TEIDE NATIONAL PARK

Teide National Park is located in the central part of Tenerife. It covers an area of 190 km2 and occupies about 10% of the island. Teide is the most visited national park in Spain and the eighth most visited in the world. More than 3 000 000 tourists visit it every year. 2016 was a record year. More than 4 000 000 tourists visited the park. In 2007, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Teide National Park is the eighth most visited national park in the world

PICO DEL TEIDE

The Pico del Teide volcano, located in the centre of this Canarian island, is the highest point in the whole of Spain and all the islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The volcano is 3,718 m high, but if measured from the ocean floor it measures 7,500 m, making it the third largest volcano in the world. Teide's altitude places Tenerife among the top 10 highest islands in the world.

HOW TO GET TO THE TOP?

There are several hiking trails leading to the summit, the most famous of which goes over the top of Montaña Blanca. The trail starts from the parking lot of the same name, located on the main road TF-21.

To the top only with permission from the local authorities

Due to the considerable elevation (1368 m), the route is very demanding. It starts from 2350 m above sea level and continues to the top (3718 m above sea level). The route is less than 10 km long and takes a person with good physical condition about 4 hours. It should be taken into account that the barometric pressure decreases with increasing altitude, as does the partial pressure of oxygen in the inhaled air. Breathing becomes harder and harder with each ascent. Good equipment and sufficient fluid intake is essential for this route. It is also not a bad idea to pack headache pills in your backpack.

Another route passes through the famous rock formations of Los Roques de García. The route leads from the main car park at 2133 m above sea level and continues to the summit (3718 m above sea level). The total length of the route is just over 10 km and with good physical condition you can reach the summit in 4 hours.

The easiest, most comfortable and fastest way to get to the top is to buy tickets for the cable car. A one-way ticket costs 23 EUR, a return ticket 41 EUR. Tickets can be bought on site and online. Long queues can form on site and you are not guaranteed to get a queue immediately, so I recommend having tickets already purchased online. You can buy them on the website https://www.volcanoteide.com/en/teide_cable_car

There are a total of 5 smaller free car parks nearby (marked in red). If they are completely full, you can park along the road leading to the lower cable car station (marked in green).

TO THE VERY TOP ONLY WITH PERMISSION

Due to nature protection and crowding on the narrow summit, it is necessary to get permission from the local authorities before climbing the summit itself. The daily capacity is very limited, so you need to arrange the permit, even months in advance. Remember that a cable car ticket does not entitle you to access the summit. The cable car ends just below the summit.

Permits need to be arranged several months in advance

The site is patrolled daily by rangers who check that you have the necessary permits. This can be booked on the website https://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/real/parquesnac/usu/html/detalle-actividad-oapn.aspx?ii=6ENG&cen=2&act=1 and is completely FREE.

LOS ROQUES DE GARCÍA

These unique rock formations were created by millions of years of erosion. The most famous rock formation is the Roque Cinchado, also known as the Finger of God. It is 27 m high and is made up of mostly volcanoclastic layers.

BARRANCO DEL INFIERNO

This 3 km long gorge is part of the 18 km2 nature reserve of the same name. It is located very close to the town of Adeje. It is characterised by the presence of deep ravines with various interesting geological formations. The site has one of the most important permanent watercourses in Tenerife. At the end of the gorge we find the Cascada Barranco del Infierno waterfall. The downside is that you return the same way you came.

Visitors must wear a helmet during the trip

Entrance to the gorge is limited to 200 visitors. Children under 5 years of age are not allowed and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Visitors must wear a helmet during the trip as small landslides and rockslides often occur, especially in marked areas.

Tickets can be purchased on site and online by visiting https://www.barrancodelinfierno.es/en/. Due to limited capacity, I recommend purchasing tickets online. The price per person is 11 EUR.

CHINYERO VOLCANO

This impressive volcano is located in the area known as Montaña Negras (Black Mountains), near the TF-38 road leading to Teide National Park. There are several hiking trails through the area of more than 24 km2, the most popular of which is the one around Chinyero volcano. It leads through a volcanic landscape through lava fields and pine forests. The trail is approximately 7 km long and can be walked in 2.5 to 3 hours by the average person.

The volcano reaches an altitude of 1551 m above sea level. It last erupted in 1909, when it spewed lava into its surroundings for ten days.

There are two small car parks relatively close to the hiking trail. You can also park your vehicle along the road. Entrance to the entire area is free.

LOS GIGANTES

These breathtaking cliffs, up to 800 metres high, are located in the immediate vicinity of the resort of the same name, Los Gigantes. The town was founded in the mid-20th century and is very popular with tourists. Here you will find a variety of hotels and restaurants, a natural swimming pool and a black beach.

There is a 2 km long hiking trail above the cliffs that leads to an old mine tunnel. However, if you want to enjoy the true view of the cliffs themselves, the best option is from the sea. Perhaps as part of a whale watching trip.

WHALE WATCHING

You can see whales, dolphins and other sea animals thanks to a number of specialist companies that provide sightings. From my own experience, I can recommend the Whale Wise Eco Tour company, which starts its cruises in the port of Los Gigantes. They have a modern hybrid eco boat that is environmentally friendly and does not disturb the marine life in any way.

During the cruise, you have a 99.99% chance of seeing whales

The area off the west coast of Tenerife is a listed whale watching area and one of the best places in the world for year-round whale and dolphin watching. More than 20 different species of cetaceans have been recorded in these waters, some of which live here permanently and others temporarily. The resident species most often seen on our trips are the round-headed and bottlenose dolphin.

There is a high probability of whale and dolphin sightings on all trips. They guarantee a 99.9% success rate. Book online at https://whalewise-ecotours.com/. For a 2.5 hour tour, you will pay 95 EUR. If you buy your ticket online or over the phone, you will receive a 10 EUR discount.

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE

Santa Cruz is the capital of Tenerife and the second largest city in the Canary Islands. Nearly 250,000 people live here, twice as many in the surrounding area, making up the majority of the island's population.

AUDITORIO DE TENERIFE

This architectural symbol of the city was built in 2003 and is considered the most beautiful building in the Canary Islands. It is the home of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and one of the city's tourist attractions. For more information, visit the website https://www.auditoriodetenerife.com/es/.

PLAZA DE ESPANA

The largest square in Santa Cruz and the Canary Islands. It was built in 1929 on the site of the former Castillo de San Cristóbal. The square contains the ruins of this castle and an artificial fountain built by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.

PALMETUM

The Palmetum is a botanical garden specialising mainly in palm trees. The project is unique in the world. It has transformed an urban rubbish dump into a space for plant lovers. These gardens contain the largest collection of palms in Europe, which is considered the largest botanical collection of tropical island palms in the world. Tickets cost 6 EUR and do not need to be booked online. For more information, visit the website https://palmetumtenerife.es/?lang=en%2F.

PLAYA DE LAS TERESITAS

This beach is located approximately 7 km from Santa Cruz. It is very popular among tourists, especially because of the golden sand that was brought here from the Sahara desert in 1973. It is the only beach on the island with white-golden sand. All the others have black sand. There are a number of restaurants and bars along the beach. There are showers and changing rooms. The price of two sun loungers and an umbrella costs 16 EUR per day. 

LORO PARK

The name of this park comes from the Spanish word "loro", which translates to parrot. It is therefore literally a parrot park and was originally conceived as such. However, you won't just find parrots here. There are more than 400 species of animals here, from dolphins, penguins and killer whales to turtles, flamingos and white tigers.

Loro Park boasts the largest collection of parrots in the world

The park was founded by Wolfgang Kiessling in 1972. At that time there were only 150 parrots. Today, the number is around 4,000. This number makes the park the place with the largest collection of these colourful birds.

Loro Park is located in the northern part of the island of Tenerife, on the outskirts of the town of Puerto de le Cruz. The price is 42 EUR per person. Tickets can be bought on site or online at the website https://www.loroparque.com/en/.

PAISAJE LUNAR

The trek through the lunar landscape full of pine forests, as the area is known, begins in the village of Vilaflor, on the border of the Corona Forestal Nature Reserve. It is a moderately challenging route with a total length of 13 km. At the end of the route there are beige coloured conical shapes that have been formed by erosion over thousands of years.

In the village you will find the Church of Saint Peter and the Sanctuary of Santo Hermano Pedro. Saint Peter was born in Vilaflor in 1626. He was a missionary in Guatemala and is the first native saint of the Canary Islands.

There is a spacious free car park in the centre.

MASCA

This mountain village is one of the most popular tourist destinations. It is located at an altitude of 650 m in the Macizo de Teno mountains in the west of the island. The current population is less than 100.

The village can be reached by the narrow winding road TF-436 from the town of Santiago del Teide. There is very limited parking on site. There are a few parking spaces along the road, which are quite inadequate during the high season.

Most tourists only visit Masca. However, there is an interesting route from the village to the level of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a challenging 8 km hike (round trip). Difficult mainly because of the considerable elevation. The entrance fee is 30 EUR. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.caminobarrancodemasca.com/en.