BENIJO HIKE TENERIFE
Our favorite hike in Anaga national park
When guests at Nine are looking for hike ideas we always enjoy giving them our best advice. After exploring Anaga National park a lot, we feel that this is the hike everyone has to do when visiting Tenerife.
Anaga coast - photo by Novomonde
The Anaga National Park
This hike is located in the beautiful Anaga National Park, the most northern part of Tenerife. This area, covering almost 35,800 acres, was declared UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2015 and is very famous for its impressive landscapes. The abrupt summits descend to beautiful valleys that stretch to the sea.
In my opinion, Anaga is the second most breathtaking area on Tenerife, just after El Teide National Park.
The windy roads can take you to some very isolated little villages where you'll find yourself really far from the touristic hustle and bustle of the island.
Benijo Loop: Our Favorite hike
My tip for starting this hike would be to go to the beach in the first place and then walk along it until you reach the big wooden stairs leading back up to Benijo.
Once you get to the center of the little village, continue until the restaurant „El Fronton“ and turn left on the dirt track leaving the village in direction of „El Draguillo“. This part of the hike is definitely not the most enjoyable as we basically walk on a dirt road even tough it offers some nice viewpoints.
It's only once you reach the little hamlet called „el Draguillo“ that the „real fun“ starts. :)
Take the path that goes up towards „Cruz del Draguillo“. You'll see, the path is well marked an even if it can be pretty steep at certain moments, turning around and enjoying the amazing view will make up for the effort.
On your way to „Cruz del Draguillo“ you'll get to a crossing where you have two options:
– continue towards the Chamorga village
– Turn right to get back to Benijo in direction of an impressive rock
Take the second option and continue along the path until you reach this big rock. This spot is definitely the ideal place to have a little break and enjoy the stunning view!
From there on, the path that winds down to Benijo is very clear and there is no chance of getting lost.
While going down always make sure to watch your step, but most importantly: don't forget to stop and look up every once in a while because the views are simply amazing all along the way!
How to get to Benijo?
The easiest way to get to Benijo is probably by car. Renting a car on Tenerife is quite cheap and gives you the most freedom. Parking in the center of Benijo can be quite difficult but there are many parking spots available at the beach.
If you'd rather come by bus, bus number 946 runs several times a day between Santa Cruz and Almaciga. Almaciga is located less than a kilometer from Benijo and you can walk along the beach to reach the beginning of the hike. See timetables here.
Benijo Hike Map:
Note: If you want a map of the area I would suggest you make a small stop at the tourist information center located at Cruz del Carmen on your way to Benijo. The very friendly park rangers will give you all the necessary information as well as a very useful hiking map.
I hope you enjoy your hike in Anaga! And if you have any other favorite hike in the area you are more than welcome to share them in the comment section of this post; this might help future travellers prepare their journey.