Day trips from Tenerife
One island and another: by ferry to La Gomera, on foot through Masca and Anaga
- La Gomera
- Ferry about 50 min from Los Cristianos
- Masca
- From from €40.66, bus 355 compulsory
- Loro Parque
- €42
The best day trips from Tenerife come with a rule attached. Masca needs a slot and a bus, La Gomera needs a ferry timetable, and Anaga, which is mostly open to anyone, rewards whoever arrives with a plan. Five outings follow, ordered by how much has to be booked before you leave the hotel.
La Gomera by ferry
The ferry to La Gomera leaves from the harbour at Los Cristianos and lands at San Sebastián de La Gomera, and the crossing takes about 50 min. Two companies run it, Fred. Olsen and Naviera Armas, and in 2026 one Armas sailing left at 8:45 am and arrived at 9:35 while a Fred. Olsen boat left at 9:30 and arrived at 10:20, so a morning departure can put you on the other island before ten.
Check-in is 20 to 60 minutes before the sailing, which is the one detail worth building the morning around. Fares differ from one booking site to the next, so buy from the operator's own page and read the return time before paying. The verdict is simple: La Gomera takes the whole day, so do not pair it with anything else, and treat it as a replacement for a beach day rather than an extra stop squeezed between two others.
Check the same room on both sites: price and cancellation terms can differ.
The gorge by reservation
Masca is a booking exercise first. The walk is the easy part. The reservation exists only on the official site, and the entry starts at from €40.66, for a walk that is all descent until the water. The boat that brings you back down the coast is not in that price. Entry slots run from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, with 25 people allowed in every half hour, and ID is required at the start.
Private cars cannot reach the trailhead, since bus 355 from Santiago del Teide, about 20 minutes, has been compulsory since December 2025, and children under eight are not admitted. Trail shoes are required while trainers and sandals are turned back at the start, where a helmet is lent to everyone who needs one. Cancel 72 hours ahead and it is free. Drivers should allow for the road itself, which from Costa Adeje is about 35 km and takes roughly an hour and a quarter through narrow bends.
The mountains and Taganana
Anaga is the free day. It is also the one that needs the most thought, because most of the area and its roads are open to anyone and nobody hands you an itinerary at the gate. Two places are restricted, the Pijaral trail, known as the Enchanted Forest, and Monte Aguirre. Start at the visitor centre at Cruz del Carmen, where the paths branch out, and decide there which valley to follow before the cloud, which often sits on these ridges, makes the choice for you.
The long walk is the PR-TF 2 from Valleseco to Taganana, about 13 km one way. It takes five to six hours on foot, and a ride back has to be arranged before you set out. Bus 076 links La Laguna with Cruz del Carmen and Taganana, though this page cannot give its timetable. At Benijo the sand has been closed since July 2024 after rockfalls while the viewpoint still works, so go for the view and not for the swim.
Garachico and the north-west
Garachico is the town where a volcano ended a harbour. The eruption of 1706 buried its harbour in lava, and what visitors walk through now is a town rebuilt around that loss. It lies about 25 minutes by car from Masca, which makes it the natural lunch stop after the gorge.
Loro Parque and Izaña
Two outings, two kinds of day. Loro Parque, the animal park, charges adults €42. At the Izaña observatory the guided visit runs every day, lasts about an hour and a half and costs from €21. The entrance is at km 37 of the TF-24, there is no public transport, and winter weather can cancel the tour. Stargazing at night is possible only through private agencies.
What goes together in one day
Pair outings by geography, with Masca and Garachico together in the north-west and Anaga with La Laguna in the north-east. La Gomera needs the whole day. That is the sensible limit. If only one of Masca and Anaga fits, Anaga is the safer pick, because it asks for no slot, no bus and no ID.
- Masca and Garachico: the gorge in the morning, then lunch in the rebuilt harbour town, 25 minutes by car.
- Anaga and La Laguna: Cruz del Carmen first, then a guachinche lunch in the old town below, which is on the UNESCO list.
- Izaña and Teide: the observatory visit at km 37 fits a Teide day, if the weather holds.
Where to next
Where to stay in Tenerife
→The south for the beach, the north for the island as it is, and a handful of bases in between
Seville · 1406 km
→Five centuries under the mosque, nearly eight under the cathedral
How well does Tenerife suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Nomadinho scores out of 100, the same ones behind “Where to go”.
If you like Tenerife
Three places with the closest scores, from any country.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is La Gomera worth a day trip?
The crossing takes about 50 minutes, so a day trip is possible from Los Cristianos, and an early boat gives you most of the day. Fares vary by booking site, and the ferry company's own page is where to read the return time.
Do you need a booking for Anaga?
Most of Anaga and its roads are open without a booking. The exceptions are the Pijaral trail, known as the Enchanted Forest, and Monte Aguirre, where access is restricted.
Can you do Masca without a car?
Yes, and in fact a car cannot reach the trailhead. Bus 355 from Santiago del Teide, about 20 minutes, is compulsory, and the booking is made only on the official site.
Ready for Tenerife?
Front row for the next trip
Leave your email and we'll let you know when a new destination or story goes up.