Albergue Montes de Anaga, at El Bailadero
Why we like it: The only hostel inside the Anaga Rural Park: nine rooms for 2 to 6 people at El Bailadero, a kitchen for guests and free parking.
From €20
View details
Duration1 night
From Santa Cruz25–40 min by car
Best timeOctober – May
Budget€110–170 pp
Getting thereBy car; by bus, with the 946 and 947
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to go up on Saturday morning and sleep at El Bailadero. Before leaving, request the El Pijaral permit on Tenerife ON on the Monday of the previous week, book the Senda Ecoway guided walk three days ahead and a bed at the Albergue Montes de Anaga, and buy groceries for dinner.
Saturday
- 19:30Guided laurel forest at Cruz del Carmen
A walk of about two hours with an official Senda Ecoway guide and lunch at a guachinche. From €65, minimum four people and booking three days ahead. Without a group, do the Sendero de los Sentidos and the Bosque de los Enigmas on your own.
- 216:00From El Bailadero to Taganana and back
Leave your things at the hostel and go down the Azanos path towards Taganana; if you do not want to climb 600 m back up, go as far as the Roque de Amogoje and return.
- 320:00Dinner at the hostel
With groceries bought in Santa Cruz or San Andrés: there are no shops up there.
Sunday
- 18:30El Pijaral
Ten minutes by car to La Ensillada. A 6.4 km loop and 2 h 30 to the Cabezo del Tejo viewpoint, with a permit.
- 211:30Taganana
Go down to the village and walk the interpreted trail, a kilometre among houses and the church.
- 313:00Fish at Casa África
At the Roque de las Bodegas, sold by weight and no booking. Open Wednesday to Sunday until 18:00.
- 415:00The coast path
From the Roque de las Bodegas to Almáciga and the Benijo viewpoint. Back to Santa Cruz via San Andrés in about 35 minutes.
Anaga is half an hour from Santa Cruz, which is why almost everyone sees it in a day and goes back. Staying a night inside, at El Bailadero, changes the plan: on Sunday you are ten minutes from La Ensillada when El Pijaral opens, before the mist arrives and before anyone else, and you go down to the coast for lunch with the morning already done.
Where to sleep?
At the Albergue Montes de Anaga, the only accommodation inside the park: nine rooms for two to six people at El Bailadero, from €20 per person per night, with heating and free parking. It does not serve meals, but you can use the kitchen for €2 and rent the terrace barbecue. If you prefer a hotel, in La Laguna, half an hour from Cruz del Carmen, there are the Hotel Aguere, in an 18th-century house in the old town, and La Laguna Gran Hotel, with a rooftop pool; from there El Pijaral is about 45 minutes away.
How do you get El Pijaral?
With a free authorisation from the Cabildo, on Tenerife ON. Places are published on Mondays at 7:00 for the following week, up to 14 days ahead, and only for individuals: you cannot go with a company or a guide. Download the permit, because there is not always a signal at the top. If there is no place, on Sunday morning do the Bosque de los Enigmas from Cruz del Carmen.
Getting around
By car is the most convenient: El Bailadero is about 35 minutes from Santa Cruz via San Andrés, and from there to La Ensillada, Taganana or Chamorga it is ten to twenty minutes. Without a car, swap El Pijaral for the route from Chamorga to the Anaga Lighthouse: bus 947 stops at El Bailadero and goes up to Chamorga at 10:15 at weekends; the rest of the plan works with the 946.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Anaga Massif, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Anaga Massif
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How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
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.
45–110 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingAlbergue Montes de Anaga, at…
- Getting aroundSanta Cruz – Cruz del…
- EatingCasa África and La Ola…
- ServicesCruz del Carmen Visitor Centre…
Sleeping
- Albergue Montes de Anaga, at El Bailadero, with free parking
- Hotel Aguere, in the centre of La Laguna; ask about parking
- La Laguna Gran Hotel, next to the centre, with a rooftop pool
Getting around
- Santa Cruz – Cruz del Carmen, about 25 minutes via La Laguna and Las Mercedes
- Santa Cruz – Roque de las Bodegas, about 35 minutes via San Andrés and El Bailadero
- El Bailadero – Chamorga, about 20 minutes more along the ridge road
Eating
- Casa África and La Ola, at Roque de las Bodegas
- Nómada, in La Laguna, on Sunday until 16:30
Services
- Cruz del Carmen Visitor Centre car park
- Small car parks at Taganana, Roque de las Bodegas, La Ensillada and Chamorga: arrive early on Sunday
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.
40–95 €per person per day, approximate
- SleepingAlbergue Montes de Anaga, with…
- Getting around946 from Santa Cruz, Saturday…
- EatingCasa África and La Ola…
- ServicesSanta Cruz and La Laguna…
Sleeping
- Albergue Montes de Anaga, with a stop for the 946 and 947 at El Bailadero
- Hotel Aguere and La Laguna Gran Hotel, a walk from the La Laguna interchange
Getting around
- 946 from Santa Cruz, Saturday and Sunday: 6:45, 9:10, 11:40, 14:15, 17:05 and 19:55
- 947 to Chamorga, Saturday and Sunday: 7:00, 10:15, 15:00 and 18:25
- 076 and 275 from La Laguna to Cruz del Carmen; the 077 continues to El Bailadero
- Linear routes that fit: El Bailadero – Taganana, Roque de las Bodegas – Almáciga
Eating
- Casa África and La Ola, next to the 946 stop on the coast
- Nómada, ten minutes' walk from the La Laguna interchange
Services
- Santa Cruz and La Laguna interchanges
- TITSA customer service, 922 53 13 00, from 8:00 to 20:00
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Aguere, in the centre of La Laguna
Why we like it: A 22-room hotel in an 18th-century house in central La Laguna, with a glazed Canarian patio; a hotel since 1885. 25 minutes from Cruz del Carmen.
La Laguna Gran Hotel
Why we like it: Hotel in an 18th-century building next to the centre of La Laguna, with a rooftop pool and gym, 24-hour reception and two restaurants.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Cruz del Carmen and Las Mercedes | Easy laurel forest, visitor centre, guaguas from La Laguna | |
| El Bailadero and the summit | El Pijaral, the hostel, the path to Taganana | |
| Taganana and the coast | The village, Roque de las Bodegas, Almáciga and Benijo | |
| Chamorga | The tip of the massif, the lighthouse and Roque Bermejo |
Where to eat
Where to eat in Anaga Massif
Playa Casa África restaurant, at Roque de las Bodegas
What to order: 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
What to order: 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
What to order: tartare, carpaccio or the fish of the day; ask what is in season.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
If Sunday dawns with a rain or wind alert on Tenerife ON, the El Pijaral permit may be void: swap it for the Bosque de los Enigmas.
We'd skip it
Monday and Tuesday, because of Casa África, and days with a bad-weather or fire-risk alert.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Santa Cruz?
About 35 minutes by car to El Bailadero via San Andrés, or a little over half an hour on bus 946 or 947.
Do I need to book anything?
The El Pijaral permit, the hostel bed and, if there are four or more of you, the guided walk.
How much does the getaway cost?
Between €110 and €170 per person with the night at the hostel, the guided walk with lunch, dinner and Sunday lunch.
Can I do it with children?
Yes, swapping El Pijaral for the Sendero de los Sentidos and the descent to Taganana for the coast walk.