the company mentions gofio, carne fiesta (marinated pork), chicharros (horse mackerel), quesillo (a flan-like dessert) and local wine, and papas arrugadas with mojo, fresh fish or chargrilled meat. The meal is optional: if you do not stay, the plan is reduced to the walk.
What is included and what is not
It includes the official local guide, the walk through the laurel forest, the meal at the local restaurant if you choose it, and carbon-footprint offsetting. Transport to Cruz del Carmen is not included: if you need it, ask by WhatsApp or email when booking. If you go on your own, Cruz del Carmen is on the TF-12, about 25 minutes from Santa Cruz by car, with parking beside the visitor centre that fills up early at weekends; TITSA buses 076 and 275 climb from the La Laguna interchange. The website gives a price from €65 per person.
Minimum four and three days' notice

A minimum of 4 people is needed. If the group is not filled, they offer you a private tour or a change of date, and if that does not suit you, they refund everything.
Book at least 3 days ahead.
In general you can cancel up to 72 hours before; after that there is no refund.
Bring comfortable walking clothes, suitable footwear, sun cream, water and a camera, which is what the company asks for.

If you prefer to go on your own
You can walk the same forest without a guide on the Bosque de los Enigmas, a self-guided circuit of about 5 km, or on the Sendero de los Sentidos, which takes less than half an hour. What you miss is the explanation and the table.

## Dónde comer
- **Playa Casa África restaurant, at Roque de las Bodegas** (Restaurant, Roque de las Bodegas, €€). Qué pedir: the fish of the day, fried or sancochado (boiled), which is charged by weight, or the fish churros with alioli; for dessert, quesillo.
- **La Ola, by the sea at Roque de las Bodegas** (Restaurant, Roque de las Bodegas, €€). Qué pedir: the caramelised octopus or the Taganana baby squid; if you fancy something different, the cod cannelloni in prawn sauce.
- **Nómada restaurant, in La Laguna Gran Hotel** (Restaurant, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, €€€). Qué pedir: tartare, carpaccio or the fish of the day; ask what is in season.

## By car: By car along the TF-12, from La Laguna to Chamorga
Anaga is crossed by a single ridge road, the TF-12, which climbs from La Laguna via Las Mercedes and Cruz del Carmen and from Santa Cruz via San Andrés, and the two meet at El Bailadero. From there the roads drop to Taganana and the coast, and the one to Chamorga continues. The roads are narrow and winding: allow more time than the maps say. The budget includes a bed at the hostel or a hotel in La Laguna, a meal and petrol.
Presupuesto orientativo: 45–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Albergue Montes de Anaga, at El Bailadero** (Hostel, desde 20 € / bed): Sleeping inside the park
The Albergue Montes de Anaga is the way to spend the night in the heart of the Rural Park, at El Bailadero, the pass where the roads to Taganana and Chamorga part. It is 800 metres from the TF-12 junction along the TF-123, about 35 minutes by car from Santa Cruz and 45 from La Laguna. It has nine rooms for two, four or six people, named after hamlets of the area: Afur, Taganana, Las Carboneras, Chamorga, Chinamada, Los Batanes, Roque Bermejo, Taborno and Almáciga. There is heating, which is welcome up here, a television room and a dining room with glass walls. It is adapted for people with disabilities.
Prices and how it works
The published rate is €20 per person per night, IGIC (Canary Islands tax) included, and €40 for the Afur room, a double with its own bathroom; residents of the Canary Islands pay less and there is a group price. Sheets are included and towels can be hired. It no longer serves meals: instead, you can use the kitchen for €2 per person and hire the terrace barbecue for €30. Bring your shopping from Santa Cruz or San Andrés, because there are no shops up here. The booking is paid in full when you make it. You must give notice of your arrival time, between 14:00 and 18:00, and leave the room between 8:00 and 10:00. Pets are not allowed.
Getting there
By car, from Santa Cruz towards San Andrés, the El Bailadero roundabout and Taganana, the TF-12 and the TF-123 turn-off; parking is free. Without a car, TITSA buses 946 and 947 from the Santa Cruz interchange, or the 077 from La Laguna via Las Mercedes and Cruz del Carmen, which at weekends leaves at 10:00. From the door you can walk down to Taganana along the Azanos path, and by car you are ten minutes from La Ensillada, where El Pijaral begins.
- **Hotel Aguere, in the centre of La Laguna** (Small hotel): The Aguere occupies an 18th-century noble house on Calle Obispo Rey Redondo, opposite the Teatro Leal, in the heart of La Laguna's historic centre. It has 22 rooms around a Canarian patio covered by a glass roof, and today it is run by the Rosa Hotels group. It has operated as a hotel since 1885, and both the Cabildo de Tenerife and La Laguna Town Council have awarded it their gold medal, the latter for a century of historic trading.
From a Lima-born captain's house to the 1885 hotel
According to the house itself, it was built in 1760 by Cesáreo de la Torre y Ceballos, born in Lima, captain of Güímar and a member of the Real Sociedad Económica de La Laguna. It was later the residence of the Bishop of Tenerife Luis Folgueras and a residential college of the Instituto de Canarias, before becoming a hotel. The building is protected as historic-artistic heritage, and what you notice most on entering is the patio, with the light falling from the glass roof onto the galleries.
The patio of Café Aguere
In that patio is the Café Aguere, open also to people who are not staying at the hotel: coffee, breakfasts, afternoon snacks and artisan cakes. The website does not publish opening hours or say whether breakfast is included in the rate; check when booking in its booking engine, where each option is chosen.
Standard or superior
The 22 rooms are of two types. The standard rooms have a 1.80 m bed or two 1.05 m beds, free wifi, heating, a work desk, television and safe, with a marble bathroom, hairdryer, magnifying mirror and toiletries. The superior rooms join two 1.05 m mattresses into one large bed, add a telephone and a safe that fits a laptop, and face the street. They are classic rooms, decorated with nods to the city's aristocracy: the air of an old house rather than design. The website gives no floor areas, maximum occupancy or rules on cots or pets; ask at reservas@hotelaguere.es or on 922 31 40 36, where they speak Spanish, English and German.
For getting to Anaga
La Laguna is the western gateway to Anaga: from here you climb via Las Mercedes to Cruz del Carmen in about 25 minutes. Without a car, the La Laguna interchange, from where buses 076 and 275 go to Cruz del Carmen and the 077 to El Bailadero, is a walk from the hotel, and the tram takes you to Santa Cruz. For dinner nearby, Nómada is about 500 m away, on Calle Nava y Grimón. In the centre parking is difficult: the website does not mention its own garage, so ask when booking where to leave the car.
- **La Laguna Gran Hotel** (Hotel): La Laguna Gran Hotel is a four-star hotel with 123 rooms that joins an 18th-century noble house to a modern annex, on Calle Nava y Grimón, on the edge of La Laguna's historic centre. What sets it apart is the fourth-floor roof: a 22-metre pool, gym and terrace with a view over the city's rooftops. The pool opens seasonally; pool and gym run from 9:00 to 21:00.
The 1776 house and the tobacco factory
In the lobby the year 1776 is still engraved beside the name Guerra y Hoyo: it was the house of Fernando Guerra y Hoyo Solórzano, an enlightened nobleman who held gatherings there. Later it was a teacher-training school and, in the mid-20th century, the Don Álvaro tobacco factory; a small museum beside reception remembers those who worked in it. It opened as a hotel in 2017, after the house and its patios were restored.
From the Noble to the Royal Suite
The rooms range from 25 to 60 m². The Deluxe, at 26 m², are of contemporary design and almost all have a bath; the Deluxe with Terrace add a landscaped terrace with table and chairs. The Noble, at 25 m², keep the character of the old house, with pine ceilings and floors and classic furniture. For three people there is the Executive, at 35 m², with a sofa bed. Above that are Junior Suites with a terrace, Noble Suites with hipped wooden ceilings and two large suites, the Iconic, with an outdoor bath on its terrace, and the Royal, at 60 m². All have wifi, air conditioning, safe, minibar, kettle with coffee and tea, desk and access to the pool and gym.
Breakfast, Verodes and Nómada
Breakfast is a buffet in the Verodes restaurant, from 7:30 to 10:30 every day; if you leave early for the mountains, they provide a takeaway breakfast. Verodes serves lunch from 13:00 to 16:00 and dinner from 19:30 to 23:00 with modern Canarian cooking, and the market restaurant Nómada has a street entrance and opens on Sunday at midday. There is also a café in the patio, a wine bar and brunch.
Bikes, luggage and families
24-hour reception, room service, a pillow menu, laundry with a minimum of 48 hours and free luggage storage before check-in and after check-out. It has the Cycling Friendly label, with bike racks, a workshop with tools and an area for washing bikes and charging electric ones, useful if you come to cycle the Anaga roads. There are adapted rooms, a free cot for under-twos and transfers to Tenerife North and South airports on request. Pets are not allowed. The website does not give check-in and check-out times or say whether there is its own parking: ask when booking.
25 minutes from Cruz del Carmen
It is a good base if you want to alternate city and mountains: Cruz del Carmen is about 25 minutes by car via Las Mercedes, and the La Laguna interchange, with buses to Cruz del Carmen, Afur and El Bailadero, is a walk away. The tram takes you to Santa Cruz.

## Car-free: Car-free, by bus from Santa Cruz and La Laguna
Anaga is one of the few natural areas of Tenerife that can be done well by bus. From the Santa Cruz interchange, the 946 goes to Taganana and Almáciga and the 947 to Chamorga; from La Laguna, which you reach by tram, the 076, the 275 and the 077 climb to Cruz del Carmen. There are few departures, so the plan is made with the timetable in front of you. The budget covers one bed, one meal and the tickets.
Presupuesto orientativo: 40–95 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Albergue Montes de Anaga, at El Bailadero** (Hostel, desde 20 € / bed): Sleeping inside the park
The Albergue Montes de Anaga is the way to spend the night in the heart of the Rural Park, at El Bailadero, the pass where the roads to Taganana and Chamorga part. It is 800 metres from the TF-12 junction along the TF-123, about 35 minutes by car from Santa Cruz and 45 from La Laguna. It has nine rooms for two, four or six people, named after hamlets of the area: Afur, Taganana, Las Carboneras, Chamorga, Chinamada, Los Batanes, Roque Bermejo, Taborno and Almáciga. There is heating, which is welcome up here, a television room and a dining room with glass walls. It is adapted for people with disabilities.
Prices and how it works
The published rate is €20 per person per night, IGIC (Canary Islands tax) included, and €40 for the Afur room, a double with its own bathroom; residents of the Canary Islands pay less and there is a group price. Sheets are included and towels can be hired. It no longer serves meals: instead, you can use the kitchen for €2 per person and hire the terrace barbecue for €30. Bring your shopping from Santa Cruz or San Andrés, because there are no shops up here. The booking is paid in full when you make it. You must give notice of your arrival time, between 14:00 and 18:00, and leave the room between 8:00 and 10:00. Pets are not allowed.
Getting there
By car, from Santa Cruz towards San Andrés, the El Bailadero roundabout and Taganana, the TF-12 and the TF-123 turn-off; parking is free. Without a car, TITSA buses 946 and 947 from the Santa Cruz interchange, or the 077 from La Laguna via Las Mercedes and Cruz del Carmen, which at weekends leaves at 10:00. From the door you can walk down to Taganana along the Azanos path, and by car you are ten minutes from La Ensillada, where El Pijaral begins.
- **Hotel Aguere, in the centre of La Laguna** (Small hotel): The Aguere occupies an 18th-century noble house on Calle Obispo Rey Redondo, opposite the Teatro Leal, in the heart of La Laguna's historic centre. It has 22 rooms around a Canarian patio covered by a glass roof, and today it is run by the Rosa Hotels group. It has operated as a hotel since 1885, and both the Cabildo de Tenerife and La Laguna Town Council have awarded it their gold medal, the latter for a century of historic trading.
From a Lima-born captain's house to the 1885 hotel
According to the house itself, it was built in 1760 by Cesáreo de la Torre y Ceballos, born in Lima, captain of Güímar and a member of the Real Sociedad Económica de La Laguna. It was later the residence of the Bishop of Tenerife Luis Folgueras and a residential college of the Instituto de Canarias, before becoming a hotel. The building is protected as historic-artistic heritage, and what you notice most on entering is the patio, with the light falling from the glass roof onto the galleries.
The patio of Café Aguere
In that patio is the Café Aguere, open also to people who are not staying at the hotel: coffee, breakfasts, afternoon snacks and artisan cakes. The website does not publish opening hours or say whether breakfast is included in the rate; check when booking in its booking engine, where each option is chosen.
Standard or superior
The 22 rooms are of two types. The standard rooms have a 1.80 m bed or two 1.05 m beds, free wifi, heating, a work desk, television and safe, with a marble bathroom, hairdryer, magnifying mirror and toiletries. The superior rooms join two 1.05 m mattresses into one large bed, add a telephone and a safe that fits a laptop, and face the street. They are classic rooms, decorated with nods to the city's aristocracy: the air of an old house rather than design. The website gives no floor areas, maximum occupancy or rules on cots or pets; ask at reservas@hotelaguere.es or on 922 31 40 36, where they speak Spanish, English and German.
For getting to Anaga
La Laguna is the western gateway to Anaga: from here you climb via Las Mercedes to Cruz del Carmen in about 25 minutes. Without a car, the La Laguna interchange, from where buses 076 and 275 go to Cruz del Carmen and the 077 to El Bailadero, is a walk from the hotel, and the tram takes you to Santa Cruz. For dinner nearby, Nómada is about 500 m away, on Calle Nava y Grimón. In the centre parking is difficult: the website does not mention its own garage, so ask when booking where to leave the car.
- **La Laguna Gran Hotel** (Hotel): La Laguna Gran Hotel is a four-star hotel with 123 rooms that joins an 18th-century noble house to a modern annex, on Calle Nava y Grimón, on the edge of La Laguna's historic centre. What sets it apart is the fourth-floor roof: a 22-metre pool, gym and terrace with a view over the city's rooftops. The pool opens seasonally; pool and gym run from 9:00 to 21:00.
The 1776 house and the tobacco factory
In the lobby the year 1776 is still engraved beside the name Guerra y Hoyo: it was the house of Fernando Guerra y Hoyo Solórzano, an enlightened nobleman who held gatherings there. Later it was a teacher-training school and, in the mid-20th century, the Don Álvaro tobacco factory; a small museum beside reception remembers those who worked in it. It opened as a hotel in 2017, after the house and its patios were restored.
From the Noble to the Royal Suite
The rooms range from 25 to 60 m². The Deluxe, at 26 m², are of contemporary design and almost all have a bath; the Deluxe with Terrace add a landscaped terrace with table and chairs. The Noble, at 25 m², keep the character of the old house, with pine ceilings and floors and classic furniture. For three people there is the Executive, at 35 m², with a sofa bed. Above that are Junior Suites with a terrace, Noble Suites with hipped wooden ceilings and two large suites, the Iconic, with an outdoor bath on its terrace, and the Royal, at 60 m². All have wifi, air conditioning, safe, minibar, kettle with coffee and tea, desk and access to the pool and gym.
Breakfast, Verodes and Nómada
Breakfast is a buffet in the Verodes restaurant, from 7:30 to 10:30 every day; if you leave early for the mountains, they provide a takeaway breakfast. Verodes serves lunch from 13:00 to 16:00 and dinner from 19:30 to 23:00 with modern Canarian cooking, and the market restaurant Nómada has a street entrance and opens on Sunday at midday. There is also a café in the patio, a wine bar and brunch.
Bikes, luggage and families
24-hour reception, room service, a pillow menu, laundry with a minimum of 48 hours and free luggage storage before check-in and after check-out. It has the Cycling Friendly label, with bike racks, a workshop with tools and an area for washing bikes and charging electric ones, useful if you come to cycle the Anaga roads. There are adapted rooms, a free cot for under-twos and transfers to Tenerife North and South airports on request. Pets are not allowed. The website does not give check-in and check-out times or say whether there is its own parking: ask when booking.
25 minutes from Cruz del Carmen
It is a good base if you want to alternate city and mountains: Cruz del Carmen is about 25 minutes by car via Las Mercedes, and the La Laguna interchange, with buses to Cruz del Carmen, Afur and El Bailadero, is a walk away. The tram takes you to Santa Cruz.

## As a family: A short laurel forest walk in the morning, black beach afterwards

Anaga works for families if you choose well: up high, short shaded walks through the Cruz del Carmen laurel forest; down below, the village of Taganana and the coast of Roque de las Bodegas. Leave the long and steep, the PR-TF 8 or the lighthouse, for another time.

### What works best
The Sendero de los Sentidos, 20 to 35 minutes, with panels for smelling and touching

The Bosque de los Enigmas, 4.8 km and 1 h 40, circular

The coastal walk from Roque de las Bodegas to Almáciga

The guided walk with lunch at a guachinche, from €65 per person, minimum four

### Sleeping
Albergue Montes de Anaga, with rooms for 4 and 6 and a kitchen

La Laguna Gran Hotel, with a rooftop pool in season and a free cot

### Eating
Casa África, at Roque de las Bodegas, with a large terrace; no bookings

Bring water and something to eat up high: there are few places on the ridge

### Bear in mind
At Cruz del Carmen it is several degrees cooler than on the coast: bring a coat

Benijo beach is closed because of rockfalls

The roads have a lot of bends: beware if anyone gets travel-sick

### Qué hacer as a family
- Sendero de los Sentidos at Cruz del Carmen
- Bosque de los Enigmas from Cruz del Carmen
- Taganana and its interpretive trail
- The Taganana coast, from Roque de las Bodegas to El Draguillo
- Guided walk through the Cruz del Carmen laurel forest and lunch at a guachinche

## With young children: Half-hour walks and a village with stairs

With small children, Anaga is about short walks: half an hour in the forest and half an hour in Taganana make a whole morning. The paths are earth with steps, better with a baby carrier than a pushchair.

### What works best
Sendero de los Sentidos 1, 0.96 km and about 20 minutes, from the visitor centre

The Taganana interpretive trail, 1 km among houses and stairs

The first stretch of the coast, from Roque de las Bodegas to Almáciga, flat and among gardens

### Sleeping
La Laguna Gran Hotel: free cot for ages 0 to 2

Albergue Montes de Anaga, if you are happy to share a kitchen and bathroom

### Eating
Casa África, with simple dishes such as omelette, potatoes or fish churros

### Bear in mind
The visitor centre has toilets; there are none on the trails

On the north coast the sea breaks hard: watch the children at the water's edge

### Qué hacer with young children
- Sendero de los Sentidos at Cruz del Carmen
- Taganana and its interpretive trail
- The Taganana coast, from Roque de las Bodegas to El Draguillo

## With teenagers: A forest with a permit and a lighthouse at the edge of the map

For teenagers, Anaga has real challenges: a forest you can enter only with a permit, a 600-metre descent to a village and a lighthouse you can reach only on foot.

### What works best
El Pijaral: 6.4 km with Cabildo authorisation; let them request it on Monday at 7:00

From Chamorga to the Anaga Lighthouse, 2.8 km each way with no shade, with Roque Bermejo below

From El Bailadero to Taganana on foot and back by bus

The Bosque de los Enigmas, with questions about the forest on each panel

### Sleeping
Albergue Montes de Anaga, with shared rooms in the middle of the park

### Eating
Fish and octopus at Roque de las Bodegas when the route is done

### Bear in mind
The El Pijaral permit admits up to three under-16s per booking

In summer, the routes at the tip of Anaga are done at dawn

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- El Pijaral, from La Ensillada to the Cabezo del Tejo
- Bosque de los Enigmas from Cruz del Carmen
- The Taganana coast, from Roque de las Bodegas to El Draguillo
- From Chamorga to the Anaga Lighthouse via Tafada
- Descent from El Bailadero to Taganana via Azanos

## Consejos

### Check the guagua timetable before going down
The last 946 leaves Almáciga at 21:00 at weekends, but there are almost three hours between some services.

### Bring a waterproof layer even if it is sunny in Santa Cruz
At Cruz del Carmen and El Bailadero the mist arrives within minutes.

### Book El Pijaral on Monday
Places are published at 7:00 and weekend ones go quickly.

### Start early
The summit and coastal car parks fill up on Sundays by mid-morning.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Santa Cruz to Anaga?
About 25 minutes by car to Cruz del Carmen and about 35 to Taganana and the coast. By guagua, an hour to Almáciga on the 946.

### Do you have to pay to enter Anaga?
No. The park is freely accessible. Only El Pijaral and the path from La Asomada to the Cruz de Afur need authorisation, which is free.

### How do you get the El Pijaral permit?
On Tenerife ON, the Cabildo's website, with a registered user account, up to 14 days in advance. Places are released on Mondays at 7:00.

### Can you visit Anaga without a car?
Yes. The 946 and 947 guaguas leave from the Santa Cruz interchange, and the 076, 275 and 077 from La Laguna.

### Which route is best with children?
The Sendero de los Sentidos at Cruz del Carmen, 20 to 35 minutes, and the interpretive path at Taganana.

### Is Benijo beach open?
No. It has been closed because of rockfalls since July 2024.

### Where can you sleep inside the park?
At the Albergue Montes de Anaga, in El Bailadero.