Places guide · The western tip of Tenerife
A lone lighthouse, a vertigo-inducing road carved into the cliff and a black-sand beach at the point where the Teno Massif surrenders to the ocean — the island's westernmost and least tamed corner.
Why it is worth the visit
The Teno Massif is, along with Anaga, one of Tenerife's oldest volcanic formations: some six million years of erosion have left an arid landscape of sheer cliffs and deep ravines, very different from the green of Anaga or the gentle profile of the south. Punta de Teno is its tip, the exact point where the massif ends and the Atlantic begins.
Getting here is already part of the experience: the TF-445 road runs along the cliff edge from Buenavista del Norte in a layout of sharp bends that ranks among the most spectacular — and most regulated — on the island.
What to see
Everything at Punta de Teno fits into a short afternoon.
Built in 1897, it marks the point where the road ends and where the Teno Massif drops straight into the Atlantic. From its base, on clear days, you can make out the silhouette of La Gomera on the horizon.
Thirteen kilometres that cross ravines and terraced banana plantations before climbing the slope of the Teno Massif to the lighthouse — narrow, winding, with the sea appearing between bends. Buenavista del Norte is left behind; what follows is just rock, crops and ocean.
A strip of black sand and pebbles next to the lighthouse, with the massif falling almost vertically into the water. It isn't a beach for swimming — the surf is usually strong — but it is one of the most photogenic and least crowded corners of the north coast.
How to organise it
Private cars can't go up: you get there by bus, taxi or boat.
Before you go
A narrow, fragile road, regulated every day.
According to the Buenavista del Norte town council (access to Punta de Teno, in Spanish), access by private vehicle, on foot or by bicycle is prohibited every day because it is an especially fragile area. You get there on bus 369 from Buenavista del Norte, by taxi or on a boat trip. Conditions can change because of roadworks or the weather: check the current status before you set out.
Practical information
At the northwestern tip of the island, twenty minutes from Buenavista del Norte.
The access road leaves from the centre of Buenavista del Norte and runs along the cliff to the lighthouse.
Private cars can't go up; bus 369 leaves from Buenavista del Norte (1 euro, about 20 minutes).
The point faces west: one of the clearest sunsets on the island, with La Gomera in the background.
There are no bars, restaurants or shops next to the lighthouse: bring water and something to eat, and save your meal for Buenavista del Norte, before or after.
Enough for the lighthouse, the beach and the drive along the road.
It is common to meet wild goats on the final stretch of the road; slow down, especially on the bends.
The same northwestern corner of the island — easy to combine on a one-day route.
Hiking routes through the massif, with viewpoints over the ravine and the coast. All of the west, in the guide to western Tenerife.
Before you set off
Frequently asked questions
According to the Buenavista del Norte town council, because it is an especially fragile area: access by private vehicle, on foot or by bicycle is prohibited every day and only bus 369, taxis and authorised vehicles may go up.
Titsa runs a bus from the centre of Buenavista del Norte to Punta de Teno that doesn't depend on private-traffic restrictions.
Yes. Several catamaran excursions leaving from Los Gigantes or Puerto de Santiago skirt the coast of the Teno Massif and approach the lighthouse from the sea.
Yes — as the westernmost point of Tenerife, it offers one of the clearest horizons on the island for watching the sun go down, with the silhouette of La Gomera in the background.
No, there are no bars or restaurants next to the lighthouse. The option is to eat in Buenavista del Norte, before going up or on the way down, or to bring a picnic.
Yes, the Teno Massif has a population of wild goats and it is common to meet them on the final stretch of the TF-445 — it is best to slow down on the bends.
Next stop
Punta de Teno is the tip of a massif that still defines the whole northwest coast. Los Gigantes, with its cliffs above the same ocean, is the natural stop for exploring this corner of the island further.
Photo of the lighthouse: Yonathan Tabaibo, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 ES) · Photo of the access road: Jan Pešula, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo of Playa de los Roques: rene boulay, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo of the massif: FrDr, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
