The 80 kilometre long Canary Island of Tenerife lies in the shape of an isosceles triangle between the smaller round islands of La Gomera and Gran Canaria. All three rose from the Atlantic Ocean over eleven million years ago, spewing fire and lava, but Tenerife towers above the two sisters with its 3715 metre high Pico del Teide volcano. Roads climb directly from sea level along the flanks of the volcano to a plateau over 2000 metres high and 17 kilometres in diameter: the Caldera de las Cañadas.
Video: A bird's eye view of the Pico del Teide on Tenerife
The enormous crater is one of the largest in the world and you can cycle through it on a racing bike. However, to speak of a "dance on the volcano" would be too trite and untrue - at least for most people. Very few people who climb up the flanks of the Teide will experience the 2,000 metres of altitude in one go as a dance - it lacks the lightness and exhilaration. At most, this is demonstrated by professional cyclists who train there in winter, such as those from Bora-Hansgrohe, who we visited at their altitude training camp in February 2023. When they fly past on the flanks of the Teide like weightless robots, alien, unreachable, it's really bad for the ego ...
Road tunnel made from shrubs on Tenerife
The Anaga Mountains, around 40 kilometres north-east of the summit, provide the greatest possible contrast to the barren Teide. The small, thousand metre high ridge structures the northernmost part of Tenerife. It is rugged and sparsely populated. The cloud banks that the north-east trade winds push towards the island drop their moisture there, wetting everything with fine droplets. Signs on roads that lead upwards without a central reservation warn of the danger of slipping. It's not about black ice, but about algae and moss that covers the tarmac with a soapy slickness. Huge bushes of tree heather and gagel tree form dark, clammy, slippery road tunnels, broken up by yellow accents of man-high dandelions. When light appears at the end of the tunnel, the view sometimes takes your breath away: then the sharp mountain ridge is no wider than the road. To the right and left, 800 metres below, the waves gnaw at the green flanks of the Anaga Mountains. If you hurtle down one of the few roads, you have to climb back up the same road due to the lack of a coastal road.
If you come to Tenerife, you not only have to like mountains, but also be prepared to travel by bus or car to the start of the most beautiful tours. Because there is often a lot of traffic on the coastal roads and all other roads usually lead directly into the sky, there are hardly more than two or three meaningful cycle tours possible from any coastal town. Once you have accepted this, the island fascinates with incredible landscapes and really quiet side roads.
The Canary Island of Tenerife is located in the Atlantic Ocean at the height of southern Morocco, just 250 kilometres from the coast of Africa. The seven main Canary Islands form their own autonomous community within Spain as the "Canarias". Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria share capital city status. Tenerife is home to the highest mountain in Spain, Pico del Teide (3715 metres).
The pleasant year-round climate, good infrastructure and many tourists make Tenerife a densely populated island. In the greener north and the sunnier south, there is hardly any space between the individual settlements near the coast: motorways, apartment complexes and industrial areas spoil the landscape. Only above an altitude of 500 to 700 metres does the picture change - completely. Where the settlement subsides, delicacy roads begin. The challenging profile with gradients of over 15 per cent and long climbs that can compete with major Alpine passes requires a compact crank and large mountain sprocket.
Tour 1 on Tenerife: Around the airport
55 kilometres, 850 metres in altitude
Our tip for a first tour of Tenerife to ease yourself in. Tenerife's airport was placed in the south-easternmost corner of the island for good reason: It is flat enough for long runways, and there are no steep mountain slopes to get in the way of large aeroplanes on take-off and landing. The terrain is therefore ideal for a short road bike circuit without too many metres in altitude (by Tenerife standards). However, to call it a scooter route would be out of character, because in the second half of the 27 kilometres there are more than 500 metres of elevation gain; but there are no steep stretches.
We start in one of the tourist centres of the south, Los Cristianos. We quickly leave the town, where hotel follows hotel, heading east. The road, which briefly follows the southern motorway and leads through an ochre-coloured, treeless landscape, has been partly cut into the volcanic bedrock - geologists would be delighted by the exposed layers to the left and right. Soon, however, the view opens up to the Atlantic, which we reach in Costa del Silencio after just over ten kilometres. A detour via Las Chafiras takes us briefly away from the coast, which we follow again at Los Abrigos. When we pass the airport on the eastern side, we have reached half of the route, but not half of the metres in altitude. We collect these as the route from San Isidro to La Camella winds its way along the flanks of the volcano at altitudes between 200 and 350 metres above sea level. The route passes through settlements, barren wasteland and a few agricultural areas. You are often framed by small volcanic cones that stand in the area like little hats. Once you have reached the highest point of the tour (in La Camella) at around 350 metres, the last five kilometres to Los Cristianos are all downhill.
Tour 2 on Tenerife: On the crater rim
94 kilometres, 2400 metres in altitude
As on Tour 1, we start close to the sea in Los Cristianos, but this time we don't have a minute to roll in, as we immediately head uphill. The profile of the route is simple, but also a little scary, it looks like a cross-section of the Teide volcano, up the southern flank of which we climb: 35 kilometres are all uphill, at an altitude of over 2000 metres it flattens out briefly, then follows an eternally long descent back to the sea.
But first things first: For the first nine kilometres, the narrow mountain road leads over ramps with low double-digit gradients to Arona, through a mixture of sparse settlements, steppe-like scrubland and grassland and greenhouses covered with yellowed-white plastic tarpaulins. As the altitude increases, it becomes quieter and the settlements become fewer. Before La Escalona, the first hairpin bends soften the steep ascent and allow wonderful views back to the sea. The mountain becomes increasingly barren. In many places, the red volcanic earth lies bare in the sun, dry stone walls hold the slopes in place and the first Canary Island pines line the road.
If you need a little refreshment, after 22.5 kilometres you will find a last opportunity to stop for refreshments in Vilaflor. Before the final ascent, we recommend the Cafetería Tito (through road on the left) with good small dishes. From there to the Caldera de las Cañadas in the centre of Tenerife, there are still 850 metres of elevation gain, on which a sparse pine forest provides only a little shade. To the south, the Caldera de las Cañadas, a huge volcanic cauldron with a diameter of around 17 kilometres, is bordered by crater walls with an average height of 500 metres. 200 metres below its highest point, the road finds a passage into the caldera, which lies there as smooth as the bottom of a frying pan, almost twice as high as the conical summit of the 3715-metre-high Pico del Teide. Now it's time to take a breather, enjoy the view and glide along the western flat edge of the caldera for four kilometres through an almost vegetation-free lunar landscape.
What follows is a never-ending downhill dream: the next 30 kilometres to Guía de Isora cover 1500 metres in altitude, lead through pine forests, rugged solidified lava flows and offer views of the Atlantic Ocean and the neighbouring island of La Gomera as if from an aeroplane. Then it's a gentle 24-kilometre descent to the coast to Los Cristianos, back from the moon to tourist civilisation on earth.
Tour 3 on Tenerife: Balancing act in the Teno Mountains
69 kilometres, 2000 metres in altitude
This relatively short but challenging tour into the Teno mountains in the far west of Tenerife leads along moderately busy roads and offers breathtaking views. It starts near the coast in Icod de los Vinos, which was founded by conquistadors in 1496. The name is derived from Icod, a former tribal territory of the Guanche natives in the area of the present-day town. The addition "de los Vinos", which dates back to the 16th century, refers to the wine-growing in the area.
Tenerife tours that start near the coast usually only know one direction: uphill. This one is no exception. But unlike in the barren south, the fine little road here climbs through lush greenery. Gardens and fields, fruit trees, palm trees and overgrown bushes line the road, which leads through small villages that are completely devoid of hotel complexes like those on the south coast. Instead: one to two-storey low-rise buildings, sometimes whitewashed, sometimes yellow, ochre or red, the plaster eaten away by the salty sea air like a woollen jumper by moths. At an altitude of 900 metres, near La Montañeta, the landscape changes, the open landscape gives way to a forest, denser and shadier than in the south of the island; it is part of the La Corona Forestal Nature Park, the largest in Tenerife. Pines, chestnuts, eucalyptus and cypresses grow here. Behind San José de Los Llanos, at an altitude of 1100 metres, the landscape opens up again and offers views down to the Atlantic.
This is followed by a short descent to Santiago del Teide, an intermediate ascent to the Mirador de Cherfe (1063 metres), which offers magnificent views of the west coast, La Gomera and in the opposite direction to Pico del Teide. This is followed by one of the most beautiful roads on the island, which winds its way along rock faces and plunges down to Masca - not for the faint-hearted. After a series of ups and downs to Las Portelas, this dream road leads in a frenzy of bends through lush green scrubland down to the sea at Buenavista del Norte. If you want, you can extend the tour there, heading west to the lighthouse (Faro) of Teno and a sheltered bay. The road closure is generally ignored by cyclists, possibly take lights for the short tunnel. If you turn right in Buenavista, after nine flat kilometres you will reach the beginning of Garachico, where the last climb of the day awaits: 500 metres in altitude on the steep coast, spread over nine kilometres, with the sea always in view, before the last few kilometres down to Icod de los Vinos.
Tour 4 on Tenerife: Racing cyclist's moon ride
133 kilometres, 3340 metres in altitude
The data for our queen stage around the Pico del Teide is comparable to that of a tough Alpine stage over two or three mountain passes. However, as its longest climb - to the Caldera de las Cañadas at over 2000 metres - never reaches double-digit gradients, you can ride at a steady, energy-saving pace. The reward for this feat of endurance is a view as if from a space capsule and a ride through a rough, rugged volcanic landscape that is beautiful in its barrenness.
As with tour 3, we start in the north-west of Tenerife near the coast in Icod de los Vinos. From there, we head west for the next 36 kilometres, initially relatively close to the coast, then the route climbs gently higher and further and further away from the sea. You pass through villages whose houses, painted in every imaginable pastel colour, cling to the mountainsides. Intermediate descents loosen up the legs. From kilometre 32, however, it's all uphill for 30 kilometres; after another six kilometres, at an altitude of more than 1000 metres, we leave the last settlement behind, Aguamansa. We ride through a training paradise and enter the La Corona Forestal Nature Park, the largest nature reserve in Tenerife. Pines, eucalyptus and laurel form a cool, shady road tunnel. Ferns, lichens and mosses sprout on the inside. Leaves rustle, birds chirp and occasionally there is the smell of fresh mushrooms. The gradient never exceeds ten per cent. In technical terms, this means that we have Tenerife under control. The higher we climb, the smaller the pine trees become, and from 2000 metres upwards they disappear completely.
After 53 kilometres, right on the edge of the forest and just beyond the border of the Teide National Park, we reach the restaurant "El Portillo", our rest stop. Strengthened, we climb into the caldera de las Cañadas and thus into another world. It consists of ash, chunks of lava and solidified magma flows. The Pico del Teide (3715 metres) rises like a giant volcanic monument, first in front of us, then next to us and finally behind us. It is assumed that the volcano that once towered here was far larger than the Teide and collapsed in several phases. We already know the next section, the enjoyable ride along the bottom of the caldera and the magnificent descent to the west coast, from Tour 2, but here we turn north, climbing over two smaller ascents via Arguayo and Santiago del Teide with a total altitude difference of 600 metres to Puerto del Erjos (1111 metres), from where we descend 18 kilometres to Icod de los Vinos with its many bends and sea views.
Tour 5 on Tenerife: Stargazing
91 kilometres, 2600 metres in altitude
Another ride up the volcano, but this time we start from the east, from the pretty town of Güímar, which nestles on the side of a mountain almost 300 metres above the Atlantic. Güímar is one of the oldest communities on the island. And even before we leave the town uphill, we pass the pyramids of Güímar. Of the former nine, only six remain: hexagonal, elongated and piled up from lava rock. They were not built by farmers to remove stones from the fields, as was once believed, but were used by the Guanches, the indigenous people, as a place of worship and a platform for astronomical observations. These days, the latter take place 2000 metres higher up, in the Teide Observatory - and that's where this tour will take you ...
Here, too, an eternally long climb awaits right after the start. First 21 kilometres to the mountain ridge of the Cordillera de Pedro Gil, which stretches across the island from San Cristóbal de La Laguna in the north-east almost to the west coast. On the ascent, palm trees line the road at low altitudes as it climbs through terraced, fertile land, where village after village is lined up. The higher you climb, the more often ramps with gradients in the lower double-digit range challenge the mountain sprocket or the cyclists in the cradle.
The settlement ends at an altitude of 800 metres, and from 1500 metres we enter the La Corona Forestal Nature Park, with its pines, eucalyptus trees and laurel plants. Even on the ridge, where the route climbs moderately apart from short descents, the forest obscures the view for a long time. This makes it all the more impressive when it recedes at kilometre 44 to make way for black ash, light tuff and red lava rock, revealing the view from the town of La Orotava, whose bright houses shine against the dark blue Atlantic 2000 metres below, to the summit of Pico del Teide and, if you look further to the left, to the white domes of the Teide Observatory. The air up here is so clear that international astrophysicists operate an observatory on the edge of the Caldera de las Cañadas at an altitude of around 2,400 metres.
There we turn around, leave the descent to Güímar on the right and rush downhill for another 1500 metres: first to the north-east until the pine forest ends, then right to the east coast to Radazul. A fine country road follows, oscillating around 200 metres above sea level, for 18 kilometres south to Güímar. If you skip the spur road to the observatory, you save 30 kilometres and 900 metres in altitude, but miss out on the most beautiful views.
Tour 6 on Tenerife: In the laurel forest
114 kilometres, 2700 metres in altitude
Uncomfortable in bad weather, unforgettable in the sun: the ascent of the Anaga ridge in the far north-east. The ascent of the ridge road is relatively easy, the climb back up after the descent northwards to Taganana is challenging. But to get to this seclusion, we first have to slip through an urban bottleneck: the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife. From the tranquil town of Güímar, we first of all wind our way northwards on a narrow country road 200 metres above sea level with moderate ups and downs. After 20 kilometres we reach the outskirts of Tenerife's capital, after another nine kilometres its centre, and after another nine we leave the industrial port facilities behind us in the pretty fishing village of San Andrés. If you have your swimming trunks or bikini with you, you can jump into the cool Atlantic here on one of Tenerife's most beautiful beaches.
The next ten kilometres then get hot. The climb from San Andrés to the crest of the Anaga Mountains, which has an average gradient of over six per cent, is littered with a number of steep ramps and is a popular training route for local racing cyclists. Succulents, cacti and subtropical shrubs accompany the winding and increasingly serpentine road, but do not block the views of the wrinkled, craggy mountains. Shortly before we reach the mountain ridge, we turn right into the dead-end road towards Taganana and, after a short tunnel, catch sight of a remote world through which a narrow, winding road plunges towards the north coast. The whitewashed houses of Taganana, a charming mountain village and also the largest settlement in the Anaga mountains, gleam below.
After around 55 kilometres, there are several restaurants in the town and the small hamlets by the sea where you can fortify yourself for the ascent. If you skip the up to 15 percent steep descent - and the same road uphill again - you save 14 kilometres and almost 700 metres in altitude and will find delicious stews in the restaurant at Cruz del Carmen after 61 kilometres. On the crest of the Anaga mountains, far away from the restaurant, it smells like a soup kitchen, because there is one of the few remaining laurel forests in the world. It consists of around 20 different tree species. Ferns and mosses grow in its shade, and bellflowers and foxgloves grow in the lighter areas.
The humid climate often shrouds the mountains and roads in cloud, so cyclists need to be on their guard, especially downhill, as the roads can quickly become slippery. Ten kilometres downhill from the highest point of the densely wooded ridge at an altitude of almost 1000 metres to San Cristóbal de La Laguna, a pretty university town situated on a 550 metre high ridge. Through its maze of streets and suburbs, through villages and farmland, we roll back to Güímar without too many hurdles.
Information about Tenerife
Journey
Flight
Tenerife has two airports: South (abbreviation TFS) near Los Cristianos with most international connections and North (TFN), mainly for domestic flights, but also for international flights. Several airlines fly directly from Germany to Tenerife South in just under five hours, return from 250 euros (without bike transport), usually between 350 and 450 euros.
For the transfer and the journey to the starting points, it is advisable to book a hire car in advance (from 45 euros/day for compact class including fully comprehensive insurance without excess, for example via www.billiger-mietwagen.de). Alternatively, bus transport is available throughout the island. Bicycles can be transported free of charge in the luggage compartment of TITSA buses (www.titsa.com); bus drivers are not obliged to take bicycles, but most of them allow it if there is enough space. Tip: secure your bike with an expander belt.
Best time to travel
Tenerife is a year-round destination with average daily highs of 29 degrees in August and 20 degrees in January; night frosts and even snow are possible in the mountains. From June onwards, the Sahara wind can bring unbearable heat for a few days. The most pleasant temperatures for cycling are from March to June and from September to November. The island's climate is complex: if it rains in the north, the sun can still shine in the south.
Food & Drink
Unlike on the Spanish mainland, there are no rigid meal times on the Canary Islands, and you can usually eat and shop at any time - although not in secluded areas. Ideal for cyclists are the ubiquitous papas arrugadas (potatoes cooked with plenty of sea salt), served with spicy, flavoursome sauces, as well as easily digestible fish dishes. Canarian beer from the Tropical and Dorada brands tastes great. Supermarkets are open every day in tourist centres; tip: be sure to try the delicious Canarian bananas!
The rule of thumb for the many restaurants on Tenerife is: the further away a restaurant is from the seafront, the greater the chance of good food. Exceptions with fish and wine at fair prices are the "Cofradía de Pescadores", simple restaurants run by the local fishermen's co-operative, which can be found in many coastal towns.
Restaurant tip
- Puerto de la Cruz: Tito's Bodeguita/Casa Abaco, telephone 0034/922/089436, casaabaco.com. The bodeguita is close to the motorway (exit no. 35) and far from the beach. Those who stay in this location have something to offer: beautiful inner courtyard, quiet, good selection, also popular with locals.
- Los Cristianos: El Rincón del Arroz, telephone 0034/922/777741, rincondelarroz.micarta.info. Upscale Mediterranean cuisine near the beach.
Bike service/rental
Free Motion, telephone 0034/922/168495, www.free-motion.com/de/tenerife
The bike hire and tour provider operates two stations in the south of Tenerife, in Los Cristianos and La Caleta de Adeje. The as-new racing bikes with mountain-ready gearing cost between 26 and 44 euros per day for a hire period of 6 to 12 days - depending on the model and equipment.
Accommodation
- At the Teide: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide, telephone 0034/922/386415, www.parador.es. The Paradores are state-run hotels in mostly exquisite locations. The Parador on the Teide is the only hotel up there (at 2,150 metres above sea level) and the accommodation of many professional cyclists training at altitude. Stylish, very good food, but quite expensive. An experience - even if only for one night. Half board in a double room costs from 200 euros.
- San Miguel de Abona: Hotel Barceló Tenerife, www.barcelo.com. Exclusive hotel complex renovated in 2022 by the sea near the south airport. Double room with breakfast from 225 euros.
- Puerto de la Cruz: Villa Rosalva, telephone 0034/922/373709, www.villarosalva.de. Pretty holiday flats and quiet flats in the middle of a banana plantation. Double room with kitchenette (studio) from 77 euros, breakfast per person for 15 euros. Stay from three nights.
Don't miss it!
Everyman race
After its debut in 2022, the 2022 edition of the Gran Fondo Giro d'Italia Ride Like a Pro in Tenerife. The tour consists of two stages, which can also be booked individually. The first covers 115 kilometres and almost 3,000 metres in altitude, the second 64 kilometres and 1,300 metres in altitude. More than 700 participants from eleven countries took part in the first stage in 2022. Information at www.giroridelikeapro.com
Pico del Teide
At the Teide volcano, a cable car takes you from the high plateau up around 1,200 metres to 3,555 metres above sea level; the ride costs 22 euros per person. At the top, there are hiking trails to the viewpoint at Pico Viejo, from where you can see the islands of La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma as if from an aeroplane, and to the "La Fortaleza" viewpoint, which offers a magnificent view of the north of Tenerife with the Orotava Valley and Puerto de la Cruz. If you want to climb to the very top, to the summit of the 3715 metre-high Teide, you need a special (free) permit from the national park administration, which must be obtained months in advance due to the high demand. All information on how to get there, cable car tickets, guided hikes, bus travel and the link to the summit ascent permit can be found at: www.volcanoteide.com
General information
- www.spain.info (official Spanish tourism portal)
- www.webtenerife.de (official tourism portal of Tenerife)
Map
Kompass hiking map number 233 "Tenerife", 1:50,000, Kompass-Karten GmbH 2019; 12 euros. Precise (altitude, road numbering), but unwieldy due to double-sided printing.
