Mirador de Samara is a popular viewpoint in Teide National Park, Tenerife. Many people exploring Tenerife’s most visited national park will quickly pull over at the lookout to admire Montaña de Samara, Pico Viejo and Mount Teide from afar. But, we recommend the short and simple walk to the summit of Montaña de Samara from Mirador de Samara.
From the peak of Montaña de Samara, you’ll enjoy even better views of Tenerife’s two highest mountains – Pico Viejo and Mount Teide. The walk then continues around Montaña de la Botija, making for an exhilarating quick circuit walk. In this guide, we’re going to cover all of the necessary information that you’ll need to know to do this underrated walk during your trip to Tenerife.
Before reading this guide, have a look at our Tenerife Hiking YouTube video below. By using the chapter function, you can quickly check out footage of the walk from Mirador de Samara in Tenerife.
We hope you find this guide helpful. For information about other great hikes in Teide National Park, read our guides about Roques de Garcia, Mount Guajara and Montana Rajada. Otherwise, have a look at our Tenerife Hiking Guide.
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Mirador de Samara Walk, El Teide National Park, Tenerife
Officially known as Sendero 13 (S-13), the Samara walk, starting from Mirador de Samara is a short and straightforward route. Indeed, if you’re looking for a quick and easy trail in Teide National Park in Tenerife, then the Samara walk should be high on your to-do list. Admittedly, the Samara walk isn’t a hugely popular trail. So, even in the peak season, you can expect a fairly quiet and peaceful trail to explore.
FYI – the Mirador de Samara walk takes place in the western area of Teide National Park, which falls within the boundaries of the Guía de Isora province – a province that borders the coastline.
Mirador de Sámara Walk Map and Stats
- Type: Loop
- Distance: 5.35km
- Time: 1–2 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: 285m
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead location: Mirador de Samara
- Map: Wikiloc
The Mirador de Samara Walking Loop: Trail Description
Below, we’ll briefly describe the walk from Mirador de Samara to Montaña de Samara and around Montaña de la Botija.
Alto de Montaña Samara
As mentioned, the Samara walk starts from Mirador de Samara. Hopefully, you’ll find a spare parking spot when you arrive! From the viewpoint, which is conveniently located at the car park, you’ll immediately enjoy views of Teide National Park’s most famous mountains. These include Pico Viejo and Mount Teide. To your left, you’ll see a smaller mountain, which is Montaña de Samara. From Mirador de Samara, you’ll be summiting this mountain!
The flat trail leading away from the Mirador de Samara initially steers you to the trailhead of Montaña de Samara. You should then see a sign, labelled ‘Alto de Montaña Samara‘, which directs you left towards the summit. It’s a steep trail to the summit, but one that’s very short. In no time, you’ll reach the peak of Montaña de Samara. From there, you’ll enjoy marvellous views of Teide National Park, including many of its incredible volcanic landforms.
Sámara (S-13): Walking Around Montaña de la Botija
After enjoying the views from Montaña de Samara, you’ll retrace your steps, descending the small mountain. You’ll then join a circular loop, heading in a clockwise direction around Montaña de la Botija. Along this route, you’ll weave and undulate over an incredible volcanic landscape. Expect to see vibrant red-coloured rocks contrasting with bleak black-charred boulders and ash-laden fields. Before you know it, you’ll be circling Montaña de la Botija and returning to Mirador de Samara!
One of Our Favourite Walks in El Teide National Park
Indeed, the Samara walk involves a quick and short trail; but, it’s one of Tenerife’s most underrated hikes and one that you can easily squeeze into a day trip to Teide National Park. To that end, we highly recommend the Samara walk in Tenerife. Or, at the very least, visit Mirador de Samara and do the short out and back to Montaña de Samara. From Montaña de Samara, your views of Pico Viejo and Mount Teide will be even better.
Of course, there are many exceptional places to explore in Teide National Park. After doing the Samara walk, we recommend doing other hikes and checking out other viewpoints in the area. If you don’t have your own set of wheels, it may be best to do a tour to experience the best of the national park. We’ve heard awesome things about GetYourGuide’s Tenerife: Teide National Park Full-Day Scenic Tour. Certainly, it’s a highly-rated tour with glowing reviews.
How to Get to Mirador de Samara
The simplest and quickest way to get to Teide National Park to do the walk from Mirador de Samara is to drive there yourself. If you’re visiting from abroad, then you’ll need to hire a car. We recommend using Rentalcars.com. You’ll find a wide variety of cars on Rental Cars, which are easy to book online. We easily picked up and dropped off a car from South Tenerife Airport. The free and flexible cancellation policy is also an added security, just in case.
Public transport: Titsa is the company that organises buses in and out of Teide National Park. Unfortunately, the usual 342 route into the national park doesn’t pass by or drive very near to Mirador de Samara. Certainly, having a car hire to drive yourself there is the best option.
Hiking Essentials
These are our five hiking gear essentials for the Samara walk in Teide National Park, Tenerife.
- Merrell Moab Mid Gore-Tex Hiking Boots: these hiking boots are super comfortable and lightweight.
- The North Face Venture Jacket: a fantastic windproof/waterproof jacket.
- Osprey Skarab 30L Day Backpack: a great backpack for hiking, which has plenty of space to store your gear.
- The North Face TKA Glacier Fleece Jacket: an excellent warmth:weight ratio fleece jacket that’ll help keep you warm.
- Columbia Convertible Trousers: a value for money pair of water-resistant convertible trousers.
If you’re interested in a longer hiking gear list, then read our 66 Travel Items You Must Travel With. Additionally, for a list of everything else you’d need for travelling, read our Packing Checklist.
Bonus Tips
- Visit the Canary Islands, Spain, outside of peak season: sure, swimming at the beach will be a tad cooler. But, for milder weather, fewer crowds and cheaper prices, visit Tenerife outside of summer. Beck and I visited in the non-peak season and had an absolute blast!
- Hotel recommendation: if you’re looking to avoid the tourist areas, but you still want to stay relatively close to Teide National Park, then consider staying in Adeje. Both Apartamentos Barranco del Infierno and Las 7 Islas, Barranco de Adeje are great Adeje-based accommodation options. Both are located at the foot of Barranco del Infierno, which is another must-do walk!
- Other great hikes in Tenerife to consider other than Mirador de Samara: we’ve heard Callejón de Teno and Baracán Summit and Montaña Negra are great walks too.
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