Las Ventanas: Tenerife’s Most Spectacular Hike
Las Ventanas is without a doubt one of the most spectacular and unique hikes I have ever been lucky enough to explore, but you definitely need the guts for it. Located in the somewhat rural and hard to get to town of Güimar (pronounced Wee-mar), you will absolutely need a 4 wheel drive vehicle just to get to the trailhead. To put it into perspective, the hills are so steep that our car began rolling backwards and we had to park an hour walk from the trail. Don’t make the same mistake as us.
Las Ventanas, also known as “the tunnel of windows” was originally created as a water canal to carry water down the mountain, and the windows were created to cast light on the workers so they could clear the debris as they excavated the tunnel.
I could not find exact dates on when these tunnels were excavated, but I’m fairly certain it was after Spain conquered Tenerife (post 1494).
It is an extremely remote hike, which gets increasingly more dangerous as you go. The path itself is poorly maintained, and there is actually a sign at the beginning of the trailhead stating it has been permanently closed due to landslides.
However this does not stop locals and tourists alike from hiking it daily.
The trail is only about a foot wide in some places, with a drop off of several hundred feet. There is no fence or guard rail to protect you, and in some cases climbing is involved. With that in mind, you definitely don’t want to be attempting this hike while the ground is wet, as it can be very slippery.
I would only recommend hiking Las Ventanas if you are in good shape and an experienced hiker. Even so it is not for the faint of heart and you should never go alone.
The trail meanders around the top of El Barranco de Badajoz, also know as “The Haunted Ravine”, which I will discuss next. It is so quite it often feels a bit eerie, but the most unsettling part is the sheer drop offs.
If you follow the entire loop of the trail which is roughly 13km (8mi), it would take approximately 4.5 hours. We stopped at the halfway point where the first set of windows are located, and we were satisfied with that.
I would also recommend a headlamp, as you go through several pitch black tunnels on your journey. I’ve linked some headlamps HERE.
Check out my Las Ventanas de Güimar Vlog Below
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