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Over 99.9% of Tenerife’s hiking routes do not require a permit nor any other kind of special preparation.
However, there are 5 hiking trails on the island that require an advance permit to either gain access or avoid a fine if checked by park rangers.
Tenerife hiking trails requiring a permit:
- Teide peak ascent
- Barranco de Masca trail
- Barranco del Infierno trail
- Sendero el Pijaral trail (aka Enchanted Forest), Anaga
- Monte de Aguirre Exclusion Zone trail, Anaga
Map of Tenerife trails requiring an advance permit. The red icons mark the trailhead. Zoom out to see the location of all five trails.
The permits by default are free. However, the permits are often unavailable as tour companies and individual guides bulk-book them, and sometimes fail to release them to the public if unused.
If you really want to do a trail requiring a permit, try to book as much in advance as possible.
If you can’t find a permit to book for your preferred dates, the best option is to go for a commercial tour on the same trail. There are plenty of offers on GetYourGuide and similar services.
The Teide ascent, Barranco del Infierno and Barranco de Masca trails are well worth your time. The Teide ascent should be on every adventurer’s Best Hikes Bucket List.
However, after having done them, I would not bother with the Sendero el Pijaral and Monte de Aguirre trails, unless you have a very specific professional reason to visit them.
Teide Peak Ascent
Free permit to access the last 700 meters from Mirador del Teide / La Fortaleza to the Teide Peak:
▶ https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/…/listado…
If you fail to secure a free permit for your desired date, you can try to join an organized hike. A link to one of them is below, but there are several options. Check the reviews and choose the one you like.
▶ Organized tour to visit the Teide volcano crater (includes funicular ascent and descent)
While one requires a permit to access the peak at all times, only the time slot between 9AM and 6PM is hard to secure.
You can almost always get the free permit for the 6AM-9AM and 6PM-10PM slots on the previous day, or in the morning of the hiking day.
If you plan to ascend in the evening, hikers have reported that park rangers in Fortaleza sometimes let hikers ascent already after 5PM if they have the evening permit with them.
Barranco de Masca trail
Free permit to access the Masca trail:
▶ https://www.caminobarrancodemasca.com/en/
If you cannot secure a free permit, you can join one of the paid tours that have the permit included. A link to one of them with the best reviews on Get Your Guide:
▶ Natura Xtreme Tenerife hikes
Barranco del Infierno
Free permit to access the trail:
▶ https://www.barrancodelinfierno.es/en/
Sendero El Pijaral Trail (aka Enchanted Forest), Anaga
Free permit to access the Sendero el Pijaral trail:
▶ https://centralreservas.tenerife.es/actividad/1
The trail is also known as the Enchanted Forest or ‘Bosque Encantado’ in Spanish.
Unless you are an entomologist, bird watcher or hiking with kids, there are more impressive trails for you to hike in Anaga Rural Park. I warmly recommend choosing the TF-8 trail instead of this one for better views and more diverse experience of Anaga.
If you are specifically looking for the feeling of the Enchanted Forest vibe, you can still get the same and more on the TF-4 trail between el Bailadero bus stop / trail head and Taganana village, or the TF-8 trail between Casa Forestal and Taganana.
Monte de Aguirre Exclusion Zone Trail in Anaga Rural Park
Free permit to access the Monte de Aguirre trail:
▶ https://centralreservas.tenerife.es/actividad/7
Just like with the Sendero el Pijaral, I warmly recommend choosing the TF-8 trail instead of this one for better views and more diverse experience of Anaga.
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