Ten walks in south Tenerife, from forty minutes to the summit of Teide
What to book, what it costs, what changed in 2026, and which of these you can start from the end of the street.
South Tenerife is a walking island between October and June. Below is the honest list, ordered by how far you have to travel — including the two 2026 rule changes that most guidebooks have not caught up with.
From the doorstep
Malpaís de la Rasca. A flat circular route of about three hours through a 315-hectare lava-field nature reserve, past four small cones, old salt pans and the Punta de la Rasca lighthouse. No permit, no booking, no facilities and no shade at all. The trailhead is a barrier at the edge of Palm-Mar.
Twenty to thirty minutes by car
Montaña Roja, El Médano. A red volcanic cone at the end of La Tejita beach, one to two hours round trip, exposed and windy. Free, no booking. Best at sunrise or sunset.
Roque del Conde, Arona. Arguably the defining hike of the south: a circular route from Arona village of about 7.6 km with 558 m of ascent to a 1,001 m table-top summit, roughly two and three quarter hours of walking, with short sections where you use your hands. Marked with blue circles and cairns. No water, minimal shade, no booking.
Barranco del Infierno, Adeje. A 6.5 km round trip of about three and a half hours to a waterfall, capped at 300 people a day and bookable in advance only.
Up the mountain — and this changed in 2026
The permit for the final summit push on Teide is no longer free. Since 19 January 2026 the Cabildo charges an eco-fee on the two summit trails, and the official Tenerife tourist board pages that still say the licence is free are out of date.
| Trail | Tenerife resident | Canary resident | Everyone else |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telesforo Bravo (from the cable car, 0.66 km) | free | 6 € | 15 € |
| Montaña Blanca — La Rambleta (8.3 km, +1,309 m) | free | 3–5 € | 6–10 € |
Places are released every Monday at 07:00 Canary time for the following 56 days, one reservation per person per fifteen days, through the Tenerife ON platform rather than the national parks portal. Mountain boots, long trousers and a warm layer are enforced, not suggested. From the cable car top station, two viewpoint walks — Mirador de La Fortaleza and Mirador de Pico Viejo — need no permit at all.
Note that wider access controls for Teide National Park are being introduced through 2026 and 2027, including capped parking with advance booking and shuttle buses. Check before you drive up the TF-21 from Vilaflor.
Worth the longer drive
Masca. A five-kilometre, four-hour descent through a gorge to the sea, exit by boat to Los Gigantes. Booking mandatory, 25 visitors per half-hour slot, from 40.66 € for non-residents with the boat ticket bought separately. Helmets loaned and mandatory. Difficulty is genuinely high.
Anaga. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of laurel cloud forest in the far north-east, about an hour and a half away and climatically the opposite of the south — wet, misty and slippery in winter. The Sendero de los Sentidos at Cruz del Carmen is the easy introduction. Pair it with a day in La Laguna.
Chirche and Aripe, Guía de Isora. Two hamlets at 730 to 950 m, listed as a protected historic ensemble in 2008, with stone houses, threshing floors, bread ovens and tile kilns. Not a hike so much as a walk through a surviving rural landscape.