Mrs Buckham says...
An amazing variety of stunning walks with differing terrain culminating in an unforgettable setting above Maroc village. Good pace and lots of local ...
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Crowned by the volcanic Mount Teide with its impressive volcanic landscapes and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and is often known as the 'Island of Eternal Spring' due to its temperate climes. The traditional, picturesque villages and dramatic coastline with idyllic beaches give a fascinating contrast of landscapes to explore.
Using minibus transfers, our expert local guide will ensure you make the most of your time on this captivating island. An area rich in heritage, we're based in the 'Isla Baja' on the quiet north-west corner of the island where traditional towns and villages proudly guard the wild beauty of its dramatic, volcanic mountains and spectacular coastline. We walk along ancient trails with incredible panoramic views linking tiny whitewashed villages and towns. The dramatic volcanic landscape of the UNESCO World Heritage Teide National Park contrasts with the lush green of the cool forests of pine, cork and the enchanting sub-tropical 'laurisilva' of the Anaga Rural Park.
A listed building, the elegantly restored 4 star San Roque Hotel is superbly located just a stone's throw from the old port and the beautifully preserved cobbled streets of Garachico. It boasts just 20 beautifully appointed air-conditioned rooms and suites. Perfect for relaxing after a day's walking, each room has a jacuzzi bath, and customers can enjoy the heated swimming pool and sauna. We've included dinner on 4 nights and in the stylish dining room, the chef creates a fusion of Canarian and Mediterranean cuisine using first class organic ingredients, complimented by a superb wine list. Garachico has many excellent restaurants to try on your other nights.
This guided walking holiday follows mainly well marked paths and trails. You should be a sure footed walker. Some sections of the ridge walks require a head for heights. In order that you see as much of this varied region as possible, transfers (typically 45-70 minutes) are built into the beginning/end of most walking days.
Arrive at your 4 star hotel in time for dinner.
You stay at the San Roque Hotel (breakfast and evening meal included)
Today's walk takes us to the Chinyero Reserve to view the dramatic volcanic landscapes of the coal black Chinyero volcano and the spectacular El Volcan Negro. We cross lava flows where the first lichens bring colour to the rocks and volcanic ash fields are framed by fragrant Canary mints shrubs, native Canary pine trees and azure blue skies. Some birds like the endemic Canary blue chaffinch or the grey spotted woodpecker frequent this area. Passing through the Arenas Negras (black sands), the air is fresh with scents of pine resin and giant flows of solid lava offer perfect views of Mount Teide.
(breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal included)
Spectacular views today of the Atlantic Ocean, La Gomera, El Palmar Valley, the Los Carrizales Ravine and the crowning glory of Mount Teide. The Teno Rural Park is rich in natural heritage and preserved in time with abandoned terraces, stone circles, traditional farmhouses and cheese factories. We follow shady forest paths to the hamlet of Teno Alto with its tiny church and where we lunch on regional specialities in a local restaurant. We descend on the Callejon de Teno trail down through the fertile El Palmar Valley, passing in front of a unique volcanic cone, through terraces of golden barley and past remote farmsteads.
(breakfast, restaurant lunch included)
Tenerife's dramatic landscape includes soaring volcanic cliffs and snow-capped Mount Teide, which at 7,500m high from its base on the ocean floor, makes it the third largest volcano in the world. Starting at the El Portillo visitors centre where we can learn all about this volcanic landscape, today's walk takes us through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Teide National Park. A mecca for geologists, look out for lava flows in vividly contrasting colours, pumice and obsidian. We drive back through the magnificent landscapes of the Teide caldera as we return back to the hotel in time for a swim before heading out for dinner.
(breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal included)
In the morning perhaps explore the lava rock pools and narrow streets of Garachico, with its 16th century churches and their beautiful vaulted ceilings. Lunch in the pretty square (payable locally) then back to the hotel to laze by the pool, you are on holiday after all!
(breakfast included)
We start our route at the Cruz del Carmen visitors' centre and follow the cool shady paths through the magical sub-tropical laurisilva which colonises the northern part of Tenerife, where the trees tower at up to 1,000m high. Our day also includes a trip to Laguna market to choose our picnic lunch from the local produce available. This is a fabulous day for endemic flora and fauna, with stunning views of Mount Teide and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
(breakfast and picnic lunch included)
Today will take us through the Teno Rural Park, along old shepherds' routes and up through rolling hills to the Cumbre de Bolico Ridge, with dramatic, deep ravines and where we'll be rewarded with lovely clear views out across the Atlantic towards La Gomera. Look out for the migratory birds in the ponds of Charcas de Erjos and enjoy the spectacular 360 degree views of the ocean and snow-capped Mount Teide, then descend passing abandoned farmsteads to the pretty village of Masca. Time for a refreshing drink in the terrace of the Mirador de Cruz de Hilda cafe looking over Masca before heading back to the hotel.
(breakfast, picnic lunch and evening meal included)
This single-centre holiday is based at the following hotel. If you'd like to extend your stay here, or upgrade your room, just let us know at the time of booking.
To find out more call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or email sales@headwater.com
Find out more on the hotel website.
Read customer reviews on Tripadvisor.
Room upgrades: Superior Room, Duplex Room, Junior Suite or Duplex Suite.
Duplex Rooms have 2 floors with the lounge and bathroom, with a whirlpool tub, on the lower floor. Stairs take you up to the top floor to discover the loft-type bedroom. The Junior Suite is a larger room with a seating area and Jacuzzi bath. Duplex Suites have two floors. There is a lounge on the lower level with flat-screen TV, DVD and CD player, desk and bathroom with jacuzzi. The air-conditioned bedroom is on the upper level and it has a double bed, flat-screen TV, DVD player, minibar and skylight. If required, a second bed can be put in the lounge area.
Extra nights: Please contact us for details.
Transfers can be arranged at a supplement from Tenerife South Reina Sofia airport at 13:05 and back to Tenerife South Reina Sofia airport at 10:30.
Call now to speak to our specialist team at 0044 1606 720199 or email us at sales@headwater.com for enquiries or to book your trip.
Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
An amazing variety of stunning walks with differing terrain culminating in an unforgettable setting above Maroc village. Good pace and lots of local information on the walks. The single centre 4* hotel was an added bonus, not having to pack up and transfer during the trip.
Amount of difficulty varied considerably across the walks from comfortable to fairly difficult given the nature of the terrain
A very relaxing holiday staying at an excellent hotel in Garachico. The walks were at just the right effort level and never felt rushed. Plenty of time for breaks and photos. Great guide who looked after us very well. North Tenerife has very varied and beautiful scenery with micro climates depending on location.
Very well guided walks each day . Beautiful luxury hotel. Very friendly and professional hotel staff . Immaculately cleaned rooms and dinner service high end . Excellent food at breakfast and dinner.
A good holiday with an excellent guide for the walks
Our guide Juan was exceptional, he went above and beyond expectations to ensure that we had a perfect experience.
San Roque hotel staff are very friendly and helpful, the hotel itself is full of character and you are made to feel very comfortable and welcome
Excellent walking and very interesting to see very different parts of Tenerife island. Hotel standard was adequate with fantastic staff however general standard of the rooms could do with an upgrade and the food could have been improved with more local cooking and produce.
Excellent hotel and food provided there. Great walking experience, very different scenery every day. Easy walking but walking boots are essential.
Hotel SAN Roque was small, friendly and relaxed. The food was superb and room was very comfortable complete with amenities. it was a lovely base from which to explore the area. Walking was slow and leisurely through beautiful scenery. One or two poles advantageous as the terrain was steep and uneven in places. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and provided simple delicious locally sourced picnic lunches. I would definitely consider a return visit.
This holiday enabled me to see a side of Tenerife that goes beyond the stereotype of beach resorts, the northern end of the island is a series of microclimates so every day was different flora and weather which kept the walking interesting. The San Roque hotel was a perfect base and due to their care and a good guide it was a delight to have dressing myself as my only responsibility outside managing the walks for a week, very therapeutic
Excellent walking - Juan Miguel juggled the schedule to make the most of the variable weather. Lots of volcanoes! Hotel San Roque is a gem - very peaceful, and the staff are the most helpful I've ever experienced. The swimming pool's a bit odd - bordered by dining tables (though it was too cold to make the most of it, so not a big issue). Only one problem - at the end of one walk, instead of the bus being there waiting for us, we were told it would be arriving in 15 minutes. An hour later it turned up. No idea who's error. Especially since it was the one afternoon it WOULD have been warm enough to go in the pool, but not by the time we got back.
Headwater are expert in planning walking holidays to suit all levels of fitness in a wide range of countries. We have travelled with them many times and never been disappointed.
Good walking in a range of landscapes with a very knowledgeable guide who also provided excellent shared picnics.
Wonderful food in a quiet hotel that was full of character.
An excellent holiday discovering the secrets of Tenerife.Superb guide, excellent accommodation and great regional food.We were well looked after from start to finish.Our opinion of Tenerife has changed dramatically. It is an excellent destination for winter walking .
As with previous Headwater holidays the planning was excellent . Every detail of the week went well. Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly and caring. The hotel was wonderful. We recommend it all.
This was an all round excellent holiday with wonderful hotel (lovely food, excellent service, ideal location), well organised walks through a wide variety of terrain, excellent local guide with an extensive knowledge of the area and ideal weather for walking.
The local guide is a real enthusiast for the island and it's environment. His insight made a good holiday excellent.
Fantastic volcanic scenery albeit sharp rocks, high paths, very narrow edges, long drops and 'interesting' high-level roads! We enjoyed every moment of it. Everything about the holiday was excellent and more than met our expectations. The local guide (Javier) was outstanding. Friendly, informative, professional and an all-round pleasure to be with. He paced our walks very well and provided yummy picnics. The hotel was brilliant with staff who couldn't have been more helpful, friendly and professional. This holiday may have spoiled us for other guided or self-guided holidays since our expectations are now exceedingly high. Thank you to all
Javier was an excellent guide who coped well with all eventualities. He was extremely well informed on the island areas where we walked.
Excellent walking, very knowledgable guide, lovely hotel. Not so good weather!
Despite somewhat mixed weather it was an excellent holiday. The walks, carefully chosen and led by Javier were varied and interesting, and revealed the beauty of Tenerife which I suspect the vast majority of visitors are unaware of. Javier was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and well organised. The hotel was absolutely first class, especially the food!
The weather was far from perfect with strong winds and rain. Our guide adapted the itinerary and substituted walks in drier areas. Other than the weather a great holiday.
This was the first time that we had joined a guided walking holiday and we could not fault a thing !!
Javier was an excellent guide. His varied knowledge and enthusiasm was outstanding,, and his passion for homeland heartfelt. He also showed a wicked sense of humour !!! He provide us with lovely picnic lunches and eating at a rustic village restaurant was delightful.
The walks were varied in geography and geology, flora and fauna ,with breathtaking views, climbs and descents. The distances for each walk may not seem to be long, but the terrain proves to be fairly challenging. Boots a must !! Javier adapted these to suit the weather conditions. The Headwater walking guide for the holiday were absolutely spot on, so please take note of everything recommended.
Hotel San Roque was ideally placed in Garachico on the north coast. A beautifully restored C17 Canarian mansion in the centre of the town with superb rooms, excellent restaurant and an attentive, friendly staff.
We felt that the every aspect of traditional Tenerife life was embraced on this holiday , which we appreciated immensely, and completely exceeded our expectations.
Thank you Headwater for getting it so right !!
Headwater response:
Dear Mrs Tarbard,
Thank you for your lovely feedback, it was great to see you had such an enjoyable holiday. We will pass on your comments to Javier, we are sure he will be delighted to hear that you felt his great service helped enhance your holiday. Thank you also for your noteworthy points, which are sure to help future customers.
We would like to thank you for choosing Headwater and look forward to welcoming you on another of our holidays in the future.
Kind regards,
Lisa
Always delightful company in spite of a small group
Well organized with full-day outings and enjoyable on my own. Excellent and interesting hotel. A bit pricey but worth the extra because I could choose a local airport.
Pleasant way of exploring the country which otherwise could have been quite difficult to access. Walks led by a charming and well-informed guide who did his best to give us interesting local insights and who was very thoughtful and considerate. He was also very patient in trying to resolve people's difficulties.
Ten self selected people on a group holiday.All of whom gelled together well.5 walks guided by experienced knowledgeable local guide.The walks were adapted to suit our group,which the guide described as faster than average.Excellent scenery.Transfers appeared on time.Picnics ,provided by guide,taken mid walk at any suitable site.One visit for lunch to a 'local'mountain café. Experienced rustic food cooked by family.
Rest day my wife and I spent exploring by public bus. Doing a coast line walk at low level.
The hotel San Roque was described as 'boutique'.Service and food were excellent,although evening meal portion sizes were sometimes on the small side with a general lack of vegetables.Breakfast was a buffet with freshly cooked eggs to go with cold meats and tomatoes. There being plenty of rolls,jam and cheese.
I am Coeliac needing gluten free bread and food.I had notified Headwater and the hotel in advance.I was looked after extremely well.At breakfast I had gluten free ham,rolls and maize cakes provided.At evening meal my food was adapted to gluten free .
The guide did not know that I was gluten free until I informed him.However he acquired gluten free rolls for picnics and advised on gluten free options at the rustic café.
I had booked a duplex room at the hotel.This was quirky.The jacuzzi bath was 'in the living area'.I could have bathed, watched TV and entertained guests at the same time
The bed was on a mezzanine but no external window.The wardrobes and other clothes storage areas were downstairs in the lounge area.All the floors were red coloured Canarian pine.This made the transition from floor to stairs difficult in poor light.Especially as the bathroom was up 3 stairs and there was no hand rail.
Although not needed the room did not have any area specifically to put wet coats or muddy boots.
The guide was excellent.His English improved through out the week .He was very knowledgeable about local flora,fauna and geology.He organised the transfers at the start and end of the day efficiently.He often altered our walk length and route to suit the conditions.
The walks were varied and well within our ability, although we appreciated having a day off on the fourth day. The guides (Andreas and Javier) were very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, geology and history of the island, which added enormously to our enjoyment. We couldn't fault the hotel (San Roque), and especially liked having a Jacuzzi bath to revive our muscles each evening, before dinner. The chef produced delicious and varied meals both on the set menu and the vegetarian alternative.
This was our first Headwater holiday & we were impressed. The hotel is a real gem with impeccable service & wonderful food. Dietary requirements were known about by both hotel staff & our guides. Both guides were helpful & knowledgeable about the locality, flora, fauna etc. They also provided great picnic lunches. The idea to go to a local market one day to choose picnic items was a good one.
We had not visited Tenerife previously & being situated in the quiet town of Garachico was lovely. There was plenty to occupy us there on the free day. All in all this was a splendid holiday, the walks varied & interesting. We were only a small group, 2 couples only but we seemed to gel which is always a bonus. We really have no criticism to make. Wonderful & we'll book with Headwater again.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Headwater holiday, of which I have had many. Luckily our small group all got on well with each other - important for a guided holiday. You can rely on the excellent guide (Javier) and the excellent hotel San Roque, and Garachico is a pretty little coastal town. What you cannot rely on - in mid-February in Tenerife - is good weather for walking every day. Cloud and/or rain, plus high winds, are a real risk. Javier was intelligent and flexible, taking us back to the 'always dry' Teide National Park more than once, after we got a soaking on one lower altitude walk.Would go walking again - probably to another of the Canary Islands - but in April/May, not February.
Fabulous weeks walking holiday our guide Javier was brilliant each day was a fun filled day, great walking routes and with an extremely pleasant knowledgeable young guide.
Would recommend 100%
A great experience with a young enthusiastic guide. The only disappointment was the weather.
Excellent hotel & guides. One or two walks do require a head for heights (this was pointed out in brochure).
Northern Tenerife is dramatic and beautiful. The walks were very varied, with stunning views and much of interest along the way with excellent, knowledgable local guides. Our hotel was charming and after a day of walking it was lovely to relax each evening round the pool and enjoy a delicious dinner.
The best Headwater holiday yet. Fantastic Guide, leading at just the right pace and giving lots of local information about his wonderful country.
A very enjoyable week at an excellent hotel with delicious food and friendly staff. The local guide was charming, knowledgeable and helpful. The walking was interesting and very varied.
Wonderful week spent in Tenerife. Javier was a great guide, He was so knowledgeable about the volcanoes,trees,wild flowers and he bought a wide variety of
food for the picnics!
The Hotel San Roque was a jewel of a hotel. All the staff were so cheerful and helpful.The food was delicious every day. The hotel was so calm and peaceful.
The combination of a small group (only four of us) and a really enthusiastic young guide in Javi made this a lovely holiday. The weather was disappointingly cool for Tenerife and it is not the cheapest of your holidays but the standard of hotel and cuisine for a walking holiday was much higher than we are used to....
Our holiday in Tenerife was beyond our expectations. Javier, the guide, could not be more helpful. For example he gave up an evening ( and half a night) to take us to the Carnival and provided us with suitable costumes! The walks were a superb balance, each different and of consistent high quality. The hotel was first class. The staff could not have been more helpful and the food was memorably good. There was only one other couple on the holiday and we got on with them very well indeed. All in all a memorable holiday. We will be back.
Holiday was a great break in January from depressing UK grey skies. It was also warmer than UK at about 15-16C. Tenerife presented several different landscapes, all of which were fascinating. It did help if you liked the colour black - I had never seen such huge lava flows. Hotel San Roque was really good, v good breakfasts and dinners and the picnic lunches produced by Juan Miguel, our guide, were lovely, comprising local, fresh ingredients.
Great accommodation and food, excellent walking, wonderful company. The guide, though not local, had acquainted himself thoroughly with the walks and looked after us superbly.
An Excellent winter break despite the unseasonably cool / wet weather in an excellent hotel.
Beautiful location, great holel, excellent walks in a varied and magnificent setting.
Very good. Guide coped admirably with adverse weather conditions.
Good holiday in good location
A most enjoyable holiday with a lovely group of people walking through impressive landscapes.
Roger, the guide, was excellent and took us to visit beautiful places after the walks. This was a bonus. He also adapted the itinerary according to the weather.
Roger’s partner made very nice salad pack lunches and made sure mine were gluten free.
The hotel and food were excellent.
As always we thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Headwater. The group gelled from the start and our walks were enhanced by Roger, our guide. He chose wisely and well, taking into account weather conditions and the capabilities of the group. This area of Tenerife was a revelation.
Although the overall holiday was very enjoyable, the frequent bad weather (which seems to be normal in the North of Tenerife) meant that some of the walks were not possible. The alternatives of visiting lava caves was interesting, but gave us less walking time. The excellent hotel, however, was located in Garachica on the North coast, which necessitated long drives on precipitous winding roads at the beginning and end of each day. Some people found this problematical, even though our guide was a very safe and careful driver.
The hotel food was of a generally high standard, and elegantly presented, but vegetables of any kind were absolutely minimal. The wine offered was very good.
A wonderful, expertly guided walking holiday in the varied and dramatic landscapes of Tenerife
Be cautious as regards the grading assessment of walks and be aware that walking profiles in the brochure can be misleading (the Baracan ridge walk in particular omitted a very severe climb at the beginning of the walk).
Also be aware that the current guide does not speak good Spanish so may struggle in an emergency.
Being an old manor house built around 2 courtyards means that hotel rooms are gloomy and can be stuffy, whilst public areas can be very chilly early in the year. Food is very good (though lacking in vegetables!), but there is limited indoor dining space and eating round the swimming pool requires warm clothing.
You can be confident that our pricing includes all the standard requirements of your holiday and many additional extras. Always ensure that you are comparing like for like when booking your holiday.
This 7 night guided walking holiday includes:
Single-centre accommodation in a hotel
All buffet breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 evening meals included (with wine)
Management by your local Headwater-appointed agent
Services of an experienced walking guide
Standard transfers to/from your hotel (if booking inclusive flights)
Transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
How to book:
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' or 'check availability' button below.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'check availability' button below.
| Departure date | Tour only | Prices | Single supplement |
|---|
We do not currently have departure dates and prices available on-line. The season may have ended for this tour, or we are still in the process of adding these details to our website. Please contact us for further details.
Minimum group sizes
A minimum of 6 people (in total) are required for each departure.
Solo travellers
Please call for details and prices
Children
This holiday is unsuitable for children.
Holiday type
Guided walking Managed locally by Headwater appointed agent.
Departures
Meals
All buffet breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 evening meals included (with wine)
Tour only
Transfers can be arranged at a supplement from Tenerife South Reina Sofia airport at 13:05 and back to Tenerife South Reina Sofia airport at 10:30.
If you choose to book your own flights please check with us first that your chosen departure date is definitely operating as our guided holidays are subject to minimum group sizes.
To book this holidays speak to our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'book now' button above.
If you need further information before you book simply complete our Holiday Enquiry Form and a member of our sales team will get back to you.
To book this holiday call our sales team on 0044 1606 720199 or click on the appropriate 'Book now' or 'Check availability' button below.
