Sendero del Bosque Encantado: Tenerife's Ancient Laurel Forest Trail

What Is the Sendero del Bosque Encantado?

The Sendero del Bosque Encantado, also known as the Sendero Pijaral, is a circular hiking trail inside the Reserva Natural Integral de El Pijaral in the Anaga mountain range. It earns its popular name, 'Enchanted Forest Trail', from the character of the vegetation: gnarled laurel trees coated in moss and liverwort, their branches interlocking overhead to form a near-permanent canopy, with pale light filtering through in shifting columns. On overcast mornings, the scene verges on surreal.

El Pijaral holds one of the highest protection categories under Canary Islands environmental law. An Integral Nature Reserve is not a casual designation. It means the ecosystem is considered so ecologically sensitive that human access is actively restricted rather than merely managed. This is laurisilva, the relict subtropical forest that once blanketed much of southern Europe and northwest Africa before the ice ages contracted its range to islands in the Macaronesian region. Walking through it feels less like recreation and more like stepping into an ecological time capsule.

The Forest Itself: What You Are Actually Walking Through

Laurisilva is not a single species but a community of trees from the laurel family, including Ocotea foetens, Laurus novocanariensis, Persea indica, and Apollonias barbujana, along with a lower storey of tree heathers and shrubs. In El Pijaral, these grow at a density and scale rarely seen anywhere else in the Canary Islands. The trunks are thick, often leaning at odd angles, and so covered in mosses and ferns that the bark is barely visible. The ground layer is equally lush: liverworts, ferns, and mosses form a soft, spongy carpet underfoot in wetter sections of the trail.

This forest type survived the Pleistocene glaciations on the Canary Islands and Madeira when the same vegetation disappeared from continental Europe. UNESCO recognised Anaga as a Biosphere Reserve; the finest World Heritage laurel forests are on La Gomera and Madeira. El Pijaral is among the finest surviving examples anywhere, which is precisely why visitor numbers are so tightly controlled.

The trail is approximately 6.7 to 7 kilometres in a circular loop with around 260 metres of total elevation gain. The paths are unpaved throughout, combining narrow forest tracks with wider dirt trails. Sections can be muddy after rain and are sometimes slick with moisture even in dry periods, simply because the forest canopy traps humidity and precipitation drips long after a shower has passed. Grip-soled footwear is not optional.

How to Get a Permit and Access the Trail

The permit system is managed by the Cabildo de Tenerife through its 'Tenerife ON' online reservation platform. Permits are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Given the daily cap of around 45 visitors, popular dates, particularly weekends and public holidays, book out well in advance. Midweek dates generally have more availability, though this can vary by season. Book as far ahead as your travel plans allow.

The trailhead starts at La Ensillada, a small roadside area on the TF-123 (Carretera de Las Vueltas) near Taganana, in the far northeast of Tenerife. The parking area accommodates roughly ten cars. If those spaces are full when you arrive, there is no practical alternative nearby. This is another reason to arrive early: both to secure a parking space and because the forest is most atmospheric in the first hours of daylight.

Getting there requires a car. From Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the drive follows TF-12 into the heart of Anaga before descending on TF-123. The road is narrow and winding in sections. Budget at least 40 to 50 minutes from Santa Cruz. No TITSA bus currently serves La Ensillada directly. For visitors based in the north of the island, the approach through Taganana village offers a slightly different routing. If you do not have a car, joining a small licensed guided excursion from a local operator is one realistic option, though note that commercial groups are restricted from entering the reserve.

What the Walk Feels Like at Different Times of Day

In the early morning, particularly between October and March when the northeast trade winds push cloud into the Anaga mountains, the forest operates in near-silence broken only by birdsong and the occasional drip of condensation from branches overhead. The air smells of damp earth, wood, and a faint vegetable sweetness that is hard to describe outside of the forest itself. The lighting is dim and green-grey, and even at moderate distances trees begin to blur into the mist.

By late morning, if the day is clear, shafts of sunlight reach parts of the trail and the moss on the trees takes on a warmer tone. The forest feels less enclosed and slightly more approachable. Afternoon visits, while pleasant, lose some of the atmospheric density that makes the Bosque Encantado feel genuinely different from a standard forest walk. If your permit is for an afternoon slot and you have the flexibility to reschedule, mornings are worth pursuing.

Weather affects the experience profoundly. Rain sharpens the smells and deepens the greens but makes some sections slippery. Dry summer days can strip away much of the moisture and mist that define the forest's character. The trail is accessible year-round under the permit system, but autumn through early spring, when cloud cover is more consistent in Anaga, tends to produce the most representative experience of what this forest actually looks and feels like.

Practical Walkthrough: The Route

The circular route begins at La Ensillada and loops through the interior of El Pijaral before returning to the same point. The first section climbs steadily into the forest, with the canopy closing in quickly. The trail is reasonably well-marked, though in misty conditions some junctions require attention. The 260 metres of elevation gain is spread across the full loop rather than concentrated in a single ascent, making the difficulty moderate rather than strenuous. Most fit walkers complete the circuit in three to four hours, including stops.

There are no facilities on the trail: no toilets, no water points, and no cafes. Bring water for the full duration of the hike, plus food if you plan to stop. Phone signal is unreliable inside the forest. Download an offline map or carry a screenshot of the route before you leave the car. The parking area at La Ensillada is not staffed, and there is no visitor centre at the trailhead.

• Footwear: trail shoes or hiking boots with grip. Trainers are risky in wet conditions.
• Clothing: layers. The forest is noticeably cooler than coastal Tenerife and the humidity is high. A light waterproof layer is useful year-round.
• Water: bring at least 1.5 litres per person. There is no water source on the route.
• Camera: a wide-angle lens captures the canopy effect. Bring a lens cloth; mist and moisture affect glass quickly.
• Permit: carry a printed or digital copy. Rangers patrol the reserve and will check.

Who Should Think Twice Before Booking

The Bosque Encantado is not for everyone. Visitors expecting sweeping views, dramatic coastal scenery, or clearly waymarked tourist paths will be disappointed. The landscape is entirely interior and vegetated: there are no panoramic overlooks inside the reserve. If dramatic coastal vistas are your priority, the Mirador de Humboldt or the Afur to Taganana trail offer more visual variety combined with Anaga's characteristic landscapes.

The trail is entirely unsuitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The paths are uneven, occasionally steep, and can be muddy. Young children can enjoy the walk if they are comfortable on natural terrain for three or more hours, but the absence of facilities makes it demanding as a family day out with small children. Anyone with limited mobility should consider alternatives within Anaga that follow easier, accessible paths.

The permit requirement is also a genuine barrier for spontaneous visitors. If you are passing through Anaga without a pre-booked permit, you cannot enter El Pijaral legally. The wider Parque Rural de Teno and other sections of Anaga Rural Park have trails accessible without advance booking if you need an alternative on the day.