Map of the rock climbing areas in Tenerife

Map of the rock climbing, sport climbing and bouldering areas in Tenerife

The above information has been extracted from Tenerife Escalada deportiva, which is the rock climbing guidebook for Tenerife that can be bought from our shop.

The largest climbing area in Tenerife is in the south of island at Arico. Here there are over 250 single pitch sport-climbing routes, across a wide range of grades, plus some extensive bouldering. The climbing is on both sides of a valley and therefore offers some shade throughout the day.

Rock Climbing in Tenerife

Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands and it also offers the most extensive and best rock climbing, sport climbing and bouldering of the area. The dormant volcanic mountain of Mount Teide (3718m high) dominates the rugged landscape of Tenerife. This volcano produced a reddish volcanic ignibrite rock that is common throughout all the climbing areas on the island. This rock is peppered with many pockets and the occasional cracks. Whilst the majority of the climbing on Tenerife is sport climbing there are many lines and sections of crags that are also Trad climbing routes, so do bring your rack to enjoy the full Tenerife rock climbing experience.

Rocking climbing areas in Tenerife
No	Region	Style of climbing	No of routes	3 to 5+	6a to 6b+	6c to 7a+	7b & over	Not Known
1	Canada del Capricho	Sport & Bouldering	135	21	49	36	22	7
2	Guaria	Sport & Trad	105	6	34	28	23	14
3	Las Vegas	Sport & Trad	61	6	32	17	5	1
4	El Rio	Sport & Trad	116	6	30	39	28	13
5	Arico	Sport & Bouldering	261	26	79	92	60	4
6	La Galeria	Sport	20	1	2	7	9	1
7	Tabares	Sport & Trad	97	26	36	23	8	4
8	Tejina	Sport	50	No Info available
9	Vistamar	Sport	32	1	11	12	6	2
10	Martianez	Sport	31	2	8	8	11	2
11	San Marcos	Sport & Bouldering	43	3	14	8	15	3

La Canada del Capricho (also known as Las Canadas) is situated at 2000m in the beautiful landscape of Mount Teide National Park. This was the first rock climbing area to be developed in Tenerife and the altitude makes its climate similar to that of high mountain areas. The majority of the routes are sport routes with the occasional Trad line. The area is a series of outcrops with many towers and faces offering powerful overhangs and delicate slabs, where you can find sun or shade throughout the day. It is also the best location on Tenerife for bouldering with problems across a wide range of grades all over the area.

Guaria (Guía de Isora) is in the west of the island and with around 100 routes and is the third largest climbing area in Tenerife. However it is also the tallest crag with a number of multi-pitch routes. Due to its height this area has the highest concentration of Trad routes, though some of the sport routes are up to 35m long and require plenty of stamina. The crag is south facing and hence is warm – perfect for those sunny November days.

I didn’t know that.

You can hire a bouldering mat at Roxtar, Tenerife’s largest climbing shop, located in Grenadilla. The shop offers all the usual climbing equipment for sale and offers competitive rates for hiring bouldering mats, ideal for keeping the weight down when flying and hence the cost.
Gone on holiday with your family and don’t have a climbing partner. Then head for Arico where there are always climbers, especially at weekends, who will be happy for you to join in with. Just pack your harness and boots.

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Tenerife weather and climate

The weather on Tenerife offers a constant warm climate that attracts visitors to the island throughout the year. In fact Tenerife features the lowest temperature 'difference' between summer and winter for anywhere in the world. All year round the fresh trade winds keep the island warm in the winter and cool in the summer, which means the temperature only varies between 20 to 30 degrees Celsius. Therefore Tenerife is an excellent location for some winter sun and rock climbing with the best time to visit anywhere between October and May, though it is possible to climb throughout the year.