Anaga Rural Park & Northeast Tenerife: A Complete Guide
Ancient laurel forest, mountain roads in the clouds, a white village on a knife-edge ridge, and a black-sand beach stacked with sea rocks — Anaga Rural Park is the oldest, greenest, and most mysterious corner of Tenerife.
Tucked into the northeastern tip of Tenerife, Anaga is the island's oldest landscape — a rumpled massif of knife-edge ridges, hidden villages, and forests that look like they haven't changed in twelve million years. The rest of Tenerife was forged in fire; Anaga has been quietly eroding ever since. The difference shows the minute you turn off the motorway and start climbing into the clouds.
We saved Anaga for the last day of a nine-day trip around the island — and that turned out to be exactly right. The massif felt like a different Tenerife altogether: greener, wetter, stranger. Here's how to make the most of a day (or two) in Anaga Rural Park and the surrounding northeast coast.
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Start the Day in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Most Anaga visits start — and sometimes end — in Santa Cruz, the island's capital. If you've based yourself in the south or the north of the island, consider booking a night in Santa Cruz the evening before: it puts you 20 minutes from the main entry road into Anaga, and the morning light on the city with the Anaga mountains behind is one of the quiet highlights of the island.
Before heading into the park, allow an hour for the Parque Marítimo, the Auditorio de Tenerife (César Manrique would have wanted you to), and a coffee in the Plaza del Príncipe. For a guided introduction to the city — history, architecture, tapas stops — a Santa Cruz walking tour with a local guide takes about 2 hours and pairs well with a morning coffee. Then climb the TF-12 toward La Laguna — the UNESCO-listed old capital of the island — and take a quick detour through the historic centre before turning into Anaga proper.
Walk Inside the Laurel Forest at Cruz del Carmen
The main access to Anaga is the TF-12, a narrow mountain road that climbs from La Laguna to the central ridge of the massif. The first stop on the way — and one of the most atmospheric — is Cruz del Carmen, a small chapel at 1,000 metres surrounded by the island's most intact stretch of laurel forest.
Laurisilva (laurel forest) once covered much of subtropical southern Europe. Today, most of what survives clings to the Canary Islands and Madeira, and Anaga protects the oldest, densest remnant on Tenerife. Moss hangs off every branch, the air is cool and humid, and the light filters down green.
The short Sendero de los Sentidos ("path of the senses") loops from the visitor centre through the heart of the forest and takes around 30 minutes. It's flat, kid-friendly, and interpretive panels tell you what you're looking at without being preachy.
For a deeper walk off the self-guided path, a small-group circular hike in the Anaga laurel forest (max 10 people) covers 3–4 hours with a naturalist and is the single best way to actually read this forest rather than just walk through it.
Catch the View from Mirador Pico del Inglés
From Cruz del Carmen, a 10-minute drive along the TF-114 leads to the Mirador Pico del Inglés at 992 metres. On a clear morning, the whole southern side of Anaga spreads out at your feet — folded green ridges, the TF-12 snaking along the crest, and the Atlantic hazy at the edges. If low clouds fill the valleys (which happens often), the view above is even more cinematic.
Visit Chinamada and the Mirador de Jardina
A side road off the TF-13 takes you to Chinamada — an isolated cluster of cave houses dug into the ridge at 500 metres. The village is one of the last lived-in troglodyte settlements in Europe; a handful of families still live here year-round, reached by a single winding road.
From the Mirador de Amogoje, just above the road into Chinamada, a small white house appears to hang on a grassy spur above a sheer drop. It's one of the most photographed views in Anaga — and, in person, still surprising.
From a second mirador closer to Chinamada, you can look the other way — out across several ridges to the three offshore islets of Roques de Anaga, tiny volcanic plugs rising from the ocean.
Hike from Chinamada to Punta del Hidalgo
If you're up for a proper walk, a waymarked trail descends from Chinamada all the way to the sea at Punta del Hidalgo — about 2 hours down, 3 hours back up. It's one of the great Anaga hikes and a good option if you only have one full day in the park and want to cram a coast-to-ridge experience into it.
Drive the TF-134 to Taganana and Benijo
For most visitors, the single most memorable corner of Anaga is the TF-134 — the north-side road that twists down from the El Bailadero pass to the villages of Taganana, Almáciga, and Benijo. The descent takes 30 minutes on empty, an hour with photo stops. Budget more.
If you'd rather someone else drive the TF-134 so you can keep your eyes on the ridges, a Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Taganana day tour stitches the three into a single day with hotel pickup — useful if you're only in Tenerife for a short stay.
The classic postcard view of Taganana comes from a mirador just above the village. The whole settlement is threaded along a knife-edge ridge that drops straight to the ocean, with the serrated peaks of Anaga rising behind.
Lower down, before you reach Almáciga, the road curves along the cliff and delivers you to one of the most dramatic coastlines in the Canaries. The rock formations just offshore — the Roques de Anaga — are clearly visible, and a small surfer's beach opens up at Almáciga.
Spend the Golden Hour at Playa de Benijo
Benijo is the end of the road — quite literally. A small village clings to the final ridge, a dozen parking spots and two fish restaurants mark the terminus, and a steep wooden staircase drops you onto the sand. Playa de Benijo is a black-sand beach with two iconic sea stacks offshore, and the light at the end of the afternoon is as good as anywhere in the Canaries.
Swim with caution — the Atlantic hits this coast head-on and the currents here can be strong even when the surface looks calm. Our kids stayed at the edge of the surf while the adults walked the strand.
Eat Fish at Casa África or La Cofradía
Two of the best-known fish restaurants in the Canaries sit a few doors apart in Benijo: Casa África and La Cofradía. Both serve whatever was caught that morning — expect vieja, parrot fish, or cherne — with a side of papas arrugadas and mojo verde. Lunch runs €20–30 per head and both places fill quickly on weekends. Reserve ahead if you can.
Walk to the Anaga Coast at Roque de Las Bodegas
If you'd rather eat your papas with a view of the waves, a five-minute drive east of Taganana brings you to Roque de las Bodegas — a handful of fish shacks, a shingle beach, and the unmistakable form of a rocky headland jutting into the Atlantic.
Planning Your Visit
Getting there: Anaga is easily reached by rental car from Santa Cruz (20 minutes) or La Laguna (10 minutes). From the south or west of the island, allow 60–90 minutes.
Time needed: A minimum of one full day. Two is better: one for the ridges (Cruz del Carmen, Pico del Inglés, Chinamada) and one for the coast (Taganana, Almáciga, Benijo).
Where to stay: Hotels in Santa Cruz and La Laguna on Trip.com put you closest to Anaga. Staying overnight inside the park itself is limited to a handful of rural houses in Taganana, Chamorga and Chinamada — book months ahead.
Weather: Anaga is cloudier and cooler than the rest of the island. Pack a light waterproof and a layer even in summer.
Guided hikes: For a deeper dive into the laurel forest, a guided hike in Anaga Rural Park with a local naturalist is worth it if you want to understand the ecology. Pickup and a picnic stop are usually included.
Getting there: If you haven't picked up a car yet, compare rental rates on Trip.com — a car is essential for Anaga.
More Tenerife & Green-Island Escapes
Anaga feels like a world apart — but so does the Teno peninsula on the opposite end of the island, and the Teide caldera in between. If Anaga's laurel forests reminded you of other ancient green islands, a few more MapTrotting guides go well with it.