Where the walking is
Hiking around Santiago del Teide covers more ground than the municipality itself. Masca and its gorge belong to Buenavista del Norte, and the summit of Mount Teide lies in La Orotava. Both are day trips from here. The Chinyero reserve spreads over Santiago del Teide, El Tanque and Garachico, and the Teno mountains reach over several municipalities.
Inside the municipality you find two marked walks of moderate length: the valley path to Puerto de Santiago and the approach to the Chinyero volcano. Add the regulated Masca gorge and the permit trails on the Teide. This is an independent guide, not an official trail service, so check the condition of a path on the day you walk it. A published length or time is not an all-clear.
Trails at a glance
Lengths and times as listed by the tourism pages. Closures are in the table further down.
| Walk | Length and time | Level | Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR-TF 65, Santiago del Teide to Puerto de Santiago (through Tamaimo) | 7.3 km one way, about 3 hours | Medium | No individual permit listed |
| Chinyero circuit from km 15 of the TF-38 | 6.44 km, about 2 hours 30 minutes | Easy | No individual permit listed; climbing the cone is forbidden |
| PR-TF 43.3, Santiago del Teide to the Chinyero circuit | 7.4 km one way, 2 hours 30 minutes | Medium | No regular individual permit |
| PR-TF 65.5, El Molledo to Las Manchas | 1.9 km, about 55 minutes | – | – |
| Masca gorge, descent to the sea | About 5 km one way, about 4 hours | High | Online reservation and fee |
| Teide summit trail (PNT 10) | From the upper cable car station to the crater | – | Permit and fee |
Route numbers differ between sources. The municipal tourism page labels the 6.44 km loop PR-TF 43.3, while the island tourism page describes PR-TF 43.3 as a 7.4 km connector from the village to the Chinyero circuit. Treat them as two different walks and look at the signs at the start. More on the volcano is on the Chinyero page.
Our picks: guided hikes
Masca on foot, either through the gorge or on the trail above it.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided Masca Gorge hike with boat and transport
A walking guide, helmet, gorge entry, the boat back and transport to Masca and back to the start are included, plus accident and liability insurance. Food and drinks are not.
Check availability →
Self-guided Masca Gorge descent with audio guide
You walk down on your own with an audio guide and helmet. The gorge permit and the boat from Masca Bay to Los Gigantes are included. The bus to Masca, the way back to Santiago del Teide and food are not.
Check availability →
Hike above Masca through the laurel forest
Hotel transfer from south Tenerife, a walking guide, a picnic and poles are included. It walks above Masca, not through the gorge. Water is extra.
Check availability →Guided walks and tours around Santiago del Teide
Guided hikes in the Teno mountains and around Masca, boat trips and Teide excursions, with live prices and availability.
Closures in autumn 2026
The official mouflon control rules close several trails on set days. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on each date.
| Dates | Hours | Affected (outside the national park) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 and 28 October 2026 | 07:00–16:00 | Chinyero trails PR-TF 43, 43.1, 43.2 and 43.3, SL-TF 60 (Santiago del Teide to Arguayo), SL-TF 201 (Chío to Arguayo) |
| Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 to 18 November 2026 | 07:00–16:00 | The same trails |
| 23 and 24 November 2026 | 07:00–16:00 | The same trails |
Inside Teide National Park, access restrictions apply on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between 2 October and 3 November 2026, except on the holidays of 12 October and 2 November. They cover Siete Cañadas from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Pico Viejo from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The decision lists many exceptions, among them trail PNT 07, PNT 10, the cable car stations and the roads, so do not read it as a closure of the whole park, or of every path.
If you plan a walk around 10 December 2026, confirm the exact closure day with the Cabildo before you set out.
The Masca gorge
The gorge is the most demanding walk in this guide and the only one with a daily visitor system. You descend from about 750 m above sea level to the coast and leave by boat to Los Gigantes. The operator lists the bookable offer from Wednesday to Saturday, with start slots from 08:30 to 13:00.
The municipal fee table lists €40.66 for adults and €20.33 for children (2026) for visitors without Canary residence. Children under 8 are not admitted. Closed hiking boots with a profile, at least 1.5 liters of water per person, food and a charged phone are required, and the helmet is lent at the start. Since December 2025 the compulsory bus 355 to Masca is no longer included in the gorge ticket, and the boat and the way back from Los Gigantes are planned separately. If the boat does not run because of the sea, you must be able to climb back up. The details are on the Masca gorge page.
Teide trails, Teno and Arguayo
Three more areas, each with its own rules.
Teide permit trails
The cable car ticket is not a walking permit. Trail PNT 10 to the crater is booked separately through Tenerife ON. Since 19 January 2026 visitors from outside the Canary Islands pay €15 on it between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Trail PNT 07 costs €6 on weekdays and €10 on weekends and holidays for those visitors. Booking opens up to 56 days ahead, on Mondays at 7 a.m. Canary time. Three more trails (PNT 09, 23 and 28) need a reservation and share 225 places a day, and 90-minute summit time windows were announced in October 2026. See the Teide page.
Teno and Punta de Teno
The Masca gorge lies in the Teno Rural Park. The road to Punta de Teno is closed to private cars, pedestrians and cyclists because of construction since 19 January 2026. Bus 369 from Buenavista del Norte takes about 20 minutes and costs €1 per person and direction. Do not plan the point as a drive. See the Teno page.
Arguayo and Las Manchas
Arguayo has a pottery center and ethnographic museum, the Cha Domitila, a good stop after a short walk. PR-TF 65.5 from El Molledo to Las Manchas is 1.9 km and connects toward Arguayo. It does not mean there is a Chinyero loop starting from Arguayo.
Before you set out
Practical points that hold for every walk.
The coast and the mountains behave differently. The climate table on the weather page describes the south coast, not Masca, Arguayo or the Teide summit, where it is cold even in summer. Pack for the highest point of your day, not the start. Stay on the marked path, carry water and tell someone your route. Check the notices at the start of every trail, because a trail can be closed on the day.
To reach trailheads without a car, see getting there. PR-TF 65 ends in Puerto de Santiago, which has its own page.
Hiking around Santiago del Teide: questions
Do I need a permit for the walks in the municipality?
The tourism pages list no individual permit for PR-TF 65 or PR-TF 43.3. Being permit-free does not lift temporary closures, such as the dates in the table above. The Masca gorge and the Teide trails PNT 07, 09, 10, 23 and 28 are the exceptions and need a reservation.
Is the Masca gorge part of Santiago del Teide?
No. Masca belongs to Buenavista del Norte. You start the day from Santiago del Teide, where the bus leaves, and the route ends by boat at Los Gigantes. See the Masca page for the village.
Can I walk the Chinyero circuit on any day?
Not on the dates of the mouflon control: 21 and 28 October 2026, then several weekdays from 4 to 18 November and on 23 and 24 November, each from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Climbing the cone itself is forbidden on every day.
Which walk suits a first day?
The Chinyero circuit is listed as easy, at 6.44 km and about 2 hours 30 minutes. PR-TF 65 is rated medium at 7.3 km and one way only, so plan how you get back to the start.
What do I need for the Masca gorge?
Closed boots with a profile, at least 1.5 liters of water per person, food, a charged phone and identity documents, including for children. Take the gorge ticket, the boat ticket and the ticket for the compulsory bus. Without the required equipment you can be refused entry.
Can I swim in the gorge?
No. The operator's rules forbid bathing in the stream and the pools, and the Masca beach is listed as closed to the public. Stay on the marked path. No fires, smoking, camping or leisure drones are allowed.