Tenerife Walking Festival 2017, the great European hiking event

The Tenerife Walking Festival (TWF), one of Europe’s most important hiking events returns to Tenerife May 23rd – May 27th. The trail wraps among the most spectacular natural settings of the island, complimented by varied activities. In turn, raising environmental awareness to an already landmark event.

The Minister of Tourism, Alberto Bernabé, stressed at the presentation ceremony that the Tenerife Walking Festival "is not only a great meeting of European national hiking but also is event that contributes to enhance the attributes of a diverse island like ours that has a lot more to offer than the sun and beach.”

CEO of Tourism of Tenerife, Vicente Dorta, explained that the festival is open to all walkers across the continent. "So far there are nearly 200 registered participants, similar to last year, which we consider an ideal number because it allows for proper development of this event and also helps support local active tourism companies.”

Councilor for Tourism of Puerto de la Cruz, Dimple Malwani, referred to it as a "great opportunity” for the municipality to be the official venue of the festival and "in line with what we want for our city, a multi-experiential destination. "

Pedro Millán, representing the Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports (FEDME), praised the great impact of the festival across Europe. He has announced the celebration of two annual high profile meetings, namely the board of directors and presidents of regional federations coinciding with the celebration of the TWF.

This year, the festival is expanding the number of paths that walkers can go for the most striking views of Tenerife. Participants will have the opportunity to start in unique spaces such as Teno Rural Parks, Anaga or the Teide National Park, among others.

The variety of routes ensures participants to choose those that best suit their preferences and fitness level. Two of the five paths open on the first day of the festival, and participants can enjoy afternoon treks with the opportunity to spend the night at a rural accommodation in order continue the tour in the morning.

As in previous editions, the event will be much more than just the trails. The festival will be complemented by prominent international and national speakers, and their work related to hiking, mountaineering and nature. Representing Spain is Sebastián Álvaro, one of the world's leaders in this activity, who has already become the “godfather” of the festival after having been present at TWF last two editions. There will also be photo exhibitions, a business area of outdoor activities, and dining space.

For the second time, on Saturday, May 27th the city of Puerto de la Cruz will host the grand finale of Tenerife Walking Festival with product tastings of the island – from cuisine, to live cooking demonstrations and a active tourism fair. All of these events are an ideal meeting point for both official walkers and locals alike.

Tenerife Walking Festival is organized by the Cabildo of Tenerife, through Turismo de Tenerife, with the collaboration of the ERA (European Trekking Association), FEDME (Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing), the Fecamon (Federation Canaria Mountaineering), the City of Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz Sustainable Foundation.