Anaga Rural Park: Hiking Trails & Wild Beaches Guide

The Anaga Rural Park in the northeast is Tenerife at its rawest: a protected ancient laurel forest, ancient and older than the island's resorts, wrapped around knife-edge ridges and valleys that plunge into the Atlantic. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it is the island's best-kept secret for hikers — and it is astonishingly easy to reach from Santa Cruz or La Laguna.

The classic trails

• Sendero de los Sentidos — a short, family-friendly sensory trail through the laurel forest near Cruz del Carmen. Perfect for a first taste of Anaga.
• Chamorga to Roque Bermejo — a full-day coastal descent through terraced valleys to the wild black-sand Roque Bermejo beach. Strenuous but spectacular.
• Chinamada and the cave houses — the village of Chinamada is built into the rock; the walk here crosses the island's best miradores.
• El Bailadero to Taganana — a gentle ridge walk down to Taganana, one of Anaga's oldest villages, with lunch options in local guachinches.

Wild beaches for the brave

Anaga's coastline is where you find the island's most dramatic swim spots. Playa de Benijo is the star — a huge stretch of black sand with the Roque Benijo rock rising offshore, often empty even in high season. Playa del Bollullo and Las Gaviotas are wilder still. Bring water, food and strong shoes — there are no facilities, and the paths down are steep.

Practical advice

The best conditions run from November to April, when the forest is green and misty. Start early: the mountain roads are narrow, parking fills by 10am at Cruz del Carmen, and afternoon cloud can roll in fast. Wear layers — it is noticeably cooler than the coast. The nearest town base is La Laguna, and buses from Santa Cruz reach Cruz del Carmen directly. For the best viewpoint over the whole park, walk the Mirador de Benijo clifftop at sunset — it is the moment Anaga stays with you for.