In search of a unique route in the Teno Mountain Range: Cruz de Gala - Roque de Tarucho - Cruz de Hilda - Masca
Hiking the Teno Mountains: Exploring Roque de Tarucho and the Hidden Trails of Tenerife
The Teno Mountains, located on the western side of Tenerife Island, are a fascinating place for hiking enthusiasts and travelers in general. Since most tourists arrive in the southern part of the island, the road to this area takes about 30 minutes, meaning you can start your hike right from the city of Santiago del Teide. Situated at an altitude of 1000 meters, it is often compared to the famous city of Kathmandu in Nepal.
When you arrive here in the morning, you immediately feel a different atmosphere, a unique climate, and a large number of hikers.
The Increasing Popularity of Masca Gorge
However, in recent years, due to the growing influx of tourists and increasing interest in the Masca Gorge, access has become more challenging. The road is narrow, winding, and steep, with many tourists driving rental cars without experience in navigating the narrow sections. Parking near the Masca Village is limited, and as a result, the best solution is to arrive early in the morning or closer to sunset.
There’s a possibility that, in the coming years, access for private cars may be restricted or require a fee, as has been the case with other popular places in Tenerife, including Barranco del Infierno, El Bosque Encantado (Anaga), Barranco de Masca, Punta Teno, and Pico del Teide.
Exploring Masca on Foot
The rising popularity of the region inspired me to explore alternative hiking routes to Masca and visit some of the lesser-known, non-touristy spots in the area. Over the years, I’ve regularly hiked to one of the high points of the Teno Mountain Range, standing at 1289 meters. From this peak, you get a unique view of various ravines, such as Masca, Barranco Seco, and Barranco de Juan López. The hike is comfortable, taking about 60 minutes, with the option for a circular route that passes through a relic laurel forest. This pleasant hike takes a maximum of 3.5 hours.
The Enigmatic Roque de Tarucho
Every time I reached the peak, I was drawn to the Roque de Tarucho mountain, which looms over the village of Masca. If you stand in the village and look back, the scale of this mountain is imposing, sometimes giving the sense that it could fall at any moment. If you continue along the road towards the Mirador de Cruz de Hilda, this peak reveals itself in all its grandeur.
Locals have shared legends surrounding Roque de Tarucho:
“They were so afraid it would fall and kill them that, even though it couldn't harm them as their dwellings were far away, they agreed to give a portion of every animal they hunted to Aydafe, simply out of fear.”
The first inhabitants of Tenerife, the Guanche tribes, tied ropes to this peak out of fear that it might collapse. In my visits to this mountain, I discovered many loose stones at its edge. With just a small push, these fairly large stones could fall. Many photos of the mountain show a large crack that splits the rock into two parts.
The Significance of Roque de Tarucho
Here’s a thought on the peak’s significance:
"The cult of mountain peaks could be related to the belief in the Axis Mundi, common in many ancient animistic cultures. This is the belief in the existence of connection points between heaven and earth. Considered the 'center of the world,' they often take the form of something natural (mountain, tree, fire, or stem), though they can also be artificial (tower, pillar, cross, bell tower, rope, needle). This could explain the fear that these elevations, especially rocky ones, would fall, as they were seen as the support of the world."
Climbing to Roque de Tarucho
With this in mind, I set a goal: to reach the top of Roque de Tarucho on foot. The information available was very limited, so it took me six days of exploration. My first three attempts were from the Mirador de Cruz de Hilda. Although this route wasn’t marked on any existing maps, I was lucky enough to find an old path used by local Canarian goats.
On my first day, I made it to the foot of the mountain but struggled with a very high step—essentially a large cliff. Once I reached the top, I discovered a simpler and safer path.
On the second day, I finally reached Roque de Tarucho. However, I decided to postpone the exploration of the summit until the next day, as the crack at the top was quite massive, and it was safer to go there with someone.
On the third attempt, I was joined by a friend, and we successfully marked the route with stones to make our return easier. We overcame the crack at the top and decided to connect this route with another—Cruz de Gala. The terrain was challenging, with no trails and heavy bush overgrowth. We only made it 100 meters upwards before strong winds forced us to stop.
Connecting the Routes: Cruz de Gala to Roque de Tarucho
In the following days, I started from the top at Cruz de Gala, aiming to reach the last marker I had left. This allowed me to connect the two routes. It took me three more days to complete the journey.
As of today, I still need to go through this long route a few more times to better memorize it and possibly make improvements. Eventually, we will have the unique opportunity to hike through the three most iconic locations in the Teno Mountain Range: Cruz de Gala - Roque de Tarucho - Cruz de Hilda - Masca.
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