ROQUES DE GARCIA

The Roques de Garcia trail is one of the best short hikes you can do in Tenerife. Located within the Teide National Park, this trail stands out as a prominent attraction with its bizarre rock formations. The scenery along the hike reminds me of the iconic landscapes from the movie “Planet of the Apes.” On top of that, this famous route offers an opportunity to see the rock formation called “Roque Cinchado” or the “Finger of God.”

ROQUES DE GARCIA FACTS

Distance: The total distance was 4,5km for a loop trail.

Hike duration: I completed this hike in 1h, adding a few breaks this hike should take less than 2h.

Elevation gain: The total elevation gain for this hike was around 188m.

Difficulty: This is an easy walk. Mostly flat, except for the last section that’s a bit steeper but nothing crazy.

Gear needed: Sun protection and wind breaker is a must. If you’re unsure on what else to bring for a hike, read this guide.

My Strava map + gpx file: ROQUES DE GARCIA

GETTING TO ROQUES DE GARCIA HIKE

Roques de Garcia hike starts right next to the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (2151m). You can park your car in the same place where Alto de Guajara hike begins. This area is extremely busy and it might be hard to find a spot right away. I ended parking on the street connecting Parador with the main TF21 road. I recommend arriving very early or very late to avoid issues.

By car: Google pin for parking the car can be found here.

By bus: Line 348 can take you there, check the current schedules here.

MY EXPERIENCE HIKING ROQUES DE GARCIA

I’ve been hiking on this gorgeous island for over two months and realised that most of my guides are about routes that are at least 10km long. I realised it would be nice to include guides for shorter adventures as well. I began my research and found Roques de Garcia. This is a short loop on a flat and easy terrain, yet it is very rewarding. This adventure starts at the car park and the trail passes below the famous Roque Chinado aka ‘Finger of God’.

About 10 minutes later I reached the col at the end of enclosure. There are some awesome views on Teide (3715m), the highest point of Spain (if you haven’t climbed it yet – read my guide and tick it off your list).

Shortly later I reached the fork and the junction, where the trail branches off to the right towards Pico Viejo. After passing the fork, landscape changed to a hardened lava extending all the way towards the rocks. There’s a little viewing plateau where you can take a short break.

From there, I descended to the small valley and made my way down to enormous rock formation.

At this point, I decided to take a small detour and climbed the rocks for a closer look. I couldn’t help but noticed what appeared to be faces embedded in those rocks. It felt quite weird to witness such formations. If you decide on hiking Roques de Garcia, please let me know in comments below if you also see these faces or if it’s just me. (being weird).

From there, to get back to the starting point I had to ascend for about 100 metres up. This section is probably the most challenging part of the trek but if taken slow, shouldn’t be hard for anybody.

CONCLUSION

I enjoyed hiking Roques de Garcia a lot. It’s an awesome adventure especially for those who don’t have much time or can’t do longer distances. It’s a great way to start exploring the Teide National Park. If you’d like to keep exploring the area, check out Sombrero de Chasna – a great alternative with spectacular views from the summit. Mirador de Samara and Paisaje Lunar are also short and on the easier side. Roque de Taborno and Monte Aguirre are also short but located in Anaga Mountains, the green part of the island.

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!