Tenerife’s mountains are great for climbing

Tenerife in the Canary Islands is a very popular destination for tourists seeking sandy beaches and subtropical sunshine but the island has a lot more to offer that makes it a wonderful location for taking a holiday. You cannot fail to see the mountains and they are a major attraction of Tenerife.

Mt Teide, at 3,718-metre (12,198 ft), is the highest mountain, not just in the Canaries, but in all of Spain, and it towers over the rest of the island. There are many more mountains in Tenerife that are great for climbing, with some of them being smaller volcanic cones and others being very high, though not as high as Teide. So let us take a look at some of the best mountains in Tenerife.

To see the summit of Mt Teide you need to get a special permit from an office in the capital of Santa Cruz, but to experience the lower parts, which are still incredibly high, one of the easiest ways is to take the bus from Playa de Las Americas or Puerto de la Cruz bus stations and get off at the “Parador de Turismo” (tourist hotel) or at the stop for the centre where you can catch a cable car most of the way up the mountain. There are guided tours of Mt Teide too, but walkers need to be very fit to go to the top, not just because of how steep the climb is but because of the risk of altitude sickness. Lower levels by the tourist hotel are spectacular, and it really looks like another world up there.

The Anaga Mountains in the north of the island are covered in ancient evergreen laurel forest. There are many mountain villages, like Las Mercedes, and incredible views over the valleys. It is easy enough to find buses from the city of La Laguna that will take you into these mountains. Chinamada, is a village in this range that has houses made from caves in the mountainside. There are plenty of footpaths and hiking trails in the Anaga Mountains but the weather can change fast, so be prepared and take appropriate clothing.

Also in the north, or more accurately, the northwest, are the Teno Mountains. Life goes on in the remote village of Teno Alto much like it has done for a very long time, and goat farming is the main occupation there. The Teno Mountains look down over the coastal towns of Buenavista and Los Silos. The views are amazing and the countryside is incredible. Just like in the Anaga range the weather can change fast and a sunny day can become chilly, cloudy and wet, so consult the local weather forecast and have the right sort of clothing, and most importantly, don’t get lost.

In the south of Tenerife there are some much lower but still spectacular cone mountains, which are well worth climbing. Montana Amarilla (Yellow Mountain) is right next to Amarilla Bay in the tourist resort of Costa del Silencio. This volcanic cone provides stunning views along the coast and over the sea. You can easily see Montana Roja (Red Mountain) near El Medano, further along the southern coastline. It is another great mountain to climb.