PLAYA DE ANTEQUERA HIKE – A HIDDEN PARADISE
Playa de Antequera hike is one of those places where you can escape the crowds. This beautiful black sand beach is a hidden paradise since it can be only accessed by foot or a boat. It is also a great alternative to other busy beaches around the island. This full day hiking adventure has everything I could’ve asked for. Beautiful coastal walk, a serene beach of Playa de Antequera and as always – breathtaking views of the Anaga Mountains. Playa de Antequera hike should be a must do for everyone who appreciate hiking and swimming in remote areas.
PLAYA DE ANTEQUERA HIKE FACTS
Distance: The total distance was 16km for a loop trail or 8km for out and back if you only wanna get to be beach and back.
Hike duration: Our trip’s duration was 7h. Including a break and swim.
Elevation gain: The total elevation gain for this hike was 1040m or around 800m if going only to the beach and back.
Difficulty: This hike is moderately hard. There are few reasons for it. 1) The total distance and the elevation gain combined. 2) The trail can be very difficult to navigate and is often overgrown, especially return from the beach. You have to pay attention to the GPS (we still managed to get a bit lost a few times). 3) The coastal path right before Playa de Antequera should definitely not be attempted by people with vertigo. If you’re only hiking to the beach and back, the grade is moderate.
Gear needed: Wind breaker, hiking shoes with a good grip, sun protection and everything you’ll need for the beach 😉 If you’re unsure on what else to bring for a hike, read this guide.
My Strava map upload + GPS file: PLAYA DE ANTEQUERA
GETTING TO PLAYA DE ANTEQUERA HIKE
The trailhead is in Igueste de San Andres. It’s a 25 minutes drive from Santa Cruz de Tenerife or 1h from Puerto de la Cruz.
By car: Parking in Igueste can be extremely challenging. It took us around 45 minutes to find a spot where essentially we had to look around for someone to leave to quickly snap their spot. This little town is overloaded with tourists so I recommend arriving very early. The earlier the better.
By bus: Line 945 goes to Igueste de San Andres, you can check the current schedules on Titsa website.
MY EXPERIENCE HIKING PLAYA DE ANTEQUERA
Playa de Antequera hike starts in the town of Igueste de San Andres. We followed the path of trails no PR-TF 5.0/5.1. The first section of this adventure is a climb all the way up to the Casa de los Atalayeros, a little viewing point overlooking Igueste de San Andres.
Remember to take it slow, this hike starts with a proper climb. We gained almost 300m of elevation on a very short distance. If the sun is strong it can be quite demanding, no need to rush here 😉
After reaching the ruins of Casa de los Atalayeros, there’s a junction that we.. missed. To continue towards Playa de Antequera hike you have to make a right turn. We missed the turn, so it’s best if you keep looking at your GPS or a map. In dry conditions like we had, the trail is not always obvious. Oh, we also met couple of mountain goats on the way!
GETTING CLOSER TO PLAYA DE ANTEQUERA
I mentioned above that the trial is not always obvious, it is extremely important when getting closer to Playa de Antequera. The trail here can be narrow, slippery and can be dangerous if passed without care (there’s actually a sign with a warning).
And there we had it. The beautiful Playa de Antequera and its crystal clear waters all for us. Since the hike to this beach is relatively short, you can still find some people around but I can promise that it’s nothing like the crowds you know from all the famous beaches of Tenerife.
FROM PLAYA DE ANTEQUERA DO BARRANCO DE ANTEQUERA
After having a quick dip in the ocean and some snacks, we continued our hike towards the Barranco de Antequera. To continue, we had to climb above the house ruins and walk towards the lushy green hills of Anaga.
Navigation on this trail was really challenging. Just take a look at below photo, even with GPS in our hand we still had to pay extra attention to make sure we’re not off trail. We failed a few times but at the end, we made our way up the gorge reaching a cute, little viewpoint.
RETURN THROUGH LOMO BERMEJO VILLAGE
Hiking the Anaga Mountains follows the same pattern: climb one peak, descend, and ascend another peak shortly after. I really loved hiking through those hidden valleys, searching for a trail, making every step an adventure.
We made our descent to Lomo Bermejo village. From there we had to walk on a road for the last 2 kilometres which honestly felt great for my legs, right after I decided to take my shoes off. Free massage!
CONCLUSION
Playa de Antequera hike is an awesome adventure whether you just wanna hike to the beach and back or take the challenge and make it a long and challenging loop. Spending some time at this beautiful beach, far from the crowds felt amazing and I will surely return here upon my next visit in Tenerife. If you enjoy the peace and quiet of remote areas, take a look at this hike: Playa de Ijuana – a hidden gem of Tenerife – even more remote than Playa de Antequera 😉 If you enjoy challenging hikes, here are couple of recommendations: Sendero de Baracan – a route that’s a combination of a few trails in Teno Mountains, Punta del Hidalgo/Chinamada/Batan – an old linen trail, my personal favourite in Tenerife, Epic Los Gigantes hardcore trail and naturally – Teide.
HAVE YOU SEEN MY OTHER HIKING GUIDES FOR TENERIFE?
I lived and worked in Tenerife for three months, hiking nearly every day. I’ve explored over 70 trails to bring you an ultimate guide – highlighting the Top 30 Best Hikes in Tenerife. Each guide has a detailed description including the distance, difficulty, gear needed and everything else needed to complete the hike successfully. If you happen to notice any changes on the trail that should be updated – please drop the comment below so I can keep this guide up to date.
If you prefer easier hikes that can be completed under 3 hours, check out Top 12 Short Hikes in Tenerife guide.
Safe and happy hiking my friend!
