Images: Teide National Park in Tenerife

Information: Teide National Park in Tenerife

Teide National Park (Parque Nacional del Teide in Spanish) is a national park located in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). It is centred around The volcano Teide which measures 3,718 m meters above sea level it is the highest elevation of Spain and the islands of the Atlantic (it is the third largest volcano in the world from its base). It was declared a National Park on 22 January 1954, making it one of the oldest national parks in Spain. It is also the largest National Park in Spain and an important part of the Canary Islands. Another volcano located in the park (next to the Teide) is the Pico Viejo. It is the second largest volcano in the Canary Islands with its 3,135 m peak.

The park has an area of 18,900 hectares and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on June 29, 2007. Since the end of 2007, it has also been one of the Twelve Treasures of Spain. Midway up the mountain are the telescopes of the Observatorio del Teide. Territorially, it belongs to the municipality of La Orotava. Teide is the most visited National Park in Spain, with a total of 2.8 million visitors, according to the Instituto Canario de Estadística (ISTAC). According to data for 2004, with 3.5 million visitors annually, the lava landscape of Teide gets more visitors than any other except for Mount Fuji in Japan. Teide is the most famous natural icon not only of Tenerife but also of all the Canary Islands.

Cable car service

Cable car services up to La Rambleta run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., unless bad weather or high winds make the service impossible.

The Mt. Teide National Park has links with different areas of the island with its four access roads:
To the North: TF-21 road from La Orotava to Las Cañadas (Portillo de la Villa) (33 km.)
To the East: TF-24 road, which runs from La Laguna to El Portillo de la Villa (43 km)
To the South: TF-21 road from Vilaflor to Las Cañadas (Boca de Tauce) (16 km)
To the West: TF-38 road from Chio to Las Cañadas (Boca de Tauce) (30 km) .../

The following are the public bus routes (guaguas): Bus number 348 from Puerto de la Cruz and Bus number 342 from Playa de las Americas.
There are two Visitors´ Centres, which open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering detailed information on the most important aspects of the Park.
El Portillo de la Villa Visitors´ Centre, at km 32.1 on the TF-21 road.
Cañada Blanca Visitors´ Centre (in a wing of the National Tourist "Parador" Hotel), at Km 46.5 on the TF-21 road.
Guided tours are available, but you need to book a place on one in the Park office, or ask for information in the Visitors´ Centres. There are some restricted zones, where public access and the number of visitors are regulated for conservation reasons, pursuant to Park´s Use and Management Master Plan. One of these restricted areas is La Rambleta - Pico del Teide; to climb to the summit, you have to apply personally for an access permit from the Park Management. You can walk up Montaña Blanca as far as La Rambleta, or you can take the cable car.

The Altavista refuge

The Altavista refuge, situated at 3270 m, consists of two buildings and it is equipped with an infirmary, storehouse, showers, kitchen and three dormitories with a capacity for some 60 mountaineers. The original refuge was built in 1892 on the initiative of an English explorer living in Tenerife.
The Island Cabildo (Island Government) took over this facility in 1950 and refurbished it completely in 1997. The maximum stay is limited to ONE night.

To stay overnight in the Park, you can stay in the:
National Tourism "Parador" Hotel Las Cañadas del Teide, at Km 46.5 on the TF-21 road.