Masca: Tenerife's most dramatic mountain village — and how to walk its gorge now

You see Masca long before you reach it. From the pass, the view drops into a deep, green valley, and there in the middle, on a narrow spur, clings the village — a few dozen houses, terraced fields, palm trees, and all around the jagged peaks of the Teno massif. It's one of those sights that make you pull over without meaning to.

For a long time Masca was known as Tenerife's most hidden village, reachable only by a hair-raising road. Today it's a popular day trip — and yet it has kept its character: no mass tourism, just stone, silence and the view.

The village in the Teno mountains

Masca lies in the Teno Rural Park, one of the most unspoilt corners of Tenerife, in the municipality of Buenavista del Norte. The drive over the winding panoramic road from Santiago del Teide is already part of the experience: tight hairpins, one new view after another, then the village itself with its small restaurants and viewpoints. Visiting the village costs nothing.

The legendary gorge

Masca owes its fame above all to the Barranco de Masca: a dramatic walk that leads from the village down through a narrow, towering gorge to the sea. Between steep rock walls, little watercourses and subtropical vegetation, it is one of the most striking paths in the Canaries — demanding, but unforgettable.

After years of closures and safety works, the trail is walkable again today — but in a regulated way. That protects both the walkers and the fragile nature of the gorge.

How to walk the gorge now

Access runs exclusively through the official booking system: tickets are sold only online at caminobarrancodemasca.com. The trail can only be reached by a compulsory shuttle that departs from Santiago del Teide (a stop near the town hall) — on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with departures every 20 minutes.

The combined price of transport and ticket is €38 for non-resident adults and €19 for children. For Canary Islands residents it is €7 and €3.50, and for Tenerife residents it is free. The start and end point is the visitor centre.

Who it's for — and when

The beauty of Masca is that it works for two very different trips. If you only want the village and the view, drive up, eat something and enjoy the quiet — no booking needed. If you want to walk the gorge, plan ahead, book the ticket and bring your fitness. Both combine well with the northwest of Tenerife — with Buenavista, the Teno massif and the coast at Los Gigantes.