06 Feb Masca
MASCA
Los Cristianos – Masca
37.9km (23.5miles) • 1 hour approx
The tiny village of Masca was the last remaining refuge of Tenerife’s original inhabitants, the Guanche. For centuries the community was unconnected to the rest of the island until 1970 when the road connecting Santiago del Teide to Buenavista was constructed.
The white-knuckle drive to Masca used to be much more of a trek than it is today, with the recent opening of the new stretch of the TF-1. You can now jump on the motorway towards Los Gigantes and follow it until you see signs for Santiago Del Teide, where you come off to join the winding road that snakes its way through the Guama Mountains to the village of Masca.
The road is actually extremely safe, but you’ll want to drive slowly as there are steep drops on both sides and a fair amount of traffic, including the local bus service and coaches. Take the bends with caution and be sure to pull over at the little juice bar on the left, which is located inside a quaint house and serves freshly made fruit smoothies.
Masca is Tenerife’s second most popular day trip destination, however most of the visitors to the village let someone else do the driving and hop on a coach. It’s perhaps a bit more of a daunting drive than the one you’ll experience if visiting Teide National Park – however it’s definitely doable!
You’ll find various viewpoints along the way which are the perfect places to stop and take photos of the spectacular views down the valley that you’ll experience. From Los Cristianos along the new motorway you should make it to Masca in approximately 40 minutes.