GR131 Canary Islands, Day 18 – Friday, Jan 30, 2026
I spent the night in my tent just outside Teide National Park. My Garmin watch greeted me with a «Good morning» and—for the first time on this trip—suggested a rest day. I checked the data from yesterday’s trek. Sure enough, I had pushed way too hard; it had been an incredibly grueling day. That pace might be fine for a training run back home, but you shouldn’t be «training» during a long-distance thru-hike. The body simply doesn’t get enough time to recover. It was an amateur mistake, but that’s what happens sometimes when I hike solo—I get a bit too eager.
I had already knocked out 18 km (11.2 miles) of the next section yesterday, meaning what was supposed to be three stages will now be covered in two. I sent text to Inger that I would arrive this afternoon.
I packed up my tent fifteen minutes before sunrise. I wanted to be on the trail to catch the sun climbing over the sea of clouds resting below me.
Suddenly, the first rays hit the horizon, rising just south of the peaks on Gran Canaria. I stood still on the path, watching the sun slowly reveal itself. Moments like these are the highlights of any trip. Now, a beautiful, bright day lies ahead of me.
The Final Stretch on Tenerife
Today’s trek is my last on Tenerife. The GR131 isn’t fully established on this island yet, as it doesn’t run coast-to-coast; it starts and ends a bit inland. My goal for today is the southern terminus, Arona—a 25 km (15.5 miles) hike.
First, I reached the small town of Vilaflor after 7 km (4.3 miles). The trail was mostly downhill, though the last few kilometers were tough due to the very uneven, rocky terrain. You have to keep your eyes glued to the ground at all times; one slip here, and the trip could be over.
In Vilaflor, I bought a cold drink and found a bench in the shade of a tree in the park. You have to stay fueled and hydrated—I definitely didn’t drink enough yesterday. The sea of clouds that blanketed the town yesterday had vanished. If I was lucky, I’d avoid hiking in the fog today, as I could actually see the ocean way down below.
Vilaflor sits at 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) above sea level.
After a break, I continued on the GR131. The trail climbed about 200 vertical meters (656 feet) before leveling out and descending. Eventually, the path crossed several small but steep river valleys.
Pushing Toward Arona
After 18 km (11.2 miles), I passed a lonely restaurant at a crossroads. It wasn’t opening for another fifteen minutes. Even though I was thirsty, I couldn’t bring myself to wait. I felt a glimmer of hope when I saw a soda machine outside, only to be disappointed when I realized it only took coins.
I hiked on. Next came 1.5 km (0.9 miles) of paved road. Asphalt isn’t my favorite surface to walk on, but it was actually a nice relief compared to the rocky terrain.
Where the road ended, the steepest descent began. The views along the canyon walls were stunning, and I could see the coastline and the buildings north of Los Cristianos. The entire descent was on a trail with very difficult footing.
After 25 km (15.5 miles) of hiking, I finally reached the southern end of the GR131 on Tenerife: the town of Arona. The fog actually stayed away from the trail all day.
From Arona, I caught a bus via Los Cristianos to Playa San Juan, where I met up with Inger and Hannelore.
