Key details
Is it for you?
It depends on one thing: whether you enjoy walking. It is four hours with 352 metres of ascent, no technical or exposed sections, but four real hours. If you walk regularly and have done a mountain route before, you will enjoy it. If your idea of walking is the seafront promenade, it will feel endless however beautiful the place is.
What makes it different is not a famous viewpoint or a monument: it is the path itself. The Caminos Reales were the routes that crossed the island before roads existed, used by people, livestock and goods alike. The dry-stone walls and the remains of that rural life are still there, and the guide tells the story as you go.
And there is the Teide, in sight for much of the way unless the day is overcast. Walking for four hours with the volcano in front of you is a way of seeing it that no coach excursion offers, and it is probably the strongest reason to choose this route.
Included
- Coach transport with pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation
- A guide for the whole route
- The route along an old Camino Real
- Commentary on the endemic flora and the ethnographic remains
Not included
- Water and food: bring your own
- Tips
Frequently asked questions
Is it too much for me?
If you can walk an hour straight without tiring and have done a mountain route before, no. If not, yes. It is not about being very fit, it is about wanting to walk for four hours: when you do not feel like it, the climb weighs twice as much.
How much does it cost and is it OK for children?
€59 per person; children up to 11 pay €29.50, but here the fare is not the issue: it is four hours of walking and 352 metres of elevation gain, and we do not recommend it for small children. With teenagers who walk, no problem. It includes the coach with pickup and the guide; water and food you bring yourself.
What exactly do you see?
Teide for a good part of the route, flora that exists only in the Canaries and remains of the rural life that once sustained the path. There is no monument or postcard viewpoint: what there is, is the path, and that is the point.
Camino Real or Teide Light?
It depends on what you want to take home. Teide Light is an hour and a half of easy walking inside the island’s most famous volcanic landscape; the Camino Real is four hours of proper walking with the volcano in the background and no coaches around. If it is your first time, Teide. If you have seen it already and want to walk, this one.
What if I want something gentler?
Then the Anaga one, on Mondays: two hours of forest instead of four of trail, same price and with the visit to La Laguna in the afternoon. We would rather send you to the one you will enjoy than sell you this one and have you suffer through it.
Which day is it and do you pick me up at the hotel?
Wednesdays, with pickup and return at your accommodation anywhere in the south of Tenerife. We confirm the pickup time when you book. Between the journeys and the four hours of walking, count on most of the day: do not plan anything else.
Is there anywhere to buy water or food along the way?
No. It is a rural path, with no bars or reliable springs: whatever you do not bring, you will not have. Two litres of water per person, something to eat and a warm layer for when you stop at altitude.
Can it be done in summer?
Yes, and that is why you leave in the morning: at altitude there is a breeze and walking is easier than on the coast, but the sun is strong and shade is scarce in places. Cap, sunscreen and the usual water. If you cope badly with heat, spring and autumn are better months for this route.
Which language does the guide speak, and what about bad weather?
Spanish, English or French, whichever you ask for when booking; there is no German-speaking guide on this route. With heavy rain or wind that makes it unsafe, the date is changed or another route is offered; for any other reason, free cancellation up to 48 hours before.
How is the booking confirmed?
Naventia Trips checks availability, provider conditions and the traveller's level before confirming the experience.
Can you tell me what else to do on those days?
Yes, and it is what we get asked most. Tell us which days you have free and where you are staying, and we will say what pairs well with this excursion and what should not go on the same day.