An unfortunate incident with an avocado tree in the garden left me feeling so fired up with adrenalin last Sunday that there was only one thing for it, I laced up my walking boots and headed straight out of the door. It’s funny how I never begin a walk from my front door. Usually I drive somewhere to pick up a favourite trail or route, even if it’s only into the pine forest of La Orotava in the valley above where we live. But in fact, you really don’t have to go to a set trail to enjoy walking on Tenerife.

I left my house and was immediately strolling through banana plantations before reaching the road and heading towards our local beach of Bollullo. The quiet road to the headland is palm and finca lined and is a lovely walk in its own right. Once it reaches the headland it becomes an unmade single lane that winds its way down the cliff side towards the beach, with profusions of flowers bordering it and views across the coastline to Punta del Sol.

Half way down, the lane is joined by the coastal path that runs through from the La Paz district of Puerto de la Cruz and instead of continuing down to the beach, I joined the path and headed back in the direction of La Paz. The path skirts the top of the headland before dropping down into an anis scented barranco and climbing up again through deserted terraces.

Emerging on the other side of the barranco, I weaved my way past thousands of banana plants at whose feet lizards scuttled through the dry undergrowth, until I emerged at La Paz. Then I crossed the road to a path we’d discovered when we were playing surrogate parents to the dogs, which took me back to the banana road just above the house.

My walk was an hour and a half in total and it made me feel a million times better. So good in fact that yesterday evening I did the same walk again, only this time the other way round and the views were even better.
En route, I passed lots of British and German holidaymakers enjoying the coastal path from La Paz to Bollullo, so clearly those statistics are founded on reality.

There are a few things you need to think about before you even book your flights to ensure that you get to experience walking on Tenerife exactly the way you like it.

Where to stay
Having a base that best meets your requirements is probably the trickiest of all your decisions. Decide what it is that you want from your holiday and narrow your choices until you reach the right base location.
Here are a few pointers to help you:

• In our opinion, the very best walking on Tenerife is in the Anaga Mountains, the pine forest of La Orotava Valley and Teide National Park so if you want to enjoy the best of those you should consider basing yourself in the north of the island.

• The best weather on the island is generally to be found on the southwest coast so if you’re planning to major on beach time with walking as a side order, consider  basing yourself there. You can access some fine walking in the hills but you will probably want to hire a car as the bus service on that side of the island is poor.

• The vast majority of visitors to Tenerife hear straight to the south coast and the resorts of Los Cristianos, Playa de Las Américas and Costa Adeje, all of which can offer super hotels, golden sand beaches, nightlife and a default setting of sunshine. But you’ll have to travel to find the best walking, particularly as the Barranco Del Infierno is still closed to public access.

Accommodation
The best hotels, in my opinion, are certainly in the south and southwest of Tenerife. Puerto de la Cruz suffers from having a deficit of good hotels so you will need to choose carefully.
Consider staying in rural hotels which are generally located in places where you’ll find lots of character, traditional restaurants and beautiful scenery. They’ll also give you access to some of the best walking on Tenerife.

When to go
Tenerife is a year-round resort so you can pretty much go whenever you have a window of opportunity.
Generally speaking, the spring months of April, May and June will give you stunning displays of wild flowers in the mountains. June brings the extraordinary Tajinaste blooming in Teide National Park, September and October are idyllic weather and crystal clear visibility and the winter brings a snow clad Mount Teide, clear blue skies and sunshine filled beaches.

Avoid walking when there are weather alerts in place and during calima. Check our weekly weather forecasts before you set out on your walk.

What to bring

• A good, sturdy pair of lightweight walking boots will get you through every terrain on Tenerife. If you’re planning on walking only in coastal areas, good walking sandals will suffice.
• For mountain walking, consider packing your walking stick (hiking cane).
• Fleece for high altitude walking and a waterproof jacket – particularly in winter.
• Hat, high factor suncream and a rucksack.

Essentially, ensure you have some reliable walking guides. Terrain on Tenerife can be very tricky with steep barrancos (ravines) into which slipping is all too easy, and homogeneous pine forests which make getting hopelessly lost difficult to avoid.

Check out our Island Walks guides which cover what we consider to be the best walking on Tenerife and give clear, staged directions as well as interesting detours, refreshment stops, toilets, local information, flora, advice about walking in specific areas, photographs and public transport routes.

You don’t have to be a committed hiker to enjoy a walk on your Tenerife holidays.

Regardless of where you’re staying on the island, you’ll find a nice holiday walk close by which will stretch your legs and allow you to see something other than the beach or your hotel pool during your visit.

With Island Walks, we have a whole series of suggested routes to suit everyone from the keenest of hikers to those just looking for a nice holiday walk. Island Walks cover a wide geographical spread of Tenerife so that wherever you’re staying; whether you’re dependant on public transport or intend to hire a car, there’s a walk or two to suit. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to find out which walks are near you.

Because Island Walks are produced in PDF format for you to print off at home, you only buy the walks that are relevant to you which means that, for as little as €2 you get an easy-to-follow map and detailed walking directions; information about the history, weather conditions and the plant life you’re likely to encounter on your walk; all beautifully illustrated with photographs.

And best of all…with every single purchase of Island Walks you get a FREE copy of Captivating Coastline which directs you to Tenerife’s best five coastal walks; every one of which offers the perfect holiday walk.

For anyone staying around the south coast of Tenerife (Los Cristianos, Playa de Las Américas/Cost Adeje) who just wants a holiday walk they can access by stepping out of their hotel complex, you don’t need a map or a guide to find the long promenade which stretches all the way from Los Cristianos to La Caleta and is known as The Geranium Walk. This mainly flat promenade is easy walking and always within a hair’s breadth of cafes, bars and restaurants – perfect strolling ground. You can dip in and out of the Geranium Walk as you please and turn back when you feel you’ve gone half as far as you want to walk!

So take time out of your holiday to enjoy a walk and make the most of your visit to  Tenerife.