Hiking with children in Tenerife: four walks that work, and one that does not
Updated October 1, 2026 · 8 min read
Tenerife has walks for children and walks that merely look like walks for children, and the two are not easy to tell apart from a hotel. The short answer: for most families, the Anaga Mountains Circular Hike in the Laurel Forest is the walk that works – around five kilometres, two and a half hours, a small group capped at twelve, €28.16 per person, 4.8 stars from 121 reviews. It’s cool and shaded, and the forest itself is the entertainment. If your children will only walk as long as there’s swimming at the end, take Masca, Los Gigantes & Natural Pools + Picnic for €66.50. The short loop at the Roques de García in the national park is free and needs no guide. And the Masca gorge is closed to children under eight under its operator’s own conditions.
See availability and prices for the Anaga Mountains Circular Hike in the Laurel Forest
Here are four that work with children, with their published lengths and times, and one that is explicitly not for younger children — stated by the people who run it, not by us.
Four Guided Hikes Compared
| Offer | Duration | from | Rating | best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaga Mountains: Circular Hike in the Laurel Forest | 2h 30m | €28.16 per person | 4.8 (121) | families with primary-school children who need shade |
| Teno Mountains Hike and Masca Village | 3h 30m | €48.50 per person | 4.9 (12) | families who want to see Masca without descending |
| Masca, Los Gigantes & Natural Pools + Picnic | 5 hours | €66.50 per person | 4.6 (393) | children who will only walk if there’s swimming at the end |
| Barranco de Masca: Guided Trekking + Boat Trip | 6 hours | €145 per person | 4.7 (356) | parents with sure-footed older children |
1. Roques de García: the short loop at 2,000 metres
Turismo de Tenerife’s route sheet describes route 03 as a circular walk starting and finishing at Mirador de La Ruleta, giving 3.5 km and approximately two hours, between 2,025 and 2,187 metres.
Why it suits families: the rock formations are the entertainment, there is a car park and a viewpoint at the start, and you can walk out to the first rocks and turn back without having failed at anything. Why it needs planning: the return leg climbs, and the whole thing happens at over two thousand metres, where children tire faster than they do at the beach.
The published two hours is a route reference, not your family’s time. Agree with the children before you start whether you are doing the viewpoint or the whole circuit. Our full walk-through of the circuit covers the bus and tour timings, and Teide with children covers the altitude question, which belongs with a paediatrician and not with a travel page.
2. The Anaga laurel forest, guided and small
In the north-east, the Anaga mountains hold a laurel forest that looks nothing like the rest of the island — wet, green, mossy and shaded. The Circular Hike in the Laurel Forest runs for around five kilometres through it, two and a half hours, in a small group capped at twelve people, at €28.16 per person. It has 4.8 stars from 121 reviews.
For children this is the easy sell: the forest itself is the attraction, it is cool rather than hot, and a guide who knows the place keeps the walking punctuated with things to look at. The trade-off is the drive — Anaga is a long way from the southern resorts, and the roads are narrow and winding. Factor that in with anyone who gets carsick.
Other Anaga walks on GetYourGuide run four hours, six hours or a full day. Read the duration before booking: “a hike in the laurel forest” ranges from a gentle circuit to a serious day out, and the difference is not always obvious from the title.
3. Masca village and the Teno viewpoints — the walk, not the gorge
The Teno Mountains Hike and Masca Village tour takes three and a half hours, costs €48.50 per person and explores the trails of the Teno massif to the village of Masca, with viewpoints over the ravines and transport included; it has 4.9 stars from 12 reviews. A second option, Masca, Los Gigantes & Natural Pools + Picnic, five hours for €66.50 with hotel pick-up from Los Cristianos, Las Américas or Puerto de la Cruz, combines Masca with the Los Gigantes cliffs and a swim in volcanic pools, with a picnic.
This is the version of Masca that works with children: the village, the views into the ravine, and a walk chosen by the guide to fit the group. It is emphatically not the same activity as the gorge descent described below, even though both are sold under the name Masca. If in doubt, ask the operator one direct question — does this booking enter the Barranco de Masca? — and plan around the answer.
See availability and prices for the Teno Mountains Hike and Masca Village
4. The coast and the natural pools
The same five-hour Masca, Los Gigantes and natural pools trip doubles as the fourth option, because it solves the problem that defeats most family walks: children who will happily walk for an hour if there is swimming at the end of it. Volcanic pools, a picnic, cliffs to look at and a bus that brings you back – 4.6 stars from 393 reviews.
A walking day that finishes in water is a different proposition from a walking day that finishes at a car park. If your children are not natural walkers, this is the shape to look for, and it is worth more than any trail description.
See availability and prices for Masca, Los Gigantes and the Natural Pools
The one that is not for younger children: the Masca gorge
The Barranco de Masca is a regulated trail with its own booking system, and its operators are unusually explicit. The official safety page states: “Children under the age of 8 are not allowed to take part”, and that minors should be accompanied by a responsible adult — with a signed authorisation from the legal guardian if that adult is not the guardian. Staff may advise a visitor before or during the trail that it is not suitable for them to begin or continue.
The equipment page is equally direct. A helmet is loaned by the trail staff and must be returned at the end. “Mountain hiking boots or closed trekking shoes with deep lugs are essential”, with access denied for sandals, smooth soles or trainers. A minimum of 1.5 litres of water per person is required because there is none on the trail. And: “If you do not have any of the mandatory equipment elements, you will be REFUSED ACCESS to the gorge.”
Read that as it is meant. This is a descent through a ravine, booked in advance in timed slots, not a scenic stroll from the village. An eight-year-old being legally permitted is not the same as an eight-year-old enjoying it. Our Tenerife with teenagers guide is the place to weigh it for an older child.
Anyone planning the descent anyway is best off with the guided version: Barranco de Masca: Guided Trekking + Boat Trip + Transportation descends five kilometres to the bay beneath the Los Gigantes cliffs and returns by boat, six hours, €145 per person, 4.7 stars from 356 reviews – guide, permit and transfers included.
See availability and prices for the guided Masca gorge hike
What decides the day, whatever you choose
Water and shade. Anaga is shaded and humid, the national park is exposed at altitude, and the coast is hot. Carry more water than seems necessary for the second and third of those.
Footwear. Closed shoes with grip, on every one of these walks. Volcanic rock is sharp, and loose gravel on a descent is the most common way a good day goes wrong.
Sun and heat. What sun protection suits your child is a question for a pharmacist or your paediatrician, not for a comparison page. What we can say is that midday on an exposed trail in summer is the wrong slot to book, and the early departures exist for a reason.
Minimum ages on guided walks. Operators set their own, they differ, and we publish none we cannot source. It is on the booking page; if it is not stated, ask before paying.
When a walk is the wrong plan
If the children are small, the day is hot, and the only slot available is midday, do something else. A short circuit walked cheerfully beats a long one finished in tears, and no view repairs an exhausted four-year-old. The half-day options with children and the broader Tenerife with kids guide cover the alternatives — including the ones where somebody else does the driving.
Our recommendation
For most people: the Anaga Mountains Circular Hike in the Laurel Forest at €28.16 per person. Two and a half hours in the shade, no more than twelve people in the group, 4.8 stars from 121 reviews – and it’s the cheapest of the four guided walks. The winding drive to the north-east is part of the day, though.
For children who need a reward: Masca, Los Gigantes & Natural Pools + Picnic at €66.50 per person, five hours, 4.6 stars from 393 reviews. With hotel pick-up from Los Cristianos, Las Américas or Puerto de la Cruz – the day ends in the water, not in a car park.
For a tight budget: the loop at the Roques de García in the national park costs nothing. 3.5 kilometres, around two hours, a car park at the start, and you can turn back at any point. Altitude and midday heat are the whole plan here.
Who it’s not for: the guided hike through the Barranco de Masca at €145 per person is not a family outing. Children under eight are not allowed to take part under the operator’s conditions, mountain boots are mandatory, and six hours with a descent and a boat ride back is not a good day for a tired child.
