Tenerife / The verdict
Is an Anaga mountains day trip worth it?
Go: the oldest corner of Tenerife trades resorts for a cloud-fed laurel forest, ridge viewpoints, cave hamlets and wild black beaches, all free to enter and 20 minutes from La Laguna by bus. The catches are fog, tiny parking lots and thin bus timetables, so go early or by public transport.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Tenerife story
Tenerife is the biggest and most varied of the Canary Islands: Spain's highest peak rising out of a lunar national park, ancient laurel forest in the Anaga mountains, natural lava pools on the north coast, and the dense resort strip around Costa Adeje and Playa de las Americas in the south. The island effectively runs two climates, the sunny dry south where the resorts sit and the greener, cooler north around Puerto de la Cruz.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
Go: the oldest corner of Tenerife trades resorts for a cloud-fed laurel forest, ridge viewpoints, cave hamlets and wild black beaches, all free to enter and 20 minutes from La Laguna by bus. The catches are fog, tiny parking lots and thin bus timetables, so go early or by public transport.
Go if
- Hikers and nature-first travelers; the northeast massif holds one of Europe's last laurel forests, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
- Photographers and village wanderers; misty ridges, hamlets like Taganana and Chinamada, and black-sand coves at Benijo
- Visitors based in Santa Cruz or La Laguna; reports put the bus ride to Cruz del Carmen at about 20 to 30 minutes
Skip if
- You want guaranteed views and sunshine; the trade-wind cloud that feeds the forest often whites out the miradors
- You get motion sickness; access roads are narrow, winding and slow, and reports flag the bends repeatedly
- You are staying in the far south with no car; reaching Anaga from Costa Adeje means crossing most of the island
What it costs
- Anaga Rural Park entry: €0 (Free access; most trails need no permit or booking until at least 31 December 2026 under temporary measures, and a paid booking plus shuttle system for non-residents is being prepared). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- El Pijaral trail reservation (La Ensillada to Cabezo de Tejo loop), per person: €0 (Free but mandatory online authorisation; slots release Mondays at 07:00 for up to 14 days ahead and daily capacity is capped; officials announced a coming charge for non-residents in April 2026). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- TITSA day travelcard, unlimited bus and tram: €10 (Valid 24 hours on all island lines including the Anaga routes; card costs EUR 2; single tickets are priced by distance and a same-day return over 20 km gets 10 percent off). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Cruz del Carmen visitor centre: €0 (Open daily 09:30 to 16:00 October to June and 09:30 to 15:00 July to September; closed 25 December, 1 and 6 January). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 15 traveler reports (Feb 2025 to Oct 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- The laurisilva forest is the star: reports call the mossy, mist-fed green a world apart from the coastal resorts (8 of 15 reports).
- Viewpoints like Pico del Inglés and the ridge miradors earn praise for Atlantic panoramas when the cloud lifts (5 reports).
- Hamlets such as Taganana and cave-dwelling Chinamada read as the authentic, pre-tourism Tenerife (4 reports).
- Free access and short, easy trails from Cruz del Carmen make it doable even without a serious hike (3 reports).
What people complain about
- Parking is the top gripe: the Cruz del Carmen lot is small, fills early and reports describe cars being turned away on busy days (5 reports).
- Fog and low cloud can hide the views travelers drove up for, and the same mist makes roads and trails slick (4 reports).
- Buses reach the park but run on rural frequencies, so a missed return can strand a day plan (3 reports).
- Access rules are tightening: reports of congestion have pushed the island toward visitor caps, reservations and a paid shuttle for non-residents (4 reports).
How to do it right
- Go early: the small Cruz del Carmen car park fills around 9 am on busy days and reports describe police turning cars away once it is full.
- Start at the Cruz del Carmen visitor centre for maps and trail advice, then walk the short Sendero de los Sentidos loops or commit to a longer route like PR TF 10 toward Chinamada.
- Without a car, take bus 275 from the La Laguna interchange to Cruz del Carmen; buses 945 and 947 run from Santa Cruz toward Chamorga and 946 reaches Taganana, Almaciga and Benijo.
- Book the free El Pijaral authorisation on Tenerife ON if the Enchanted Forest loop is on your list; slots release on Mondays for up to 14 days ahead and capacity is capped.
- Pack a layer and a rain shell: the ridge sits around 900 metres and reports describe mist, drizzle and much cooler air than the coast.
- Treat Benijo and Almaciga as viewpoint beaches; reports warn the surf is dangerous and swimming is not the point.
The trap to avoid
Arriving mid-morning by car at Cruz del Carmen. Reports describe a tiny free car park that fills by about 9 am on weekends and holidays, roadside parking bans actively enforced, and police redirecting late arrivals.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
Anaga is the rare attraction where the evidence is nearly unanimous: of 15 logged reports, every traveler source rates the park a highlight of Tenerife, and the only negatives are logistics rather than the place itself. The laurel forest is a genuine relic, a Biosphere Reserve of moss-draped ridges and hamlets that read as the pre-resort island, and it costs nothing to enter.
The complaints cluster on three themes. Parking at Cruz del Carmen is tiny and reports describe it full by about 9 am with police turning cars away. The same trade-wind cloud that makes the forest magical whites out viewpoints and makes roads slick. And access is tightening: congestion reports through 2025 turned into announced plans for daily caps, advance trail reservations and a paid shuttle for non-residents from La Laguna, which is worth checking against your dates.
None of that changes the verdict because the fixes are free and simple: go early, take the 275 bus from La Laguna, reserve El Pijaral in advance if you want the capped trail, and treat a foggy day as a forest day rather than a viewpoint day. A guided hike is the one paid shortcut worth considering if you are based in the south without a car.
Timing and tickets
The visitor centre opens 09:30 daily. Hikers wanting El Pijaral should watch the Monday 07:00 slot release on Tenerife ON. Bus riders should download the ten+ app or carry a EUR 10 day card, since rural drivers and single fares cost more per leg.
Book or check times
Tenerife ON: Anaga Rural ParkTenerife ON: El Pijaral trail authorisationTITSA bus fares and travelcardsCruz del Carmen visitor centre hours
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Where to stay
Staying in Tenerife?
Which area of Tenerife to stay in, based on traveler reports. Search Tenerife hotels on Expedia partner site
Questions
Do you need a permit or ticket for Anaga Rural Park?
The park itself is free and most trails need no booking under temporary measures running to at least 31 December 2026. Two areas do need authorisation on Tenerife ON: the El Pijaral loop and the Monte Aguirre trail. Officials announced a paid reservation and shuttle system for non-residents is being prepared, so check Tenerife ON again before you go.
Can you visit Anaga without a car?
Yes, and reports recommend it. Bus 275 runs from the La Laguna interchange to Cruz del Carmen in roughly half an hour, while 945 and 947 serve Chamorga and 946 reaches Taganana, Almaciga and Benijo from Santa Cruz. Frequencies are rural, so plan the return bus before you set out on a trail.
Is the famous El Pijaral enchanted forest still open?
Yes, but only by free advance reservation on Tenerife ON, with a capped daily headcount and slots released each Monday for up to 14 days ahead. Reports note it sells out and that officials plan to charge non-residents a fee for it.
What is there to do in Anaga if you do not hike?
The miradors along the TF-12 ridge, the accessible Sendero de los Sentidos loops at Cruz del Carmen, the village of Taganana and the black-sand beach at Benijo are the standard non-hiking day. Reports treat the winding drive itself as a highlight.
When is the best time of day to visit Anaga?
Early morning. Reports say the Cruz del Carmen car park can be full by about 9 am on busy days, mornings tend to be clearer before fog builds, and the forest is at its most atmospheric in light mist.
Pack for it
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