Teide National Park, Do Not Leave Tenerife Without It

Mount Teide is 3,718 metres high, the highest point in Spain and the highest peak in the Atlantic islands. The cable car takes you to 3,555 metres. The last 163 metres to the crater need a free permit from the national park, which the guided summit hike on this page includes.

Four ways: a tour with hotel pickup, your own car on the TF-21 through Vilaflor in about one hour and fifteen minutes, the TITSA bus 342 once a day, or a taxi. Most guests take a tour, because the parking at the cable car is full by mid morning and the driver knows where the good viewpoints are.

Yes, free car parks at the cable car, at the Roques de Garcia and at the Parador, but they are small. In season the cable car car park is full between 09:30 and 10:00 and the entrance is closed, so you park along the road and walk. Arrive early, come after four in the afternoon, or take a tour and skip the problem.

Yes. Book a time slot online before you go, walk-up tickets can mean hours of waiting in high season. The cable car stops when the wind is strong, so check the morning of your visit and keep a backup plan like the Roques de Garcia walk.

Only for the summit trail from the cable car top station to the crater. The permit is free but limited and it is gone weeks ahead in season. Without a permit you can still reach the top on foot before nine in the morning or after five in the afternoon, which means a night hike. The guided summit hike includes the permit, the cable car and the guide.

Count on 10 to 15 degrees less than the coast. In summer the cable car base is 15 to 20 degrees by day, in winter it is close to zero with snow and ice on the paths, and the top station is always cold and windy. Bring a warm layer and closed shoes, even in August.

Layers. A warm jacket, long trousers, closed shoes, sunglasses and sunscreen. The sun at 3,500 metres burns faster than at the beach, also in winter. For a stargazing tour add a hat and gloves, the guides usually bring blankets but your feet are your problem.

Early morning for the parking and the light, late afternoon for the Teide shadow, and night for the stars. Spring and autumn have the most stable weather. Winter can bring snow and road closures, summer brings the crowds, so book the cable car and the tours ahead in both.

Yes. The bus tours, the cable car and the short walks at the Roques de Garcia are fine for families. The altitude can give small children a headache, so take it slow and drink water. The summit hike and the downhill bike tour have minimum ages, which are shown on each activity page.

At sunrise and sunset the volcano throws a perfect triangle of shadow over the sea and the clouds, the longest shadow cast over water in the world. The shape is a triangle even though the mountain is not, because the shadow stretches to the horizon. Best seen from the cable car top station at sunset.

It is one of the best places on earth for it. The sky above the park is protected by law against light pollution and the Teide Observatory sits on the Izana ridge next door. A small group stargazing tour gives you sunset, telescopes and a guide who knows the sky.

For a first visit on a budget, the half day Teide bus tour. For the full island in one day, Teide and Masca. For the night, the small group stargazing tour. For the top, the guided summit hike with permit. Not sure? Message Club Canary on WhatsApp with your hotel and your group, we tell you honestly which one fits.