Del teide national park: Teide National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Опубликовано: December 28, 2021 в 10:12 am

Автор: alexxlab

Категории: Miscellaneous

How to Visit Teide National Park, Tenerife, Spain

No trip to Tenerife is complete without visiting Teide National Park. Boasting UNESCO status and the highest peak in Spain, El Teide (3,718 m), Teide National Park is one of the most impressive destinations in the Canary Islands.

The park stretches across the center of Tenerife encompassing the Cañadas del Teide caldera.

About 300,000 years ago, a massive volcano collapsed, thus forming the caldera. From above, it looks like a huge basin or depression (you’ll see this more clearly on the map below).

Pico Viejo, El Teide, and many other smaller volcanoes have sprouted out from the caldera floor, creating a striking lunar landscape of lava, pumice, and rock. The caldera is also home to rare, endemic flora and fauna, like Teide broom and Teide Bugloss.

During your visit, you can drive across Cañadas del Teide on TF-21, hike up the caldera rim, summit Pico del Teide, and walk over fields of lava and pumice.

In this guide, we’re going to outline everything you need to know about visiting Teide National Park and summiting Pico del Teide (permit, cable car, ascent routes, etc…).

Teide National Park Quick Facts

Entrance Fee: None
Permits: You only need a permit to summit Pico del Teide.
Parking: Parking is free throughout the park. If you’re visiting during peak holiday seasons, parking fills up very quickly.
Main Attractions: El Teide and Roques de García
Recommended Hike: Parador Nacional to Guajara
Camping: Camping is forbidden in Teide National Park
Recommended Itinerary: Tenerife 7-day Road Trip
Where to Stay in Teide National Park: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (luxury)
Recommended Guidebook: Tenerife Rother Walking Guide

This post links to products and services we love, which we may make a small commission from, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog!! – Sabrina and Kati

Teide National Park Map

Essential Info for Visiting Teide National Park

Visitor Information | There are two visitor centers in Teide National Park: one at El Portillo and the other at Parador Nacional. To get updates on trail closures, facilities, and weather, visit volcanoteide.com.

Permits | If you want to hike to Mount Teide Peak (Pico del Teide), you need to secure a free permit in advance. Try to get your permit as early as possible.

Safety | As you explore the park, you’ll be between 2,000 and 3,718 meters. That’s really high, especially if you started your day at sea level. High elevation can impact people in different ways. If you ascend too quickly on trails, you might experience shortness of breath, dizziness, and even nausea. If you feel ill, descend immediately. If you’re determined to tackle some high elevation hikes in the park, we recommend drinking lots of water and sleeping at a higher elevation the night before (e. g. Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide).

Food | Definitely bring snacks and water with you. Here are a few places you can grab a bite to eat in the park:

Parador Nacional Cafeteria (adjoined to the shop)
Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide hotel restaurant
Mount Teide Cable Car base station café
Restaurante La Bamby
Restaurante El Portillo

Theft | Never leave valuables in your car. Throughout Tenerife, rental cars are often targetted by thieves because tourists leave their possessions in plain sight. We recommend peeling off your rental car sticker as well.

Essentials | Wear warm clothing (thermal jacket, wind-proof/rain jacket, fleece, beanie, and gloves) and sturdy hiking boots like the women’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX / Meindl Schuhe Island Lady or the men’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX.

How to Get to Teide National Park

TF-21

The best options for visiting Teide National Park are with a rental car or on a guided tour. Transit to and from the park is extremely limited, so it’s not something we recommend.

Teide National Park covers a surface area of 190 km2 (18,990 hectares). To get to the very heart of the park, head to Parador Nacional.

You’ll find the highest concentration of trailheads and places to eat between Parador Nacional and El Portillo.

There are three ways to get to Parador Nacional (with a car):

From the South (e.g. Los Cristianos and Costa Adeje), head to Vilaflor and take TF-21 into the park (30 minutes / 22 km)
From the North (e.g. Puerto de la Cruz), head to La Orotava and take TF-21 into the park (1 hour / 38 km)
From the West (e.g. Los Gigantes), head to Chío and TF-38 highway and then TF-21 into the park (40 min / 36 km)

Rental Car

The most efficient way to travel between hiking destinations in Teide National Park is with your own car.

We recommend using the Discovercars. com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals in Tenerife. This easy-to-use booking platform compares car rental deals from 500+ trusted providers, so that you can choose the best option for your trip.

Tip: If you can only drive automatic transmission cars, as opposed to manual transmission cars (stick shift), book your can rental as early as possible.

Check car rental rates here.

How to Summit Pico del Teide

Step 1: Get a Permit

After 9 am, you need a permit to hike to the top of El Teide. Permits are free, but you should get one well in advance of your planned hiking date.

Kati and I tried securing our permits a month in advance and we were already too late. You can obtain a free permit from the Parque Nacional Teide reservation website.

If you can’t get a permit…

If you can’t get a permit on your own, you can still book a guided tour like this one, which includes the permit, cable car tickets (up and down), and insurance. For more options, check out these Teide guided tours.

If you’re not a fan of guided tours and are still determined to summit El Teide, you could visit the peak before 9 am (no permit necessary).

The best way to do that is by overnighting in the Altavista Refuge (reservation needed) and hiking up to the summit early the next morning.

Bring a headlamp, food, and warm clothing. You just have to be off the peak (trail No 10) before 9 am.

Step 2: Pick your Route

Cable Car Up & Down

There are different ascent routes, but the most popular and easiest way to summit Teide is by taking the cable car (there’s only one cable car in the whole park).

From the top station, La Rambleta, you’ll have to hike up the final 163 meters to Teide Peak.

Make sure to purchase your cable car tickets in advance.

Hike: TF-21 (Trailhead at km 40.5) – Refugio de Altavista (3260 m) – Pico del Teide (3718 m)

If you’re not planning on taking the cable car up, this is the easiest ascent route to the top.

However, it still involves a hefty 1400 meter ascent. This route follows trails 7 and 11. You can descend with the cable car (book in advance), or hike down the way you came.

Step 3: Purchase your Cable Car Tickets

Purchase your cable car tickets here. Pricing (as of 2022) is as follows:

Ticket for the ascent: 21.50 EUR
Ticket for the descent: 21.50 EUR
Cable car return ticket: 38 EUR

The cable car only operates in stable weather conditions. You can check the cable car status here.

Kati and I planned to take the cable car up to the top station and hike to Pico Viejo and then all the way down to Parador.

We purchased our tickets, but when we arrived at the cable car station, we were informed that the cable car wasn’t running, due to strong winds.

If that happens to you, you can either get a full refund or re-book your ticket for another day, at no extra cost.

Step 4: Monitor Trail Conditions and Weather

If it’s really windy, or icy, Teide National Park will close the trails to the summit, to the Refuge or Pico Viejo. You can monitor trail conditions and closures here.

Step 5: Have a Backup Plan

If the cable car isn’t running, or the trail to the summit is closed, there are other options.

If it’s not windy and you’re up for a half-day hike, we recommend the Parador to Guajara circuit trail.

For an easy, but stunning hike, walk the circuit trail around Roques de García.

Learne More: Best Hikes in Teide National Park.

Teide National Park Walking Routes

Roques de GarcíaMontaña de la Botija

There are some outstanding walks across Cañadas del Teide and up to the caldera rim.

If you’re not in the mood for a big hike, we highly recommend the Roques de García circuit walk and the Montaña de la Botija loop trail.

Easy Walks in Teide National Park

Roques de García (1:30 hours)
Montaña de la Botija and Montaña Samara (1:45 hours)
Fortaleza (3:15 hours)

Moderate Hikes in Teide National Park

Parador Nacional to Guajara (4:30 hours)
El Portillo to Huevos del Teide and Montaña Blanca (6 hours)

Learn more about these trails: Best Hikes in Teide National Park

Where to Stay in Teide National Park

Guajara

Luxury | The best place to stay in Teide National Park is Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide. This hotel is situated on TF-21 in the best possible location. Parador is the trailhead to Mount Guajara and a few minutes away from the Roques de García trailhead. You can also walk from the hotel to the cable car base station (1 hour) or drive (6 minutes). If you stay here, you’ll also be able to enjoy the starry skies, as there’s no light pollution in the park.

Book your stay at Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide.

Look for accommodation in Teide National Park.

You can also stay in Vilaflor

Another great base for visiting Teide National Park is the town of Vilaflor, which is only a 30-minute drive from the park. If you overnight in Vilaflor (1,400 m), you’ll have the advantage of acclimatizing before tackling higher elevations in the park.

Midrange | El Tejar Hotel & Spa

Luxury | Hotel Spa Villalba is surrounded by forest and located in the mountains below Teide National Park, this peaceful hotel encourages you to unwind and relax. Guests have access to a wellness area featuring saunas and an indoor/outdoor pool. Bedrooms are comfortable and spacious. But, our favorite thing about staying here was the breakfast buffet, featuring local specialties and everything else you’d ever want. It’s possible to eat dinner at the hotel, but we’d recommend eating in the town of Vilaflor instead.

Look for accommodation in Vilaflor.

Teide National Park Hiking Essentials

Hiking Gear

Hiking Backpack: Osprey Tempest 30 Women’s Backpack / Osprey Talon 33 Men’s Backpack
Grade B/C high-cut hiking boots: Meindl Schuhe Island Lady (Kati’s Boots), Women’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX (Sabrina’s Boots), Men’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX (men’s equivalent)
Polarized, CAT 3-4 Sunglasses: Julbo Shield Mountain Sunglasses
Hiking Poles: Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles

Photography Gear

Camera Body: Sony Alpha a6000
Camera Body and Kit Lenses: Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless + 16-50mm and 55-210mm Zoom Lenses
Backpack Camera Clip: Peak Design Camera Clip

Tenerife Hiking Guides

Hiking Book: Tenerife Rother Walking Guide

Pin it!

And while you’re there, connect with us on Pinterest!

If you thought this post was helpful, follow us on Instagram @moonhoneytravelers

More Info for Your Trip to Tenerife:

Tenerife Road Trip Itinerary
Where to Stay in Tenerife for Hiking
Tenerife in January
Best Hikes in Tenerife
Best Hikes in the Anaga Mountains
Benijo to Faro de Anaga Day Hike
Anaga Rural Park: Escape to Tenerife’s Ancient Moutain Range
How to Visit Punta de Teno
Hiking in the Mysterious Teno Mountains

You May Also Like:

Best Hikes in Portugal
Algarve Travel Guide
Algarve Road Trip Itinerary

Best Hikes in Teide National Park, Tenerife, Spain

Teide National Park looks like it was painted in broad brushstrokes of mauve, ebony, ochre, and ash. As you venture into the volcanic wonderland of Las Cañadas caldera, you’ll see petrified lava, craggy outcrops, plains of pumice, and splashes of green and plum.

This thrilling hiking destination in the center of Tenerife island feels like another planet, far far away from the subtropical forests of Anaga and the fertile valleys of Orotava and La Laguna. Naturally, the main focal point is Mount Teide (3,715 m), Spain’s highest peak.

Most visitors are fixated on climbing El Teide (permit needed) during their trip to the largest Canary Island. However, there are many other hiking trails along the Caldera rim and in Las Cañadas del Teide that shouldn’t be overlooked.

From easy 1-hour loop trails to more demanding summit hikes, Teide National Park is a hiker’s paradise.

We recommend spending two full days in the park. Base yourself directly in the heart of Teide National Park at Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide, or in the town of Vilaflor.

Plan Your Trip: Tenerife Road Trip Itinerary

Parador Nacional to Guajara
Roques de García
Fortaleza
Montaña de la Botija and Montaña Samara
Huevos del Teide and Montaña Blanca
Pico del Teide

This post links to products and services we love, which we may make a small commission from, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog!! – Sabrina and Kati

Teide National Park Hiking Map

Tips for Hiking in Teide National Park

Wear warm clothing and bring layers. You’ll be hiking between 2,100 and 3,715 meters. Even on crystal-clear sunny days, it can be really chilly and windy in the park. Pack your thermal jacket, beanie, and gloves.
Pack hiking snacks and sufficient water. There are a few places you can eat in the park, but not many. Eating options include the cafeteria at Parador Nacional, the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide hotel restaurant, the cable car bottom station café, Restaurante La Bamby and Restaurante El Portillo.
Wear Grade B/C hiking boots like the women’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX / Meindl Schuhe Island Lady (what Kati and I wear) or the men’s Hanwag Tatra II GTX.
Don’t leave valuables in your parked car.
Use Maps.me (offline maps app) to locate trailheads.
Purchase the Tenerife Rother Walking Guide.
Rent a car if you want to do lots of hiking in Teide National Park. We recommend using the Discovercars.com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals in Tenerife. This easy-to-use booking platform compares car rental deals from 500+ trusted providers, so that you can choose the best option for your trip. Check car rental rates here.
To get updates on trail closures, facilities, and weather, visit volcanoteide.com.

1. Parador Nacional to Montaña Guajara Circuit Trail

Trailhead: Parador Nacional (bus stop, hotel, gift shop and cafeteria)
Distance: 10 km circuit
Time Needed: 4:30 hours
Elevation Gain/Loss: 647 m
Difficulty: Moderate – Difficult
Min. Elevation: 2126 m
Max. Elevation: 2693 m
Route: Parador Nacional – Degollada de Guajara (mountain pass) – Guajara (mountain) – Degollada de Ucanca (mountain pass) – Parador Nacional
Where to Stay: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (luxury) in Teide Nationalpark, or El Tejar Hotel & Spa (midrange) in Vilaflor

If you only have time for one hike in Teide National Park, choose this one. This circuit trail starts at Parador Nacional and takes you to the summit of Guajara, 2718 m, a broad-shouldered mountain along the caldera rim.

From the top of Mount Guajara, you’ll be treated to inspiring views of Mount Teide, the Cañadas, the coast and neighboring Canary Islands like La Gomera.

From the roundabout at Parador Nacional, follow trail S-4 towards Guajara (opposite direction of Mount Teide).

Look for the white/red/yellow trail marker. After about 15 minutes, you’ll reach a road, where you’ll turn left onto S-4. Shortly thereafter, you’ll walk past a stone shelter.

The wide roadway gently ascends through a cluster of copper-colored rock formations. Follow trail #5 to Guajara Pass (2385 m). At the pass, turn right onto trail S-15, in the direction of Alto de Guajara.

The final ascent to the Guajara plateau is very gentle. For the best views, explore the plateau beyond the make-shift stone wall, which provides shelter from strong winds.

To continue the circuit, retrace your ascent route for about 200 m to the last trail intersection. Continue right.

Keep in mind that the descent route is more difficult because of uneven terrain and steeper sections. To complete the circuit, follow signs towards Parador (S-31).

2. Roques de García Loop Trail

Trailhead: Mirador de la Ruleta
Distance: 4.2 km circuit
Time Needed: 1:30 hours
Elevation Gain/Loss: 170 m
Difficulty: Easy
Min. Elevation: 2022 m
Max. Elevation: 2183 m
Where to Stay: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (luxury) in Teide National Park, or Hotel Spa Villalba (luxury) in Vilaflor

This short but nevertheless impressive walk around the rock formation Roques de García is a must-do. The trail starts at the lookout point Mirador de la Ruleta, which is on the opposite side of the road from Parador Nacional (where hike #1 started).

We followed the flat path on the right side of the rock formation and followed the circuit trail anti-clockwise.

Though most of the trail is level, the final stretch is marked by a steep 200-meter ascent.

Tip: The best time to hike around Roques de García is at golden hour, one hour before sunset.

At this time of day, most people have left Teide National park, leaving this popular trail blissfully empty. And as the sun slowly bids farewell, the jagged landscape glows shades of amber and peach.

3. Fortaleza

Trailhead: El Portillo
Distance: 10.1 km out-and-back
Time Needed: 3:10 hours
Elevation Gain/Loss: 301 m
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
Min. Elevation: 2043 m
Max. Elevation: 2142 m
Route: El Portillo (Visitor Center) – Cañada de los Guancheros – Cruz de Fregel – Fortaleza – El Portillo
Where to Stay: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (luxury) in Teide Nationalpark, or El Refugio De Maria (budget) in La Orotava

La Fortaleza is a rusty-brown, flat-topped massif in Teide National Park. The hike to the summit of Fortaleza is a leisurely walk through the Cañadas of Teide.

With continuous views of Mount Teide, this flat path traverses an expansive volcanic landscape dotted with laburnum bushes and Teide gorse. If you hike here in spring, you’ll see blooming red bugloss.

To start the hike, head to the Visitor Center at El Portillo. Just before the entrance, there’s a walkway on the left side. Take this ramp and follow trail No 1 in the direction of Mount Teide.

You’ll hike along trail No 1 for an hour (3 km) before reaching the Trail No 29 intersection. To ascend to Fortaleza, turn right onto trail No 29 to a small chapel, called Cruz de Fregel. Continue uphill, ignoring the trail heading right.

At the summit (more like a plateau), you’ll see Teide, the forests of Ortova Valley, Puerto de la Cruz, and even the coast. It’s best to descend the way you came up. We continued across Fortaleza and ended up scrambling down a precipitous slope (not recommended).

Retrace your steps and follow the route back to the visitor center.

Read Next: Best Day Hikes in Tenerife

4. Montaña de la Botija and Montaña Samara Circuit Trail

Trailhead: Mirador de Sámara, small parking lot off of TF-38
Distance:5. 1 km circuit
Time Needed: 1:45 hours
Elevation Gain/Loss: 230 m
Difficulty: Easy
Min. Elevation: 1862 m
Max. Elevation: 2092 m
Where to Stay: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (luxury) in Teide National Park, or Hotel La Casona del Patio (midrange) in Santiago del Teide

This delightful loop trail around Montaña de la Botija is a great option for those driving from Los Gigantes to Teide National Park.

The color contrasts between the young pine trees and the black lava slopes make this one of the most photogenic destinations in the park.

From the small parking lot off of TF-38 (see map for exact location), follow the trail that runs parallel to the road.

Turn left onto trail 13 and follow this trail around Montaña de la Botija.

5. Huevos del Teide and Montaña Blanca

Trailhead: El Portillo
Distance: 20. 4 km circuit
Elevation Gain/Loss: 750 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Needed: 6:00 hours
Min. Elevation: 2050 m
Max. Elevation: 2736 m
Route: El Portillo (Visitor Center) – Montana de los Tomillos – Huevos del Teide – Montana Blanca – Huevos del Teide – Canada de los Guancheros – El Portillo (Visitor Center)
Where to Stay: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (luxury) in Teide Nationalpark, or El Refugio De Maria (budget) in La Orotava

This trail somewhat overlaps with the Fortaleza hike, so we recommend only doing one of these trails during your trip to Teide National Park. We did both and it was a bit redundant.

Though not very strenuous, the hike from El Portillo to Montaña Blanca is a long one. There’s a faster approach to Montaña Blanca from the TF-21 road (see the orange marker “Sendero de Montaña Blanca” on the map).

The problem is that there is extremely limited parking near this trailhead.

From El Portillo, head onto trail No 1 for 15 minutes. When the trail forks, turn left onto trail No 6 and continue straight towards El Teide for 5 km (~2 hours). Trail 6 will ultimately intersect a roadway. Turn right onto the road and ascend to the col between Montaña Blanca and El Teide.

As you ascend, you’ll hike across pumice slopes speckled with black lava boulders known as “Huevos del Teide” (Teide eggs).

These “eggs” are accretion balls and they form when a lava flow moves down a steep slope and pieces of solidified lava roll over the still molten surface, gathering layers of lava, just like a snowball.

At the col, the ascent route to Pico del Teide branches off to the right. Stay left and continue for 10 minutes to the summit plateau of Montaña Blanca.

To return back to El Portillo, either follow the route you came (18.6 km out-and back) or take trail 22 back to the trailhead.

Read Next: Best Hikes in the Anaga Mountains, Tenerife

6. Pico del Teide Summit

Trailhead: La Rambleta, Teide Cable Car Top Station, 3555 m
Distance: 1.3 km out-and-back
Elevation Gain/Loss: 163 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Min. Elevation: 3532 m
Max. Elevation: 3715 m
Where to Stay: Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide (luxury) in Teide National Park, or Hotel Spa Villalba (luxury) in Vilaflor

If you want to hike to the summit of El Teide, you need to secure a permit. Permits are free but are not easy to get.

We tried securing a permit a month in advance and it was too late.

You can obtain a free permit from the Parque Nacional Teide reservation website. As soon as you secure your permit, you should also book your cable car tickets.

There are different ascent routes, but the most popular and easiest way to summit Teide is by taking the cable car (there’s only one cable car in the whole park) up to the top station, La Rambleta, and hiking the final 163 meterss up to Teide Peak.

If you can’t get a permit on your own, you can still book a guided tour like this one, which includes the permit, cable car tickets (up and down), and insurance.

For more options, check out these Teide guided tours.

Learn more about hiking Pico del Teide in our Teide National Park Visitor’s Guide.

Best Base for Hiking in Teide National Park

Teide National Park

Book your stay at Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide.

Look for accommodation in Teide National Park.

Vilaflor

Another great base for hiking in Teide National Park is the town of Vilaflor. If you overnight in Vilaflor (1,400 m), you’ll have the advantage of acclimatizing before tackling higher elevations in the park. Vilaflor is a 30-minute drive to Parador Nacional and Roques de García.

Midrange | El Tejar Hotel & Spa

Look for accommodation in Vilaflor.

Pin it!

And while you’re there, connect with us on Pinterest!

If you thought this post was helpful, follow us on Instagram @moonhoneytravelers

Read More About Tenerife

Where to Stay in Tenerife for Hiking
How to Visit Anaga Rural Park
Benijo to Faro de Anaga Circuit Hike
Best Hikes in the Anaga Mountains
How to Visit Punta de Teno
Hiking in the Teno Mountains
Best Day Hikes in Tenerife
Tenerife in January

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Best Hikes in Portugal
Algarve Travel Guide
Algarve Road Trip Itinerary

TEIDE NATIONAL PARK – World Heritage Datasheet

Inscription year

2007

Country
Spain

Teide on the island of Tenerife is the highest mountain in Spain and at 7,500m above the sea floor, is the world’s third largest volcanic structure. It is a shield volcano that combines a severely beautiful landscape, often wreathed in cloud, with a great variety of volcanic features with uncommon altitude-adapted endemic flora and invertebrate fauna. It has been long studied. The high unpolluted location makes it a natural laboratory for astrophysical research, for monitoring climatic change and global atmospheric pollution in addition to the study of the geological processes which created it.

COUNTRY

Spain

NAME

Teide National Park

NATURAL WORLD HERITAGE SERIAL SITE

2007: Inscribed on the World Heritage List under Natural Criteria vii and viii.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee issued the following statement at the time of inscription:

Teide National Park, dominated by the 3,781 m Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano, represents a rich and diverse assemblage of volcanic features and landscapes concentrated in a spectacular setting.

Criterion (vii): Mount Teide is a striking volcanic landscape dominated by the jagged Las Cañadas escarpment and a central volcano that makes Tenerife the third tallest volcanic structure in the world. Within this landscape is a superlative suite of landforms that reveal different phases of construction and remodeling of the volcanic complex and highlight its unique geodiversity. The visual impact is emphasized by atmospheric conditions that create constantly changing textures and tones in the landscape and a ‘sea of clouds’ that forms a visually impressive backdrop to the mountain.

Criterion (viii): Teide National Park is an exceptional example of a relatively old, slow moving, geologically complex and mature volcanic system. It is of global importance in providing diverse evidence of the geological processes that underpin the evolution of oceanic islands, and these values complement those of existing volcanic properties on the World Heritage List, such as the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It offers a diverse and accessible assemblage of volcanic features and landscapes in a relatively limited area. The area is a major centre for international research with a long history of influence on geology and geomorphology especially through the work of von Humboldt, von Buch and Lyell which has made Mount Teide a significant site in the history of volcanology.

The property is well managed and resourced, with a six-year management plan in place which is due for renewal in 2008. The property is afforded the same legal protection as other national parks in Spain and is surrounded by a buffer zone. Key management issues include the management of tourism, the potential impact of climate change, and effective coordination of management responsibility between national and regional levels of government.

IUCN MANAGEMENT CATEGORY

Teide Natural Monument:	Unassigned

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL PROVINCE

Macaronesian Islands (2.40.13)

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

Teide is the central peak of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands which lie 320 km west of Africa and 1,380 km southwest of Spain at 28^o 09’00” to 28^o 20’02 N by 16^o 29’00″to 16^o 44’00” W.

DATES AND HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT

1954: Teide National Park (13,571ha) established by decree;

1994: Teide Natural Monument declared by Law No. 12;

1981: The Peripheral Protection Zone was established by Law 5/1981; the National Park reclassified;

1989: Granted European Union Diploma Class A by the Council of Europe; extended 1994 & 1999;

2000: Corona Forestal National Park established by Decree 1/2000.

2002: Teide Management and Usage Administratiion Plan approved by decree 153.

2005: The Canary Islands designated a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area by the International Marine Organisation;

LAND TENURE

The land is 92.78% owned by eleven municipalities, one of which, La Orotava, owns 72% of the area. The state owns 7.2%, and 4 ha is owned by private communication companies. From 2007 the Park will be managed by the National Park Service under the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands.

AREA

The nominated core area is 18,990 ha. The buffer zone of 54,127.9 ha comprises the Corona Forestal National Park (46,612.9 ha) and the Peripheral Protection Zone (7,515 ha). The whole area protected totals 73,117. 9 ha.

ALTITUDE

1,650m-3,718m (Teide, 3,134m Pico Viejo)

PHYSICAL FEATURES

Teide is the highest mountain in Spain, an impressive stratovolcano in the centre of the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, a chain formed like the Hawaiian Islands by the passing of the under-lying lithospheric plate across a magma plume. The nominated core and associated protected areas cover over a third of the island. Its peaks of Teide and Pico Viejo rise 1,700m and 1,340m respectively from the encircling 16km-wide caldera of the huge ancient Las Caňadas (the springs) volcano, which erupted violently 200,000 years ago. The present volcano which is the third highest in the world after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, rises 7,500m from the ocean floor and was created over a long period by a low-intensity magmatic hot spot beneath an almost stationary tectonic plate. It is of great scientific interest because it concentrates in a palimpsest of successive eruptive and effusive landscapes a wide range of geological and magmatic features characteristic of such mid-plate oceanic islands.

Most notable is the vast caldera of the volcano created by a landslide, floored at the 2,000m level by lava fields, walled by a 600m escarpment of multicolored rocks, overlaid on the north side by the high volcanic summits rising out of it. The crescent-shaped floor of the caldera teems with a network of smaller volcanic mouths, cones domes, lava channels, dikes, lavas from light felsic flows to viscid red lavas and black obsidian blocks, ochre plains of sandy alluvial deposits and red and black volcanic ejecta, scoria, lapilli and pumice, from a long series of basaltic effusions. They form the most varied collection known of volcanic structures, forms and detritus. The rocky soil is droughty but nutrient- and mineral-rich, and of many colors, in one place, Los Azulejos, greenish in cast. Under the intense sunlight the harsh red-brown desertic colouring streaked with basalt and, in season, bright with flowers, are very striking.

CLIMATE

The island exists between warm temperate and subtropical zones. The mean annual temperature is 20^oC, with lows below -15^oC in winter and highs above 30^oC in summer with extreme diurnal oscillations of more than 15^oC. Overall the climate of gentle winters and dry summers is mellowed by the cold Canarian current but a thermal inversion and the mountain’s height isolates it from marine influences, and Las Cañadas has a harsh climate; freeze-thaw processes near the summit create active periglacial forms. Annual precipitation is below 500mm, with more than half falling in winter, a third of it as snow which can last many months. A layer of cloud often hangs between 1,700-and 1,800m. The insolation is the highest in Spain which, with the low humidity and high atmospheric pressure, create an exceptionally limpid atmosphere. The mountain’s location in a high pressure zone gives it atmospheric stability and constant winds throughout the year, but mostly in summer. The prevailing tradewinds blow from the northeast. Westerly storm winds can reach up to 200 km/h. Southern winds are linked with invasions of hot Saharan air.

VEGETATION

The vascular flora of the National Park numbers 220 species, 74 mosses, 8 liverworts and 100 lichens which are often the dominant vegetation. Sincebits protection as a National Park it has recovered 0overgrazingTwo tree species occur: an occasional isolated Canary Island cedar Juniperus cedrus or Canary Island pine Pinus canariensis. Many of the 36 plants endemic to Tenerife are found in the Park and 16 are endemic to the Park itself, This high endemism is the result of adaptive radiation accelerated by the mountain’s oceanic and altitudinal isolation and dryness acting on a flora which has conserved paleo-endemic species. Its most representative ecosystems are highland scrub and the peak ecosystem, both rich in species adapted to the rigours of high altitude: cushion form, protected leaves and high flower production. There is a mosaic of unsynchronised primary ecological succession related to successive lava flows and the slowness of plant growth in the cold dry conditions. Consumption by goats and wood-collectors has favoured plants which re-sprout over those sexually reproduced. Due to the proximity to Africa, its unique level phytogenetic diversity is close to that of continental ecosystems and it has the most diverse high-mountain ecosystem of any Atlantic island. It exemplifies well how evolutionary forces can affect the flora and fauna of high ocean mountains.

The species endemic to the mountain include its two most representative species, sticky broom Adenocarpus viscosus and the widespread Teide white broom Spartocytisus supranubius, also Teide violet Viola cheiranthifolia, which grows up to the summit, Teide edelweiss Gnaphalium teydeum, dwarf bugloss Echium auberianum, the thistle Stemmacantha cynaroides and the Teide catmint Nepeta teydia var.albiflora. Other Canary Island endemics are shrubby scabious Pterocephalus lasiospermus, Teide daisy Argynanthemum teneriffae, red bugloss Echium wildpretti, flixweed Descurainia bourgeauana and D. lemsii, Canary Island wallflower Erisimon scoparius and Canary Island wall lettuce Tolpis webbii. A few kilometres outside the Park and summit area, congenerics found include the legume Adenocarpus foliosus, the bugloss Echium virescens and the daisy Argynantemum frutescens. Through colonization, the endemic Stemmacantha cynaroides is the only Canarian representative of a taxon found in the Atlas Mountains. Some characteristic endemics exclusive to the Park, such as Caňadas rockrose Helianthemum juliae, Teide edelweiss Gnaphalium teydeum or the thistle Stemmacantha cynaroides number only 200 specimens; of others, like the endemic Teide burnet Bencomia exstipulata, there are barely 60 specimens – almost 75% of the natural specimens of this species grow on the summits of Tenerife and La Palma. In addition to this floristic diversity, the Park has a noticeable number of vegetation units that generally define most of the habitats crucial to the conservation of biodiversity. Using the Council of Europe’s Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora, the National Park has eleven Community Interest habitats which occupy 75% of its surface area.

FAUNA

The native vertebrate fauna of 29 species is not extensive: 5 bats, and 3 reptiles plus 5 introduced species: mouflon Ovis gmelini musimon, introduced for the hunt in 1970, Algerian hedgehog Atelerix algiris, rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, house mouse and black rat. The bats include the Tenerife long eared bat Plecotus teneriffae (EN), a Canary Islands endemic, Madeira Pipistrelle Pipistrellus maderensis (EN), endemic to Madeira and the Canaries and the commonest species, lesser noctule Nyctalus leisleri. The endemic reptiles are the Tenerife lizard Gallotia galloti galloti, the rarer Tenerife wall gecko Tarentola delalandii, endemic to Tenerife and La Palma, and west Canary skink Chalcides viridanus viridanus.

Only 16 birds are recorded, most noticeable among them being the blue chaffinch Fringilla teydea teydea, the wild canary Serinus canaria, Berthelot´s pipit Anthus berthelotii berthelotii, the commonest bird, kestrel Falco tinnunculus canariensis, long eared owl Asio otus canariensis and Barbary partridge Alectoris barbara. However, in the lava crevices at least a 1,000 species of invertebrates. 71 are found exclusively in the National Park and 49% are endemic. 25 species endemic to the island are adapted to life in volcanic tube caves, four being found only in a single cave.

CONSERVATION VALUE

This iconic shield volcano combines a severely beautiful landscape composed of a great variety of long-studied volcanic features with uncommon altitude-adapted endemic flora and invertebrate fauna. The high unpolluted location makes it a natural laboratory for astrophysical research and for monitoring global atmospheric pollution and climatic change. The Park lies within a Conservation International-designated Conservation Hotspot, a WWF Global 200 Eco-region, is an IMO-designated Particularly Sensitive Sea area (PSSA) and is protected under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.

CULTURAL HERITAGE

The original population, dating back at least 2,000 years, was a people named the Guanches, conquered by the Spanish in the late 15^th century, who left some evidence of huts, pottery and wooden and obsidian tools and to whom the mountain had religious significance. To the Greco-Roman world it was the zero-point of their coordinate system. In the Renaissance it was thought to be the world’s highest mountain and became an important reference point in transatlantic navigation which brought it much scientific attention. A 1664 expedition from London was written up in the first number of the Royal Society’s Proceedings. Toricelli’s barometer was tested there, and vegetation layering with altitude was described there by von Humboldt in 1799. It became a literary and scientific icon and was much studied by eminent western European scientists, especially after von Buch’s description of the islands in 1815 which initiated modern vulcanology.

LOCAL HUMAN POPULATION

The local people have traditionally gathered the mountain’s natural resources, firewood and dry culm, snow, sulphur and pumice, wildflowers and coloured soils for ornament, pastured their flocks and hived their bees there in summer and till the mid 20^th century, made charcoal. Some of these occupations still occur, under regulation. Only three people live within the Park at present.

VISITORS AND VISITOR FACILITIES

In the last decades of the 19th Century Teide became one of the first nature geo-tourism centers with the construction of the Altavista Refuge at 3,270m specifically for ecotourism (now reconstructed, with 60 beds). Now, there are about 3.5 million tourists a year, making it one of the most visited volcanoes in the world. Visitors are channelled through two educational programs: a Regulated Education program for scientists and a Public Use program served by a network of facilities and equipment, with guided tours for the public, educational lectures and school tours, training tours and environmental workshops. There are visitors’ centres at the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide hotel (Cañada Blanca) and at El Portillo which has a botanic garden of endemic plants and a fire and first aid station. There are also mountain refuges, several restaurants, a cable car with stations at 2,350m and 3,550m and a communications relay station. In addition to hiking, there are camping, climbing, caving and bike tours. The Park Service runs the educational Muñoz Nature Activities center just outside the Park.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND FACILITIES

Following the early work of von Humboldt, von Buch and Lyell, an enormous amount of vulcanological research has been done and is still carried out – into volcanic seismic activity, earthquakes, palaeomagnetism and the collection of geo-chronological data. It is a natural laboratory for atmospheric studies which started in the 1850s with Piazzi Smyth’s observations, followed more recently by studies of ultraviolet light and the structure of trade winds. Due to the clarity of its atmosphere, it remains important for astronomy. The endemic flora over the 2,000m elevational range was inventoried and primary ecological succession on the various lava flows in the extreme conditions has been monitored, extended by the 2,000m elevational range. The exceptional meteorological conditions of Las Cañadas led to the building of the Izana Astrophysical Laboratory at 2,400m by the Astrophysics Institute of the Canary Islands. It is a well-known nucleus for solar physical research, a principal North Atlantic centre for the measurement and monitoring of global atmospheric pollution and part of the Global Climate Change Monitoring Network.

MANAGEMENT

From 2007 on, the site will be managed by the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. The appropriate organisations will classify all land in the area as non-buildable land under special protection, thus prohibiting all construction, except when the Patronage certifies it in the public interest. The harvesting of mountain resources is allowed under regulation, but the managing authorities will emplace measures to protect the terrain, flora, fauna, landscape, natural forests and waters and to limit the introduction of exotic animal or plants. Tourist numbers especially on the summit trails are limited and controlled. Under the 2002-2010 Management Plan, four management zones are confirmed: Reserve (6.7% of the area) for total protection mainly of the escarpment and craters, Restricted Use (68.3%) – full public but no unauthorised activity, vehicles or buildings, Moderate Use (24.7%) – more intensive public use permitted, and Special Use (0.3%) for service structures. Beyond the basic objectives of facilitating and regulating protection, research, recreation and public education, the plan aims to promote sustainable development programs to benefit the surrounding communities. Regular monitoring is done of threatened and critical plant populations, plant community coverage, mouflons, rabbits and introduced species, visitor numbers and requests for research.

MANAGEMENT CONSTRAINTS

The two main present threats to the Park are invasion by exotic species and the heavy pressure of tourism. 30 plant species, mostly associated with human waste, have been eradicated, and some areas fenced off from grazing animals. Of these, the mouflon is to be eradicated and the rabbits controlled. There are several Park-related structures which will remain but some houses will be demolished. Volcanic seismic activity is constantly monitored, and fire surveillance and fighters are on constant guard. The high visitor numbers are to be met by providing further visitor services and increasing controls in the field.

COMPARISON WITH SIMILAR SITES

The main bases for comparing the site with similar existing World Heritage sites on the grounds of outstanding universal value are:

(vii) The severe beauty of the varied, multicolored and well-preserved volcanic landscapes, the clear atmosphere with the peak rising high above clouds and the island, and the mosaic of its uncommon and altitude-adapted summit flora;

(viii) The importance of the geological processes seen in the abundant, varied and long-studied evidence, notably in the huge caldera, of the past explosive and effusive eruptions of a slow developing volcano over a static plate, which is of value to geologic research; the utility to science of its unpolluted location as a centre for research into solar physics, astro-physics and the measurement and monitoring of global atmospheric pollution and climatic change.

There is no other volcano in its biogeographic region although the undesignated Pico do Pico (2,342m high) in the Azores and Mt. Halla (1,950m) off South Korea have similarities. Of the existing 23 World Heritage volcanic sites, it is most comparable with the oceanic serial island shield volcanoes of Hawaii and the Galapagos, both of which formed over a static hot spot and have as many exceptional volcanic features as Teide though the large Galapagos islands group is much richer in endemic plants. The closely comparable Hawaiian volcanoes have a wide range of volcanic forms. But Teide’s lava is more felsic in composition and is quiescent, complementing the other very active basaltic sites. A secondary factor is the high degree of endemism of its flora and its great number of endemic invertebrates, including troglobitic fauna.

There are four shield volcanoes among the twelve volcanic island World Heritage sites: 2,745m snowbound Mt Mawson on Heard Island, and the Subantarctic islands off southern New Zealand (705m high) are climatically not very comparable, the subtropical Lord Howe Island seamount group off Australia (875m high) and cool temperate Inaccessible Island in the south Atlantic (600m high) have similarities but both are dormant and much eroded. Two nominated sites, the Prince Edward Islands off South Africa and Mt.Halla off South Korea are a quietly active shield volcanoes. Most of the other sites are associated with convergent plate subduction, occurring at and not between plate boundaries. These include the Aeolian Islands off Italy, an active historical textbook of vulcanology for 200 years (875m), Rakata on Krakatoa island (813m) which is too continuously active to be comparable; Morne Trois Pitons (1.220m) in the large island of Dominica and the stump-like peaks of the Pitons on St. Lucia (777m) are both centres of hydrothermic activity rather than volcanoes. MacQuarie Island off Australia is a low extruded ocean ridge (433m), St Kilda is an eroded rock. The caldera of Ngorongoro is vast but much weathered. Tectonic volcanoes too clustered in location to be closely comparable to Teide are the high shield volcanoes among the active peaks of glaciated Kamchatka, and some of the long-dormant forested ranges of Australia’s Central Eastern Rainforest. Not of shield origin are Tongariro in New Zealand, Sangay in Ecuador, the African Mounts Kahuzi, Biega, Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira in Virunga National Park; and the grand solitary massifs of Mounts Kenya and Kilimanjaro.

There appear to be no comparable high volcanic World Heritage sites on oceanic islands, considering its rich, explicit and well studied display of volcanic history as a shield volcano, together with a huge caldera and rare flora and fauna, except for its counterpart in the Pacific. It is accessible, beautiful, a serious centre of scientific research, and likely to be well maintained despite high visitation.

STAFF

There is a staff of 11 permanent and 12 contracted workers: 4 technicians, 7 office workers, 6 park rangers and environmental agents, 3 maintenance and 3 cleaners. Private contractors supplement this staff with 114 other workers in the same fields, especially for cleaning and maintenance. The permanent staff receive both professional and work training.

BUDGET

From the national Ministry of the Environment via the Autonomous Regional authority. In 2005 this sum was E4,880,882 (US\$6,424,900). Specific Park projects are also separately funded.

LOCAL ADDRESSES

Teide National Park, nº 5, 4º piso. 38002 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.

web: http://www.mma.es/parques/lared/teide/index.htm

Comunidad Autónoma de Canarias, Viceconsejería de Medio Ambiente, Avenida de Anaga, nº 35, Edificio de Usos Múltiples I, planta 6ª, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife

REFERENCES

The principal source for the above information was the original nomination for World Heritage status.

Ablay, G. & Marti J. (2000). Stratigraphy, structure, and volcanic evolution of the Pico Teide-Pico Viejo formation, Tenerife, Canary Islands. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 103: 175-208.

Anguita, F. & Hernan, F. (2000). The Canary Islands origin: a unifying model. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 103, 1-26.

Arnay de la Rosa, M. (2005). Inventario Arqueológico del Parque Nacional del Teide (etapa 2004 – 2007). 92 páginas y anexo. Documentación inédita.

Bacallado Aranega, J. (Dir) (1984). Fauna (marina y terrestre) del Archipiélago Canario. In: Gran Biblioteca Canaria. 13. Edirca, S.L. Las Palmas. 358 pp.

Carracedo et al. (1998). Hotspot volcanism close to a passive continental margin: the Canary Islands. Geol. Mag., 135: 591-604.

Hammersley, P. (1998). Infrared quality of the Canarian skies. New Astronomy Reviews 42: 533-536.

IUCN (2007).The Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Cambridge,U.K.

Ministry of the Environment (2006). Proposal to Inscribe Teide National Park on the World Heritage List. Government of the Canary Islands. 141 pp. + Annex, 397 pp. [Contains a bibliography of 355 references, mostly in Spanish]

Wildpret, W. & Martin V. (2003). Inventario de la Flora y Vegetación del Parque Nacional del Teide. 2001-2003. Parque Nacional del Teide. Documentación inédita.

DATE

July 2007, May 2011.

Visit Teide National Park, Tenerife

Visit Teide National Park

Teide National Park is a stunning national park surrounding Mount Teide in the centre of Tenerife. Mount Teide in the park is an active volcano though it hasn’t errupted since 1909. Teide National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the most visited national park in Europe.

Explore Teide National Park

Mount Teide is a volcano within a volcano. Millions of years ago a volcano exploded and left behind a 16km-wide crater and, on its northern edge, a smaller volcano – Mount Teide. The whole area is now a weird volcanic landscape filled with lava rocks, lava streams and ash beds.

Teide National Park is very beautiful as well as being very unusual and should be at the top of everyones to-do list when visiting Tenerife.

The crater is edged by a craggy rim known as La Caldera de las Canadas. These rocks have been erroded into very interesting rocky structures. Even more weirdly shaped are the lava rocks called the Roques de Garcia. One of these, the Cinchado, appears in many photos of the park. The Cinchado is more erroded at the base than the top giving the impression that this huge rock will topple at any moment. The view of the Cinchado with Mount Teide behind it is one of the highlights of the park.

As well as some wonderful rock formations the Teide National Park is home to the wonderful tall Echium wildprettii also known as Teide viper’s bugloss. These amazing plants have 2m tall reddish spikes in early summer. May/June is the best time of the year to see many of Teide’s plants in flower.

A single road crosses the crater, known as Las Canadas and this leads to a Parador and a cable car. The cable car takes you close to the summit of Mount Teide and offers great views of the surrounding park. A forty minute fairly strenuous hike takes you from the cable car to the crater. If you want to hike to the top you have to apply beforehand for a licence which is valid for one day only. Visit the Reservas de Parques Nacionales website for a licence. The licence is free but we recommend that you reserve in good time as numbers are limited.

The summit of Mount Teide is at 3718 metres making it the tallest mountain in Spain. Mount Teide is also the third tallest volcano in the world. There are two visitor centres in the park with lots of information about how the dramatic landscape came about and there is a restaurant and bar. There is also an observatory, the Observatorio del Teide, on the east side of the park.

If you want to really have the chance to explore the surreal landscape then a stay at the Parador de Canadas del Teide is not to be missed. It is set right in the park very close to the Roques de Garcia. If you want to stay in the park but pay a bit less then the Altavista refuge at an altitude of over 3000 meters could be what you are looking for.

Teide National Park was voted one of the twelve wonders of Spain in a national TV and radio competition in 2007. It is the most visited national park in Spain and Europe and the 8th most visited in the world. If you are visiting Tenerife without a car there are buses from Costa Adeje and Puerto de la Cruz.

Weather conditions in Teide National Park are more extreme than for the rest of the island and in winter snow falls on the peak of Mount Teide and in summer temperatures can reach 40°C and more.

Places to visit nearby

As Park Teide is at the centre of the island it is a similar distance to most of the coastal towns. If you are enjoying the natural landscape of Tenerife you will no doubtt also enjoy a visit to Masca and the Teno mountains.

Photos kindly supplied by Turismo de Tenerife.

Photos of Teide National Park

Click any picture to start the gallery

Map of Teide National Park and places to visit

Teide National Park places to visit

Icod de los Vinos

Icod de los Vinos is home to the oldest dragon tree on the Canary Islands. It has some pretty squares and is close to the Cueva del Viento larva tunnels.

Icod de los Vinos guide

La Orotava

La Orotava has many beautiful buildings often with interior courtyards and wooden balconies.

La Orotava guide

Loro Parque

Loro Park is one of Europe’s best zoos and also has killer whale and dolphin shows. Enter the 18 meter long shark tunnel.

Loro Parque guide

Garachico

A beautiful little town on the north coast of Tenerife. Garachico has a very pretty centre and a harbour area full of natural rock pools.

Garachico guide

Puerto de la Cruz

Puerto de la Cruz is a lovely town with a pretty harbour and surrounded by lush tropical plants.

Puerto de la Cruz guide

Masca

Masca is Tenerife’s most beautiful village and set amongst superb mountain scenery.

Masca guide

…or see all our recommended places to visit in Tenerife

Helpful Tips for Hiking Trails in El Teide National Park

Have you ever wanted a chance to visit the Moon?

We got one sooner than we ever thought we would, at El Teide National Park in Tenerife, Spain.

After several days in Tenerife at Nine Coliving, we had seen several colonial towns and a few beach towns, and it was time to switch it up completely.

So, we had heard about El Teide and how it would feel like we had left the seaside towns completely. The rumors were not wrong: El Teide is a volcanic national park on Tenerife.

It is home to the El Teide volcano, which is the highest point in Spain and all its islands. Keep in mind that the Canary Islands are a volcanic archipelago, and the landscapes vary from volcanic beaches to forest to rocky terrain and deserts.

According to our Lonely Planet guidebook, four million people visit El Teide National Park per year.

Here’s a fact about El Teide: El Teide has not erupted since the late 1700s, which makes it a pretty safe place to visit even though the volcano is considered active.

The landscape is absolutely unique and should be on your essential list of places to visit during a trip to Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

Here’s a list of tips for visiting El Teide National Park while you’re touring the Canary Islands.

Go on your own, via public bus, to El Teide National Park.

El Teide is located in the center of the island of Tenerife, which makes sense, because Tenerife itself is a volcanic island.

To get to El Teide National Park, you can take a private tour through various operators, drive your own rented car or take the public bus.

We chose to take the public bus. This is a great idea, for keeping your travel budget in check.

The national park itself is so relatively high up that it’s above both the cloud line and the tree line.

The park surrounding the peak on all sides is considered to look lunar because it’s devoid of trees, totally dry and has lava rocks.

How to find the public bus to El Teide in Tenerife

We started the morning by heading off to the bus station in La Orotava for the one daily bus to El Teide.

The public buses go up once and down once per day, so… you had better not miss the one going down! We took the 348 bus from La Orotava.

It comes daily at 9:45 a.m. (definitely check local schedules for where you are staying) and departs from the El Teide visitors center at 4 p.m. again for going down.

Hike on your own, instead of getting cable car tickets.

When we got off the bus at the main visitors center (the last stop on the bus), lots of people were waiting in line for the cable car up to the higher points on the mountain.

For the cable car, you’ll want to first see if the cable car is open on the day of your day trip, and then, check ticket prices.

As of when we visited the Canary Islands, the tourist cable car ride cost 26 EUR (US$30) per person, and takes you to a part of the mountain where you can see the ocean and more islands.

That is pretty epic! Honestly, Teide is one of the coolest places in all of Spain for being so high, so unique and so other-worldly.

If you want to summit, well… only 150 people per day are allowed up past the cable car level, and permits are given out ahead of time and have to be reserved online.

That means that, despite the weather, you have to know well in advance that you’re going if you want to get to the top of Teide, where it can be pretty cold! Bundle up with some jackets and layers in your packing list.

Start your (free) hike in the desert with some walking routes

According to what we saw, it seems that not so many people are opting to walk down to the trails for some lunar scenery.

Without much prior research, we chose to take a trail called Montaña Blanca, a total 3.6 km (2.23 miles).

When we started, the sky was still clear and blue and we could see colors in the landscape.

Also, we were some of the only people around. That was pretty cool: a private national park.

We took some of the most memorable photos from our trip at El Teide, mostly because we had the place to ourselves on the desert walking routes that most people had no interest in trying.

Take in the desert ecosystem and wildlife at Teide.

The desert scenery went from shrubbery to rockier, and by the end we were walking over very porous volcanic rocks that felt crunchy.

We started at 11:25 a.m., and stopped a lot for photos.

It was a good thing, too, because on our way back, the sun was at its highest in the sky, making everything look kind of colorless and shadow-less and flat, and that was when dust started rolling in and the sky got kind of gray and heavy-looking.

The walking trail route ended at the road and it was clear that the route didn’t end at the Montaña Blanca itself, but at a lookout point for Montaña Blanca, and a continued hiking trail with a different name.

This was a bit disillusioning for us, but we were glad that the first half of the hike had been interesting.

We turned back to go to the visitors center to cool off and wait for the bus back!

Actually, we were so hot, covered it dust, sweaty and dehydrated we couldn’t wait to step back into the visitors center and just sit for a while.

For this reason, we really recommend coming prepared with several water bottles and maybe a sports drink, along with some snacks that will not melt.

Keep in mind that we went to El Teide in August, which was pretty temperate all around Tenerife in terms of weather and climate, but Teide is a desert on its own and has its own set of weather standards to expect.

Come prepared with packing essentials for hiking El Teide

Helpful Tip

Bring two water bottles, per person. The stifling heat combined with the sun, the dust and the three hours we spent hiking caused us to ration water, and we wish we had more so that we were not so parched by the end. Bring snacks, too! There is nowhere to buy anything once you leave the visitors center.

We also suggest bringing a travel-sized mini sunscreen. You will be glad you did. You wouldn’t want to burn your skin off on El Teide and be a wreck for the rest of your trip in the Canary Islands!

We usually don’t bring it with us, but we are thankful that we had sunscreen for this hike, as there was no shade (at all!) and nowhere to rest that was out of the sun.

Lastly, hiking boots are helpful, as the trails are dry and rocky and slipping can happen. See more about which shoes to pack for a trip, here.

Plan out the rest of your trip in Tenerife and the Canary Islands.

As we mentioned above, we spent some time in a beautiful town called La Orotava, staying at a lovely coliving called Nine Coliving right in the center of town.

Some places we liked in other parts of the island and nearby were Puerto de la Cruz, La Laguna and Playa Los Gigantes.

If you plan to travel to another island, see our guide for what to know before road tripping in Gran Canaria. Enjoy!

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Last updated on September 2nd, 2022

Teide National Park | For UNESCO World Heritage Travellers

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Community Reviews

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4.50 Malta – 27-Jan-20 –

I visited this WHS in January 2020. I travelled around this WHS by rental car over 2 days using Guía de Isora as my base for 4 nights. This was quite convenient to explore different areas of the Teide NP while at the same time being close to Los Cristianos ferry terminal and South Tenerife Airport.

I had very high expectations for this WHS and I must say I definitely wasn’t disappointed. It is a very well kept national park with free access, free parking, free visitor centres and a free botanical garden! The only time I had to pay was for the return Teleferico to the very top (27 eur) which is not at all necessary to still enjoy the OUV of this WHS.

During my visit I was blessed with beautiful sunny weather with temperatures varying from 1-23 degrees Celsius (depending on the altitude). Make sure to check the Teide weather report as it is quite possible to have completely different weather around Teide compared to the rest of Tenerife (most of the time you’re likely to be above any cloud cover on Tenerife when visiting Teide NP). Moreover, at night and very early in the morning, it can snow quite a lot, so much so that the main roads can be closed at any given time should the authorities deem this necessary.

Over the course of 2 days, I stopped at practically all the several viewpoints or miradores along the TF-21 and the TF-38 main roads going through and around the Teide NP. At the beginning of both main road, on either direction, there are UNESCO WHS markers (no inscription plaque yet though). Each mirador has a number of different information boards bearing the UNESCO symbol.

The TF-38 main road is by far the busiest in terms of traffic but at no time of the day did I feel the place was overcrowded. The only place where later on in the day, parking and bus loads of tourist groups may be an issue, is at the Roques de Garcia Mirador and La Ruleta parking. Here there’s a visitor centre under restoration or under construction and an expensive parador for those who want to actually sleep at the WHS proper. If you visit early in the morning, parking will be quite easy, however even if you visit later on in the day, there are a number of minor miradores or parking points on the side of the road just before the Roques de Garcia mirador. In fact, if you like hiking, I would recommend parking your car at the Mirador Llano de Ucanca (or even Mirador Boca Tauce if you’re in for a long return hike) and hiking to Roque Chincado and Roques de Garcia.

At Mirador Boca Tauce, you’ll be able to see 2 different types of lava flows from Pico Viejo: AA lava which is quite sharp and jagged and Pahoehoe lava which is much smoother. The Llano de Ucanca is now a sedimentary plain of what was possibly a temporary lake. The variety of landscapes here, together with the breathtaking view of the Teide volcano, make this a highlight of the national park which shouldn’t be missed. Just before getting to the colourful hydrothermal alterations of Los Azulejos, you’ll be able to gaze at the famous Roques de Garcia (already at an elevation of around 2070m). Most people reaching the Mirador Roques de Garcia will immediately head uphill thinking they’ll be able to get a decent shot above Roque Chincado. However, the hike up has been chained off half-way as a safety precaution I suppose, so the best photos in my opinion can be taken just a few steps after the first big rock formation or from the Sendero 3 and 23 hiking trails. With a bit of luck and patience, you’ll definitely be able to spot a lot of birds here such as the Canary Island Kestrel, Betherlot’s pipit or Southern Grey Shrike.

These incredible rock formations are actually called phonolytic and bifurcated dykes, that is channels from where the magma that fed the different eruptions which took place over time flowed up from. These rocks, which once lay very deep underground, were exposed when the area of Las Canadas was formed. From then onwards, these rocks have been worn away by erosion. The most famous rock is probably Roque Chincado. Its base is disintegrating more quickly than the upper part and eventually it will collapse under its own weight (perhaps this is why in a way it reminded me of the Azure Window which once stood in Dwejra, Gozo).

After quite a longish but satisfying hike, upon returning to the Mirador Llano de Ucanca, I crossed the road and hiked a bit upwards to view another peculiar rock formation known as Zapatilla de la Reina, which can easily be overlooked since you have to give your back to the splendid view of the Teide volcano to notice it.

One of the best miradores and hiking trails on the TF-38 main road, is definitely Mirador Samara. The volcanic cone of the Samara volcano has an interesting crater formed by a single eruption of pyroclasts, i.e. volcanic debris ejected into the air during an eruption. This mountain forms part of the most recent area of volcanic activity in Tenerife. Volcanic bombs can also be observed and on the summit there are nuanced mixtures of colours caused by oxidation. The hiking trail from this mirador allows you to walk among different volcanoes, namely the volcanic cone of the Samara volcano, and the Teide and Pico Viejo volcanoes, in a lovely Canarian pine forest landscape which is slowly taking over the black landscape of Narices del Teide and Los Regatones Negros.

At El Portillo, there’s a small visitor centre showing a very interesting video on the Teide national park, and a botanical garden which is always open. It’s a great place to spot the beautiful Tenerife blue chaffinch or Pinzon Azul, other finches and woodpeckers. Make sure you follow the Ruta Pinar de la Cumbre loop while walking around the botanical garden.

Close to the Pico del Teide, I was surprised and really happy to spot a flowering Tajinaste Rojo, so remarkable for its spectacular profusion of red flowers usually in Spring. This plant became very rare some 30 years ago when it was commonly eaten by livestock. However, since the banning of livestock grazing in the national park, the species has since recovered. The Tajinaste Rojo shoots can grow as high as 2 metres and around the park I could see several shoot ‘skeletons’. Much of Teide’s flora adapted to the harsh environment by reducing the size of the leaves, reducing the surface area to maintain constant temperature and humidity within its interior, generating a wax layer over the leaves to reduce water loss, seeking shelter in fissures and small ledges, growing for long periods underground, etc.

All in all, I really enjoyed this great WHS in Tenerife. Judging by how the rest of Tenerife developed and is developing, it certainly is a good thing that the Teide NP has been protected from early on. From all the volcano WHS I visited so far, this must be one of the best, and as a national park it really is world class in terms of size and quality (although I’m really looking forward to visit Yellowstone in the future to be able to compare).

4.00 UK – 07-Jul-19 –

Fascinating place on the tourist island of Tenerife. About a 2 hour coach ride up from the seaside resorts. It has moonscape like elements and lots of rock formations around the slopes of the giant volcano. There is a cable car to the top of the volcano from the coach park on the higher slopes, or you can walk up if brave.

Unique environment for plants and insects at such a high altitude with the volcano rising directly from the ocean.

We booked a coach tour from our hotel but you could easily hire a car and drive up as you would have more time to explore and not have 50 people following you in a group.

Tip: take warm clothing as it can be very cold and windy at the top even if it is scorching down in the resorts!

4.50 Czechia – 25-Dec-18 –

I visited Tenerife in January 2011. I have great memmories on it, because it was a special trip when me and my friend crossed a half of the island by walk overnighting in the wild nature. I am pretty sure that it was not completely legal in National Park. I am also sure that it will never happen to me again, because I am getting older prefering hotels and not prefering heavy backpacks anymore… So, it was a unique experience in all aspects.

We walked from Vilaflor located near the southern edge of Teide caldera. It was for the first time I was in the vulcanic landscape, and I cannot describe properly how I felt when have been climbing Guajara mountain, seeing Teide mountain and the entire caldera for the first time. We refused using “teleferico” to reach the summit of Teide and walked towards Refugio de Altavista, where we have pre-booked an accommodation by phone. We could not climbed the peak because of ice plates that might be dangerous. Then, we walked to the east to Cumbre Dorsal mountain range.

What I loved was all the contrasts: blue sky vs. black basalt rocks such as Huevos del Teide vs. ochre or red soil; sunny days vs. freeze of night; Moon-like landscape vs. green pine forests outside the caldera vs. blue ocean. Furthermore, the color shades of rocks within the caldera changed during the day.

To conclude: Teide National Park embodies one of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen.

Belgium – 16-Dec-16 –

We visited Teide National Park for two days in the autumn.

The first day we went to the ‘Roques de Garcia’, already mentioned in Els’ and Hubert’s reviews. We can confirm that during the 3.5km walk, at some points it’s easy to lose track of the path. Just keep looking for the small ‘stone towers’ which indicate the correct way.

The second day we got up early to climb Mount Teide. The best way to do this is to start from the small parking located around kilometer 40 on road TF-21. The trail is about 9km (one way) and first leads you along Montaña Blanca and the impressive ‘Huevos del Teide’ (lava ‘cannonballs’ from the eruption of the vulcano).

After some time you will reach the base of Mount Teide. When we visited, the whole track (from the start) was covered with snow which made the way up Mount Teide somewhat difficult. The trail ends at ‘La Rambleta’ at about 3.500m, which is also the place where you will arrive if you make use of the cable car.

For the last 200-300m to the top, you need a permit. We disposed of such permit (it can be requested online and is free of charge) but because of the snow the summit was closed. However, even from La Rambleta the view is stunning – on the picture you can see Pico Viejo and the island of La Gomera.

As mentioned below, note that at 3.500m it’s much colder than at sea level and that some people can start experiencing altitude sickness.

4.00 The Netherlands – 03-Jan-15 –

When I told my colleagues that I would be visiting Tenerife during the New Year’s holiday, they thought that I finally had succumbed to a relaxing beach vacation. They were surprised to hear that it would put me within reach of 3 WHS. Those that had been to Tenerife themselves all offered “El Teide” as the island’s most likely WH candidate.

The Teide WHS is a volcanic landscape that actually covers two peaks (Pico Viejo and Teide), of which the latter is the most iconic. I already enjoyed good views of it from the plane while approaching Tenerife Norte Airport, and from the top of the Garajonay on La Gomera.

Teide NP is part of our infamous “One million visitors or more”- connection. Visitor numbers have actually been dwindling over the past 5 years (due to the economic crisis?). Still, it can get very busy up there, and I used Hubert’s excellent advice on how early to start out. I left my hotel in Granadilla at 7.30 a.m. When I arrived at the park some 45 minutes later, it was almost freezing cold (+2.5 Celsius) but I had the place to myself. Just wonderful.

I stopped at a few Miradores, watching the sunrise. Comparisons to the moon have been made, but the landscape looked more like Southwestern USA to me. It’s not that barren: tough plants cover large parts of the ground. The most prominent spot here at the southern side of the park is the Roques de Garcia. This is a series of strangely shaped rocks, the erosional remnants of an earlier version of the volcano. There’s a 3.5 km long trail that loops around them. Although the temperature left me with very cold hands, I opted to do this medium-level hike and see the rocks up and close.

The path starts out easy but gets more tricky halfway. You actually walk along the back-side of the rocks. I even got lost a bit, I was starting to scramble up a hill when I saw 2 people approaching from the other side showing the right path. The real climb is left to the end, a switchback trail all the way up to the main viewpoint again. That trail is where I got the best views, including that of the photo right above.

After the hike, I drove down the road that cross-sects the park. There are a couple more viewpoints, but none I found as spectacular as the Roques. I already had decided beforehand to forego the cable car ride to the top. The visitor center “El Portillo” at the northern end of the park turned out to be closed on January 1st. It was free to enter the attached botanical gardens though, where I was immediately attracted to another view of the Teide.

Teide NP entered the WH List in 2007, at the same session as Korea’s Jeju Island. This sparked a debate if there weren’t enough volcanoes on the list already (“including several properties whose inscription was justified on the basis of arguments that are considered by a number of experts to be rather narrow”). The Committee requested IUCN to do a Thematic Study. The results were publicized in 2009: although most types of volcanic features were considered well-represented, some gaps were still identified.

Since 2009 several new volcanic sites have been added to the List (Pitons of Réunion, Ogasawara Islands, Mt. Etna and Mt. Fuji for example) – not the ones that would fill any lacunes. And although the IUCN study does criticize the “the haphazard process of site selection and nomination of World Heritage properties by State Parties”, it doesn’t dare to say which of the already inscribed ones are superfluous. No doubt has ever been cast about El Teide: its height, age (over 3.5 million years) and gigantic caldera (a term that originated here) justify its inscription.

3.50 Austria – 29-Feb-12 –

In November 2007, we spent one week on Tenerife to escape the cold weather in Austria. We visited the Mount Teide National Park as a day trip from our accommodation at the south-west coast. We started early in the morning (at 7am) with our rental car in order to avoid the large tour buses, which start between 8 and 9 am from all major tourist centres. Another reason to get up early is that in the morning the air is clearer and the view is better, in the afternoon the Teide summit could often be hidden by clouds.

We took the road via Guia de Isora and arrived at the National Park after about 1. 5 hours. The route is very interesting, you drive from sea level to 2,300 meters through different vegetation zones. First everything is green and colourful, we drove through banana plantations, followed by pine forests, and finally we arrived at the caldera Las Canadas, where rocks and solidified lava flows predominate. It reminded me of pictures from the Moon or Mars. Early in the morning we were almost alone on the road, so that we could stop everywhere to look around and to take pictures.

The most popular and most spectacular viewing point is the Roques de Garcia, opposite are a Hotel Parador and an information centre. The Roques are bizarre, unique rock formations. Plenty of needle-shaped rocks of different colours stand one after another at a length of several hundred meters. The rocks consist of different layers from various eruptions. And you have a beautiful view over the caldera with Mount Teide in the background (photo: Roque Chinchado). Starting at the visitor centre, we hiked along a well-marked path for about 2 hours through the lava field. I was surprised how varied this “moonscape” is: lots of red and brown colour tones, bizarre rock formations, and all together with a bright blue sky. When we returned from our hike, we were glad that we got up so early. The parking lot at the Roques was crowded with cars and tour buses.

A few kilometres further, a side road leads to the base station of the cable car to Mount Teide. But we drove on to the northern end of the National Park without a ride to the summit. The cable car ends at an observation deck, the summit is inaccessible without permission. Approval is given only in the main office of the National Park Service in the capital Santa Cruz. We came to many more interesting places that were worth a brief stop: beautiful views of the caldera and the Teide and places where you can see endemic plants like Tenerife bugloss or broom.

All in all, it was a rewarding trip to an exceptional landscape. If you are on Tenerife, you should not miss the Teide National Park.

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This is one of the 14th Spanish National Parks and it is located in the island of Tenerife. It comprises the Mount Teide, highest mountain in Spain, and some areas around it.

I did not try to climb the Mount Teide till the top when I was there but it does not seem to be a very hard task. Just take into account that the summit is at almost 4000 meters therefore lack of oxygen can be a problem. You should also take into account that all the territory of the National Park is over 2000 meters high therefore weather can be quite different than in the rest of the island.

Landscape in Teide National Park is vulcanic and there are some endemic plants living there. Inside the Park there is one Parador, that would be a very good choice to stay as hotels of this group are among the best and most charming ones in the country.

Teide National Park

ARTICLES

Teide, view from the observation deck in the Las Cañadas Valley

Teide Volcano is the main attraction of Tenerife and the Canary Islands. Its height is 3718 meters above sea level. This is the highest point in Spain and in the Atlantic Ocean in general.

The peak itself and the vast area around it form a unique natural complex, which in 1954 was given the status of a National Park. In 2007, Teide Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and was recognized as one of the 12 Wonders of Spain.

The magnificence and power of Teide is hard to describe. It’s really better to see it once. This alien landscape has been created for thousands of years. Erupting time after time, Teide grew, and its slopes were covered with crests of multi-colored lava, which sometimes resembles a storm frozen in stone.

Climbing the volcano, you find yourself in an unknown land, where clouds of lush feather bed lie under your feet, a fierce sun shines in the sky, and the air changes its smell and taste. There are many hiking trails for the most indefatigable, but even a simple walk is impressive and etched into the memory, this stone element turns out to be so amazing for the eyes, like a crown surrounded by delicate fluffy pines.

Teide area. View in the area of one of the scenic hiking trails.

Teide in the era of the Guanches

Before the Spanish conquest (1496), the territory of Tenerife was divided into 9 principalities (menseyats), located along the perimeter of the island. But the peak itself and its surroundings (the modern zone of the Teide Park) were not included in any of these principalities and were considered common land. Here, the Guanches amicably grazed goats and sheep and mined obsidian (volcanic glass), which was used to produce simple tools.

Las Cañadas Valley in winter. It often snows here at this time of the year.

It was also a sacred place. The Guanches believed that the evil demon Guayota lived in the volcano. Of course, this belief was associated with eruptions of the peak.

By the way, in the memory of the Spaniards, Teide itself did not erupt. One of the last eruptions close to the top of Teide was recorded in 1492, even Christopher Columbus testified to it, who at that time was just sailing towards the future America and stopped on the island of La Gomera on the way. And then the volcano Boca Cangrejo erupted.

Geology and formation

Teide is a young volcano by geological standards. The peak began to form 170,000 years ago, while the age of the surrounding mountain ranges – Anagi, Teno and Adeje – dates back 15-20 million years. At some point, violent volcanic activity led to a rather rapid growth of the peak, but it also ensured the instability of the volcanic building. As a result, there was a grandiose landslide, and part of the island simply slid into the sea. Thanks to this event (about 150,000 years ago), an amphitheater with a diameter of 17 kilometers was formed, which we today know as Las Cañadas del Teide. Inside this ancient crater, the modern peak of Teide grew, rising almost 1500 meters above it.

View from the top of Teide to the eastern part of the island.

In the valley of Las Cañadas is the most visited viewpoint on Teide, from where you can see the old crater. And next to it are the famous Roques de García – bizarrely shaped rocks, the remains of a partition that once separated the mouth of an ancient peak.

Flora

Despite the desert “Martian” landscape, Teide Park has about 170 species of various plants. Of these, 58 are endemic to the Canary Islands, and 12 are generally found only on the Teide and nowhere else in the world.

Tajinaste (Wildpret’s bruise (lat. Echium wildpretii , Spanish tajinaste rojo ) during flowering: the second half of spring – early summer. The plant is resistant to drought and at the same time withstands temperatures down to -15 degrees Celsius.

The most characteristic of these are the retama shrub and tahinaste.During the flowering season, approximately from late April to June, the slopes of the volcano are covered with white caps of flowering retama and bright scarlet cones of tahinaste.Both of these plants are powerful honey plants, from which the industrious Tenerife bees (black bee is also an exclusively local species) make excellent honey (and most importantly, unique). 0013

Interesting facts

At the end of the 19th century, astronomical research began in the Las Cañadas zone. The first observatory on the Teide was opened by the Germans at the beginning of the 20th century, but it did not last long due to the outbreak of the First World War. However, already in 1916, the Spanish government opened the Izaña meteorological observatory, which still exists today. In 1960, the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands was established on the basis of the observatory.

B 19In 59, the Parador Hotel, the highest branch of the famous royal hotel chain, was built on the Teide.

The cable car – Teleférico del Teide – was launched in 1971.

The film Clash of the Titans and several episodes of the cult series Doctor Who were filmed on Teide. In 2018, the filming of The Eternals with Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek was planned, but in the end, the management of the Teide Park did not allow the filming, as they could negatively affect the ecosystem.

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Teide National Park in Tenerife

Teide National Park is the largest and oldest of all Canarian parks. It combines a fantastic rocky landscape and a huge volcanic complex. The Teide complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most visited national park in Europe with more than 3 million tourists a year.

The highest peak in Spain, the dormant stratovolcano Teide (3718 m), has been a landmark for navigators since time immemorial. The volcano is alive, although its last eruption was in 1909. In fact, Mount Teide is a volcano inside the crater of a volcano: millions of years ago, a huge volcano erupted, after which a 16-kilometer crater remained, in the north of which the “small” Teide volcano is located. Nearby is the second highest mountain in Tenerife – Pico Viejo (3135 m).

Down from the summit are the flat lands of Cañadas del Teide, where the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the island, used to live. In this valley, one can still see flat lava fields and caves. There is a completely unique flora and fauna here: for example, guancha roses grow in the valley and Teide blue finches fly. Below 2000 meters the park is covered with magnificent pine forests.

The crater is framed by the rocks of La Caldera de las Canadas. One of the park’s main attractions is the Cinchado stone, which looks like it’s about to fall.

On the east side of the park is the Observatorio del Teide at an altitude of 2390 meters above sea level. The best European solar telescopes are located here, including the GREGOR with a 1.5 m objective lens.81.

Photo: @marco/flickr

Best time to visit and other recommendations

The most convenient way to get to Teide Park is by renting a car. Of course, on vacation you don’t want to wake up early – but go to the volcano at dawn, you won’t regret it. You will remember what you saw for the rest of your life! In addition, it will be simply easier to find a free parking space.

In Tenerife, the weather conditions in the park are more extreme than on the rest of the island: in winter the peak is covered with snow, and in summer the temperature in the valley exceeds 40 °C. At the same time, under direct sunlight, the air at the peak instantly heats up to 15-20 ° C.

More than 20 routes are marked on the territory.

Detailed route map of Teidere Park, Tenerife.

How to get to Teidere Park?

By car:

from north, head south on TF24, then take exit 5 onto Carr. de la Esperanza;
from the south of the island and from Puerto de la Cruz – highway TF21. You can park at the bottom station of the cable car or at the largest car park in Roque de Garcia.

By public transport Tenerife : by bus – route number 342, Boca Tauce stop (from the south), or route number 348 (from the north). Unfortunately, these buses run once a day, early in the morning there and late in the evening back.

Teide National Park

Las Cañadas del Teide National Park is the largest of all the parks in the Canary archipelago. It has an area of 190 km2 and is located in the huge Las Cañadas caldera with the Teide volcano in the middle. Visitors to the park will be able to see here the craters and vents of small volcanoes, bizarre silhouettes of solidified lava, and will also be able to climb the Teide volcano.

Las Canadas Caldera Formation

1. At the initial stage between the Miocene and Pliocene, 3 volcanoes rose from the ocean: Teno (in the northwest), Anaga (in the northeast) and Roque del Conde (in the south).

2. During the Miocene epoch, Las Cañadas volcano rose in the middle between the volcanoes and united them into one volcanic system.

3. For 8 million years, the volcano grew and eventually formed the island of Tenerife in its present form. Presumably, the height of the Las Cañadas volcano was then about 4500 meters.

4. Approximately 160-220 thousand years ago there was a series of strong eruptions with a large release of matter, as a result of which a void formed inside the volcano. The walls in the central part of the volcano could not withstand their weight and collapsed – this place is the caldera. Hence the name of the national park. This structure of the volcanic rocks of Tenerife is one of the largest in the world. The maximum diameter of Las Cañados Caldera is 16 kilometers.

5. After a while, smaller volcanoes appeared in Las Cañadas Caldera. Now the entire structure of the caldera from the satellite resembles a huge crater, inside which the Teide volcano (Teide, 3718m) rushed to the sky and a little to the left of it the volcano Pico Viejo (Pico Viejo, 3135m).

What to see in Teide National Park?

The main attraction of the park is definitely the Teide volcano. Its peak (3718 m) is the highest point in Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. Every year, thousands of tourists come here to admire the beauty of the Canary archipelago from its top.
The local nature is mesmerizing – mountain formations of solidified lava are perplexing, and tropical plants wrapping around volcanic structures create a colorful and mysterious effect.

One of the peculiarities of the park is that there are no predatory mammals or poisonous amphibians in the vicinity of the caldera, so hiking throughout the park is safe. Local inhabitants are small rodents and harmless insects that complement the rich landscape rather than pose a threat. At the crater you can meet wild cats, hedgehogs and rabbits, which find this place the most attractive for existence, however, such animals do not make contact with humans and do not pose a danger. In the spring season, on the caldera, you can observe the flowering of various plants that are found only in this area. Thanks to this phenomenon, the vegetation on the territory of the Teide volcano and Caldera Las Cañadas is filled with new, colorful colors.

The environment of the Teide National Park is indeed a unique place on earth, which in its structure resembles the surface of another planet unknown to science. That is why the masterpieces of world cinema – “Million years BC” and “Clash of the Titans” were filmed in these parts. Travel guides and tour guides have much more to say about these amazing sites and the unique rock formations in the caldera, but tourists quickly forget all this when they find themselves in the famous Spanish landscape of Teide.

When is the best time to visit the National Park?

The Teide National Park looks different at different times of the year, so each period is beautiful in its own way. The most comfortable, of course, is in the warm season – in this case, you do not have to freeze on the top of the Teide or take a lot of warm clothes with you.

It is best to schedule your visit to the caldera in August to join the famous night tour. At this time, a meteor shower from the constellation Perseus falls on the Earth. Everyone can make as many wishes as they can think of, because there will be really a lot of shooting stars. Locals call such a meteor shower – the tears of St. Lorenzo. The thing is that August 10 is the day of remembrance of the saint, it coincides with the beginning of the meteor shower and the Spaniards love to get out into nature with their families on this day and observe this beautiful phenomenon.

Rules for visiting the Teide National Park

The national park is very carefully guarded by the authorities, so tourists should familiarize themselves with the set of rules:

No fires
Do not have picnics
Do not pick plants
Do not take stones from the territory
Do not leave the marked path during long hikes

The management of the Teide Park takes into account the desires of tourists, so they have built special areas for barbecue and enjoyment in order to encourage the conscientiousness of travelers and provide them with the maximum opportunities for recreation without compromising nature.

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Excursion to the National Park of Las Cañadas and El Teide volcano in Tenerife

One of the most visited parks on the planet and the first in Europe. Amazingly transparent and clear sky, ideal for astronomical observations. Fantastic landscapes, reminiscent of Martian. Mount Teide is the highest point in Spain and the Atlantic Ocean, and also a sacred place for the aborigines of the Guanches Islands. They believed that the entrance to the underworld was located there, and the demon Guayota was languishing inside the mountain. All this is the Teide National Park.

Individual, by car

6 hours

Group size up to 8 people

Free cancellation up to 48 hours

You can return the entire amount when paying online

Russian language

You can with children, up to 3 years free of charge

It is impossible to visit Tenerife and not visit Teide Park. Few regions of the Earth can boast such alien landscapes, a majestic dormant volcano and a variety of flora and fauna.

During our tour of the Teide you will see places such as:

Teide Volcano . A giant that soared into the sky to a height of 3718 m. Using the funicular, you can get almost to its top in just 8 minutes, and then walk the last 163 meters on foot. On the way to the peak, the Altavista mountain base operates – a comfortable rest at an altitude of 3270 m above sea level. The Izagna solar observatory also operates on the slope of the volcano, and this is no accident. The sky over Teide is recognized as one of the clearest in the world, you can see 83 of the 88 constellations in it. The place is ideal for observations due to the absence of clouds at such a height;
Caldera Las Cañadas . A huge amphitheater with a circumference of more than 15 km and a height of up to 600 m. It represents volcanic rocks, heaps of stones, layers of solidified lava – a completely unreal, cosmic landscape, which is about three million years old. The scenery for a science fiction film created by nature itself: it is no coincidence that such classics of cinema as Star Wars were filmed here;
Scala de Garcia . Located at the foot of the Teide volcano. The most unusual of them – Sinchado rock , which is shaped like a petrified tree and is one of the symbols of the island.

Private guide

Your private guide for Tenerife and the entire Canary archipelago.

The seven islands of the Canary archipelago are seven amazing pieces of land in the Atlantic, which can amaze even the most experienced traveler with their diversity. Only here you can meet the dawn at the highest point of the Atlantic and enjoy the unique performance of giant killer whales, taste the fragrant meat cooked in the mouth of a real volcano and see how the genius of Cesar Manrique helped to weave together the unique beauty created by nature and man, see the oldest plaza Mayor in Spain and feel the thrill of admiration from the majestic beauty of the “Requiem in the Gothic style”, hear the unique language of whistling and walk through the forest of the Tertiary period, breathe in the amazing spicy aroma of highland endemic herbs, hold your breath to admire the Caldera de Taburiente from the edge of the abyss, and, having climbed to the highest point of the island, and, having surveyed the futuristic designs of Cherenkov telescopes, feel proud of the great compatriot.

It’s all here in the Canary Islands!!! The main thing is to know where to start and not to miss anything!!!

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This is a
individual tour

Only your group

Only you, your friends or family will be on the tour. Excursion time – time spent with loved ones

Personal guide

Always at your disposal – will adjust the program, suggest places for children, where to eat, what to see

Affordable

The cost of an individual tour is comparable to the cost of a group if you go with someone else

per person

Cancellation free of charge before 48 hours

Reduced tickets available

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Price

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What places will you see

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Ticket

€70

per person

With any payment method, you must book a place using the booking form below and receive confirmation by mail and (or) SMS.

Guide services, transportation

Funicular tickets – 27 euros adult, 13.5 euros child from 3 to 14 years old

Daily

Las Cañadas del Teide National Park, El Teide Volcano

Reservations are possible no later than 36 hours before the start. Book now, places may fill up!

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For any payment method, you must book a seat through the registration form below and receive confirmation by mail and (or) SMS. Without registration through the site, you may not have enough places.

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Elena B.

almost 4 years ago

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➤ Canary Islands. Fantastic Teide Teide Points of interest • Places of interest • What to see in the Canary Islands. Fantastic Teide Teide?

The outstanding Paganel said that he had nothing to do on the peak of Tenerife after the great Humboldt. The reference geographer invented by Jules Verne was very wrong – everyone should visit the peak of Tenerife, which is called Teide, because it is one of the most incredible places on our planet. More precisely, not at the peak itself, but on the volcanic plateau located around Teide Teide: alien landscapes are simply amazing. Imagine fabulous bizarre rocks, multi-colored slopes covered with volcanic ash, endless lava fields – stone bubbles, walls of a giant caldera resembling a canyon … Although it’s hard to imagine – it needs to be seen.

Teide volcano. Altitude 3718 m

Teide Observatory – the largest in the world

All the wonders of the Teide form a national natural park of almost 19,000 hectares. This park is the largest in Spain. Almost 3 million tourists visit it every year – it is one of the ten most visited national parks in the world. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The highest point of the park is Mount Teide – 3718 m. This is the highest point of the Canaries and all of Spain. In height from the bottom of the ocean, this is the third volcano in the world – 7.5 km. From 19Teide has been sleeping for 110 years – it has not erupted for 110 years.

I have not been to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but those who have been say that the views of Teide are similar. And yet, these incredible landscapes are compared with the landscapes of Mars. All these millions of tourists say – like on Mars, when they get into this volcanic desert, covered with avaricious bushes of some kind of xerophytes. And for scientists, Teide National Park is one of the main testing grounds for testing instruments for expeditions to Mars. And this corner of the island of Tenerife is one of the top three places in the world for observing the sky, and that is why here, at an altitude of 2390 meters, the world’s largest observatory is located. An absolutely phantasmagorical picture of dozens of huge telescopes in an alien landscape. By the way, excursions are held at the observatory, during which you can see not just the starry sky, but even spots and flares on the Sun. Tours must be booked in advance – you can easily do this on the Internet.

From 2356 m to 3555 m, the largest cable car in Spain is laid. Quite a bit it does not reach the top of the volcano, but in windy weather it does not work, and you need to order the ascent in advance. The cable car has two cabins, each of which can accommodate up to 44 people. At the lower lift station there is a parking lot for 220 cars, there are shops and cafes. The cable car ride takes 8 minutes, but if you decide to walk, you will need 5-6 hours, and more than four hours to go down. They say that this is an adventure that photographers really like – the pictures taken from the slopes of the volcano are unrealistic, but people without proper physical fitness should not climb Teide.

At an altitude of 3260 m Altavista camp site is located. Imagine – it was built in the middle of the 19th century – then it was the base for scientific research. If you want to see a fabulous sunset and fall asleep among the stars, stop at Altavista. But not everything is simple here, because you can enter from 17:00 to 22:00, and the bedrooms open at 19:00. There are only three bedrooms, and there are 54 beds in them – a sort of hostel among the stars. There is heating, a toilet and shower, a kitchen (your products) and the Internet. You must leave the bedrooms by 7:30 in the morning. The camp closes at 8:00. You can only stay one night.

JOIN OUR JOURNEY IN TENERIFE

If you have not received prior permission or do not want to climb to the top, you are not at all afraid, because this is only a piece of incredible attractions and attractions for a long time . You will never forget these Martian landscapes.

We climbed to the Teide National Park from La Laguna. We left very early. At first there was a mountain serpentine among a pine forest (the slopes are covered with Canary pine up to a height of 2100 m). There are many viewing platforms near the road, from which Tenerife views with the indispensable ocean open – either one side of the island, or the other. Then a belt of bushes began, which clung to the multi-colored volcanic slopes and talus. In some places, sections of volcanic rocks rose above the road, at which everyone stopped for photo shoots and selfies.

The only turn on the paved road on the left leads to the Teide Observatory – be sure to drive up to it, a distance of about 4 km. Dozens of white, topped with domes, cylinders among the Martian landscape will take you to some fantastic blockbuster.

Then we return to the main road and plunge into the world of alien landscapes. Now you understand that the previous photos taken from the observation decks are nothing compared to these. But there is nowhere to stay for a long time, and you begin to mentally scold the organizers – well, why were there so many parking lots, but here – not a single one, and there is no roadside. But you should not worry, because everything is much more interesting, and there are plenty of parking lots again.

Endless lava fields start at the bottom station of the cable car. There is a sightseeing trail here. At an altitude of 2300 m it is cool, but when the sun is shining, it seems that it is warm. You walk between pieces of solidified lava and do not feel the flow of time. Further to the west, sections of large bizarre rocks begin – here you can wander until sunset. Opposite, in the south, you can see the Pico Viejo volcano (height 3135 m), and around, on the horizon, the 600-meter walls of a giant caldera. In fact, this is a crater, but how strong should the explosion be to create such a thing.

In the Teide National Park, filmmakers are almost constantly filming something. Films are different. There are also well-known ones, for example, The Fast and the Furious with Vin Diesel (the sixth part was filmed here), Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans. Back in 1966, the legendary film “One Million Years BC” was filmed here. The poster of this film with the beautiful Raquel Welch and views of the Teide park covered a hole in the prison wall in The Shawshank Redemption… Seeing these landscapes makes me want to become a director, or maybe a cameraman, and shoot, shoot. Come take a look, you might like it too. Entrance to the park is free.

Text and photo of Malenkov’s novel

Much more photos Gallery

9000

90,000 excursion to the National Park of Las Kanyadas and Vulcano Tenerifa, price € 70

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What to expect 🤩

Las Cañadas del Teide National Park
El Teide Volcano

Book now, cancel if needed If canceled by the client: – 100% if canceled 48 hours in advance
If canceled by the guide – 100% refund always

Description

What is Parque del Teide for Humanity ? Since 2007, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second most visited national park in the world. What is the Parque nacional del Teide for the Atlantic Ocean? One of many active volcanoes and the highest point in the Atlantic. What is Parque nacional del Teide for Spain? The highest point in Spain, the first most visited national park in Europe, the location of the Izagna observatory and one of the exclusive Spanish Paradores. What is the Parque nacional del Teide for the Canary archipelago and the island of Tenerife? Of course, this is a story … The name Tenerife is an adapted version, and translated from the language of the natives of the island of Gran Canaria means White Mountain, this is also the place of imprisonment of the evil god Guayote. This is the biggest (18990 ha) and the oldest (1954) national park of the archipelago. It is a place of pilgrimage for more than three and a half million tourists annually. And finally, this is the main attraction of the archipelago!

What is Parque nacional del Teide for you? This is a visit to a place of extraordinary beauty and energy, a great opportunity to see incomparable lunar-Martian landscapes, touch the history of the last eruption of Teide and feel all the strength and power of titan. This is your photo with the island’s most famous model, Roque Cinchado. This is an opportunity to overcome 1199 meters in 8 minutes, to be at an altitude of 3555 meters and personally make sure that the volcano is not at all extinct, but quite alive and sleeping peacefully, and if you want to walk the last 163 meters, climb to the very peak to a height of 3717.98 m

To be in Tenerife and not visit the Parque nacional del Teide is nonsense!

Answers to questions

What is included

Guide services
Transport

What is not included

Funicular tickets – 27 euros adult
13
5 euros child from 3 to 14 years old

Start and end place?

When and how long does it take?

When: Daily

Tour lasts about 6 hours

Who else will be with me?

This private tour allows you to visit the event together with other visitors, the number of which may vary

Important information

The funicular operates according to the actual weather.
To visit the Teide peak (3717.98 m.) you need to obtain a free permit in advance (7-8 weeks)

Do you need to pay everything at once?

In most cases, you pay only a small part of the total amount, and the rest is paid at the time of meeting with the guide already on the tour. But if it concerns tickets, then payment is required in full.

May I ask a question before booking?

Of course, the guide will be happy to answer your questions.

Just go to this form and ask your question. It is not necessary to pay, you just make a request for a reservation without payment, but with a question, and if something does not suit you then just do not pay or press the cancel button.

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