Camping in Tenerife
Camping in Tenerife is not a straightforward affair. In general its not permitted to camp on any beaches or in any areas covered by the Canary Islands Protected Natural Spaces Act, which include all nature reserves and national parks. The exception to this rule are the designated camping areas, but then only with a permit which must be obtained from the Tenerife Cabildo (Island Council) Offices at least seven days before hand.
Effectively this makes wild camping illegal, however, with the absence of any overland streams, wild camping in most areas of Tenerife, would require you bring several gallons of water with you if you planned to stay for more than one night. This isn’t exactly a practical way to camp and at least the designated camp sites all include access to fresh drinking water.
The permits required to use the designated camp site are free and serve as a health and safety measure. Most of the camp sites in Tenerife are within the pine forests where there is a risk of Forest Fire, particularly during the hotter summer months when the undergrowth becomes parched. So the permit at least allows the authorities to account for people who may be trapped out in the wild. The permits also enable the department of the environment to ensure the camp sites are not over crowded as there are limited spaces available, however my experience is that overcrowding is rarely a problem.
List of Camp Sites in Tenerife
There are loads of great camp sites in Tenerife, here’s a list of those open to the public. Stays are limited to a maximum of 7 nights. Facilities vary from nothing, to basic amenities like water pumps, picnic tables & parking, to more luxurious facilities like barbecue areas, showers and toilets. Most the camp sites in Tenerife have a nearby recreational zone which usually means a couple of football goals.
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Tenerife Group Camping Grounds |
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| Camp Site | Borough | Capacity | Access |
| Arenas Negras | Garachico | 50 | From the C-820 km.64 |
| Chanajiga | Los Realejos | 50 | From Palo Blanco o Benijos |
| Chío | Guia de Isora | 150 | C-823 (Road from Chío to Boca de Tauce), Km. 12,5 |
| El Lagar | Icod de Los Vinos | 30 | TF-2222 La Guancha, turning for the Forestry Route |
| El Contador | Arico | 30 | From Lomo de Arico, C-822, until 8 Km. from El Contador |
| Fuente del Llano | Arico | 100 | From Lomo de Arico, along the forrestry route past El Contador 16Km |
| Fuente de Pedro | San Juan de La Rambla | 150 | Forestry Route from El Lagar |
| La Caldera | La Orotava | 50 | TF-21 Road from La Orotava to las Cañadas del Teide. Turning at km. 16,2 |
| Las Hayas | Icod de Los Vinos | 30 | Forestry Route El Lagar / Redondo |
| Las Lajas | Vilaflor | 30 | C-821 Km.58 |
| Las Raices | El Rosario | 30 | TF-24 from La Laguna to las Cañadas, turning at km.9 |
| Lomo de la Jara | Tacoronte | 30 | Forestry Route from Agua García |
| Ramón el Caminero | La Orotava | 50 | TF-21 Road from La Orotava a las Cañadas del Teide. km.24 |
| San Jose de Los Llanos | El Tanque | 30 | By San Jose de Los Llanos, C-820 y TF-2226 Km.78′6 |
Smaller Camp Sites in Tenerife
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Smaller Camping Grounds in Tenerife |
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| Camp Site | Borough | Capacity | Access |
| Las Calderetas | El Sauzal | 10 | Access via Ravelo |
| La Tahona | San Juan de La Rambla | 10 | Via Icod el Alto |
| La Vica | La Matanza | 10 | Access via Ravelo |
| Los Frailes | Arafo | 10 | Road TF-4133 |
| Los Pedregales | Buenavista | 10 | Road between El Palmar and Teno Alto |
Tenerife Camping Permits can be obtained from:
Cabildo Insular de Tenerife
Department of Infrastructure and the Environment
C/Diego de Almagro, 1 – Edificio Miramar, 1st floor
38010, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Tel: 922 239 197 / 922 239 199
Fax: 922 239 191
Don’t speak Spanish? Can’t be asked going up to Santa Cruz to apply? Then contact me – I’ll obtain your camping permit for just 30 Euros.
In spite of the bureaucracy, the camp sites in Tenerife are very rural and the facilities largely well maintained, so camping in Tenerife can be a very enjoyable experience.