What to do · Anaga Massif
El Pijaral, from La Ensillada to the Cabezo del Tejo
Information
- Price
- Free, with prior authorisation
- Duration
- 2 h 30
- Distance
- 6.4 km
- Season
- All year, except on alert for bad weather or fire
- Who it's for
- With some fitness; individuals only, with 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.
Tips
- Set an alarm for Monday Next week's places come out at 7:00 and the Saturday and Sunday ones fly.
- Bring warm clothing La Ensillada is at almost 800 m, right on the ridge: fog, wind and damp even in summer.
- Come by car or take a taxi Bus 947 from Chamorga passes along the ridge road, but with four departures a day the timetable is tight; check the nearest stop on TITSA.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the El Pijaral permit cost?
Nothing. The authorisation is free, but compulsory.
How far ahead do I book?
Up to 14 days before. Places are published every Monday at 7:00.
Can I go with a guiding company?
No. The Cabildo does not allow organised tours by companies or guides on this trail.
Can children go?
Yes, the booking admits under-16s, but it is 2 h 30 with climbs: better from age 10 or 12.
With teenagers
