Masca - Tenerife: gorge, village and winding mountain road. Access, sightseeing, map, information.

Masca - things will happen!

Absolutely crazy mountain road. and next to it a village located so that the camera shutter heats up to red and you can not stop taking photos. In addition, the gorge, which walks down takes about 4 hours and ends under a giant rock cliff. Densely from attractions and impressions, and all this can be colloquially contained in one word: Masca.
Let's start from the beginning.

Masca, Tenerife
Location of Masca on the map of Tenerife.

Road to Masca (TF-436)

Road number leads to the village TF-436which is an attraction in itself. It starts in the city of Santiago del Teide and initially climbs strongly to the switch, where the Mirador de Cherfe viewpoint is located.

The view from the switch to the road to Masca… there will be some filming. Tenerife.

Then the road begins to fall strongly. It gets very steep, narrow, winding and ... dangerous. In a word, fantastic emotions and adrenaline. The wall on the right, the abyss on the left. Car tilted down well over 20%, and a sharp curve wraps tightly around the rock. Visibility on the 2 meters forward, because the narrow road immediately disappears behind the edge of the bend and rock. All senses tense in anticipation or from the opposite suddenly no other vehicle will appear.
And ... appeared!
Bus.
We are facing each other, one meter away, face to face. I mess my head up to make eye contact with the bus driver and he looks down at me. Here are the basic laws of nature. Big maybe more.
I pull the manual, drive in reverse and under more than 20% slant, I set off backwards up the hill. Fortunately, I don't have anyone behind me. We go back to the place where there is a passing place, where we can finally pass safely. We make a few hundred meters backwards, sharply uphill between the wall and the abyss. Happens! During this time, the bus ends the turn at 10 times and after a while we pass each other safely. You can go on waiting for the next bus ...
If you are lucky you will meet the bus once or not at all. In the summer season, I would rather not count on such kindness of fate. It will be very tight. Front, back and sides 🙂

Over 5 km unrestricted driving. No buses yet.

Do not rush.
Do not panic.
Drive calmly and stop often. There are several viewpoints along the road and it is worth stopping at each. The views are overpowering and it's a shame not to use them. Although the access from Santiago del Teide to Masca is only 5,5km, and the traffic is rather moderate in winter, the ride took us well over an hour. We absorbed views everywhere we could stop for a moment. I would recommend!

A lot ahead of us. Masca, Tenerife.

Below are the GPS coordinates of several viewpoints where you can safely stop. There are several specially prepared parking spaces.

Parking lot - Viewpoint Mirador de Cherfe, GPS coordinates:
28°17’58.7″N 16°49’26.3″W lub
28.299651, -16.823957 - click and route

Parking lot - Mirador de Masca viewpoint, GPS coordinates:
28°18’01.1″N 16°49’36.2″W lub
28.300315, -16.826727 - click and route

Parking lot - Mirador sobre Masca viewpoint, GPS coordinates:
28°18’16.5″N 16°49’47.3″W lub
28.304590, -16.829810 - click and route

Not only the road itself but also the imposing views make driving difficult. Masca, Tenerife.

Masca - mountain village

Masca as a village is not very beautiful in itself. Picturesque is its location, which we see from afar while driving towards it. For some, this scenery resembles Machu Picchu (the best-preserved Inca city in the Peruvian Andes) and it must be said that there is something to it. In any case, the location of Masca is fabulous and leaves a strong impression.

Masca, Taneryfa
Machu Picchu in Peru. Isn't it similar?

Undoubtedly, the attractiveness of the town is determined by the fact that the first road connecting them with civilization was built only in the 60 of the twentieth century. Thanks to this, you can find traditional Canarian buildings made of volcanic rock combined with a light binder. He built them easily from others, because the walls of these buildings resemble a white and brown chessboard.
Such buildings can be found in the village around 50, and the number of inhabitants of the village does not exceed 100 people. A large proportion of the inhabitants are foreigners, and many of the buildings have been converted into bars, shops and rooms for rent.

View from Masca towards the gorge

In Masca you will probably have to fight a small parking space. There are few places, there are many takers and parking here can be a challenge. Below is the link to the main tourist parking lot (its size does not correspond to what I called it). There are about 30 places on it, and the easiest way to park is being here early in the morning. The rest of the volunteers usually park along the street, but these places also end quickly.

Parking in Masca (for tourists), GPS:
28°18’19.2″N 16°50’22.2″W lub
28.305330, -16.839490 - click and route

Observation deck in Masca, GPS:
28°18’19.3″N 16°50’25.7″W lub
28.305352, -16.840479 - click and route

Visiting Masca using the "sloth" method

The sloth variant assumes that you don't have to worry about anything and that others worry for you. You have everything organized. You come to the appointed place in the morning, from which transport takes you and drives you to the planned attractions. Of course, in this version of the tour there is usually no option to cross the gorge, but not everyone wants to walk the gorge for 6 hours. And not everyone has the strength to do so.

A trip that combines several attractions for one price is popular: Teide National Park, Teide Volcano and Masca - guided tour. The tour is organized by a local guide. Below is a calendar of the availability of this trip along with the current price. Clicking on the "Book now”Will take you directly to the booking page, where you will first find out about the scope of the trip, the range of services included in the price, the types of tickets, available dates and some other relevant information. Then you will decide if it suits you.

If the above tour does not suit you, please you can check other options for trips organized by local guides here - [click]

Masca Gorge (Barranco de Masca)

Important information:
On February 26, 2018, access to the Masca Gorge was closed for security reasons. Works are planned to improve access to the ravine and to improve safety in the ravine itself. The opening of the gorge was planned before the summer season in 2019, but the deadline was not met. When the gorge is closed, there are also no ships that collect tourists from Masca beach at the mouth of the gorge and take them to Los Gigantes during normal operation.
When planning a trip to the gorge, be sure to check first if it is already open!

WARNING!
From March 27, 2021 the Masca gorge is open to visitors!

The trail through the Masca gorge begins in the village of Masca, at an altitude of about 600 m above sea level, and continues down to Masca beach, located at the foot of the Los Gigantes cliffs. There is a marina for boats next to the beach. Once upon a time, boats picked up tourists going down the gorge. Currently, the operation of the boat has been suspended indefinitely.

The gorge is a beautiful and unusual place. Suffice it to say that at a time when the gorge was freely available for sightseeing (despite the scale of difficulty and the effort to be made to pass it), it was the most visited attraction on the island.

Sandwiched between the rocks of the Masca gorge, Tenerife

It takes about 3 hours to descend the wax ravine to Masca Beach. The difficulty scale of the trail is defined as medium / difficult. People with poor physical condition, children under 8 years of age and pregnant women are not recommended to enter the trail.
Entering the trail, it is recommended that they have mountain / trekking shoes, headgear, sunblock, food, flashlight (especially in winter, when it gets dark before), a phone with a charged battery and an application for glocalization. It is recommended to use a backpack (never shoulder bags), because steep sections of the trail often require the use of both hands, and the luggage should stick firmly to the body. You should not enter the trail alone.
Before setting off on a trail, you need to check whether a weather alert has been announced for that day. Information on alerts is posted in hotel receptions, tourist offices and is broadcast on local television. Staying on the trail and climbing it during the weather alert is prohibited.

Beginning of the trekking route to Masca Gorge, GPS:
28°18’15.5″N 16°50’25.8″W lub
28.304304, -16.840501 - click and route

View from Masca towards the gorge

How to organize a tour of the gorge?

Currently, admission to Masca's gorge limited and ticketed. Entry is possible only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, only with a valid admission ticket for a specific time.
The purchase of an admission ticket with a specific entry time to the trail must be made directly on the side of the ravine - [click].
At the moment (for several months), the limited admission system is being tested until canceled and the admission ticket price is 0 EUR (zero Euro).
Over the last year since the opening of the gorge, I have checked several times and either I was unlucky or there is a lot of interest in the attack, because I haven't managed to book tickets even once at the entrance to the gorge. They are constantly sold out, even for very distant dates. If you come across such a situation and you really want to see the gorge, there is another (unfortunately paid) option. You can join an organized group that has guaranteed tickets. The gorge is then visited under the supervision of a guide.
If this option is acceptable to you, you can check here tickets for visiting the Masca Gorge – [click]

Tourists are admitted to the trail every 30 minutes, in groups of 25.

During summer time, the entrance to the trail is open from 8:30 to 11:00.
During the winter time, the entrance to the trail is open from 8:30 to 10:30.

Gorge you have to go both ways: from the entry gates down to the coast and back up to the gates. Currently it is not possible to return by boat.
The time allocated for the passage of the gorge in both directions is 7 hours. In practice, 6 hours are sufficient for most tourists.

The information provided later in the text reflects the state of 2019, but some of it can be used (e.g. parking lots, directions, communication).
The situation related to changes in the rules for visiting the gorge may change. By planning your trip check the current rules on the side of the ravine - {click]

The relative locations of key points of the trip are shown in the map below:

1. Masca mountain village
2. Santiago del Teide
3. Los Gigantes
4. Masca beach

I have a ticket to the Masca gorge and what next?

There are several variants to choose from. In a few words I will discuss them all.

1. Are you afraid of going up a difficult hill or you are afraid of the lack of parking spaces in Masca

In this case, you go to Los Gigantes and leave your car here. At Los Gigantes, you hire a taxi to take you to Masca (around EUR 25). In Masca, you start on the road, cross the gorge in both directions on your feet and return to the car.
Instead of hiring a taxi, you can take the 461 bus from Los Gigantes, which will take you to Santiago del Teide, and here change to the 355 bus, which will take you to Masca.

Some do a bit differently. They leave the car in Santiago del Teide. They take the 355 bus to Masca and return from the trail back to Santiago del Teide by bus.

461 bus stop in Los Gigantes, GPS:
28°13’56.3″N 16°50’29.0″W lub
28.232297, -16.841394 - click and route

355 and 461 bus stop in Santiago del Teide, GPS:
28°17’47.7″N 16°48’56.5″W lub
28.296591, -16.815699 - click and route

There are bends, it's fun! Road to Masca, Tenerife.
2. You are not afraid of driving in the mountains by car, or even like it

You drive your car to Masca and fight a winning duel for a parking space. You go through the ravine both ways, and that's it.
This version has a significant drawback: finding a parking space in Masca. To avoid trouble, be in Masca in the morning. The piston is definitely smaller.
The disadvantage of this version of the journey to Masca is more than compensated by the fact that on the way you have the opportunity to stop at the viewpoints as many times as you like and enjoy the views as long as you like. In previous versions of directions, the most beautiful views you can only admire from behind the glass of a taxi or bus, and photos may not come out best 🙂

Most photos from this post would not have been if I were taking a taxi or a bus. The car allows you to stop freely to soak up the views.

Rent a car in Tenerife

You can rent a car in Tenerife cheaply and safely (without credit card and deposit) but you need to know where and how to do it. You will meet a huge number of rental offers, but most of them will not be attractive, although at first glance they will look good. The devil is in the details and many people complain of unforeseen complications when picking up the car, additional fees that were not there before or deduction from the card a few days (or even several weeks) after returning the car. You can analyze all offers, load in the contract meanders in Spanish or English, or ... read a short guide and immediately find out where you can rent a car in Tenerife. So I recommend a special entry on this topic: Tenerife - rent a car without a credit card and a deposit. Car rentals - comparison of offers

Tenerife sightseeing plan

This entry is part of a complete one Tenerife sightseeing plan - [click]. The guide contains plans, maps and descriptions of specific sightseeing routes.
To see all currently available descriptions of attractions in Tenerife, click on the link: Tenerife.

Safe car rental guide: Car rental without credit card and deposit: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote
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15 comments on "Masca - Tenerife: gorge, village and winding mountain road. Access, sightseeing, map, information."

  • o
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    Interesting and detailed advice will come in handy 🙂

    Reply
  • o
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    Great article, thank you very much. I click immediately on material about Teide! 🙂

    Reply
    • o
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      Great article, lots of specific information, witty language.

      Reply
  • o
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    Such a question: is it possible to return from Masca beach through the gorge to the village?

    Reply
    • o
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      There are new rules from 2021 and you have to walk back to the village.

      Reply
  • o
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    Thank you very much for this article. We just got back. Stunning views :)

    Reply
    • o
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      It must have been a fun day!

      Reply
  • o
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    without exaggeration - this road is one of the best in Tenerife - two buses can pass on it, so if someone has a problem with driving a small car on such a wide road, he should not have a driving license at all, in addition edge are concrete blocks to prevent deviation from the road. Natoimiast, if someone wants to experience the real impressions of moving on the Tenerife roads, I suggest choosing a random point on the opposite side of the island and choosing the shortest way to the destination on google navigation - then we are talking about impressions

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    • o
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      If someone is not experienced in driving on mountain roads, they may have a problem. The path is demanding and not for everyone.

      Reply
  • o
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    Thank you, I was looking for such information and in this form.

    Reply

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