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Tenerife's GR-131

Across Canary Islands' most diverse landscapes

By Northern Adventures

January 25^th, 2024

Introduction

(Thu Jan 18TH - Fri Jan 26TH, 2024)

The GR-131 trail, an island-hopping long-distance hiking route, spans the entirety of the Canary Islands, covering the seven largest islands of the archipelago (except the tiny La Graciosa). The section of Tenerife offers hikers a captivating journey through diverse landscapes, from rugged volcanic terrain to lush forests, picturesque villages, and coastal vistas.

For various reasons, we had to plan our regular southern hiking adventure for the month of January, which somewhat limited the choices we had. Tenerife was finally our preferred choice, thanks to straightforward logistics and the very diverse trail across the island in terms of the variety of landscapes.

On the downside, we had to cope with the fact that the central part of the island was severely damaged by the recent large forest fires, which affected the forested interior significantly. This necessitated a re-arrangement of the route, avoiding its central part and replacing it with coastal hiking/transport on the southern side of the island.

As we typically do with Lukáš and Filip, we opted for a lightweight way of hiking, staying overnight in villages along the trail. This made it possible to taste local cuisine and enjoy comfortable evenings after typically strenuous day hikes (significant elevation gains or drops, typically exceeding 1000 vertical meters, were the norm).

Our itinerary was as follows: Arona - Vilaflor - Parador de Cañadas del Teide - Teide volcano - Los Morales - Güímar - Candelaria - La Esperanza.

The Journey

We flew from Prague to Tenerife using a direct flight with Smartwings; although not necessarily a bargain, it was the only available direct option.

Upon arrival, we arranged for a pre-booked taxi to take us from Tenerife South–Reina Sofía Airport to Arona, where we spent the night at the comfortable VistalRoque B&B.

Day 1: From Arona to Vilaflor

Striving for thorough preparation, we explored Arona's small center in the evening, hoping to discover a decent restaurant. To be frank, there weren't many decent options available, and after wandering through the center, we were grateful to stumble upon the roadside establishment of Restaurante Roque del Conde, which ultimately met our needs quite satisfactorily.

After enjoying a hearty breakfast, we embarked on the trail heading northward, following the well-trodden footpath toward the ruined Casa Suárez and continuing on to the small hamlet of Ifonche.

The sunny weather was pleasant, and we were grateful for remembering to bring our caps/hats, which provided optimal sun protection.

Leaving Ifonche, the trail meandered through rugged terrain, with rocky paths and undulating hillsides, offering both challenging ascents and relieving descents.

Towards Vilaflor, the landscape transitioned from rocky slopes to verdant forests, with patches of pine and laurel trees providing shade and shelter from the sun. The scent of pine needles filled the air, adding to the sensory experience of the hike.

Clouds moved up through the valleys, creating a sublime and slightly eerie atmosphere in the deep pine woods we were crossing.

Approaching Vilaflor, we were greeted by the sight of the charming village nestled amidst the hills, with its beautiful whitewashed houses and terracotta rooftops.

Looking back, Vilaflor was the most picturesque village where we stayed overnight during the entire trail.

We lodged at the basic yet satisfactory Hotel Rural Vilaflor, and concluded the day at the inviting establishment of Los Cipreses de La Casa Inglesa.

Day 2: From Vilaflor to Parador de Cañadas del Teide

The morning in Vilaflor was cold but sunny. After enjoying breakfast at the small yet friendly Dulcería Hermano Pedro, the only establishment open early enough in the morning, we set out on the trail northeast, towards the iconic rock formation of Paisaje Lunar. Despite being a short side trip from the GR-121, we were quite eager to visit it.

Paisaje Lunar, or Lunar Landscape, is a captivating rock formation renowned for its otherworldly appearance, resembling a lunar landscape, hence its name.

One of the most distinctive features of Paisaje Lunar is its towering hoodoos, or rock pillars, which rise dramatically from the surrounding terrain, creating a surreal and ethereal atmosphere. These formations are composed of volcanic rock, shaped by centuries of erosion into intricate and often bizarre shapes.

We returned from Paisaje Lunar as part of a steep ascent, then continued further gaining elevation, leaving the pine woods behind and entering the area of Teide National Park proper.

Scattered trees, black volcanic sand, and a mysterious misty atmosphere created by clouds moving from the valleys all contributed to the surreal ambiance.

After crossing the small Barranco la Majada Vieja, we continued ascending through an eerie passage called Arenas Negras, following a direct footpath marked by stones across a vast area of black volcanic sands.

The ascent then continued across a barren rocky landscape all the way up to Degollada de Guajara pass (2380m), offering sensational views in the southern direction, clouds-permitting.

It was at the Degollada de Guajara pass when the prominent and iconic volcanic cone of Mt. Teide (3715m) came into view for the very first time.

Pictures, no matter what lenses are used, cannot truly capture and convey the majestic presence of the volcano as it stands out from its surrounding landscape.

The last few kilometers to the aging Parador de Cañadas del Teide were straightforward, albeit a bit dull, as most of the journey followed a gravel 4WD track.

Blessed with continuous sunny weather, we enjoyed the beautiful evening atmosphere at the hotel, observing the stunning shapes of Mt. Teide, Mt. Guajara (2718 m), and Piedras Amarillas, all beautifully illuminated by the setting sun.

The Parador de Cañadas del Teide hotel is indeed the sole accommodation nestled within the heart of the Teide National Park. Situated at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters, the Parador offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, prominently featuring the majestic peak of Mt. Teide.

We opted for this somewhat overpriced accommodation solely because other options were not available, and the location was a crucial factor in our decision. While the hotel's services were professional, the establishment itself appears to be aging slowly and lacks a certain charisma.

The food served in the hotel restaurant was well-prepared, though it lacked the distinctive flavors often found in smaller, local establishments.

Interestingly, during our two-day stay, the entire cycling team of Ineos also lodged at the hotel. They seemed to be utilizing Tenerife's favorable climate for winter training and preparations for the upcoming season. All the cyclists appeared to be in excellent shape—fit, trim, and remarkably youthful! :-)

Day 3: Mt. Teide

Although not officially part of the GR-121 trail, Mt. Teide is one of those challenges that cannot be missed when in the area.

It's fair to say that it's a challenging endeavor, with an elevation gain of 1700 meters, starting from 2000 meters above sea level, and the sensation of thin air experienced above 3000 meters. Simply put, the ascent requires considerable time and effort. Additionally, it's advisable to begin early in the day, despite the chilly temperatures near the volcano's summit, as the sun can be quite intense.

The trail began at the rock formations known as Los Roques de Garcia and continued ascending all the way up to the trail crossroad below another volcano, Pico Viejo (3134m).

I did a short side walk to the top of Pico Viejo, observing its impressive caldera. From there, the trail continued eastwards, continuously gaining elevation across rugged volcanic terrain all the way up to Mirador de la Rambleta, where the cable car station is located.

It's fair to say that the closer we got to the Mirador, the slower our progress became; the lack of oxygen took its toll and we were moving really slowly, no matter how much we tried.

At least other hikers seemed to experience similar symptoms; everyone appeared to be moving as if in a slow-motion movie.

The existence of a cable car connecting Mirador Base del Teide on the plateau below the volcano with the volcano itself means that reaching Mt. Teide is a popular and frequented day trip for tourists and locals alike.

As is often the case with such attractions, one may only wonder what leads people to attempt reaching Mt. Teide in flip flops, high boots, or other fashion pieces rather unsuitable for the harsh volcanic landscape.

However, it must be noted that the cable car does not reach the top of Mt. Teide; it only stops at an elevation of 3530m, still 200 vertical meters from the volcano's sulphuric peak. To reach the summit, one must arrange a permit (free of charge) well in advance; spaces are limited and book up quickly.

The last 200 vertical meters formed a painfully slow effort, caused by oxygen deprivation and the 1500 vertical meters covered previously.

Nevertheless, reaching the top was an enthralling experience; besides the vast views in all directions, the small sulphuric caldera, with visible signs of volcanic activity, was a unique place to admire.

Although at the beginning of the trip we were considering walking down from the top, we abandoned the idea during our ascent to Pico Viejo and instead bought one-way cable car tickets to remain sensible and reasonable - simply put, it would have been too much for us.

Having taken the exhilarating cable car ride down from the volcano, we swiftly covered the remaining last kilometers back to the Parador.

Day 4: Parador to Villa de Arico / La Cisnera

The fourth day promised to be a long one, with a significant descent of more than 2000 vertical meters. Each of us was a bit worried about how our aging knees would handle the situation.

We had to retrace our steps back to the Degollada de Guajara pass and then ascend further to Morra del Río (2529 m), which offered sensational views back to Mt. Teide for one last time.

Fortunately, this was the only ascent of the day; we felt rather weary after yesterday's climb to Mt. Teide.

The descent began abruptly and steeply, first traversing rugged volcanic landscape and then gradually becoming more pleasant as we descended below the tree line. We found ourselves amidst a sparse pine forest of El Topo de Veno, making our way towards the ruins of Chozas Viejas.

The journey then continued in a constant descent, leading us towards another ruin, Horno de Brea, and further down to Barranco Bijagua de Abejones, along beautiful winding forest footpaths.

After crossing the 4WD road (Pista General de Arico), we proceeded to the trail junction at Barranquillo el Peňón. From there, we continued hiking towards Villa de Arico.

The last mile comprised the descent through the narrow gully of Barranco de los Albarderos and the rock formations of Arico Arriba. It was quite amusing to descend into the narrow gorge, as it was full of climbers with their families and small kids - literally dozens of them spread across the 300-meter-long gully.

From there, we continued following the paved road towards Villa de Arico. Fortunately, we were given a lift by one of the passing cars - to our surprise, it was a Czech girl with her boyfriend who gave us a ride to the town.

We stayed overnight in the neighboring La Cisnera; neither the accommodation nor the dinner in Villa de Arico is worth mentioning.

Day 5: From Villa de Arico to Güímar

In the morning, we caught the bus from La Cisnera to Arico Viejo, where we enjoyed an opulent breakfast at the bustling Bar Restaurante Arbelo.

It's fair to say that the journey from Arico Viejo to Güímar was perhaps the weirdest section of the entire journey, and possibly the strangest experience we've ever had while hiking.

We foolishly followed the footpath called Camino Real de Arico, marked in red on our mapy.cz app, indicating a major footpath. In reality, it turned out to be a monotonous road walk combined with traversing a wind power station with numerous wind turbines; in fact, there was no discernible path to follow.

Left with no other choice, we descended to the unappealing Barranco de Tamadaya, passing a small goat farm along the way - where we noticed numerous pallets stacked with bananas, and the goats seemed to be feasting on bananas all day long.

From the barranco, we hiked back to the main road and finally caught another bus to Güímar from the small hamlet of Icor.

Luckily, things took a turn for the better in the picturesque small town of Güímar.

First, we enjoyed a lunch feast at the welcoming Bar Restaurant Casino de Güímar, located on Plaza de San Pedro, the town's main plaza.

Then, we checked into our pre-booked accommodation, the beautifully restored and historically decorated Hotel La Casona Santo Domingo.

Finally, we concluded the evening with a hearty dinner washed down by a few beers at the friendly craft beer bar, Cervecería Beers And Friends Güimar. It was one of those days that deserved to be properly washed down ;-).

Day 6: From Güímar to Candelaria

If yesterday was the oddest day on the trek, today promised to be the most adventurous—yet quite surprisingly so, as the slippery pine needle escapades caught us off guard.

Nevertheless, the plan we devised for today was fairly straightforward: to take a taxi from Güímar to the El Gaitero fire observation tower (1748 m), and then descend all the way down to the coastal town of Candelaria using various small forest paths we identified using our mapy.cz map.

Contrary to yesterday, this time the paths were indeed present—but full of surprises.

We began the descent in the southern direction, and soon we arrived at the vantage point of Montaña Amarnia (1718 m) (also known as Montaña del Cuchillo), offering us the very last view of Mt. Teide volcano on the northern horizon line.

The pine woods we traversed were partially burned, evidently a direct consequence of the large-scale summer forest fires in August 2023.

Things became more interesting when we departed from the Pista Boca del Valle forest road and began a steep descent to another vantage point, Igonse (1410 m).

The path was incredibly slippery—not due to mud, as is often the case, but because of vast amounts of dry pine needles, which created a real slide in some areas.

To add to the challenge, the path became scarcely visible at times, although occasional cairns and our mapy.cz map helped us maintain the correct direction.

Nevertheless, after crossing Igonse, the path continued across a highly exposed rocky ridge, which we didn't feel brave or skilled enough to tackle. Instead, we abruptly descended in the western direction to Barranco del Igonse, part of the way bushwhacking through dense vegetation. Here, we joined a proper footpath that led us all the way to the small town of Igueste.

The last mile to Candelaria was a rather uninspiring road walk.

We stayed overnight in a large resort named Catalonia Punta Del Rey, originally planned to offer us a decent chance for a sea swim. However, this didn't work out due to the colder weather, and the hotel itself was a rather bizarre place for elderly vacationers who depleted its morning buffet breakfast like locusts.

Luckily enough, we found a decent place for dinner, away from the sunburnt tourist herds. The lovely Bar CerViTapas, with its laid-back atmosphere and delicious tapas food, was a well-deserved delight to conclude the challenging hiking day.

Day 7: From Candelaria to La Esperanza

There isn't much to be said about the last stretch of the trail. We hired a taxi from Candelaria to Barranco El Hondo, from where we ascended across the typical landscape of small fields and then pine woods all the way to the lovely village of La Esperanza.

Having reached La Esperanza early in the afternoon, we were advised by the friendly owner of the establishment where we stayed overnight, Hotel Las Cañadas, to visit the picturesque town of San Cristóbal de la Laguna for an evening stroll and dinner.

And so we did. It was a lovely town, quite sizable, with a good vibe and friendly atmosphere. We properly concluded our trek with an extended evening feast at the recommended Tasca La Venta de la Esquina tapas bar.

Day 8: Playa de Las Teresitas and back to Prague

With our return flight scheduled for the late afternoon, we had enough time to visit the seaside town of San Andrés and its beautiful Playa de Las Teresitas beach. Sandy beaches are scarce on Tenerife, and this one had its sand imported from (Western) Sahara.

Afterword

The overall trek was lovely, especially the first four days and then the adventurous descent from El Gaitero to Candelaria.

It's a pity that the central wooded mountainous part of Tenerife was so harmed by recent wildfires, but that's life and the law of nature, and sooner or later the landscape will revive.

Personally, I am happy we managed continuous altitude gains and drops well and without any problems. The older we get, the more we feel it in our muscles and knees. That being said, our endurance increases; we are simply more accustomed to such endeavors.

For Europeans, the Canary Islands remain a lovely winter break destination. While Tenerife is certainly the most varied in terms of landscapes, I would opt for Gran Canaria (southern coast) for a winter holiday. As for La Palma or La Gomera, they offer an off-the-beaten-path experience that is also worth exploring.

Practicalities

The logistics to Tenerife are straightforward from most European countries, with direct flights available.
Accommodation options along the trail are sufficient in villages and smaller towns. However, the tricky part is navigating the Teide National Park, where the rather expensive and aging Parador de Cañadas del Teide is the only option near the volcano. Additionally, the central mountain plateau lacks villages or towns, leading some hikers to opt for bus/taxi transfers, while others choose camping or detours.
Regarding camping, there are abundant camping spots, and wild camping is an option. However, I would personally avoid it due to the complete lack of drinking water; there are no natural sources of drinking water along the trail.
The recent wildfires of August 2023 significantly damaged the pine woods. However, we expected the damage to be much worse, and the landscape will sooner or later revive.
Credit cards were widely accepted in all establishments (shops, restaurants, hotels) along the trail. For the ascent of Teide volcano, it's advisable to book your permit to the top early—months in advance.
The GPS of our journey (including bus/taxi rides) is available on Wikiloc.

Appendix

I first visited Tenerife back in January 2013, 11 years before this trip. It was a short stay, packed with day hikes and road trips all across the island.

The stunning highlight of all these trips was the ascent of Mt. Teide for sunrise. At that time, it was possible to stay overnight at the Refugio de Altavista cabin on the eastern slopes of the volcano, and then wake up early enough to witness sunrise at the top of the conic mountain.

Its iconic shape and rising sun formed a beautiful light phenomenon, projecting a cone shape across the western part of the island and further across the neighboring La Palma island.

We also visited the iconic rock formation of Paisaje Lunar. In hindsight, the telephoto lenses I had on the first trip did justice to the beauty of the area far better than ordinary lenses I had on the second trip ;-).

We also visited Playa de las Teresitas in San Andrés. Looking at the photographs from the first visit, the beach does also look far more appealing than during our second visit, especially when admiring the colorful boats :-).

We also visited the eastern part of the island, occupied by the unique Anaga mountains and their laurel forests. The views from the hills back to the west showcase how civilization and fields have penetrated the rugged island's interior.

Still in the Anaga mountains, in the easternmost tip of Tenerife, the Chamorga circuit is considered one of the best daily walks in the area. The route descends from the Chamorga village to the Faro de Anaga lighthouse and the tiny hamlet of Roque Bermejo, then returns through the spectacular canyon-like landscape.

Punta del Teno is a stunning coastal area situated on the western tip of Tenerife, renowned for its dramatic cliffs, rugged coastline, and breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. Its landscape features towering cliffs made of volcanic rock that rise dramatically from the sea, providing a striking backdrop against the azure waters of the ocean.

Quite a famous spot in Tenerife, Masca village is a popular destination for day-trippers from Las Americas tourist resorts. It can get quite busy during the day; however, the village remains a peaceful retreat in the evenings.

Though we didn't have enough time to explore fully, we passed through the village on our way to Punta de Teno. Nonetheless, we still had a chance to witness and admire the beautiful views it offers.

Los Gigantes cliffs are truly awe-inspiring and spectacular, whether admired from the east (as shown) or the west (Punta de Teno). Some may prefer the latter due to its more peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.

A final view from above, with Mt. Teide standing prominently above the cloud-covered landscape of Tenerife.

And this marks the final memory from 2013. We traveled through Amsterdam and thoroughly enjoyed our stopover in the Dutch capital. It's a beautiful city, and the evening atmosphere in the downtown area, with fresh snow covering the ground, was truly like a fairy tale.

Footnotes

All photographs are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without permission of the author.

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FootNotes

All photographs are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without permission of the author.

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