Permit for the Masca Gorge Route
Masca Gorge is a protected area on Tenerife with rare landscapes and endemic flora. Access is regulated: the trail is currently open from Wednesday to Saturday. The route involves a descent and a return ascent on foot, since the pier remains closed and one-way exits by boat are not available.
Hiking boots are mandatory. Without proper footwear, rangers can refuse entry. The village shop sells boots, but at inflated prices.
Visitor numbers are capped. From March to October, 25 hikers enter every 30 minutes between 8:30 and 11:00. The rest of the year, 30 hikers enter every 30 minutes between 8:30 and 10:30. The return must begin no later than 14:00.
Since April 2026, the masca gorge trail permit is no longer free: a booking fee of €3 per person applies online. The masca permit is individual, non-transferable, and requires ID at the checkpoint.
Children under 8 are not admitted; minors must be accompanied by an adult, with written authorisation if that adult is not the legal guardian.
Book through caminobarrancodemasca.com. Permit holders can use the electric shuttle from Santiago del Teide, which runs from 7:00 to 14:00 with departures every 20 minutes and 18 seats per bus.
The fee covers timed access, safety briefing, ranger assistance and accident insurance. Transfers and personal gear (except the helmet) are not included.
Sendero de El Pijaral Route (Sendero del Bosque Encantado de Anaga)
In the Anaga Rural Park, in the north of Tenerife, the El Pijaral trail — also called Sendero del Bosque Encantado — runs about 6.7 kilometres at medium difficulty. The route starts at the La Ensillada car park and passes the Mirador Cabezo del Tejo, with views over Taganana and the northern Anaga coast.
The path crosses laurel forest, a relic of the Tertiary period, with specimens of the Pijara fern reaching up to three metres.
To protect the ecosystem, access is capped at 45 people per day. Follow these steps to obtain the bosque encantado tenerife permit:
1. Apply at centralreservas.tenerife.es or through the Tenerife ON app. Slots open Mondays at 7:00 AM Canary time and cover dates between 14 and 56 days ahead.
2. The permit is free and nominal — each visitor needs their own.
3. According to the Cabildo de Tenerife, printing is not required: showing the digital permit on your phone is enough, provided you carry a valid ID matching the booking.
4. Rangers check reservations at the trailhead. The fine for hiking without a permit is €600.
Monte de Aguirre
For another route in Anaga, you also need to get a permit at centralreservas.tenerife.es.
Barranco del Infierno (Hell’s Gorge)
The 6.5 km route starts in the town of Adeje. Access is capped at 300 visitors per day, so advance booking on the official website is required.
Entrance costs €12 per adult. Children aged 5 to 12 pay half price, while Tenerife residents enter at a reduced rate of €5.50. Tickets are tied to a specific time slot, and arriving late usually means losing your entry.
Routes in the Teide area
From November 2024, visiting the following routes in the Teide area requires mandatory booking through the Tenerife ON platform:
- PNT 07 – Montaña Blanca – La Rambleta
- PNT 09 – Teide – Pico Viejo – Mirador de las Narices del Teide
- PNT 23 – Los Regatones Negros
- PNT 28 – Chafarí
The park constantly monitors access to the routes. If you don’t have a permit, you may be fined and denied access to the trail. I recommend planning your visit in advance and obtaining all necessary permits.
If you couldn’t get a permit, you’ll have to make do with just the viewing platforms.
When visiting routes in the Teide area, mandatory equipment is required:
- long pants (worn or in backpack)
- fleece jacket
- special mountain footwear
- water or hydrating fluids
- mobile phone with charged battery
- flashlight or headlamp with batteries (especially if the route is taken in the evening, at night, or early morning)
- in winter: gloves and hat
Sendero Telesforo Bravo (route №10) to the summit of Teide
Reaching the Teide peak via the Telesforo Bravo trail (№10), which links La Rambleta (3,555 m) with the crater rim at 3,715 m, requires a free permit issued through the Reservas Parques Nacionales portal. The rule applies whether you hike up from the base or arrive at La Rambleta with the Teleférico del Teide. Bring the original ID document matching the booking, or a certified copy. Slots disappear weeks in advance, so plan early when arranging your tenerife hiking permits.
Alert for 2026: Refugio Altavista remains closed indefinitely as of May 2026, with no reopening date announced by the park authority. Overnight stays there are not an option, so the sunrise loophole that bypassed daytime quotas no longer exists. Securing a daytime Telesforo Bravo permit is currently the only lawful way to step onto the summit cone. Climbing without it triggers fines and removal by park rangers.
PNT 07 Montaña Blanca — La Rambleta
The route starts from Montaña Blanca and climbs to the upper cable car station. It requires a permit through the Tenerife ON system. The route has a steep incline (up to 60% in some sections) and is considered very tiring due to the high altitude.
Tenerife ON Booking System
Since 2024, the island council runs a single booking platform, Tenerife ON, which centralises permits for most regulated trails. For an Anaga permit, slots open every Monday at 07:00 for the following week, and reservations remain available up to 14 days from publication.
Read the small print before you click confirm. If your plans change, you must cancel through the platform at least three days before the hike. Miss that window, or simply fail to show up, and the system will block your account from requesting any new permit for three months. The suspension is automatic and applies across every route managed by Tenerife ON, not just the one you skipped.
