The hill town of Santiago del Teide is, to put it bluntly, a mess. Despite nestling in one of Tenerife’s most picturesque valleys, it is not a particularly nice environment. Not at the moment anyway. And that’s because of the Anillo Insular.
The Anillo Insular
The Anillo Insular is a ring road linking the south and north of Tenerife via the west of the island rather than the busy autopista (motorway) heading east, which skirts Santa Cruz and travels through the occasionally congested metropolis area. Work started about a decade and a half ago, with various sections opening between then and now. Only one section remains unfinished, the Erjos Tunnel connecting El Tanque and Santiago del Teide. At just over five kilometres, it will be the longest tunnel in the Canary Islands. When it will be finished is debatable. Current estimates say 2027, but anyone who knows how reliable official estimations are in the Canaries won’t hold their breath for that one being achieved. There’s no denying that the Anillo Insular has made travelling between the north and the south far easier for anyone who can avoid the metropolis area, and it’s a more scenic route as well, but Santiago del Teide is a disaster zone until the work is complete.
What’s the problem?
The issue is the new road cuts across the old road (TF-82) right at the southern edge of the town. From there, it heads north, running parallel to the main street, before it disappears into the hillside just beyond the northern boundary of Santiago del Teide. At its closest point, there is barely twenty-five metres between buildings and the Anillo Insular. Acting as a barrier in-between is a mini mountain range of rock and aggregates. It’s noisy and dusty. Apart from that, high metal fences separate much of the town from the surrounding countryside. The once tranquil town has the appearance of an immense building site.
Impact on driving
On our last couple of visits, cars queued constantly to navigate their way through the centre of town. The restrictions for accessing Masca by private vehicle have added to the traffic in the town, but that’s not the main issue. Although the Anillo Insular isn’t as busy as the TF1 heading north and east, it’s a lot busier than it was a few years ago. The increased volume of traffic has created a bottleneck in Santiago del Teide, especially at peak commuting times. The constant stream of cars adds to the general chaotic atmosphere and noise.
Impact on hiking
The building work has caused havoc with established walking routes. Even the old Stations of the Cross route, the Camino de Lourdes, is fenced off and dug up, ugly mounds obliterating what was, not so long, ago a tabaiba (euphorbia) and white cross-lined path. There are plans to re-route the Camino de Lourdes over the motorway, but for now it remains a victim of progress.
Similarly, paths leading from Santiago del Teide south, west, and even east have been impacted by the building of the new road. There are some signposts pointing the way to detours, but these tend to only help if starting from Santiago del Teide. If heading toward the town, hikers may find themselves trapped. We watched two male walkers arrive right at the CEIP building on the southern tip of town to find themselves completely fenced in, or out in this instance. As these are high wire fences, it was a case of so close but yet so far.
One of the reasons we were there was to make changes to our self-guided walking routes in the area, so people who use them don’t encounter unexpected obstacles. Ironically, we think the enforced changes have made them better.
What the future holds
As you can see, Santiago del Teide is a mess. However, it still exudes that distinctive Canarian hill town charm. Block out the chaos, and Santiago del Teide is still Santiago del Teide, and a good hub for accessing some cracking walking routes. Be patient, it’s a victim while work on the tunnel is ongoing. After that is complete, we believe Santiago del Teide will return to its formerly tranquil state, moreso as most traffic will completely bypass it.
The big question is when that will actually happen.
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