When planning a hiking trip to Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), figuring out where to stay can be a bit puzzling. Most blogs and guides focus on beach resort towns exclusively, leaving us hikers little insight regarding where to stay.
As a result of galivanting across Tenerife in our hiking boots for one month, we identified the best bases for exploring Tenerife’s most impressive hiking destinations: Anaga Rural Park, Teide National Park, and Teno Rural Park.
To experience each area, we recommend dividing your time between Northeastern Tenerife (La Laguna), Northwestern Tenerife (Buenavista del Norte, Los Silos, Santiago del Teide, or Los Gigantes), and the interior of Tenerife (Teide National Park, Vilaflor, or Arona).
This guide will help you decide where to base yourself in each region, so you don’t have to guess. Also, this Tenerife Road Trip Itinerary is designed for hikers.
La Laguna and Santa Cruz de Tenerife for exploring Anaga Rural ParkBuenavista del Norte, or Los Silos for exploring Teno Rural ParkSantiago del Teide for exploring Teno Rural Park and Teide National ParkLos Gigantes for exploring Teno Rural Park and Teide National ParkVilaflor for exploring Teide National ParkArona for exploring Teide National Park and the South Coast
Tenerife Accommodation Map
How to use this map | Click on the “sliding-door” icon on the top left of the map to display the list of accommodations. Click on each accommodation to display further information. Click on the “expand” icon on the top right to open this map in a new window. Each color signifies a different Tenerife destination:
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Andres: coral redTaganana: wine redSan Cristóbal de La Laguna: plumTegueste, Tejina, Punta del Hidalgo: orangeLa Esperanza, La Orotava: yellowTeide National Park, Vilaflor, Arona, San Miguel de Abona: light greenSouth Coast: dark greenLos Gigantes: tealSantiago del Teide: purpleLos Silos, Buenavista del Norte, Icod de los Vinos: grey
1. San Cristóbal de La Laguna (La Laguna)
Best Base for Exploring Anaga Rural Park
Playa de Tamadite
La Laguna is located at the base of the Anaga Mountain Range and at the beginning of the Anaga Mountain Road. From the city center, it’s a 25-35 minute drive to reach most trailheads in Anaga Rural Park including Punta del Hidalgo, Taborno, Afur, Cruz del Carmen, and Igueste de San Andres.
La Laguna is also an attractive, Spanish-colonial-style city with lots of dining options and a vibrant marketplace, Mercado Municipal De La Laguna. In fact, its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, displaying architectural styles ranging from Mudéjar and Neoclassical to Modernist and Rationalist.
San Cristóbal de La Laguna is the best place to stay in Tenerife when you delight in hiking as much as you do in local culture and cuisine. At the very least, spend 3 nights in La Laguna, so you can fully experience the Anaga mountain range.
Here are a few Tenerife hiking trails you should consider during your stay in La Laguna:
Cruz del Carmen to Punta del Hidalgo Benijo to Faro de Anaga Loop TrailIgueste to Atalaya de los InglesesPunta del Hidalgo to Chinamada and Las CarbonerasRoque de Taborno Taganana to Playa de Tamadite Path of the Senses
Best Places to Stay in La Laguna
Budget | Casa Del Casco Historico is a centrally located guesthouse in La Laguna, walking distance to many restaurants and cafés in the historic center. Guests have access to a shared kitchen, lounge, garden, and terrace. Coffee, tea, and cookies are provided.
Midrange | La Laguna Gran Hotel is a top-rated hotel in the heart of La Laguna’s old town, featuring a stylish lobby entrance, clean and spacious bedrooms, a rooftop pool (seasonal), and an on-site restaurant. Highlights of staying here are the central location, breakfast buffet, and the warm and friendly atmosphere. You can park in the hotel’s parking garage (extra charge), or in a free car park behind the hotel.
Luxury | Hotel Boutique San Diego – Adults Only stands out with its elegant, yet cheerful interior design, intimate atmosphere, and lovely gardens. Guests love the breakfast featuring local products, the spacious and modern bedrooms, and the helpfulness of the hosts (booking dinner reservations and taxis, personal recommendations). The hotel is a 10-15 minute walk to the old town.
2. Buenavista del Norte and Los Silos
Best Base for Exploring Punta de Teno and the Teno Mountains
Punta de Teno
The Northwestern tip of Tenerife is characterized by the majestic and rugged Teno massif. Buenavista del Norte and Los Silos are two neighboring coastal towns, which serve as a gateway to the northernmost Teno Mountains and Punta de Teno.
Punta de Teno is a rocky headland that forms the northwestern tip of Tenerife. Marked by a lighthouse and stretching into the sea, this is Tenerife at its most epic.
As you take in the vertical Los Gigantes Cliffs from Teno Point, you’ll feel like you’re standing at the edge of the world.
Visiting Punta de Teno is a must-do on any itinerary. Most people drive or take a bus. But, an exciting alternative is hiking up the Camino Risco path, which starts in Buenavista del Norte, to the hamlet of Teno.
From this isolated hamlet, you can descend all the way to Teno Point. We’ve explained this hike in our Punta de Teno guide.
Buenavista del Norte and Los Silos are sleepy low-key destinations, worlds away from Costa Adeje and the Southern Coast. There’s not a whole lot going on here, but the dramatic coastal scenery more than makes up for it.
When you’re not hiking, you can explore some of Tenerife’s most picturesque towns including Garachico, Icod de los Vinos, and La Orotava.
Best Places to Stay in Buenavista del Norte and Los Silos
Budget | B&B Buenavista del Norte is a charming and economical B&B located in an 18th-century house in Buenavista del Norte. Guests have access to a shared kitchen and garden. Note: bathroom facilities are shared.
Midrange | Luz Del Mar is a lovely hotel in Los Silos. It’s nice to unwind in the hotel’s sauna or take a dip in the outdoor pool, before treating yourself to dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Luxury | Melia Hacienda del Conde is an adults-only, luxury hotel in Buenavista. When you want a peaceful place to stay with access to top wellness facilities (fitness center, sauna, Turkish bath, pools), this is the #1 place to stay in Northwestern Tenerife.
3. Santiago del Teide
Best Base for Exploring Masca and the Teno Mountains
Santiago del Teide to Masca Walking Trail
Situated on the road between Los Gigantes and Garachico, Santiago del Teide is the best base for exploring Masca and the surrounding Teno mountains and ravines (e.g. Barranco Seco).
Directly from the town center, you can embark on the enchanting ridge trail to Masca via Pico Verde.
If you venture south to the nearby village of Tamaimo (11-min drive), you can hike the satisfying Montaña de Guama circuit trail.
Learn more about these hikes in this post: Hiking in the Teno Mountains.
Santiago del Teide is a terrific place to stay when you value authenticity, peace, and quiet. Because the town is located at an elevation of 930 m, it can get crisp at night. Bring extra layers.
Where to Stay in Santiago del Teide
Budget | Casa Fina is an exceedingly charming and peaceful place to stay in Santiago del Teide. With its private courtyard, cozy beds, and a communal fully equipped kitchen, you have everything you need to feel right at home.
Midrange | Hotel La Casona del Patio
4. Los Gigantes
The most beautiful coastal resort town in Tenerife and a great base for exploring the Teno Rural Park
Piscina Natural Acantilado De Los Gigantes
Los Gigantes is the best place to stay in Tenerife when you want to divide your time between hiking in the mountains and relaxing by the sea.
After a long hike in the Teno mountains, you can bathe in the natural pool Piscina Natural Acantilado De Los Gigantes, watch the Los Gigantes Cliffs light up in shades of mahogany, and treat yourself to a seaside cocktail.
Los Gigantes and neighboring Puerto de Santiago are unabashedly touristic resort towns. However, the tradeoff might be worth it.
Unsurprisingly, there are tons of tourist traps and British Pubs in Los Gigantes.
However, we can wholeheartedly recommend the no-frills Bar-Restaurante Paraiso for Canary cuisine and Restaurante Pizzeria Mamma Lucia for Italian classics. If you can’t get a reservation at Mamma Lucia, you can always order pizza to go.
Where to Stay in Los Gigantes
Midrange | Klayman Diamond Aparthotel combines practicality with convenience. Apartments are well-equipped, modern, spacious, and immaculately clean. A highlight of staying here is the swimming pool and poolside bar overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Los Gigantes Cliffs – a spectacular view.
Luxury | Royal Sun Resort is an aparthotel featuring modern, exceptionally-equipped apartments. The spacious, ocean view terraces are perfect for enjoying sunrise and sunset. Guests have access to an outdoor adults swimming pool, a kids pool, a solarium, two restaurants, a fitness room, children’s play area, 24-hour reception, and parking (extra charge).
5. Vilaflor
Best Base for Exploring Teide National Park
Teide National Park
Vilaflor offers easy access to Teide National Park, as it’s a mere 30-minute drive away from the heart of the park.
As it’s the highest situated village in Tenerife, this is a great place to stay for acclimatizing, before tackling high-elevation hikes like Pico del Teide and Pico Viejo.
Furthermore, Vilaflor is also the starting point for many exciting hikes, including the Paisaje Lunar circuit hike and the strenuous ascent route to Guajara, the highest mountain along the caldera rim in Teide National Park.
During our time in Vilaflor, we kept returning to Fuente Hermano Pedro, a casual restaurant serving regional Canary dishes. They also have a tantalizing selection of cakes, which are worth sampling more than once.
Where to Stay in Vilaflor
Midrange | El Tejar Hotel & Spa
Luxury | Hotel Spa Villalba is the best accommodation in Vilaflor. Surrounded by forest and located in the mountains below Teide National Park, this peacefully-situated hotel encourages you to relax.
Guests have access to a wellness area featuring saunas and an indoor/outdoor pool. Bedrooms are comfortable and spacious.
But, our favorite thing about staying here was the breakfast buffet, featuring local specialties and everything else you’d ever want. It’s possible to eat dinner at the hotel, but we’d recommend eating in the town of Vilaflor instead.
If you do want to stay directly in Teide National Park, there’s one excellent option: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide. This hotel is located directly at the Montaña Guajara trailhead and across from the Roques de García trailhead.
6. Arona
Alternative Base for Exploring Teide National Park & the South Coast
Casa Arona Rural
The town of Arona is a 45-minute drive to Teide National Park. Further away than Vilaflor, but closer to the coast, this might be the perfect place for people looking to hike in the park as well as explore the South Coast.
Arona is quiet and sedate, offering the ideal oasis away from the overly-developed South Coast. For local Canary food, head to Restaurante El Cobijo, and for Spanish-inspired dishes head to La Cocina de Jose miniño.
If you stay in Arona, try to catch the sunrise from Conde (1001 m). The hike to Mount Conde starts in Vento village, next to Arona. This 5.2 km hike takes about 3 hrs. If you venture up here, you’ll have panoramic views of the South Coast of Tenerife.
Other hikes that start in, or near Arona:
Roque de los Brezos (9.6 km circuit, 3:45 hrs) Arona to Adeje via Ifonche (16.1 km point-to-point, 5:45 hrs)La Caleta to Playa Paraiso (10.4 km return, 2:45 hrs) Los Cristianos to Las Galletas (13 km point-to-point, 4 hrs)
Where to Stay in Arona
Midrange | Casa Rural Arona might be the most darling bed and breakfast in Tenerife. Bedrooms line a verdant courtyard filled with flowering fruit and dragon trees. Starting your day with breakfast in the courtyard was one of the highlights of our stay in Tenerife. The staff is extremely helpful and happy to offer recommendations.
Source: moonhoneytravelers
You might also like :
Discussion about this post