La Laurisylve, Anaga Rural Park

de fr

An easy 5km loop through dense forest in the heart of the Anaga Rural Park, passing a magnificent viewpoint: the Mirador de Zapata.

Details

n°2720718
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.82 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 160 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 158 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 978 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 828 m
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Photos

trough fed by the trade winds
the Laurisylve
Cruz del Carmen viewpoint

Description of the walk

Start:Park your car at the Mirador de Cruz del Carmen car park
Take the opportunity to check the view from the mirador and get information at the tourist information point. The park rangers are very friendly.

(S/E) Cross the road and take the path to the left of the restaurant.

(1) At the intersection, take the path on the left, and the loop will return via the path on the right.

(2) Cross the road, continue South-West through the forest, then turn right towards a stream.

(3) Cross it, then continue North to join a road near a parking lot, reaching the Mirador de Zapata. Enjoy the view from here.

(4) Continue North, cross the road and continue East through the forest. Reach a watering hole opposite Casa Forestal Zapata.

(5) Pass this watering place, fed by the trade winds, and continue on to find the starting crossroads.

(1) Rejoin the Mirador de Cruz del Carmen car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 956 m - Mirador de Cruz del Carmen car park
  2. 1 : km 0.21 - alt. 953 m - Carrefour de la boucle
  3. 2 : km 0.68 - alt. 919 m - Road crossing
  4. 3 : km 1.68 - alt. 836 m - Passage of the creek fed by the trade winds
  5. 4 : km 2.05 - alt. 885 m - Mirador de Zapata
  6. 5 : km 3.63 - alt. 922 m - Watering trough fed by trade winds
  7. S/E : km 4.82 - alt. 956 m - Mirador de Cruz del Carmen car park

Notes

_Start & Parking:_Park your car at the Mirador de Cruz del Carmen car park
Take the opportunity to check the view from the mirador and get information at the tourist information point. The park rangers are very friendly.

_Beware:_ This area of the Anaga Rural Park is very wet, due to the trade winds

_Gears:_Wear shoes that are mud-proof as well as rain-proof gear.

(3) The brook: The small brook we cross does not originate from a spring, but from the humidity brought by the trade winds, concentrated in the trees, which then drip away, forming the brook.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 18 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
User 26883251

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

From point 4, after crossing the road at the Zapata viewpoint, we went directly to point 5 at the watering hole.

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MGR Moustache
MGR Moustache

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

This hike allows you to discover the laurisilva, the characteristic forest that covers part of the Anaga Rural Park. The route is easy, well marked and so popular that you just need to follow the wide, clearly visible paths. We took the opposite direction to the one described, opting for a steady slope on the way back after passing the low point at the stream rather than a steep climb to the Zapata viewpoint.
As mentioned in several comments, the Cruz del Carmen car park fills up very quickly, but for the hike, a good alternative is to park at the Zapata viewpoint.

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User 21261862

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, easy short hike in the rainforest.

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Antalex
Antalex

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We went there at 4 p.m. so we could park easily.
Hike in the forest. In my opinion, the only interesting part of this hike is the watchtowers.

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User 7003640

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It was difficult to park at the Cruz del Carmen viewpoint, and even impossible because the police were directing traffic as there were too many people. On our third attempt, we found a space in a small car park further down, otherwise it was possible to park at the Zapata viewpoint

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ojiji
ojiji

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I was hesitant to subscribe to Visorando, but now I am completely satisfied that I did.

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Cicindèle
Cicindèle

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An interesting loop through the forest. Easy going. The path is well signposted. However, even in low season, it is very difficult to find a parking space.

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Patxi33480
Patxi33480

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A short, easy walk of about 5 km.

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Merillon
Merillon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy, pleasant walk through the forest, discovering the flora. Quite a busy loop.

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AnnyE
AnnyE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Plan to leave early if you hope to get a space in the car park. We weren't there very early...around 10am. So we continued on our way to Taganana, a narrow, superb road with magnificent views, and on the way back we were able to park (still on the side of the road). A lovely walk through the laurel forest. A place to discover for this ecosystem of water capture by the forest. Don't miss the junction 50m from the start, on the left, signposted "Hija". We did the route in reverse, so the junctions were less easy to discover. When we got back at around 2pm, there was no-one in the car park 😉

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Soishiro
Soishiro

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

I'm not going to keep you in suspense: this hike is disappointing in name only. It's more like a Sunday stroll along the roadside. The route is very busy, with cyclists, joggers and walkers digesting the nearby restaurant. In our opinion, there's not much point in having this type of route on Visorando, but there's something for everyone.
We much preferred the short hike to "Roques de Garcia", which was much more in the hiking spirit.

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Clic
Clic

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hiking done in October, pleasant easy pultot and no rain.
Don't arrive too late at the car park... empty by 9am, not enough by 12pm.

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Mila33
Mila33

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Too many people, not enough parking spaces. Should have arrived earlier to avoid having to park by the narrow road.
Easy and fairly pleasant walk. We did it in summer and the forest was very dry.

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SYLALA
SYLALA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very easy walk along the circuit of the same name managed by Anaga Park. Booklet available from the park office, and a French version is also available. A pleasant route that is sheltered from the wind, which is rare in this area.

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daninou40
daninou40

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike from the mirador. At the start, it was a bit foggy. The trails are well maintained and very well marked.
We hadn't printed out the PDF and only used our Garmin GPS to follow the route.
The only problem was the car park, where there was no space despite the arrival time. The time indicated on the sheet is correct.

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