Parque Rural de Anaga

Parque Rural de Anaga covers much of the mountain massif at the north-eastern tip of Tenerife and is designated a Biosphere Reserve. Its roughly 14,500 hectares are shared between the municipalities of La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Tegueste. The relief combines jagged ridges, deep valleys and ravines that run right down to the sea, where several beaches suitable for swimming open up. The flora and fauna are rich in endemic species, and an extensive network of footpaths crosses the massif, linking traditional hamlets scattered through the valleys.

By car the access roads are the TF-11 to San Andrés, the TF-12 up to El Bailadero and the TF-134 towards Taganana and Almáciga. By bus, lines 945 and 947 run from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and lines 076, 077, 273, 274 and 275 from La Laguna. The ground is mountainous, with marked height differences between the ridges and the ravines, so proper walking shoes are worth having on the footpaths. The Cabildo's Biosphere Reserve website publishes up-to-date information.

To explore the massif with a guide, there is an easy hike of about three hours through the so-called Bosque de los Enigmas in the Cruz del Carmen area, among laurel forest, led by a local guide who speaks Spanish. It stays outside the Reserva Natural Integral, so no permit is needed. The meeting point is the Visitor Centre beside the Cruz del Carmen chapel on the TF-12, which has a large car park and a stop for buses 76, 77, 273, 274 and 275 from La Laguna; arrive 10 minutes early. On Tuesdays and Fridays there is also an option with transport from Puerto de la Cruz and Garachico. It is not recommended for children under 5, it is not wheelchair accessible and, as Anaga is damp all year, bring warm clothes, a rain jacket, hiking shoes and water.

Photo: FrDr, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.