How to go to the Mask by yourself
Little attracts tourists as much as the Masca Gorge. Hundreds of people gather there every day, so the Cabildo has introduced a fee for tourists to visit Masca starting this summer.
I see many questions and doubts related to visiting this place. Let’s break everything down step by step.
1. Reservation and fee for descending/ascending the gorge
Yes, there is indeed such a fee. You can reserve a ticket and pay for it on the official website: https://www.caminobarrancodemasca.com. Reservations are available for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Slots are available starting from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM at 30-minute intervals. In each slot, there are 10 tickets available.
Important: If you just came by car to see the village of Masca and have a coffee and do not plan to descend into the gorge, you do not need to pay anything; it is still accessible for free.
Descent or ascent: Tickets on the website can only be reserved for two directions – descending from Masca to the beach or ascending from the beach to the village. The descent takes about 3.5 hours. The ascent, of course, takes longer.
Tickets for descent and ascent at the same time are not available for reservation.
Cost: After lengthy discussions about the fee, the Cabildo has set the following rates:
— residents of Tenerife: free
— athletes and club members with insurance from the local Mountain Sports Federation: free
— residents of other Canary Islands, except Tenerife: €3.21 for adult and €1.61 for child tickets
— tourists: €29.96 for adult and €14.98 for child tickets
2. What about boats?
Yes, boats have been launched, friends. Now, without paying for a boat ticket that will take you back after your descent, you won’t be allowed on the trail. The transport of tourists has been assigned to three commercial companies: Discover Teno, Marítima Cantilados, Masca Express.
One more time: before your descent, your boat taxi ticket will be checked. If you have not purchased it in advance, you will not be allowed on the trail.
A list of companies and links to their websites is available here. The ticket price varies from €20 to €25. Discounts are available for residents, but they are small—around €5.
You can buy a ticket from the port to Masca beach and then ascend to the village.
3. What about parking?
Parking in Masca is traditionally a problem. Before entering the village, there is a small official parking lot, which, however, won’t help you much if you came to descend into the gorge. The thing is, there is a maximum limit of 2 hours in this parking lot, after which your car may be towed or you may receive a fine.
Therefore, tourists usually reach Masca from Los Gigantes by taxi, or by public transport from Santiago Del Teide (bus 355) or Buenavista (355 and 365).
Another option is to arrange transportation with your acquaintances or friends.
My conclusion:
Perhaps, the gorge is worth the effort—on an individual basis. However, for me, as an organizer, coordinating all the transport nuances and ticket reservations seems like an overly exhausting task ♀️
I will even cancel my reservation for September 13—there are no less beautiful trails without crowds of tourists and such organizational hassles.
