Sendero El Jagre is probably the least touristy place I have seen in Tenerife. If you’d like to get off the beaten path and discover a small hidden gem on this beautiful island, I recommend adding this walking trail to your Tenerife to-do list.
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Sendero El Jagre is a short walking trail on the northern coast of Tenerife, in the municipality of La Matanza de Acentejo. The trail descends towards the coast on a small protrusion along the jagged coastline, called Punta del Sol. Although this trail is not very easy to reach, it repays in beautiful ocean views and a peaceful atmosphere. For me, it was close to where I was staying so I decided to venture there one afternoon when I didn’t have much time to go anywhere further. On the entire trail, I only crossed one person, despite the lovely, sunny weather. That’s how little known this place is.
How to reach Sendero El Jagre
Let me start by saying that I’m one of those people who say, “oh it’s not that far, we can walk there,” and I end up walking for hours to reach my destination. So, I won’t advise you to do as I did, but I’ll tell you all about it.
I was staying in La Quinta, a small residential area near Santa Úrsula, about 15 minutes from Puerto de la Cruz. So, I checked the map (Maps.me, I recommend using this one for hikes), and it was supposed to be less than 2 hours of walking. It seemed reasonable, so I thought it would be a nice idea to see the surroundings. While I wouldn’t say it was the worst idea, I don’t really recommend it if you have an alternative – and you do. Most of the walk was alongside main roads with cars passing by, not a very pleasant walk.
So, to spare you this experience, I recommend catching the guagua (Canarian for bus) and stopping either at Cruce la Victoria on the main highway or La Victoria, in the small village of La Victoria de Acentejo. Cruce la Victoria is a bit closer, less than half an hour to the beginning of Sendero El Jagre. La Victoria is 10/15 minutes further but still doable.
To get off at Cruce la Victoria, catch guagua line 102 from either Puerto de la Cruz or Santa Cruz de Tenerife (passing through San Cristóbal de La Laguna) or line 30, also from Santa Cruz, towards the airport. If stopping at La Victoria, catch guagua 101 from La Orotava or from San Cristóbal de La Laguna. The same applies for your way back.
Remember to download the Maps.me app to get accurate directions for the trail, as this doesn’t show on Google Maps.
Walking Sendero El Jagre, Tenerife
The trail begins at the end of Calle Jagre, near the guesthouse Welcome in Paradise. Don’t worry, it may look like you’re entering private property, but you’re not. As soon as you start the trail, you’ll have a beautiful view of the ocean. The vegetation around here is very low, so you can admire the surroundings and the trail ahead.
A nice thing about Sendero El Jagre is that it offers some amazing views of the Teide. If you’re lucky to visit on a clear day, you’ll be able to see the mountain peak towering over the island. I walked the trail close to sunset and there was a bit of calima, so the peak wasn’t visible. If you’re wondering, calima is when the sand from the Sahara gets blown by the wind towards the Canary Islands.
You have a few options when it comes to walking Sendero El Jagre. You can walk to the coast and back up the same route or circle back on a different route, towards El Caletón. The second option takes longer. However, make sure to walk all the way to the coast and enjoy the beautiful view of the rugged northern coast of Tenerife.
You can even descend a stairway that leads to a coastal walk. You could potentially circle back along the coast and climb back up towards the starting point. However, the trail looked more complicated and potentially unsafe, so I would advise caution. Since I ended up on the coast close to sunset, I preferred to walk back up the same route. This proved a great choice since I got to see a truly amazing sunset. I would recommend walking this trail in the late afternoon, so you can catch the sunset on your way back.
A few Tenerife tips
Tenerife can roughly be divided into two main parts, Tenerife Norte and Tenerife Sur. There are two airports, one on each side of the island, and the two biggest cities are Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the northeast, and Puerto de la Cruz in the northwest. Costa Adeje and the nearby town of Los Cristianos are the most popular spots in the very south of the island and where most of the tourists will be. This is also the area with the most resorts and clubs if this is the kind of holiday you are looking for. Personally, I didn’t spend much time in this area, although there are some impressive spots worth visiting around there as well. Anyway, stick around for more posts on this area too.
If you are planning a trip to Tenerife, make sure to dedicate enough time to explore the north of the island. I would recommend setting aside two-thirds of your time for the north and the remaining third for the south, but this is just according to my taste.
Depending on your country of citizenship, you may need specific documentation to enter Spain and the Canary Islands. To figure out which documents you need, you can check iVisa.com. Here you can also easily apply for all documentation in one. They do charge a small fee for the service, but they simplify your life by saving time in searching different sources and applying on different platforms.
Accommodation and transportation in Tenerife
If you want to choose just one place as a base for your entire stay, I recommend either Puerto de la Cruz or Santa Cruz de Tenerife. If you aren’t planning on renting a car, these are good options because they have lots of connections by bus.
I recommend buying a Ten+ card if you plan on taking the bus a lot. This way you get a small discount on the bus fare, and you don’t need to worry about buying tickets every time. You can charge the card with the amount you wish, either at the machines that you’ll find in some bus stations or at authorized resellers. Check titsa.com for all info on buses, tickets, and recharge points. Remember, in all Canary Islands buses are called guaguas. Cute name, right?
For your accommodation, you have lots of options. For most of my trips, I use Booking.com for both short and long-term stays. A good alternative for long-term stays can be Airbnb. I used both in Tenerife and found some really nice places at affordable prices. I would personally recommend Canary Bio Hostel Tenerife in Los Realejos if you plan on staying in the north. This is where I spent my first few days in Tenerife, and I loved it.
Tenerife Norte: other places to discover
Tenerife Norte is my favorite part of the island. The south is more popular among tourists, hence more crowded. It is also drier, with desertic and lunar landscapes. While I do find these landscapes fascinating and I have seen some incredible places in the south, I like trees, plants, flowers, and in general greenery. The north of the island has beautiful, lush vegetation and some amazing beaches. There is a lot more variety.
In the north, you can also find Taganana and the Parque Rural de Anaga, an area filled with beautiful trails to walk or hike. Towards the western tip of the island, the small town of Garachico is another lovely place to visit. Not to mention the beautiful Puerto de la Cruz, La Orotava, the whole area of Los Realejos, and the historical Icod de los Vinos. I will be sharing some of my favorite places in this area soon.
That’s it for now. I wish you an amazing stay in Tenerife and I hope you’ll enjoy the beautiful walking trail Sendero El Jagre as much as I did.
