Pico del Inglés from Taganana: 19.4 km Climb | Cycling Tenerife's Anaga Massif

Spain Pico del Ingles

Pico del Ingles Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

18.6

PDI

12 mi

DISTANCE

3,621 ft

GAINED

ELEVATION GAINED

5 %

AVG. GRADE

AVG. GRADIENT

FULL CLIMB STATS

Page Contributor(s): Helmuth Dekkers, Oisterwijk, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

INTRO

This is one of the great ones on Tenerife, found among several out-and-back epic bike climbs at the northeastern tip of the island. Pico del Inglés climbs 19.4 km (12.0 mi) from sea level at Roque de las Bodegas to the Mirador Pico del Inglés at 985 m (3,230 ft), gaining 1104 m (3,621 ft) at an average grade of 5.0% - closer to 8% on the climbing sections alone, since the route includes a few short descents. It ranks #1151 on our list of the world's hardest climbs.

The route comes in three acts. First is the steep haul up from the coast through the old village of Taganana to El Bailadero - 549 m (1,801 ft) of gain in the first 6.3 km (3.9 mi), finishing through a short, narrow tunnel under the ridge. Then the TF-12 follows the spine of the Anaga massif west, climbing and rolling through dense laurel forest. The last stretch leaves the ridge road for the Mirador Pico del Inglés, one of Tenerife's most popular viewpoints, where on a clear day you look across Santa Cruz and La Laguna to Mount Teide.

The whole climb lies inside the Anaga Rural Park, named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2015 for its ancient laurisilva forest and its remarkable concentration of endemic species. It's easy to link with the other Anaga climbs - Taganana, Bailadero, Chamorga and Afur all share these roads - and you can see other climbs nearby, or build a custom route from here, with our Routes in the Area tool.

PLAN YOUR ROUTE

We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route.

The climb averages 5.0% over 19.4 km (12.0 mi), but that number hides a lot. The first 6.3 km (3.9 mi) from Roque de las Bodegas through Taganana to El Bailadero average about 8.7%, and that's where the climb's steepest pitches are: the steepest 0.5 km averages 13.6%, the steepest kilometer 12.9%, the steepest 2 km 11.1% and the steepest 5 km 9.6%.

After a brief dip at El Bailadero, the TF-12 climbs more gently along the ridge at around 5-6% to about 840 m (2,756 ft) at 12 km (7.5 mi), then rolls and gently descends for roughly 4 km (2.5 mi) - there's about 184 m (604 ft) of descending in all on this route. The final 3.4 km (2.1 mi) climb again at close to 6% to the mirador at 985 m (3,230 ft).

Roadway: Paved the entire way. The road up from the coast through Taganana is steep and winding, and it passes through a short, narrow tunnel just below El Bailadero - bring front and rear lights. The TF-12 ridge road is in excellent condition, with passing bays at the tighter points, but it's full of blind bends through the forest, so take care on the descent and watch for oncoming traffic.

Traffic: Light for such a scenic area, but rarely empty. Expect more cars at midday and on weekends, when visitors drive out to Taganana's beaches and the Anaga viewpoints, plus the occasional TITSA bus - line 946 serves the Taganana road and line 073 stops at the Pico del Inglés viewpoint. Early mornings are the quietest time to ride.

Parking: The beach at Roque de las Bodegas has a small parking area with fewer than 50 spaces, which fills quickly on sunny weekends. At the top, the Mirador Pico del Inglés has its own parking, and the large free car park at the Cruz del Carmen visitor center, a short ride farther west along the TF-12, is a good meeting point if someone is driving support.

Provisions: Fill bottles and eat before you leave the coast - Roque de las Bodegas has several restaurants serving fresh local fish. There's little else until the ridge, where Cruz del Carmen, just past the finish, has a family restaurant and a cafeteria beside the visitor center.

Gear: Bring lights for the tunnel. Compact gearing helps on the 11-13% pitches above Taganana. The Anaga ridge catches the trade-wind clouds that feed its laurel forest, so it's often damp and much cooler than the coast - pack a light jacket for the descent.

Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.

Roque de las Bodegas owes its name to the wine cellars that once stored Taganana's wine for trade with Europe and the Americas; today it's a small beach settlement with a handful of fish restaurants, and a fine place to finish with papas arrugadas and mojo. Our Taganana page covers the village and the lower part of this climb.

At the top, the Mirador Pico del Inglés looks out over the Tahodio ravine and its dam, Santa Cruz and La Laguna, the Güímar coast and, on clear days, Teide, with the Afur ravine opening behind you. Just along the ridge, the Cruz del Carmen visitor center (open daily from 9:30 am) has exhibits on the park, and the short Sendero de los Sentidos loops - 350 m to 1.2 km (0.2-0.7 mi) - are an easy way into the laurel forest. Santa Cruz de Tenerife and La Laguna, a UNESCO World Heritage city at the western end of the TF-12, are the natural bases for riding Anaga.