Rambla del Castro is the best-known walk on Tenerife’s north coast, and deservedly so. It runs along the cliffs near Los Realejos, through a palm grove, past an old fort and a ruined pump house, and ends at the Mirador de San Pedro. About two hours there and back, and easy throughout.
What makes it worth the drive
The palm grove is the reason. Canary Island date palms grow wild here in a density you rarely see elsewhere on the island, in a green coastal valley that feels closer to the Atlantic-facing Macaronesian islands than to the dry south of Tenerife.
You also pass the coastline itself at close quarters — this is a cliff walk, with the sea directly below for much of it. On a clear day the views back along the coast are the best on this side of the island.
The mirador at the end
The Mirador de San Pedro is the payoff and it is worth stopping properly rather than turning straight round. It looks out over the whole northern coastline, and on a clear morning you can see a long way west towards Garachico and beyond.
Getting there
About twenty-five minutes by car from the apartment, heading east along the coast towards Puerto de la Cruz. Most walkers start at the Puerto end near the Hotel Maritim.
Go early. This is the most popular walk on the coast and the parking near the trailhead is limited.
What else is along the path
The route is not only palms. You pass the Casa Hamilton pump house, a nineteenth-century ruin built to lift water up to the plantations, and the small fort of San Fernando above the shore — both reminders that this green coastal strip was working agricultural land long before anyone walked it for pleasure.
There is a beach at the eastern end, Playa de los Roques, if you want to make an afternoon of it. As everywhere on this coast, look at the conditions before going in: the Atlantic here is open water, and the sheltered swimming is at San Marcos and in the rock pools at Garachico.
When to go
Early morning is best, both for parking and for the light along the cliffs. It is also the coolest part of the day, which matters more than it sounds on an exposed coastal path.
Avoid Sunday late morning if you can — it is a popular local walk, and that is when it is busiest.