# Teno and Masca

Tenerife's oldest massif: the Masca ravine by reservation and boat, Garachico on the 1706 lava and the cliffs of Los Gigantes, an hour from Santa Cruz.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/canary-islands/teno-and-masca · Revisado: 2026-11-13

The Teno massif is the north-western corner of Tenerife: the oldest part of the island, with sharp ridges, deep ravines and hanging hamlets. To the north lies the Isla Baja, with Garachico, Los Silos and Buenavista del Norte between banana plantations and the sea; to the south, the cliffs of Los Gigantes drop sheer into the Atlantic. In the middle, the hamlet of Masca and its ravine, which runs down to the sea.

## How do you get there from Santa Cruz?

By car, Garachico is about 60 km away, under an hour along the TF-5 to Icod de los Vinos and the TF-42. For Masca the most direct way is the TF-1, or via the north to Santiago del Teide and there the TF-436, a narrow mountain road with many bends: allow an hour and a quarter or an hour and a half. Los Gigantes is about 100 km along the TF-1, around an hour and a quarter.

Without a car it is also possible. TITSA line 108 runs from Santa Cruz to Icod de los Vinos in 1 h 15, hourly including on Sundays, and there the 363 continues to Garachico, Los Silos and Buenavista. From Buenavista the 355 leaves for El Palmar and Masca and the 369 for Punta de Teno.

## What do you need to book?

One thing, and it is the main one: the Camino del Barranco de Masca. It is managed by the Cabildo de Tenerife with reservations on its website, from €40.66 per person, with slots from 8:30 to 13:00 and a loaned helmet. The car doesn't reach the start: you park in Santiago del Teide and go up on the guagua 355, which is compulsory. There is no way out at the bottom: you return by boat to Los Gigantes, with a separate ticket. Allow the whole day.

The boat beneath the Los Gigantes cliffs is booked with the boat company, from €28. The rest, Garachico's old town, the El Caletón pools, the viewpoints and the paths of the Rural Park, is open and free.

## Can you go to Punta de Teno?

Not at the moment. Punta de Teno, with its lighthouse, can only be visited on guagua 369 from Buenavista or by taxi: private cars, pedestrians and bicycles cannot use the TF-445. In November 2026 the road is still closed after the rockfalls of 29 October and the guagua is suspended until further notice. Check the Buenavista del Norte town council website before planning it.

## How much time, and where to sleep?

A day covers Garachico in the morning and Masca and its viewpoints in the afternoon, or the ravine with the boat. With two or three days you do both and add a path, such as the Callejón de Teno, from El Palmar to Teno Alto. The best base is Garachico: La Quinta Roja, on the square, accepts pets and can be reached by guagua; the Hotel San Roque is for over-14s only. For walking, the Hotel Luz del Mar, in Los Silos, organises routes.

For Sunday lunch, Silogía is open from 13:00 to 22:00 in Garachico, El Rebojo serves lunch on Sunday next to the castle and Codeso serves on Saturday and Sunday at lunchtime in Los Gigantes, on stepping off the boat.

## When to go

All year. In summer the bottom of the ravine is hot and the first slot is best; in winter there are more rainy days on the summit and it is when roads and paths are most often closed. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable months for walking. Swimming at El Caletón and the boat depend on the sea more than on the month: with a northern swell, no pools.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Teide National Park (a 19.7 km), Anaga Massif (a 67.9 km), La Palma (a 107.1 km), Agaete and the North-West of Gran Canaria (a 113.9 km)

## Qué hacer
- **The Masca Gorge trail, from the hamlet to the sea** (4 h · 5 km · In good physical shape, from age 8 · Desde 40.66 € per person): The Masca ravine trail goes down from the hamlet, in the heart of the Teno Rural Park, to a cove on the Atlantic. It is managed by the Cabildo de Tenerife: you enter with a booking, at a set time, with a lent helmet and in one direction only, downwards. At the bottom a boat picks you up and takes you to Los Gigantes.
What it is and why it is worth it
It is a cleft with vertical walls that narrows as you descend: about 5 km from the 750 m of the hamlet down to sea level, among volcanic rocks, palm trees and sections where the riverbed barely lets two people through. The Cabildo rates it high difficulty: there is uneven ground, rock steps, slippery passages and some short climbs. Allow about four hours to go down.
How to book and how much it costs
On the official Masca Gorge Trail website, from €40.66 per person. It includes the slot with date and time, the loan of the helmet, staff assistance and accident insurance. Tenerife residents and Canary Islands mountaineering or caving federation members do not pay: they pay the ticket and it is refunded at the checkpoint after checking residence or licence. The bus, the boat and the return from Los Gigantes to Santiago del Teide are not included.
The descent slots run from 8:30 to 13:00, every half hour, with 25 places per slot and 50 in the 9:00 one. The trail is open from 8:30 to 18:00.
How to get to the start
By car you cannot reach the starting point. Park in Santiago del Teide, in the cemetery car park, walk about 10 minutes to TITSA stop 4692 and take line 355 to Masca, about 20 minutes. It has been compulsory since December 2025: you must be at the stop an hour before your slot and show your ticket at the checkpoint. At the Masca Visitor Centre you report 30 minutes before the time. From Santa Cruz it is about 70 km to Santiago del Teide, a little over an hour via the TF-1 or by the north.
The return, by boat
At the bottom the beach is closed to the public and there is no way out along the coast: you leave by boat from the Masca inlet to the port of Los Gigantes, a trip of 20 to 30 minutes in front of the cliffs. The ticket is bought separately from one of the collaborating shipping companies, such as Marítima Acantilados with its Masca Water Taxi, and no later than four hours after your slot. If the sea closes the jetty, you have to walk back up the ravine to the Visitor Centre and take the 355 there. From Los Gigantes to Santiago del Teide you return on TITSA lines 462 or 325.
- **Garachico old town and San Miguel castle** (2 h · All ages · Self-guided · free): What it is
Garachico was the busiest trading port in Tenerife until 1706, when the Trevejo eruption flowed down the cliff and in eleven days blocked the port and swept away almost the whole town. What you see today is the village rebuilt on that lava: cobbled streets, houses with wooden balconies, convents and a black-rock coast where the flow cooled on reaching the sea.
The walk
It begins in Plaza de la Libertad, with the church of Santa Ana, the town hall and the 1689 palace house of the Marquises of La Quinta Roja, now a hotel. Opposite is the former convent of San Francisco. Then go down to the sea through the centre's streets to Avenida Tomé Cano and the San Miguel castle, a small volcanic-stone fortress ordered built in 1575 to defend the coast; it has been an Asset of Cultural Interest since 1999 and today works as a heritage information centre, with its own opening hours. Next to the castle are the El Caletón natural pools.
It can all be covered on foot in one or two hours. The streets are flat in the centre and gently sloping towards the sea: you can go with a pushchair.
Getting there and parking
From Santa Cruz, about 60 km along the TF-5 to Icod de los Vinos and then the TF-42, under an hour without traffic. There is free public parking beside the old football pitch, at the entrance to the old town. Without a car, TITSA line 108 runs from Santa Cruz to Icod de los Vinos in 1 h 15, with a departure every hour, Sundays too, and there the 363 continues to Garachico and Buenavista.
For eating and sleeping
In the old town itself you have Silogía, also open at midday on Sundays, and El Rebojo, next to the castle. For sleeping, La Quinta Roja on the square and the Hotel San Roque two streets away.
- **The hamlet of Masca, via the TF-436** (1 h · All ages · Self-guided · free): What it is
Masca is a hamlet of houses of volcanic stone, wood and tile hanging over the head of the ravine of the same name, in the Teno Rural Park and in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte. It is a historic site declared an Asset of Cultural Interest. The main nucleus, La Piedra, has the square with a large Indian laurel, the chapel of the Inmaculada Concepción and the Visitor Centre, in an old stone house. Around it are terraced fields and palm trees on narrow ridges, with the ravine's rock stacks behind.
Seeing the hamlet takes less than an hour: a walk through the cobbled streets, the square and the viewpoint. If you want to go down to the sea through the ravine, that is something else: the Masca Gorge trail needs booking and a compulsory bus.
The road and parking
You arrive by the TF-436, a narrow mountain road full of bends between Santiago del Teide and Buenavista del Norte. From Santa Cruz, the most direct is to go to Santiago del Teide and take the TF-436 there, which passes the Cherfe viewpoint: about 80 km, between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half. From the north, from Buenavista, the journey is slower.
Parking in the hamlet is very scarce because of the shape of the village and the narrowness of the road, and fills up at weekends and public holidays. Turismo de Tenerife says you cannot leave the car for more than two hours. In civil-protection risk situations, such as fire alerts, the Cabildo activates regulated access from 9:00 to 16:00, in which only tourist vehicles with a booking may enter. Without a car, TITSA line 355 links Buenavista, Masca and Santiago del Teide several times a day.
What to see
Three stops: the square and the chapel; the hamlet's own viewpoint, with the view of the houses on the ridge and the rock stacks; and, on the road, the La Cruz de Hilda viewpoint or the Cherfe one, on the climb from Santiago del Teide. In the hamlet there are several restaurants with terraces over the ravine.
- **Boat trip beneath the Los Gigantes cliffs, with cetaceans and a stop at Masca** (2 h · All ages · Desde 28 € per person): What it is
The Los Gigantes cliffs drop sheer into the sea on the west coast of the Teno massif, south of the mouth of the Masca ravine. From land you see them head-on from the port; from the water they tower over you. The simplest outing to see them is the Gladiator U, from Marítima Acantilados: two hours from the Los Gigantes marina, heading for the area where pilot whales and dolphins live, a stop in Masca bay, with the ravine opening up behind, and a return hugging the walls.
Times and price
It sails at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00, every day the sea allows. It costs €28 per person, with a drink. The same shipping company has longer trips: the Nashira Uno catamaran, of two or three hours with food and drink and underwater viewing, and the sailing boat Lady Elsie, of three hours; their prices are given when booking.
Getting there and parking
The Los Gigantes marina is at the end of the village, in the municipality of Santiago del Teide. From Santa Cruz it is about 100 km along the TF-1 and TF-47, around an hour and a quarter. Without a car, TITSA lines 473 and 477 come from Costa Adeje and the 325 from Puerto de la Cruz via Icod. The company's office is at Avenida José González Forte 17.
Who it is for
For anyone who does not get seasick: it is the most comfortable way to see the Masca ravine and the cliffs without walking. With small children the two-hour trip works well. If you are going to walk down the ravine, you do the same stretch at the end, on the boat that picks up in the Masca inlet.
- **Punta de Teno and its lighthouse, by bus from Buenavista** (2 h · All ages · Bus 369 · €1 each way): What it is
Punta de Teno is the north-western tip of Tenerife: a tongue of lava at the foot of the massif, with its lighthouse, pools among the rocks and, to the south, the wall of the Los Gigantes cliffs. On a clear day you can see La Gomera and La Palma. You get there by the TF-445, a narrow road that leaves Buenavista del Norte and passes beneath the crag in tunnels and on ledges.
Right now: road closed
Buenavista del Norte Town Council warns that the access road remains closed because of rockfalls and that the bus is suspended until further notice. The latest rockfall, on 29 October 2026, left blocks on the carriageway and damaged the slope netting; the Cabildo warns of the risk of further falls. There is no reopening date: before going, check the town council's website or call the Cabildo's Road Information Centre, on 900 210 131.
How you go when it is open
Not by private car, not on foot, not by bicycle: access is only on TITSA line 369 or by taxi. The bus leaves the Buenavista del Norte station, takes about 20 minutes and costs €1 per person per trip, in cash or by card; TITSA tourist passes are valid. On the current timetable it leaves Buenavista between 8:00 and 18:00 and returns from Teno until 18:25, roughly every hour. Around the Buenavista station and at the Cruz de Toledo stop there is room to leave your car.
The town council sets access from 10:00 to 19:00 from 1 October to 20 June, and from 8:00 to 20:00 from 21 June to 30 September. People with a blue reduced-mobility card may enter in their own car.
What to do there
Walk to the lighthouse, look into the coastal pools and look south, where the cliffs begin. There are no facilities: bring water, a cap and something warm, because the wind blows at the point.
- **El Caletón natural pools, in the 1706 lava** (1 h 30 · Families and swimmers, with a calm sea · Free): What it is
When the lava of the 1706 eruption reached the sea in front of Garachico, it cooled all at once and left a black-rock coast full of pools. Those pools, linked by walkways, stairs and the odd concrete platform, are the El Caletón natural pools: clear sea water among lava blocks, next to the San Miguel castle, in the heart of the old town. It is Garachico's swimming spot; on this stretch of coast there is no sandy beach.
When to swim
It depends on the sea, not on the calendar. When the sea is calm the pools are sheltered and the water renews itself gently; with a northern swell, the waves come over the rocks and swimming is dangerous. Look at the sea before you get in and respect any signs and closures the town council puts at the access. The water is the Atlantic's: cool even in summer, warmer from August to October.
Getting there
They are at the foot of the old town, on Avenida Tomé Cano, beside the San Miguel castle: from Plaza de la Libertad it is five minutes' walk, downhill. Park in the free public car park at the old football pitch. Without a car, TITSA bus 363 stops in Garachico on its route between Icod de los Vinos and Buenavista del Norte.
With children
The innermost pools, with a calm sea, are shallow and children like them; always watch them, because the rock is slippery and sharp. Bring water shoes. There is no natural shade, so bring a cap and sun cream.
After your swim, El Rebojo is a few steps away, near the castle, and the old town begins just behind.
- **La Cruz de Hilda viewpoint, above Masca** (20 min · All ages · Free): What it is
It is the obligatory stop on the TF-436 before going down to Masca: a viewpoint at kilometre point 14, already in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte, from which you see the whole hamlet on its ridges and the ravine opening towards the sea. In the foreground, terraces, palm trees and scrub of broom and tabaiba. It has panels explaining what is in front of you and adapted access.
Getting there and parking
If you come from Buenavista via El Palmar, you find it before going down to the hamlet of Masca; if you come from Santiago del Teide, just after passing through the hamlet, on the climb towards the north. It has its own parking, which is the best way to see Masca when the one in the hamlet is full. TITSA line 355 stops here. Next to the viewpoint there is a hotel establishment with a café and a roof terrace.
Two kilometres further north, at kilometre 12, the Altos de Baracán viewpoint looks the other way: the Los Carrizales ravine and the El Palmar valley.
When to go
First thing in the morning the sun comes sideways into the ravine and there is room in the car park. With the trade wind, clouds can cover the Teno ridge: if it is covered, the view is lost, so look at the sky before going up.
- **PR-TF 57 Callejón de Teno trail, from El Palmar to Los Bailaderos** (2 h · 4.1 km · With some fitness; teenagers who like walking · Self-guided · free): What it is
A waymarked trail in the Teno Rural Park that climbs from the El Palmar valley to the Teno Alto plateau, a hamlet of stone houses high on the massif, far from any main road. It is 4.1 km each way, about two hours, with about 439 m of ascent and 198 m of descent, between 531 and 828 m above sea level. Medium difficulty and no permit needed.
The route
It leaves from the Teno Rural Park Visitor Centre, in El Palmar. Soon a cobbled path at Los Pedregales climbs to the top of the ridge and leaves the valley behind. You continue along the edge of the Los Corchos ravine, along the Los Acebiños ridge, to the Los Lavaderos track; you leave the track near El Barro, cross El Calvario and reach the square of Los Bailaderos, in Teno Alto, a junction of the island's trails. From there the PR-TF 51, to Punta de Teno, and the PR-TF 58, the Camino del Risco, connect.
It is linear: you return the same way, and the round trip takes between three and a half and four hours, with stops.
Getting there
El Palmar is on the TF-436 road, about 5 km from Buenavista del Norte heading up towards Masca. From Santa Cruz it is about 75 km along the TF-5 and TF-42, around an hour and a quarter. By bus, TITSA lines 355 (Buenavista – Masca – Santiago del Teide) and 366 (Buenavista – El Palmar – Las Portelas) stop at El Palmar.
Before setting out
The Cabildo de Tenerife is the one that reports closures or sections in poor condition: check the state of the trails before going, especially after rain. Bring plenty of water, food, a cap, sun cream and a warm layer and waterproof: on the Teno ridge the weather changes quickly and the trade-wind clouds arrive within minutes. There are no fountains on the path that you can count on.

## Dónde comer
- **Silogía** (Restaurant, Garachico, €€). Qué pedir: the black rice for two, or the cherne
- **El Rebojo** (Restaurant, Garachico, €€€). Qué pedir: the bites of the sea with their wines, or the A Marea Vacía menu if you have time; for dessert, the smoked cheesecake
- **Codeso** (Restaurant, Los Gigantes, €€€). Qué pedir: the local fish in a casserole with black potatoes, an arroz a la llauna or, on Sunday, the Sunday menu

## By car: By car on Teno's two roads
The car is the natural way to get around Teno from Santa Cruz: Garachico is under an hour away along the TF-5 and TF-42, and Masca a little more via Santiago del Teide. But there are two places the car cannot reach: Punta de Teno, by bus or taxi only, and the start of the Masca gorge, by bus 355 only.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel San Roque** (Small hotel): A manor house with a pool in the courtyard
The Hotel San Roque occupies an 18th-century manor house in Garachico's historic centre, two streets from Plaza de la Libertad. It keeps the Canarian architecture of wooden galleries, courtyards and volcanic stone, and mixes it with contemporary art and designer furniture: the sculpture La Cigala, by Mikel Navarro, stands in the courtyard. The pool, in the second courtyard, is heated all year round to between 25 and 27 degrees, and the sauna is free for guests. It is an adults-only hotel: guests aged 14 and over are welcome.
The rooms
There are six types: Suite La Torre, Junior Suite, Duplex Suite, Duplex, Superior Double and Collection Double. The duplexes have sloping ceilings and some rooms have a terrace; ask when you book which one you will get. Breakfast is included, from 8:00 to 10:30, and there is room service from the restaurant menu. Free wifi throughout the hotel.
Dinner at home: Anturium
The Anturium restaurant serves dinner every day from 19:00 to 23:00, in the courtyard beside the illuminated pool, with modern cooking using local seasonal produce. It is open to non-guests too; booking is essential and the last booking is taken at 21:30. The Anturium Experience menu, with wine pairing, must be booked 24 hours in advance. There are vegetarian and vegan options.
Getting there and parking
From Santa Cruz it is about 60 km along the TF-5 and TF-42, under an hour. The hotel has parking for arrival only, in front of the door; after check-in, leave the car on the same street or in the free public car park at the old football ground, 50 metres away. The hotel reckons 45 minutes by car from Tenerife North airport and 1 h 20 from Tenerife South, and arranges car hire and transfers.
What to do nearby
On foot, the old town and San Miguel castle and the El Caletón pools. By car, the hamlet of Masca is reached via Buenavista and El Palmar, or via Santiago del Teide.
- **La Quinta Roja** (Small hotel): A palace house on Garachico's square
La Quinta Roja is the palace house that the first Marquis of La Quinta Roja, a descendant of the Genoese banker who founded Garachico in 1496, had built in 1689. It is one of the examples of Canarian Baroque domestic architecture and has been a family home, a temporary convent, a music school and municipal offices. It stands in the heart of the old town, opposite the old San Francisco convent and the town hall, next to Plaza de la Libertad and the church of Santa Ana. For more than twenty years it has been run by the owning family, with Paloma Moriana at the helm.
The rooms
There are nineteen, spread over two floors around the courtyard. The standard doubles, of 17 m², are almost all on the ground floor, with direct access to the courtyard. Upstairs, in the former noble quarters, up an original stone staircase, are the double plus rooms, of 35 m², with coffered ceilings and windows onto the old town's streets; the double plus with terrace, with views of Plaza de la Libertad, the church and the mountains, and the junior suites. All have air conditioning, wifi, a Nespresso machine, minibar, safe, smart TV and beach towels.
Eating and relaxing
In the house is the restaurant Silogía, serving Canarian cooking with Mediterranean and Asian touches, open Wednesday to Sunday from 13:00 to 22:00. The hotel offers a gym and sun terrace, yoga and pilates, massages and bicycles, and arranges pool access; ask about the terms at reception, open from 7:00 to 23:00.
Getting there without a car and with one
You can arrive by bus: from Santa Cruz, TITSA line 108 to Icod de los Vinos, hourly, Sundays included, and the 363 to Garachico, which goes into the village. By car it is about 60 km along the TF-5 and TF-42; park in the free public car park at the old football ground.
With a dog
La Quinta Roja advertises itself as a pet-friendly hotel and its restaurant welcomes them too. Ask when you book whether there is a supplement and in which rooms.
- **Hotel Luz del Mar** (Hotel): A hotel made for walking in Teno
The Luz del Mar is a four-star hotel in Los Silos, in the Isla Baja, among banana plantations, about 200 metres from the sea and at the foot of the slopes of the Teno massif. It is run by the German hiking tour operator Wikinger Reisen and is designed for people who come to walk: it organises guided or independent routes, rents bicycles and helps with hire cars. The Canarian-style buildings surround a 30-metre solar-heated pool, with free sunloungers, parasols and towels. There is a sauna with a jet circuit, massages and a fitness room.
The rooms
There are 35 rooms and 14 suites, all with a terrace or balcony, most with a direct or side view of the sea. The doubles are 31 m² and have adjustable air conditioning, television, telephone, wifi and a safe, plus a small kitchen with a fridge, sink, crockery, kettle and microwave for preparing the day's picnic. All are non-smoking.
Eating
The restaurant opens onto a covered terrace sheltered from the wind, and mixes international cooking with island dishes, with a vegetarian menu. According to Tenerife Tourism, Tuesday is tapas night and Thursday is an evening of Canarian cooking with live folk music.
Getting there
From Santa Cruz, about 70 km along the TF-5 to Icod de los Vinos and the TF-42 via Garachico, around an hour. The hotel is about 50 km from Tenerife North airport and 130 from the South one. Without a car, TITSA bus 108 runs from Santa Cruz to Icod de los Vinos and the 363 continues via Garachico to Los Silos and Buenavista; the hotel says buses to Buenavista, Garachico and Icod leave from Plaza de la Luz, in the centre of Los Silos.
What to do nearby
The Callejón de Teno trail starts at El Palmar, above Buenavista. Garachico is a few minutes to the east, and the 18-hole Buenavista golf course is about 5 km from the hotel.
### Servicios
- **Bus 355 from Santiago del Teide to Masca**: Compulsory for the gorge · About 20 min from Santiago del Teide · Parking at the cemetery
- **Bus 369 from Buenavista to Punta de Teno**: The only access to Punta de Teno · €1 per journey · Suspended while the road is closed
- **Buenavista Tourist Office and Teno Visitor Centre**: Information on the Teno Rural Park, Punta de Teno and trails · Council phone numbers
- **Masca Visitor Centre**: Gorge access control and helmet loan · Open every day

## Car-free: Car-free, by bus from Santa Cruz
Teno can be done by bus, with patience. From Santa Cruz to Garachico it is about two hours with one change at Icod de los Vinos, and from Buenavista the lines to Masca and Punta de Teno depart. The Masca gorge, in fact, can only be started by bus. Sleep in Garachico or Los Silos, which have a stop in the village.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–150 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **La Quinta Roja** (Small hotel): A palace house on Garachico's square
La Quinta Roja is the palace house that the first Marquis of La Quinta Roja, a descendant of the Genoese banker who founded Garachico in 1496, had built in 1689. It is one of the examples of Canarian Baroque domestic architecture and has been a family home, a temporary convent, a music school and municipal offices. It stands in the heart of the old town, opposite the old San Francisco convent and the town hall, next to Plaza de la Libertad and the church of Santa Ana. For more than twenty years it has been run by the owning family, with Paloma Moriana at the helm.
The rooms
There are nineteen, spread over two floors around the courtyard. The standard doubles, of 17 m², are almost all on the ground floor, with direct access to the courtyard. Upstairs, in the former noble quarters, up an original stone staircase, are the double plus rooms, of 35 m², with coffered ceilings and windows onto the old town's streets; the double plus with terrace, with views of Plaza de la Libertad, the church and the mountains, and the junior suites. All have air conditioning, wifi, a Nespresso machine, minibar, safe, smart TV and beach towels.
Eating and relaxing
In the house is the restaurant Silogía, serving Canarian cooking with Mediterranean and Asian touches, open Wednesday to Sunday from 13:00 to 22:00. The hotel offers a gym and sun terrace, yoga and pilates, massages and bicycles, and arranges pool access; ask about the terms at reception, open from 7:00 to 23:00.
Getting there without a car and with one
You can arrive by bus: from Santa Cruz, TITSA line 108 to Icod de los Vinos, hourly, Sundays included, and the 363 to Garachico, which goes into the village. By car it is about 60 km along the TF-5 and TF-42; park in the free public car park at the old football ground.
With a dog
La Quinta Roja advertises itself as a pet-friendly hotel and its restaurant welcomes them too. Ask when you book whether there is a supplement and in which rooms.
- **Hotel Luz del Mar** (Hotel): A hotel made for walking in Teno
The Luz del Mar is a four-star hotel in Los Silos, in the Isla Baja, among banana plantations, about 200 metres from the sea and at the foot of the slopes of the Teno massif. It is run by the German hiking tour operator Wikinger Reisen and is designed for people who come to walk: it organises guided or independent routes, rents bicycles and helps with hire cars. The Canarian-style buildings surround a 30-metre solar-heated pool, with free sunloungers, parasols and towels. There is a sauna with a jet circuit, massages and a fitness room.
The rooms
There are 35 rooms and 14 suites, all with a terrace or balcony, most with a direct or side view of the sea. The doubles are 31 m² and have adjustable air conditioning, television, telephone, wifi and a safe, plus a small kitchen with a fridge, sink, crockery, kettle and microwave for preparing the day's picnic. All are non-smoking.
Eating
The restaurant opens onto a covered terrace sheltered from the wind, and mixes international cooking with island dishes, with a vegetarian menu. According to Tenerife Tourism, Tuesday is tapas night and Thursday is an evening of Canarian cooking with live folk music.
Getting there
From Santa Cruz, about 70 km along the TF-5 to Icod de los Vinos and the TF-42 via Garachico, around an hour. The hotel is about 50 km from Tenerife North airport and 130 from the South one. Without a car, TITSA bus 108 runs from Santa Cruz to Icod de los Vinos and the 363 continues via Garachico to Los Silos and Buenavista; the hotel says buses to Buenavista, Garachico and Icod leave from Plaza de la Luz, in the centre of Los Silos.
What to do nearby
The Callejón de Teno trail starts at El Palmar, above Buenavista. Garachico is a few minutes to the east, and the 18-hole Buenavista golf course is about 5 km from the hotel.
### Servicios
- **Bus 355 from Santiago del Teide to Masca**: Compulsory for the gorge · About 20 min from Santiago del Teide · Parking at the cemetery
- **Bus 369 from Buenavista to Punta de Teno**: The only access to Punta de Teno · €1 per journey · Suspended while the road is closed
- **Buses from Santa Cruz to Garachico and Buenavista**: Line 108 to Icod de los Vinos every hour, Sundays too, and 363 to Garachico, Los Silos and Buenavista
- **Buenavista Tourist Office and Teno Visitor Centre**: Information on the Teno Rural Park, Punta de Teno and trails · Council phone numbers
- **Masca Visitor Centre**: Gorge access control and helmet loan · Open every day

## By plane: Fly to Tenerife North or South and drive to Teno
Tenerife has two airports with flights from the Spanish mainland. The North one is closer to Garachico and the Isla Baja; the South one, to Los Gigantes and Santiago del Teide, the gateway to the Masca gorge. From either, the practical choice is to carry on by hire car.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel San Roque** (Small hotel): A manor house with a pool in the courtyard
The Hotel San Roque occupies an 18th-century manor house in Garachico's historic centre, two streets from Plaza de la Libertad. It keeps the Canarian architecture of wooden galleries, courtyards and volcanic stone, and mixes it with contemporary art and designer furniture: the sculpture La Cigala, by Mikel Navarro, stands in the courtyard. The pool, in the second courtyard, is heated all year round to between 25 and 27 degrees, and the sauna is free for guests. It is an adults-only hotel: guests aged 14 and over are welcome.
The rooms
There are six types: Suite La Torre, Junior Suite, Duplex Suite, Duplex, Superior Double and Collection Double. The duplexes have sloping ceilings and some rooms have a terrace; ask when you book which one you will get. Breakfast is included, from 8:00 to 10:30, and there is room service from the restaurant menu. Free wifi throughout the hotel.
Dinner at home: Anturium
The Anturium restaurant serves dinner every day from 19:00 to 23:00, in the courtyard beside the illuminated pool, with modern cooking using local seasonal produce. It is open to non-guests too; booking is essential and the last booking is taken at 21:30. The Anturium Experience menu, with wine pairing, must be booked 24 hours in advance. There are vegetarian and vegan options.
Getting there and parking
From Santa Cruz it is about 60 km along the TF-5 and TF-42, under an hour. The hotel has parking for arrival only, in front of the door; after check-in, leave the car on the same street or in the free public car park at the old football ground, 50 metres away. The hotel reckons 45 minutes by car from Tenerife North airport and 1 h 20 from Tenerife South, and arranges car hire and transfers.
What to do nearby
On foot, the old town and San Miguel castle and the El Caletón pools. By car, the hamlet of Masca is reached via Buenavista and El Palmar, or via Santiago del Teide.
- **La Quinta Roja** (Small hotel): A palace house on Garachico's square
La Quinta Roja is the palace house that the first Marquis of La Quinta Roja, a descendant of the Genoese banker who founded Garachico in 1496, had built in 1689. It is one of the examples of Canarian Baroque domestic architecture and has been a family home, a temporary convent, a music school and municipal offices. It stands in the heart of the old town, opposite the old San Francisco convent and the town hall, next to Plaza de la Libertad and the church of Santa Ana. For more than twenty years it has been run by the owning family, with Paloma Moriana at the helm.
The rooms
There are nineteen, spread over two floors around the courtyard. The standard doubles, of 17 m², are almost all on the ground floor, with direct access to the courtyard. Upstairs, in the former noble quarters, up an original stone staircase, are the double plus rooms, of 35 m², with coffered ceilings and windows onto the old town's streets; the double plus with terrace, with views of Plaza de la Libertad, the church and the mountains, and the junior suites. All have air conditioning, wifi, a Nespresso machine, minibar, safe, smart TV and beach towels.
Eating and relaxing
In the house is the restaurant Silogía, serving Canarian cooking with Mediterranean and Asian touches, open Wednesday to Sunday from 13:00 to 22:00. The hotel offers a gym and sun terrace, yoga and pilates, massages and bicycles, and arranges pool access; ask about the terms at reception, open from 7:00 to 23:00.
Getting there without a car and with one
You can arrive by bus: from Santa Cruz, TITSA line 108 to Icod de los Vinos, hourly, Sundays included, and the 363 to Garachico, which goes into the village. By car it is about 60 km along the TF-5 and TF-42; park in the free public car park at the old football ground.
With a dog
La Quinta Roja advertises itself as a pet-friendly hotel and its restaurant welcomes them too. Ask when you book whether there is a supplement and in which rooms.
- **Hotel Luz del Mar** (Hotel): A hotel made for walking in Teno
The Luz del Mar is a four-star hotel in Los Silos, in the Isla Baja, among banana plantations, about 200 metres from the sea and at the foot of the slopes of the Teno massif. It is run by the German hiking tour operator Wikinger Reisen and is designed for people who come to walk: it organises guided or independent routes, rents bicycles and helps with hire cars. The Canarian-style buildings surround a 30-metre solar-heated pool, with free sunloungers, parasols and towels. There is a sauna with a jet circuit, massages and a fitness room.
The rooms
There are 35 rooms and 14 suites, all with a terrace or balcony, most with a direct or side view of the sea. The doubles are 31 m² and have adjustable air conditioning, television, telephone, wifi and a safe, plus a small kitchen with a fridge, sink, crockery, kettle and microwave for preparing the day's picnic. All are non-smoking.
Eating
The restaurant opens onto a covered terrace sheltered from the wind, and mixes international cooking with island dishes, with a vegetarian menu. According to Tenerife Tourism, Tuesday is tapas night and Thursday is an evening of Canarian cooking with live folk music.
Getting there
From Santa Cruz, about 70 km along the TF-5 to Icod de los Vinos and the TF-42 via Garachico, around an hour. The hotel is about 50 km from Tenerife North airport and 130 from the South one. Without a car, TITSA bus 108 runs from Santa Cruz to Icod de los Vinos and the 363 continues via Garachico to Los Silos and Buenavista; the hotel says buses to Buenavista, Garachico and Icod leave from Plaza de la Luz, in the centre of Los Silos.
What to do nearby
The Callejón de Teno trail starts at El Palmar, above Buenavista. Garachico is a few minutes to the east, and the 18-hole Buenavista golf course is about 5 km from the hotel.

## As a family: Lava, boats and a hanging hamlet

With children, Teno works best in short pieces: a stroll around Garachico and a dip in the lava pools, a morning on a boat beneath the cliffs, a stop at the viewpoint over Masca. The gorge is another league: from age 8, four hours of descent and a helmet.

### What works best
The two-hour boat trip from Los Gigantes, with a stop in Masca bay, €28 per person

The natural pools of El Caletón, with calm sea and water shoes

Garachico's old town and San Miguel castle, flat and pushchair-friendly

The La Cruz de Hilda viewpoint, with parking, to see Masca without going down

### Where to sleep
La Quinta Roja, on Garachico's square, with ground-floor doubles beside the courtyard

Hotel Luz del Mar, in Los Silos, with a 30-metre pool and a kitchen in the room

The Hotel San Roque is for guests aged 14 and over only

### Where to eat
Silogía, in Garachico, is open Wednesday to Sunday with no mid-afternoon break

In the hamlet of Masca there are restaurants with terraces over the gorge

### Bear in mind
The Masca gorge admits children from age 8, with hiking footwear and ID

The TF-436 has many bends: stop at the viewpoints

Punta de Teno is closed because of rockfalls in November 2026

### Qué hacer as a family
- Garachico old town and San Miguel castle
- The hamlet of Masca, via the TF-436
- Boat trip beneath the Los Gigantes cliffs, with cetaceans and a stop at Masca
- Punta de Teno and its lighthouse, by bus from Buenavista
- El Caletón natural pools, in the 1706 lava
- La Cruz de Hilda viewpoint, above Masca

## With teenagers: A proper gorge and a boat back

For teenagers with strong legs, the Teno plan is to walk down the Masca gorge with a helmet to the sea and leave by boat beneath the cliffs. For those who walk less, the whale and dolphin boat and the El Caletón pools.

### What works best
The Masca Gorge Trail: 5 km downhill, about 4 hours, from age 8 and by reservation

The Callejón de Teno trail, 4.1 km uphill to Teno Alto

The Los Gigantes boat, in case dolphins or whales appear

A swim in the lava pools of El Caletón

### Where to sleep
Hotel San Roque, in Garachico, which takes guests aged 14 and over

Hotel Luz del Mar, in Los Silos, which organises walking routes

### Where to eat
There is nothing in the gorge: bring food and 1.5 litres of water per person

Codeso, in Los Gigantes, as you step off the boat at the weekend

### Bear in mind
Under-18s walk the gorge with a guardian or an adult authorised in writing

Everyone needs ID at the Masca checkpoint

You cannot enter the gorge without closed hiking footwear

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- The Masca Gorge trail, from the hamlet to the sea
- Boat trip beneath the Los Gigantes cliffs, with cetaceans and a stop at Masca
- El Caletón natural pools, in the 1706 lava
- PR-TF 57 Callejón de Teno trail, from El Palmar to Los Bailaderos

## Consejos

### Book the ravine and the boat on the same day
First the ticket on the Cabildo's website, then the return boat.

### Park in Santiago del Teide if you are doing the ravine
The guagua 355 leaves from there and the return from Los Gigantes ends there.

### Start with Garachico
It is the part closest to Santa Cruz and has somewhere to eat on Sunday.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How long does it take from Santa Cruz to Masca?
Between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half by car, via Santiago del Teide and the TF-436.

### Do you need to book the Masca ravine?
Yes, on the Cabildo's website, with a date and time, from €40.66 per person. The guagua 355 and the boat are paid separately.

### Can you drive to Masca?
To the hamlet, yes, along the TF-436, though parking is difficult. To the start of the ravine, no: you must go up on guagua 355.

### Is the Punta de Teno road open?
In November 2026, no: it is closed because of rockfalls and guagua 369 is suspended.

### Can you do it without a car from Santa Cruz?
Yes: line 108 to Icod de los Vinos and 363 to Garachico and Buenavista; from there, 355 to Masca.

### Where can you eat on a Sunday?
In Garachico, Silogía or El Rebojo; in Los Gigantes, Codeso.