The Most Beautiful Villages in Tenerife to Visit by Car

Tenerife’s most interesting villages are not on the resort strip. They sit in gorges, on mountain ridges and along a north coast that the TITSA bus network does not serve at any useful frequency. A rental car does not just make visiting easier — for most of these places, it is the only way to get there.

Masca: the gorge village

Where: northwest Tenerife, Teno massif. TF-436 from Santiago del Teide or Buenavista del Norte.

Masca is built into a dramatic volcanic gorge at around 650 metres. The village has around 80 residents, a handful of restaurants and views down to the sea that justify the drive alone.

The road in — the TF-436 — is the point. Tight hairpin bends, single-lane sections, sheer drops on one side. Speed is irrelevant here; the road physically prevents it. Take a small car. Do not attempt it in a minivan or large SUV. Go early in the morning before tour buses and day-trip taxis fill the access road.

The gorge walk from Masca down to the coast is a popular hike (approximately 2.5 hours one way). If you do the walk, arrange a boat pickup at the bottom or return the same way — the road out is the same as the road in.

Garachico: the town that survived a volcano

Where: north coast, TF-42 west of Icod de los Vinos.

In 1706, a volcanic eruption destroyed Garachico’s harbour and much of the town. The lava cooled into the sea and created the natural rock pools — El Caleton — that now make the town one of the most photogenic stops on the north coast.

The town rebuilt around its 16th-century convent, cobbled streets and a small square that has changed little since. Unlike most of the north coast, Garachico is calm even in summer. The pools are free to use.

Drive time from Puerto de la Cruz: approximately 30 minutes on the TF-42.

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Vilaflor: highest village in Spain

Where: south Tenerife, TF-21 between the coast and Teide. Approximately 1,400 metres above sea level.

Vilaflor sits on the road between the southern resorts and Teide National Park. Most drivers pass through it on the way to the volcano without stopping — which is a mistake. The village has a 16th-century church, pine forest immediately above it and a microclimate that makes it cool and clear when the coast is overcast.

It is the logical lunch stop if you are driving up to Teide from the south. The pine forest above Vilaflor — Pinar de Vilaflor — is one of the largest Canarian pine forests on the island and worth a short walk.

At 1,400 metres, temperatures drop significantly compared to the coast. Bring a layer.

Taganana: end of the road in Anaga

Where: northeast Tenerife, Anaga Rural Park. TF-12 from La Laguna, then TF-134 down to the coast.

Anaga is the oldest part of Tenerife geologically — a steep, deeply eroded massif of laurisilva forest (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) that occupies the northeast tip of the island. Taganana is at the bottom of it, a small village on a narrow coastal strip with a black sand beach and a Baroque church from the 16th century.

The road down from the ridge is a series of tight hairpins through forest. Dense, green, completely unlike the south of the island. The contrast with the resort coast 45 minutes away is total.

The road ends at Taganana. There is nowhere else to go from here — you retrace the same road back up. Allow at least half a day for the round trip from Santa Cruz or La Laguna.

Masca vs Anaga: which to prioritise

Both reward an early start. Masca gets busy with tour groups by mid-morning. Anaga is quieter throughout the day.

Guimar and the pyramids

Where: east Tenerife, TF-28 south from Santa Cruz.

Guimar is a working agricultural town rather than a picturesque village, but it earns a place on this list for one reason: the Pyramids of Guimar, a series of six stepped pyramidal structures of uncertain origin. The site is now a park with a museum (Thor Heyerdahl, who investigated the pyramids, has a permanent exhibition there).

The town itself is calm, with a Sunday market and views across the Guimar valley. Easy 30-minute drive from the capital.

Practical notes for driving inland Tenerife

• Fuel: fill up before heading into the interior. Service stations in Masca and Taganana do not exist.
• Car size: compact or small car strongly recommended for Masca and Anaga. Larger cars can navigate the roads but will find overtaking spots stressful.
• Season: these routes are driveable year-round. Summer interior temperatures are cooler than the coast. Winter brings occasional fog on the Anaga ridge.
• GPS: works on all these roads. Download offline maps as a backup — signal drops in the Anaga interior.

For more on getting around the island, see how to get around Tenerife.