There are a handful of walking routes on Tenerife we’d instantly recommend to friends if we wanted them to see the very best of the island’s countryside. Teno Alto in the west of the island one of them.
It’s a route which has just about everything – some of Tenerife’s best views, a glimpse of life in rural hamlets, and a constantly changing landscape. Although it’s not especially long it is challenging enough and packed full of surprises. We haven’t taken anyone on it who hasn’t been absolutely wowed by the experience.
Even the start is unique, with views of the quite bizarre centrepiece of El Palmar’s verdant valley.
If the weather is kind views of Mount Teide boost the scenery. Sometimes the mountain comes and goes as cloud envelopes it.
In spring especially, wild flowers in bloom add explosions of colour along the way. It’s probably the Tenerife route where we’ve seen the most variety of flora.
There are a couple of stretches which wind through dappled laurisilva forests where twisted trees close in around you. On warm days their shade is most welcome.
Although it’s a route where the scenery is never less than spectacular, this point is about as good as you’ll find on any Canary Island in our experience.
Even as it winds towards its final stages, it never lets up hitting walkers with those contrasting vistas. A friend described it as being almost the perfect walk. We wouldn’t disagree with him on that… apart from the ‘almost’ bit.
The Teno Alto route is included in our Tenerife North set of walking routes and in our Walk this Way Tenerife guidebook.
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