Teide National Park covers about 19,000 hectares at roughly 2,000 metres above sea level in the middle of Tenerife, around Spain's highest mountain. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, was created in 1954 and receives about three million visitors a year, which the tourist board says makes it the most visited national park in Europe (read 7 November 2026). The two things that need booking are the final path to the crater and the cable car.
Highlights
The Cañadas caldera and the Roques de García
The caldera is about 17 km across. The Roques de García rock formations are the best-known walk on the south side; see Roques de García.
The cable car
Takes you from 2,356 m to 3,555 m in about 8 minutes. See Teide cable car for tickets and the summit permit.
Pico Viejo viewpoint
From the top station, a trail of about 30 minutes leads to a viewpoint over an 800 m wide crater, with no reservation needed.
Visitor centres
El Portillo on the TF-21 at km 32.1 is free and includes a small museum on the park's geology and a botanical garden holding 75 percent of the park's plant species. The Juan Évora Ethnographic Museum at the Boca Tauce junction is also free and covers shepherd life in Las Cañadas.
Teide Observatory
Guided visits run in Spanish, English and German. Tiqets sells the Mount Teide Observatory guided visit from 21 euros, rated 4.3 out of 5 from 112 reviews (read 7 November 2026).
Stargazing
The island holds the Starlight Destination certificate, and the Altavista refuge at 3,270 m offers one-night stays at 10 to 20 euros, booked online.
Practical info
Tips
- Weather changes quickly, so bring warm clothes and a rain jacket in any season, plus water, sun cream and a hat; snow is possible in winter, so wear proper footwear. Removing volcanic stones is prohibited. Official guided walks run all year except 1 and 6 January and 25 December and are booked at the park office (Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 14:00, phone +34 922 92 23 71). To see the park on a tour rather than driving yourself, read Mount Teide tours and Tenerife excursions. Walkers: El Portillo has the Arenas Negras (2 to 2.5 hours), La Fortaleza (3.5 hours) and Risco Verde (3 hours) routes, and the walk across the Siete Cañadas takes 4 to 5 hours one way.
How to get there
Bus 348 runs from Puerto de la Cruz and bus 342 from Costa Adeje. By car: from the north take the TF-21 or TF-24, from the south the TF-21, from the west the TF-38.
Opening hours
Nearby
See on the map →
Comments
No comments yet.