Why Teide is famous
At 3,715 m Teide is the highest mountain in Spain and the highest point of any Atlantic island; it also makes Tenerife the tenth-highest island in the world. Its base lies on the sea floor, so the whole edifice is about 7,500 m tall — the third-largest volcanic structure on Earth after Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Because of its history of explosive eruptions and the towns on its slopes, including Garachico, Icod de los Vinos and Puerto de la Cruz, it is one of the volcanoes the United Nations listed as Decade Volcanoes for special study. It is also the symbol of Tenerife: a flaming Teide appears on the island's coat of arms, and islanders call it "Padre Teide".
The mountain stands inside the Las Cañadas caldera, a horseshoe-shaped depression about 16 km by 9 km whose floor lies at 2,000–2,200 m and whose southern wall rises to 2,715 m at Guajara. Teide's summit is a small, steep cone called El Pitón, about 150 m high, with a crater 100 m wide and 30 m deep where fumaroles still release sulphurous gas. On its western flank stands the lower Pico Viejo (about 3,135 m) — the "Old Peak", although it is actually younger than Teide — whose crater is 800 m across. Teide National Park, declared on 22 January 1954, covers about 19,000 hectares and has been a World Heritage Site since 28 June 2007; in 2024 it received 5,242,653 visitors, a record.
Where it is and how to get there
Teide rises in the centre of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, in the municipality of La Orotava. Two main roads cross the park: the TF-21 from La Orotava in the north to Vilaflor in the south, and the TF-24 along the ridge from La Laguna; the speed limit in the park is 70 km/h, so allow about an hour from the southern resorts. The cable car base station is at km 43 of the TF-21, and the Montaña Blanca trailhead at km 40.7, where parking is very limited. Public buses (TITSA) run to the park once a day from Puerto de la Cruz and Playa de las Américas, and within the park buses link El Portillo, the cable car, Montaña Blanca and the Parador hotel.
The cable car and the summit trail
The Teide cable car climbs 1,199 m from its base at about 2,356 m to La Rambleta (3,555 m) in about eight minutes, in cabins for up to 38 people (34 in strong wind). It normally runs from 9:00, with the last ascent around 16:00, and tickets are sold online for fixed departure times, often sold out days ahead; a return ticket cost €40 for adults in 2023, and discounted tickets exist for children and island residents. Visitors without a summit permit may stay at the upper station for one hour, those with a permit for two. Children under 3, pregnant women and people with heart conditions are not allowed on the cable car, closed hiking or sports shoes are compulsory, and if the cable car stops for wind or a fault, people at the top must walk down steep mountain paths.
From La Rambleta three paths start. Trail No. 11 to the Mirador de La Fortaleza and the path to the Pico Viejo viewpoint are free to walk. Trail No. 10, Telesforo Bravo, climbs the last 160–170 m to the summit, first inside an old lava channel and then along a single path laid out on the advice of the geologist Telesforo Bravo, past fumaroles and yellow sulphur deposits to the crater rim. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour up, but the thin air makes it harder than it looks.
Climbing from the road: Montaña Blanca and Altavista
The classic ascent on foot starts at the Montaña Blanca car park on the TF-21 (about 2,300 m). A broad track (trail No. 7) climbs gently past the pale pumice slopes of Montaña Blanca (2,748 m), then the path steepens markedly up to the Altavista refuge (3,260 m) and on to La Rambleta: about 8.8 km and 3–5.5 hours one way, with no facilities on the way. Together with the Telesforo Bravo trail the climb is about 1,400 m of ascent. Children under 14 are not allowed on trail No. 7. Many hikers take the cable car down, but its operation is never guaranteed, so be ready to walk back. Another descent, trail No. 9, leads from La Rambleta over Pico Viejo to the Mirador de las Narices del Teide, about 5–6 hours down.
The Altavista refuge has 49 places in three dormitories with bunk beds; an overnight stay costs from €29 and is limited to one night, for guests aged 14 or over. Bring a sleeping bag: there is no bedding, but there is a kitchen for heating your own food and vending machines with water, drinks and snacks. The great advantage is that a refuge booking includes permits for trail No. 7 and for the summit trail between 6:00 and 9:00 the next morning, so guests can watch sunrise from the crater and see Teide's triangular shadow fall across the sea.
Permits and rules
Access to the summit is restricted for conservation reasons and managed by the island government (Cabildo de Tenerife) through its online booking system, Tenerife ON. Summit permits are issued for four two-hour slots between 9:00 and 17:00, are personal and non-transferable, and a park guard checks them with an ID document at the start of the Telesforo Bravo trail. With only about 200 summit permits a day, it is wise to book two to three months ahead; guided tours run by companies working with official park guides can often include a permit at short notice. Since 29 November 2024 permits are also required for trail No. 7 (Montaña Blanca – La Rambleta), trail No. 9 (Pico Viejo – Narices del Teide) and two other trails on the cone, and the permits for trails No. 7 and No. 10 are now paid, whereas the summit permit used to be free. A permit does not guarantee access: trails close in bad weather, and when ice and snow close trails No. 7 and No. 10, only experienced mountaineers who sign a declaration of responsibility and carry 10- or 12-point crampons and an ice axe may go up. Camping is not allowed on the mountain, walking off marked paths is forbidden, and the park's management plan bans trekking poles with metal tips, even if covered.
When to go and weather
Teide can be climbed all year, but it is a high mountain above a beach island. A temperature inversion at about 1,000 m usually keeps the clouds below — the "sea of clouds" seen from the caldera — so the upper mountain is dry and sunny, with more than 3,400 hours of sunshine a year and a UV index above 11 in midsummer. The caldera receives less than 500 mm of precipitation a year, mostly in winter and about a third as snow. Temperatures change by about 15 °C between day and night and range from around −15 °C in winter to 30 °C in summer; near the summit they hover around freezing, and strong winds often make it feel much colder. Snow on the summit is common until March or April and can close roads and trails. Late spring and early summer (May and June) bring the flowering of the red tajinaste and other endemic plants. Clouds often build during the day, so the top is usually clearest early in the morning.
Water
There is practically no surface water in Teide National Park, so carry everything you need. On the Montaña Blanca route there is no water or food until the Altavista refuge, where vending machines sell water, soft drinks, hot drinks and snacks — but they take only coins and cards, not banknotes, and the refuge is open to passing hikers only from 11:00 to 17:00. The refuge is not connected to mains water, so water there is limited. The cable car base station has a café. For the full climb from the road plan on at least 2–3 litres per person, more in summer heat; sun, dry air and altitude dehydrate quickly.
Mobile coverage and emergencies
Visitors use their phones to show cable car tickets and permits, but do not rely on a signal on the trails: coverage varies with terrain and weather, so download tickets, permits and maps before leaving the coast. The emergency number in Spain and the Canary Islands is 112. Remember that a rescue on the cone can take time, especially if the cable car is not running.
Altitude and safety
The cable car takes people from sea level to over 3,500 m in a few hours, and the air at the top is thin enough to cause dizziness, headache, nausea and altitude sickness, particularly for people with heart or lung conditions. If symptoms appear, descend; at peak times the queue for the cable car down can exceed an hour. Bring warm, windproof clothes, a hat and gloves even in summer, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen, and proper footwear for loose lapilli and sharp lava. In winter the trails can be icy. Teide is also an active volcano: in April and May 2004 about 200 small earthquakes and a rise in volcanic gases caused concern, but the crisis ended without an eruption.
Eruptions
Teide began to grow about 170,000 years ago inside the Las Cañadas caldera, which formed when the summit of an older volcano collapsed. The last summit eruption, around 850 AD, produced the "Lavas Negras", the black flows that cover much of its flanks. In 1798 lava burst from the Narices del Teide ("Teide's Nostrils") on the western flank of Pico Viejo — the last eruption inside the caldera. Tenerife's most recent eruption came in November 1909 from the Chinyero vent on the north-west rift, about 10 km from the summit; it covered about 2 km² with lava and ash and harmed no one. Two centuries earlier, in 1706, lava from Montañas Negras destroyed the town and port of Garachico. In 1492 Christopher Columbus's crew reported flames on the island; dating suggests an eruption from the Boca Cangrejo vent.
History and name
For the Guanches, who lived on Tenerife before the Spanish conquest of 1496, the mountain was sacred. The friar Alonso de Espinosa recorded that they placed hell inside the peak and called it Echeyde, and called the devil Guayota; the historian Juan Núñez de la Peña explained "Teide" as the Spanish pronunciation of that word. During eruptions the Guanches lit bonfires to keep Guayota away, and they believed the mountain held up the sky. Europeans long thought Teide was the highest mountain on Earth. An English party led by J. Edens climbed it in 1715 and reported to the Royal Society, and Alexander von Humboldt climbed it with Aimé Bonpland in June 1799 on his way to South America. In 1894 Hans Meyer, the first man on Kilimanjaro, came to study the ice on Teide.
Interesting facts
- Teide casts the largest shadow projected onto the sea: at sunrise and sunset a perfect triangle stretches for more than 40 km, reaching La Gomera in the morning and Gran Canaria in the evening.
- The Teide violet grows right up to the summit and is the highest-growing flowering plant in Spain; the Canary lizard has been seen at the top too.
- The red tajinaste, or Teide bugloss, forms flower spikes up to 3 m tall, and of the park's 168 plant species 33 are found only on Tenerife.
- The Teide Observatory of the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics stands on the slopes, and its volcanic landscapes have been used to test instruments and rovers for Mars.
- The film "One Million Years B.C." with Raquel Welch was shot in the park in 1966.
FAQ
How high is Teide? 3,715 m (12,188 ft) above sea level — the highest point in Spain — and about 7,500 m from its base on the ocean floor.
How long does it take to climb Teide? From the cable car top station the summit trail takes 30 minutes to an hour. On foot from the Montaña Blanca car park to La Rambleta allow 3–5.5 hours, plus the summit trail and the descent; the whole round trip is a long day.
Is it difficult to climb Teide? The paths are not technical, but the full climb gains about 1,400 m at high altitude on loose volcanic ground, and in winter ice can make it a mountaineering ascent.
Do I need a permit to climb Teide? Yes. The summit trail (No. 10) needs a named permit booked through Tenerife ON for a two-hour slot, with about 200 places a day; since November 2024 the Montaña Blanca and Pico Viejo trails also need permits. A night at the Altavista refuge includes the permits.
How much does it cost? The cable car return ticket was €40 for adults in 2023; permits for the summit and Montaña Blanca trails are now paid; an Altavista overnight costs from €29.
Is there water on the way? No natural water. Carry at least 2–3 litres for the full climb; the Altavista refuge has vending machines that take coins and cards.
Is there mobile coverage on Teide? It varies; download tickets and permits beforehand. The emergency number is 112.
When is the best time to climb Teide? From late spring to autumn the trails are usually free of snow; go early in the day for the clearest views, and expect snow and ice from about December to March or April.