Trekking in the Canary Islands: the best itineraries!

The Canary Islands are dream islands for trekkers: here are the best routes!

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Teide, Tenerife

The first trek in importance is definitely the one that leads to the summit of Teide! This volcano, located on the island of Tenerife, is, at 3716 meters, the summit of Spain!

It is possible to reach the summit on foot or by cable car, but the last part of the walk still requires a permit. The climb is easy technically, but it is definitely long. In fact, to get from the parking lot (Montana Blanca area) to the summit you have to walk about 7 km, with a positive elevation gain of 1300 meters.

The last meters are the most strenuous: from the cable car to the summit of Teide you have to cover an elevation gain of 150 meters, the steepest of the entire route. The view from the summit is sublime! On the clearest days it is possible to see all the Canary Islands: moreover, the volcano is still active: although the last eruption was in 1909, it is still possible to appreciate the volcano’s activity through some fumaroles.

This climb is therefore a must! It is definitely not the easiest:the funicular with pickup could be a very good solution!

Warning. During the entire climb up to the zip line, there is practically nothing to be found (the hut, as of 2021, was closed due to Covid): therefore, one must bring all the necessary food and water!

Also in Tenerife, it is possible to go on other spectacular treks: these include the trails in Parque Anaga, in the north of the island!: Tenerife, in fact, deserves at least a week’s trip!

Teide is also famous for its huevos, which are giant rock formations due to volcanic activity. All the extra information forclimbing Teide are available in this post!

 

Best treks in the Canary Islands: Camino de Santiago de Gran Canaria

The Camino de Santiago Gran Canaria is a wonderful crossing that allows you to get to know the entire island from north to south.

It is a path that can be walked from one to six days: the kilometers are about 70 and the elevation gain is around 2,500 meters.

The Camino de Santiago Gran Canaria has medieval origins. In fact, some sailors, caught in a storm, vowed to Santiago to build a church on the highest point of the island then known. The sailors actually saved themselves: so a church was built in St. Bartolome (Tunte) and in 1850 the image of Santiago was brought here. Galdar also hosted the first official mass in 1481, and its main church was dedicated to Santiago.

The camino has an official websitevery well done that describes all the stages in detail!

I walked this Camino in reverse: in fact, I started from Galdar and arrived in Maspalomas (the three days of walking are recounted in this post) . I slept in Cruz de Tejeda and Fataga: in both cases I recommend booking in advance, as the accommodation availability is low (which is why I had to walk the Camino in reverse).

The most beautiful part of the walk, in my opinion, is the one that leads from the Pinos de Galdar (at the end of the first day) to the Mirador Cruz Grande (middle of the second day). In fact, on this part of the walk, you can see the iconic mountain of Gran Canaria: the majestic Roque Nublo!

Thus, the Camino de Santiago de Gran Canaria is a multi-day walk, but you can easily choose a route at will!

 

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Roque Nublo and Pico de las Nieves

This is the highlight trek of Gran Canaria. It is worthwhile first of all to rent a car so that you can easily get to the starting point, locality La Culata.

From here, with ashort trek of not even 2 km it is possible to reach the base of the marvelous monolith of Roque Nublo. The walk is really easy, and it is suitable for the whole family! The spectacle at the end of the trek is assured: you can admire Roque Nublo from very close and the Teide of Tenerife in the distance! From here you can also see most of the island of Gran Canaria!

From La Culata it is also possible to start another trek,The one that leads to the Pico de Las Nieves.. On the way out, I recommend passing through the Presa de los Hornos: you walk through dense vegetation to Llanos de la Pez. From here it is possible to take a sometimes steep (but never dangerous) path to the summit of Gran Canaria, the 1949-meter Pico de Las Nieves. After admiring the view, go down another trail, which leads directly to La Culata (you have to follow the signs ‘Roque Nublo’). It is a spectacular trek, especially at sunset time!

It is therefore possible to walk these two treks in one day: in total, the length is around 12 km. You can generally find food at either the de la Culata parking lot or the Pico de las Nieves.

Gran Canaria, like Tenerife, also offers.lots of trekking!

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Caldera Blanca, Lanzarote

The most beautiful path in all of Lanzarote is the one that leads to the summit of Caldera Blanca. The trail begins about 2 km after the small village of Mancha Blanca. The first 3 km are flat, allowing you to see the caldereta: there is no shortage of information panels explaining how volcanic activity has changed the island over the years.

Shortly after the caldereta, you ascend until you reach the base of the caldera blanca. It is possible to go around the entire caldera: I went clockwise, taking about an hour, and I do not recommend it for those who suffer from vertigo. The view, however, is truly superlative! The whole tour is about 10 kilometers long, and you have to calculate three hours of walking: you have to be self-sufficient, and there is no food or water.

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Volcan de la Corona and Los Graciereros, Lanzarote

Ye is a small village in the north of Lanzarote that is home to two beautiful walkways: both provide perfect views of the eighth largest island in the Canary Islands, Graciosa.

Theeasy trekking to Volcan de la Corona allows in about thirty minutes to observe the crater of the volcano: once you get to the crater you can climb a little more, but the trek becomes mountaineering in parts and I do not recommend it for those with vertigo.

Thecamino de los gracioseros starts near finca la corona and makes it possible to reach Risco beach with a splendid 4-km hike: the elevation gain is about 350 meters.

Both treks are suitable for everyone-the important thing is to bring food and water supplies and have good hiking shoes!

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Trekking from El Pilar to Fuencaliente: la Ruta de los Volcanos, La Palma

This is the most famous trek in La Palma. It is suitable for everyone, despite its length of about 18 km: elevation gain is in fact mostly downhill.

It is advisable to reach El Pilar by cab (cost from Santa Cruz is about 30 euros). From El Pilar the trail climbs steadily, but never steeply, through a beautiful pine forest.

After 5 km you leave the forest and enter a spectacular moonscape: in fact, as the name of the trek says, you keep walking around various volcanoes. It’s a crazy landscape, and you can see Teide and Tenerife in the distance. Downhill, only steep in places, you walk through a beautiful laurisilva forest.

The route is always perfectly marked: in fact, we walk along the GR – 131, which is red-white in color. There is no shortage of signposts along the Ruta de los Volcanos and there are always distances: the end point is occasionally referred to as ‘Los Canarios’ (the full name in fact is ‘Los Canarios de Fuencaliente’).

Once you get to the center of Fuencaliente you can continue the walk to the lighthouse (an additional 7 km), but you have to arrange well with cabs: personally I preferred to return to Santa Cruz with thebus (Guagua, in Canarian) number 200.

Again, one must have excellent footwear and, preferably, trekking poles. It is necessary to bring plenty of food and water supplies!

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Trekking at the Caldera de Taburiente, La Palma

I organized this trek withCIVITATIS, and I was definitely satisfied with both the organization and the beauty of the trek.

The meeting point is in Los Llanos, about 45 minutes from Santa Cruz. From Los Llanos a Civitatis bus took us to los Brecitos, the initial point of the trek.

You walk again mostly downhill, through apath never techically difficult. There is no shortage of scenic spots: the cascada de los colores, the barranco de las angustias, strange rock formations, and the Roque Idafe are some of the wonders that can be appreciated along this 18-kilometer walk.

La Palma is the quintessential island for trekking!

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Alto de Garajonay and La Fortaleza, La Gomera

La Gomera is one of the lesser known islands in the Canary Islands. It is, however, a real paradise!

In the beginning, I got to know La Gomera by taking a wonderful bike ride during myCoast to Coast of the Canary Islands: in this way I was able to get a first taste of the wonders of the island!

Afterwards, I made two small treks that allowed me to learn about the Alto de Garajonay and La Fortaleza. From the 1484 meters of the Alto de Garajonay it is possible to see the peak of Teide and the islands of La Palma and El Hierro. The Alto de Garajonay area is unmissable for trekkers-the forests, especially, are spectacular!

Another wonderful trek in La Gomera is the one that leads to the summit of La Fortaleza: not to be missed!

Small note: the alto de Garajonay is named after the legend of the tribulated love between Gara and Jonay. The boy, Jonay, swam from Tenerife to impress Princess Gara, but was rejected. Jonay, overcome with anger, beat Gara: he was arrested, but the princess decided to free him and run away with him. Together, they attempted to take refuge on the summit of La Gomera and, once discovered, decided to commit suicide with a large spear.

Both treks are suitable for everyone. The island of La Gomera has prepared aWonderful app with all the trekking routes: there are so many of them!

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Mirador de Llania and Mirador de Jinama, El Hierro

Little El Hierro also offers many possibilities for adventure lovers!

I parked the car, rented with Cicar, at the mirador de la Llania, reached after driving through the beautiful El Pinar park. From the mirador de la Llania I followed a path, steep in places, to La Frontera: the views of the gulf are splendid!

After a timely and excellent lunch at the Joapira bar (exactly next to the Candelaria church) I continued walking to the Mirador de Jinama. From La Frontera to Mirador there is about 750 meters of elevation gain, so the climb is tough at times! Again, the reward was a beautiful view of the gulf. Once I arrived at the Mirador de Jinama I walked following TF-1 to the Mirador de la Llania.

The total walk is 15 km long with an elevation gain of about 1,000 meters.

Taking the car back, I drove to the natural pools of Maceta: the bath was restorative and the sunset excellent!

 

Best treks in the Canary Islands. Isla de Los Lobos, Fuerteventura

To conclude, here is the easiest trek of all! In fact, it is possible to hike to Los Lobos and admire the landscapes of this small island with total ease!

This islet is easily reached from Corralejo, Fuerteventura, in about 20 minutes by ferry.

It is possible to walk around the island: in about 6 km you can see the small puertito, the lighthouse and the various beaches. The puertito is the only place where you can eat and drink something. One option to make this trek even easier is to participate in an organized tour, which describes the nature of the island in depth!

 

INFORMATION FOR THE BEST TREKS IN THE CANARY ISLANDS

• Every island has wonderful treks! My favorite is undoubtedly La Palma: it is perfectly organized, the trails are always perfectly marked and there are treks for all tastes!A week in La Palma: I recommend it to all trekking lovers!

 

• It is possible to trek 12 months of the year, but with due caution. In the western islands (including La Palma) winter can be decidedly rainy, so not suitable for walking. As for Teide, it is possible to have snowfall from late November to early March. In summer, however, some days can be very hot and therefore definitely not recommended for walking. I still recommend always viewing the local weather center.AEMET

 

• Almost all of the treks mentioned are ‘wilderness’; therefore, one must carry reserves of food and water throughout the trek.

 

• Proper clothing is necessary, starting with hiking shoes, which are essential.

 

• All of the islands are interconnected by aircraft or ships. The island with the least frequent connections is definitely tiny El Hierro.