TENERIFE IS TRAIL RUNNING

ALL YEAR ROUND

Tenerife is much more than sun and beach, it is the paradise for the practice of trail running and that is thanks to having in just a few kilometers of distance, altitude, magical trails, varied terrain and a fabulous climate for this sport. It is undoubtedly a perfect place to train at any time of the year.

For your enjoyment, we present you 2 powerful and spectacular long-distance routes that will take you to know two different areas of the island and at the same time they will test your resistance in very varied terrain.

LOGO OTR

In addition, thanks to the technology of the Open Trail Races app, all routes can be done at any time in competitive mode. This application will automatically validate that you have completed the tour entirety and will classify you in the official ranking. Surely that will give your training a plus if what you are looking for a quality training.

Tenerife tourism website

LONG DISTANCE TRAIL RUNNING ROUTES IN TENERIFE

Albergue de Anaga – Igueste – Taganana

Total distance: 31,4 km

Elevation gain: 2450 m.

Start/finish point: Albergue de Anaga

Min. height: 5 m.

Max. height: 910 m.

Description of the route

Albergue de Anaga – Igueste – Taganana

General data:

Kilometers: 31.4 km
Accumulated unevenness: 4900m
Elevation gain: 2450m
Elevation loss: 2450m
Maximum altitude: 910m
Minimum altitude: 5m
Type: circular route (can be done in two stages)
Difficulty: high (for mountain runners)
Starting point: Albergue de Anaga
Coordinates: 28.550084800337483, -16.200336810925922
Places we visit: Anaga Rural Park, Igueste de San Andrés, Las Casillas, Lomo Las Bodegas, Cumbrilla, Benijo, Almáciga, Taganana.
Temperatures: perhaps in winter they can drop under 10º in the highest part. In summer or hot days it can reach more than 30º degrees (especially in the lower parts of the ravines)
Water points: 3 (Cumbrilla, Almáciga, Taganana)

Material:

  • Footwear and clothing suitable for mountain running.
  • Jacket / Windbreaker if it’s a bit cold or it might rain
  • Cap and / or sunglasses if the weather is uncovered.
  • 1.5 liter of water
  • Some food
  • Mobile
  • Money (you can buy food and drink on the way) or for any unforeseen event.

Description of the route:

This route has the charm of passing through several small villages in Anaga, small settlements of houses with a special charm, surrounded by vegetation, mountains and the sea, and totally far from the large towns. You will travel through the most virgin and natural area of ​​the island of Tenerife.

Demanding route in terms of distance and type of terrain, mostly technical trail. They are one of those workouts that can help you prepare for hard and long-distance races.

Do you prefer beach or mountain? Perhaps the best answer is that you prefer both. You will pass through very green and humid highlands, other steep and dry areas, and the beaches of Benijo and Almáciga. A training session in varied environments, ideal to get to know the essence of Anaga.

Tour detail:

This route has been designed so that you can do it in one stage or two. In such a case, for example, you could do it in the following ways:

1) Starting in Almáciga. You can stay at the Anaga Hostel

  • Stage 1: Almáciga – Anaga Lodge (13 kms approximately)
  • Stage 2: Albergue de Anaga – Almáciga (18.5 kms approximately)

2) Starting in Benijo. You can stay at the Anaga Hostel

  • Stage 1: Benijo – Anaga Lodge (14.5 kms approximately)
  • Stage 2: Albergue de Anaga – Benijo (17 kms approximately)

3) Starting at Albergue de Anaga and spending the night in Benijo.

  • Stage 1: Albergue de Anaga – Benijo (17 kms approximately)
  • Stage 2: Benijo – Albergue de Anaga – (14.5 kms approximately)

4) Starting at the Anaga Lodge and spending the night in Almáciga.

  • Stage 1: Albergue de Anaga – Almáciga (18.5 kms approximately)
  • Stage 2: Almáciga – Anaga Lodge (13 kms approximately)

KM 0 – We start the journey leaving from the Anaga Hostel, leaving the establishment on the right, we start and continue along the road for 1.6 kilometers.

KM – 1.6 We leave the road before a curve to the left, we take the path on the right side, we advance 50m and at the crossroads, we continue to the left. From here you must follow the path, which will always be descending in most parts and through the bottom of the valley. Enjoy these a little more than 3 kilometers of technical descent, the first part is a green and humid forest, and it is pleasant to run through here.

KM 5.1 – The path leads to a wide dirt road, we follow the path and 200m later it will be a road, which we must follow.

KM 6 – You must be attentive to a junction on the left, where a wide cement climb begins (you will see a sign with indications “Antequera” and “Las Casillas”).

KM 6.1 – 100m for the ascent of cement, and then you must take the path on the left (sign with indications “Antequera” and “Las Casillas”). Now it is a constant climb for 2.5 kilometers.

KM 7.9 – You come to a ridge, at an altitude of about 540m, there is a crossroads of trails, you must continue to the left that is ascending.

KM 8.6 – The path goes through the upper part of Lomo de Las Casillas. You will see some houses abandoned and others not. From here and up to kilometer 14, the route is a section of ups and downs, combining areas of vegetation and other passes through small towns.

KM 10.1 – You come out onto a road, you must follow the signs for PR “Chamorga”, on the right along the road.

KM 10.4 – 300m further on you will be passing next to the Chamorga cemetery, which you must leave on the right, once past the cemetery you must be careful and take the path that begins on the right and is lowered.

KM 10.9 – The path leads to a concrete path, continue along it to the left, now the path runs mostly through concrete (follow the directions of the PR). First you will pass through the Caserío de Las Bodegas and then through La Cumbrilla. They are small rural corners of Anaga that have a special magic.

KM 12 – Village of La Cumbrilla. In the highest part, on the left hand side, there is a tap where you can replenish water. From here we go through a very green and humid area, you will surely like it.

KM 13.2 – Crossing paths, continue straight in the direction of “El Draguillo”.

KM 13.9 – Crossing paths, continue straight on towards “El Draguillo”. This section of ups and downs ends. Now practically everything down to the sea.

KM 14.5 – Crossroads, continue to the right towards “Benijo”.

KM 15 – You will see a small outgoing rock on the right. You can get closer, and from the highest part there are wonderful views of the entire northern area of ​​Anaga, with the sea in the background.

KM 16.7 – The path ends and leads to a dirt road, follow the path going down, 100m later it will be asphalt.

KM 17 – Before a curve to the left, on the right you will see that there is an entrance, you must continue there (to the left of the house).

KM 17.2 – After descending 200m along the path, you will be at Benijo Beach (with black stones). The PR continues to the right, along the same stone beach, leaving the sea always on the right.

KM 17.8 – Now you are entering Almáciga Beach and you will be able to step on its black sand. Run through the sand to get to the other side of the beach.

KM 18.2 – The road is crossed and the PR continues on the other side, to go up to the top of the hill in front of you (to the small town of Almáciga).

KM 18.6 – You are in the small town of Almáciga. There is a café / bar where you can replenish water / liquid or even have some food. Follow the PR signs in the direction of “El Bailadero”.

KM 19 – The road now becomes a wide dirt track with a slight ascent. Follow the dirt road for 1.5 kilometers.

KM 20.5 – Leave the wide road and take the PR trail on the right that goes up to the ridge on the right.

KM 21.5 – The path leads to the road, continues for about 200m up the road.

KM 21.7 – Take the path on the right, which goes down, towards “Taganana”. Further on, the PR crosses the road twice.

KM 22.7 – Now continue on the road, 250m further on, follow the road on the left that ascends in the initial part.

KM 23 – Follow the road on the left for 400m.

KM 23.4 – There is a small path between the houses, which is downhill, to reach the Church of Taganana.

KM 23.8 – Church of Taganana. Continue to the left, indications “Casa Forestal”. 50m further on, on the left you will see a tap for drinking water. You can replenish water and strength, from here all climb to the highest part (910m).

KM 24.0 – Take the street that goes up to the left. This area has charm when passing through a small street with old white houses. 250m uphill, then follow the street to the left.

KM 24.4 – You must leave the street and continue to the right along the cobbled path (towards Casa Forestal)

KM 24.7 – Crossroads of trails, continue to the left towards Casa Forestal.

KM 25.2 – Crossroads of trails, continue to the left towards Casa Forestal. From here 2 kilometers along the path, without any crossings. Little by little you will enter the vegetation and as you gain height it will be greener and more humid.

KM 27.6 – Crossroads of trails, continue to the left towards “Valle Brosque”. Indicate that 50m later, if we continue straight ahead we will reach the road (next to La Casa Forestal).

KM 28 – You must be attentive since there are two trails, you must follow the one on the left, which goes through the upper part.

KM 28.9 – On the right hand side there is a ledge with some rocks, you can get closer since there are good views of the southern slope of Anaga (in the lower part you can see San Andrés and in front the silhouette of the island of Gran Canaria)

KM 29.2 – You come out onto the road, you must cross and follow the wide path on the other side.

KM 29.5 – 300 meters along the road, on the right side you will see that a path begins (just before a curve to the right of the path) Follow the path.

KM 28.8 – There are two paths, keep to the left.

KM 30.1 – You come out onto the road, 25m further down and on the other side you will see that there is a path. You must continue for the same.

KM 30.5 – You go back to the road, now continue straight ahead until you reach the hostel.

KM 31.4 – FINISH (Anaga Hostel)

Environment:

Anaga Rural Park. A few minutes by car from the capital (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), you will find the Anaga Rural Park, declared a Biosphere Reserve, which has managed to conserve its natural values ​​in an exceptional way. You will not be the first to fall asleep before its beautiful and rugged mountain range of jagged peaks. The deep valleys and ravines that descend from it manage to reach the sea and form numerous beaches where you can take a refreshing dip. This area is also home to fauna and flora rich in endemisms.

The route passes through small hamlets (Lomo de Las Bodegas, La Cumbrilla, Taganana, Almáciga and Benijo) and along the beaches of Benijo and Almáciga.

Taganana is the most important town in the interior of the Anaga massif and one of the oldest towns on the island of Tenerife.

Albergue de Anaga (https://www.alberguestenerife.net) The three-story building has nine rooms. It has the capacity to host up to 40 people and its facilities are adapted for people with disabilities.

Recommendations:

If you are going to do it in two stages, plan well the starting point and the place where you will spend the night. You can stay at the Anaga Hostel, on the other hand there are some holiday homes in Benijo, Almáciga or Taganana (in the latter is where there are more options)

How to get there?

Ruta 0-4-0

Total distance: 54 km

Elevation gain: 4000 m.

Start/finish point: Playa del Socorro

Min. height: 0 m.

Max. height: 3715 m.

Description of the route

RUTA 0-4-0

General data:

  • Kilometers: 54 kms
  • Total difference in altitude: 7600 accumulated meters
  • Positive slope: 3800m
  • Negative elevation: 3800m
  • Maximum altitude: 3715m
  • Minimum altitude: 0m
  • Type: circular tour
  • Difficulty: Very High
  • Starting point: Playa del Socorro
  • Coordinates: 28.3937922, -16.6028337
  • Places we visit: Playa del Socorro, Tigaiga, Lance, La Corona, Mirador del Asomadero, Fortress, Las Cañadas, Montaña Blanca, Teide.
  • Temperatures: very low in winter from 2000m. Possibility of snow, and even from 3300m ice (use of crampons). High in summer if there is hot air (can exceed 30 degrees)
  • Water points: you’ll find water vending machines in the upper station of the Teide Cable Car; remember to bring coins if you want to use them. In any case, you should bear in mind that it could happen that, depending on the demand that has been, the water has run out. This station will only be open during the cable car operating hours, which are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Material:

  • Water reserve
  • Energy reserve (energy food)
  • Supplementation (salts, vitamins …)
  • First aid box
  • Thermal blanket
  • Fully charged mobile phone
  • External battery fully charged and cables to charge the devices we carry
  • GPS device to follow the track
  • Windbreaker or jacket (depending on temperatures and looking at the top)
  • Hat
  • Gloves
  • Thermal clothing
  • Front light (and extra battery) and rear position light, both fully charged.
  • Sun protection depending on the schedule (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
  • Park entrance documentation (if requested)
  • Passport or identification document
  • Money and coins (if we want to use the vending machines)

Description of the route:

Route 0.4.0 turns a dream into reality (from the sea to the sky): travel in a single day (or two) the distance that separates the seashore and a colossus of almost four thousand meters of altitude: El Teide.

Do you feel fit to take on this challenge? We encourage you to start the adventure: enter the route with the greatest unevenness in Spain, which makes it one of the most iconic routes in the entire national territory, as well as one of the steepest in all of Europe. If you are a lover of mountain races or a great mountaineer, Route 040 is your next trail running challenge in Tenerife.

It is a round trip: 27 kilometers uphill, 54 kilometers in total. It is ideal both for walking, which allows you to complete only the ascent between 8 and 12 hours, or running, which reduces its duration to about 4-6 hours (only ascent).

The route is fully signposted with specific markings for the 0-4-0 avoiding you get lost.

The route begins at El Socorro beach, in Los Realejos, and coincides with the PR-TF 41 trail. Tradition says that you have to touch the sea water at the beginning and end to complete the route. The first kilometers cross a rural environment and the slopes of the protected landscape Los Campeches, Tigaiga and Ruiz. A steep incline leads to the Corona viewpoint and, shortly after, to the Asomadero viewpoint. From there, the forest carpet of the natural park of Corona Forestal is the protagonist.
At the equator of the ascent, the pine forest gives pass to the high mountain scrub of the Teide National Park. When you get to the surroundings of the Cabezón mountain, you can opt for the PR-TF 41.1 derivation to Portillo Alto (in case you do not want to continue) or continue along path number 22 that takes you to Montaña Blanca, then to the base del Teide and then ascent towards the peak. Up to La Rambleta (3550 m). You can get to this point freely, but to travel the last 630 meters and crown the Pico del Teide it is necessary to have a permit that must be requested well in advance on the website http://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es. You will arrive between sulfurous vapors to the top from where, if the day is clear, we will enjoy an incredible visual spectacle, with views of the neighboring islands and the ocean in all its magnitude.
Now “only” it will be left to descend to the beach by the same path, a real test for our quadriceps that will have to resist the almost 4000 meters of negative slope until we reach the Playa del Socorro again.

Environment:

El Teide (in Guanche and originally, Echeyde or Echeide) is a volcano located on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands (Spain). It has an official altitude of 3715 meters above sea level and 7500 meters above the ocean floor, being the Spain’s highest peak, that of any landmass in the Atlantic Ocean and the third largest volcano on Earth from its base on the ocean floor, after Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, both in Hawaii. El Teide is part of the Teide National Park.

Teide National Park is a Spanish protected natural area located on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands. It was declared on January 22, 1954 as a national park. It is the largest and oldest of the Canary Islands national parks and the third oldest in Spain. In 2007 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Teide National Park was in 2008 the most visited national park of the four in the Canary Islands, being also the most visited national park in Spain in 2016. It is also the most visited national park in Europe and currently the ninth of the world.

A little history of the 0-4-0 route: the route is the junction of old roads that connected villages, as well as others that ascended to the Las Cañadas area and linked with those in the south of the island. Usually used by athletes elite for its mountaineering training from 2008, but long before it has been covered by expert mountaineers, as well as many amateurs who even do parts of the route. The meaning of 0-4-0 corresponds to 0 meters of altitude at the start, the 4 with the almost 4 thousand meters of altitude at the top, and again 0 with the return to the sea, at 0 meters of altitude.

Recommendations:

  • VERY IMPORTANT. Request permission to access the last section, from 3,550 to the peak, Sendero de Telesforo Bravo (trail number 10). From 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, the park staff is in the La Rambleta area. More information at: https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es
  • Playa del Socorro, the starting point, is very popular on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in the summer season. After 10:00 you must park something far from the beach.
  • Know the weather forecast in Las Cañadas and Pico del Teide. Data such as minimum temperature, rain, snow and wind at the peak.
  • It is common to find a lot of wind at the peak of Teide (from 3,300m)
  • In any case, resistance, acclimatization to altitude, and sufficient knowledge of equipment, nutrition, hydration and supplementation must be well-trained. Ask us if you have questions or want advice.
  • Although the route is marked, it must be taken into account that it is very likely to find fog that hinders visibility, especially if it is at night, so we recommend the use of a GPS device with the route loaded. Also that in the area of ​​the Park the beaconing is scarce for reasons of ecological sustainability.
  • Have water in the Las Cañadas area (ideally one person to assist)
  • The route can be done in two parts, for example:

 

How to get there ?