Walking on Tenerife. Paddy Dillon
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then a simple day pack is all you need, containing items you would normally take for a day walk. Waterproofs can be lightweight and might not even be used. Footwear is a personal preference, but wear what you would normally wear for steep, rocky, stony slopes, remembering that hot feet are more likely to be a problem than wet feet. Lightweight light-coloured clothing is best in bright sunshine, along with a sun hat and frequent applications of sunscreen.
If snow and ice covers the highest mountains, warmer and more protective clothing will be needed, possibly even ice axe and crampons. If planning to backpack around the island, bear in mind that wild camping is technically illegal, though surprisingly popular. Lightweight kit should be carried, as a heavy pack is a cruel burden on steep slopes in hot weather. Water can be difficult to find, so try to anticipate your needs and carry enough to last until you reach a village, bar or houses where you can obtain a refill.
Waymarking and access
Tenerife only recently adopted a system for signposting and waymarking routes using standard European codes. The island has a network of short PR (pequeño recorrido) routes, which are marked with yellow and white paint flashes, and numbered to keep them separate. Signposts will read ‘PR TF…’, with a number following the letters. These codes are quoted in the route descriptions so that walkers will always be able to check that they are going the right way. There are also GR (gran recorrido) routes, which are intended as long-distance walks, but can also serve as simple one-day linear walks. Some short links are marked as SL (sendero local), literally ‘local walk’.
Red and white flashes mark the GR 131, and yellow and white flashes mark the shorter PR routes
Apart from signposts, routes are marked by occasional paint marks, parallel yellow and white stripes for the PR routes, with red and white stripes for the GR routes and green and white stripes for the SL routes. These confirm that walkers are still on course, and usually appear at junctions. Left and right turns are indicated with right-angled flashes, but if the paint marks form an ‘X’, this indicates that a wrong turn has been made.
The national park, Parque Nacional del Teide, has for many years used its own method to mark a splendid network of routes, generally using metal plaques fixed to rocks. These plaques bear the word sendero followed by a number that can be checked against map-boards and route maps produced by the national park authority.
Maps
The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN), www.cnig.es, publishes maps of the Canary Islands at scales of 1:50,000 and 1:25,000. These are part of the Mapa Topográfico Nacional (MTN) series. To avoid disappointment, please check the style and quality of these maps before making a purchase, since they generally do not show the sort of details that walkers require.
On Tenerife, good maps suitable for exploring are rather limited. There is the excellent 1:25,000 ‘Teide Parque Nacional’ map, stretching well beyond the national park in the middle of the island. For complete coverage of Tenerife on one sheet, the next best map is the 1:50,000 Kompass map of Tenerife, and this is available in Britain with an Automobile Association cover, as the AA Island Series 11 – Tenerife. The evolving trail network does not yet feature on maps, though routes are usually outlined on map-boards around the island, from which details can be copied and transferred to other maps.
Mapboards, signposts and waymarks have appeared where old paths have been restored
Maps can be ordered in advance from British suppliers such as Stanfords (12–14 Long Acre, London, WC2E 9BR, tel. 0207 836 1321, www.stanfords.co.uk), The Map Shop (15 High Street, Upton-upon-Severn, WR8 0HJ, tel. 01684 593146, www.themapshop.co.uk) or Cordee (www.cordee.co.uk).
The sketch maps in this guidebook are at a scale of 1:50,000. Routes marked on them can be transferred to other maps if required.
Food and drink
Tenerife is self-sufficient in terms of fruit, vegetables and fish. While some restaurants are cosmopolitan, others offer good local fare. Specialities include goat cheese. Wrinkly potatoes (papas arrugadas) cooked in salt are surprisingly refreshing in hot weather, served with hot mojo roja sauce and gentler mojo verde. The most popular fish dishes are based on vieja. If any dishes such as soups or stews need thickening, reach for the roasted flour gofio, which also serves as a breakfast cereal. Local wines are also available. Never pass an opportunity to indulge in local fare!
Tourist information offices
Tenerife Sur Airport, tel. 922-392037
Tenerife Norte Airport, tel. 922-635192
Intercambiador (Bus Station) Santa Cruz, tel. 922-533353
Santa Cruz (Cabildo), tel. 922-239592
La Laguna, tel. 922-632718
Candelaria, tel. 922-032230
Garachico, tel. 922-133461
Los Cristianos, tel. 922-757137
Buenavista del Norte, tel. 922-127192
Icod de los Vinos, tel. 922-812123
La Orotava, tel. 922-323041
Puerto de la Cruz, tel. 922-388777
Puerto de la Cruz, tel. 922-386000
Emergencies
The pan-European emergency telephone number 112 is used to call for assistance throughout the Canary Islands, linking with the police, fire or ambulance service, for a response on land or at sea. The Guardia Civil telephone number is 062, and it is likely they would be involved in a response involving mountain rescue, as they generally patrol rural areas.
Using this guide
The walks are spread around the island, and where they lie side-by-side, links between routes are possible. Routes are described on the Anaga peninsula in the north-east, followed by those on the Teno peninsula in the north-west. Routes are then described between Guía, Arona and Vilaflor, handy for the resorts of Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos in the south. To the north, routes in the Valle de la Orotava are handy for Puerto de la Cruz. The highest and wildest routes are in the Parque Nacional de Teide, where routes onto El Teide are described separately. Finally, the GR 131 trail is described as a five-day long-distance walk from Arona to La Esperanza. This route can of course be followed as a series of linear day-walks broken at intervals.
Workmen restoring an old zigzag path on part of the long-distance GR 131 (Walk 45)
On arrival on Tenerife, visit a tourist information office as soon as possible and ask for an accommodation list, and any information about walking opportunities that they stock. Remember to pick up leaflets about any visitor attractions that seem interesting, as they usually give full contact details, opening times and admission charges. Visit a bus station or bus information kiosk for an up-to-date bus timetable. After that, you should have all the information you need to enjoy the walks to the maximum!
ANAGA
Anaga, one of the oldest parts of Tenerife, is riven by deep and steep-sided barrancos
The Anaga peninsula, in the extreme north-east, is one of the oldest parts of Tenerife,