Fabulous Easy Walk to Secluded Playa Bollullo Beach

• Distance: Round trip 5.6km approx.
• Difficulty: Moderately easy, not challenging
• Terrain: Some hilly bits and some rough ground
• Risk factor: Safe
• Landscape: Banana plantations, Barranco, ocean

Suppose you like a short walk that is not demanding or dangerous, and you are in the north of Tenerife. In that case, there is a beautiful walk from Puerto de la Cruz along the coast through banana plantations to the secluded beach of Playa Bollullo. The beach is not well known to most tourists who visit Puerto de la Cruz but is very popular with the locals.

The walk is not challenging but is a bit hilly in places. You also need to cross a Barranco, so there is some rough terrain and many steps to climb. Therefore, you will need to be reasonably fit, and the walk is unsuitable if you have mobility problems.

Start of the Walk to Playa Bollullo

The walk starts from La Paz, east of the Puerto de la Cruz resort in north Tenerife. Find the Hotel Best Semiramis on the cliff tops of Puerto de la Cruz, then keep walking east along the road keeping the ocean on your left. This leads you directly onto the footpath to Playa del Bollullo.

Walk Through Banana Plantations

The first part of the walk to Playa Bollullo starts on a well-paved and flat footpath with fabulous ocean views. Then you go through a short tunnel under the TF-31 road. On the other side, the path takes you through wonderful banana plantations with banana trees on both sides of the footpath and the ocean to your left. The walk continues mostly downhill through the plantation.

Baranco de la Arena

Then you come to the steps down into the Barranco de la Arena. Once you get to the bottom of the steps, the Barranco is rough terrain but is easily walkable. You only have a short crossing at the foot of Barranco to get to the footpath up on the other side. The pathway is loose ground, but there is a barrier up, so you are safe from the drop.

This path exits a narrow lane on the other side of Barranco de la Arena, along the cliffs above Playa Bollullo. This is the only part of the walk where there may be cars. Above Playa Bollullo is the restaurant 'Bollullo Beach', where you can enjoy a drink or lunch on the terrace with fabulous views over the ocean.

This is where you must decide whether to continue down to the beach, down the cliff on the quite rugged footpath with lots of steps. Not so bad going down, but you'll have to walk back up as there is no alternative way off the beach.

Playa Bollullo

If you are heading for the beach, a long footpath with steps down the cliff to the sands of Playa Bollullo awaits. Here you will find a secluded black sand beach at the foot of the cliffs, with huge Atlantic waves where you can relax and sunbathe. A typical beach bar also serves tapas, beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks and coffee. Lifeguards are on patrol, and sometimes bathing in the sea is prohibited due to the large waves and strong currents.