Afur, Tamadite beach and Taganana on the PR-TF 8

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.