Barranco del Infierno Hike Tenerife: Tickets & Route

Where the gorge is and how to reach the trailhead

The gorge lies in the municipality of Adeje, on the south coast of Tenerife, and the reserve begins at roughly 350 m (1,150 ft) above the coast. That starting height gives you a natural balcony over the southern landscape before you have walked any distance, so arrive with time to enjoy it rather than rushing straight in.

Above Adeje is the closest base for an early start, and Costa Adeje and the resorts along the coast are within easy reach by road. The Barranco del Infierno ticket office's contact address is C/ de los Molinos, 46, in Costa Adeje, useful if you need to call before travelling; reach them on +34 922 780 078.

The reserve has not published bus routes, taxi fares or car park capacity, so plan your approach by road from Adeje or Costa Adeje and allow slack for finding a space in the morning. If you are linking several walks on the island, the wider hiking in Tenerife guide covers how the main trailheads fit together.

Tickets, reservations and entry rules

Entry costs 16 euros for a non-resident adult and 6 euros for Canary Islands residents, and booking online in advance is compulsory. Barranco del Infierno asks you to book several days ahead rather than turning up, so fix your date before you arrange transport or accommodation around it.

Children under 5 are not admitted, and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Footwear suitable for rocky ground is required, the helmet issued at the meeting point must be worn at all times on the route, and animals are not allowed.

Resident status has to be documented with valid papers when you book or arrive, so have the documents ready if you are claiming the reduced rate. Barranco del Infierno publishes two ticket types, a standard ticket and a guided visit, and you choose one when you reserve.

Access hours by season and why your start time matters

From 1 June to 15 September you may enter between 8:00 and 10:30, and the park closes at 13:30. From 16 September to 31 May entry runs from 8:30 to 11:30 with the park shutting at 14:30. These windows cap the whole outing, not just the start, so a late entry leaves you short of the roughly three hours the route takes.

Treat the last entry time as your deadline for reaching the gate, because a 10:30 start in summer still leaves little room before the 13:30 closure once you allow for the walk back. Booking an early slot gives you the calmest conditions and the most margin on the stairs.

Distance, ascent and walking time on the out-and-back route

The route is 6.5 km (4 mi) out and back with roughly 250 m (820 ft) of ascent and descent, graded medium-low difficulty walking. Allow around 3 hours for the round trip including time at the waterfall.

The grading understates the effort for many walkers, because the path climbs and drops repeatedly rather than gaining height in one steady push, and a lot of it is stepped. Think of it as a sustained half-day walk rather than a flat gorge stroll.

If you want a longer, higher outing later in the same trip, the Mount Teide hike is a very different proposition in altitude and scale, and the two should not be scheduled on the same morning. Hikers weighing island options often compare this with hiking in Gran Canaria, where similar half-day gorge walks sit alongside higher mountain routes.

Route description: the balcony viewpoint to the waterfall

The walk begins on the balcony above the coast, where you get open views over southern Tenerife before the path turns into the gorge. From there the route follows the bed of the ravine inward, with the walls closing in as you gain the protected reserve.

Expect a mix of rock, earth and steps, with short steep sections that ask for hands-free balance, which is why the helmet rule matters more than it would on a smooth trail. You finish at the waterfall, then retrace the same path and steps back to the entrance.

The name reflects the abrupt, ravine-like character of the landscape rather than anything supernatural, and the gorge's steep sides are the reason the space is protected. The path is clear, so route-finding is not the difficulty; the footing and the repetition of climbs are.

Footing, stairs, helmets and exposure

Loose stones on the steps and worn rock underfoot are the main hazards, so wear shoes with grip and take the descents slowly with bent knees. The helmet protects against rockfall in the narrow sections, and it must stay on for the whole route as a condition of entry.

There is little shade in the open upper part and the gorge can feel humid and enclosed lower down, so carry more water than you would for a flat 6 km (4 mi) walk. After rain the rock and steps become slippery, which is worth weighing when you pick your day.

When to go: season and time of day

The reserve runs on the same timetable all year, but the access window shifts between the summer and winter periods, so a walk in May starts later than one in July. Early mornings are cooler and quieter, and an early slot also leaves time for the full route without watching the clock.

Southern Tenerife stays walkable through winter, which makes this a good off-season option when higher mountain routes elsewhere on the island are cold or snowy. If you plan to combine coast and mountain walking, tenerife walking holidays set out how organised weeks structure the two.

The reserve limits and slots its entries, and the walk is popular, so you will share the path rather than have it to yourself. If solitude matters more than the waterfall, choose the first slot of the day.

What to wear and carry

Sturdy shoes with tread are the entry requirement, and trainers with smooth soles are the wrong choice on wet steps and loose stones. Bring a light layer for the shaded gorge, sun protection for the open start, and a small pack that stays close to your body on the narrow sections.

Carry water for the full three hours and something to eat at the waterfall, since the round trip gives you no village stop midway. Walking poles help inexperienced hikers on the repeated descents.

Facilities and combining the day with the Adeje coast

The entrance sits above Adeje, and the booking office at C/ de los Molinos 46 in Costa Adeje is the obvious place for questions before or after your slot. Check current opening hours ahead of your visit, since the access window and park closing time shift between summer and winter. Plan on buying food and water in Adeje or Costa Adeje, because the reserve entrance is a trailhead rather than a village centre.

Because the walk takes a morning, it pairs naturally with an afternoon on the Adeje coast, or with a short second outing such as the Roque del Conde hike if you want a viewpoint above the same southern landscape.

Can you walk Barranco del Infierno with a dog?

If you are planning a day out in Adeje with a dog, the Barranco del Infierno is not an option. The rules for the sendero state plainly that entry with animals is not permitted (NO ESTÁ PERMITIDA LA ENTRADA CON ANIMALES), and because access to this Espacio Natural Protegido is restricted, with online booking mandatory and a limited summer or winter access window, there is no informal way around it: without a ticket you do not get in, and with a dog you cannot use that ticket.

The reasoning is partly practical. The route runs 6,5 km out and back with roughly 250 metres of desnivel on rocky ground, and conditions make mandatory both footwear suited to stony terrain and a helmet that must be worn at all times from the meeting point. Those are not conditions you can manage while handling a lead, and they are not rules the staff can waive for a well-behaved pet.

Reservations for the gorge are made online for a guided visit or a standard ticket, priced at 16 € per adult non-resident and 6 € for Canarias residents, with proof of residency or empadronamiento required. The ages matter too: children under 5 are not admitted, and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult. If your group includes a dog, the workable plan is to split up, or to leave the dog with whoever stays behind on the Adeje coast while the rest walk the gorge.

Plan Your Visit

Book your slot several days ahead, pick an early entry within the seasonal window, and set off with grippy shoes and water for three hours. The 6.5 km (4 mi) return with 250 m (820 ft) of ascent rewards you with a waterfall and a gorge that feels far removed from the resort coast below.

If the Barranco del Infierno is your first walk in Tenerife, add a second outing on a different landscape to see how varied the island is; the Mount Teide and Parque Rural de Teno pages cover high mountain and laurel forest alternatives.