Teide National Park - Plan Your Visit

Teide National Park is in the central highlands of Tenerife, and four main mountain roads lead up to it from the coast. The park covers a large area and has no single street address, so the address below is for the Teide Cable Car base station.

Address:
Teide Cable Car Base Station
TF-21, Km 43
38300, La Orotava, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

By Car

Driving is the most flexible way to visit the park, because you can stop at the viewpoints along the way. Four main routes lead to the park, depending on where you start:

From the South (Los Cristianos/Las Américas): Take the TF-21 via Arona and Vilaflor, one of the highest villages in Spain. The drive takes about one hour to reach the cable car base station.

From the North (Puerto de la Cruz): Follow the TF-21 through La Orotava. The road climbs through pine forest and takes a little over an hour.

From the Metropolitan Area (Santa Cruz/La Laguna): Use the TF-24 (La Esperanza road), which joins the TF-21 at El Portillo. It is known for its views of the "sea of clouds," and the drive takes longer than the other routes.

From the West (Los Gigantes/Chío): Take the TF-38 via Chío, which meets the TF-21 at Boca de Tauce. The route passes the lava fields left by recent eruptions, such as the Chinyero volcano.

Parking: The Teide Cable Car base station has a free car park with 220 spaces. It opens at 8 AM and often fills by mid-morning. Additional parking can be found at viewpoints along the TF-21, including Tabonal Negro and Roques de García.

By Public Bus (Guagua)

TITSA, the island's public bus network, runs two lines to the park, each with one trip a day in each direction. Timetables can change, so check the current schedule before you travel:

Line 342: Departs from Costa Adeje in the morning, stops at Los Cristianos and Vilaflor, and returns in the afternoon via the cable car stop.

Line 348: Departs from Puerto de la Cruz in the morning, calls at La Orotava, and returns in the afternoon.

Because each line makes only one trip a day in each direction, plan your return around the afternoon departure and arrive at the stop early. Both lines also stop at the El Portillo and Cañada Blanca visitor centers.

The Teide Cable Car base station, at 2,356 meters, is where most visits begin.

It has a relaxation area, an information point for trail advice, an official souvenir shop, a café and buffet restaurant, public toilets and a free car park with 220 spaces.

Charging points for electric vehicles (7 kW and 22 kW) are also available at the station.

The upper station (La Rambleta) is at 3,555 meters, and facilities there are more limited.

It has toilets, Wi-Fi and the highest public telephone in Spain.

There is no café at this height, but vending machines sell snacks and drinks for hikers heading out on the summit trails.

Teide National Park and the Teleférico del Teide offer some facilities for visitors with different needs, but the high-mountain environment imposes real limits.

Cable Car and Summit Access

For safety reasons, the cable car is not permitted for people with physical or motor disabilities.

The restriction comes from evacuation regulations: the technical conditions in the park mean a quick and safe evacuation cannot be guaranteed for people with reduced mobility if the cable car stops.

The cable car is also not permitted for pregnant women, children under three and people with cardiovascular conditions, because of the risks the altitude poses to their health. If you have any health concerns, consult your doctor before booking.

Visitor Centers and Ground-Level Access

The park has accessible options at lower altitudes. The Telesforo Bravo Visitor Center (La Orotava) and the El Portillo Visitor Center both have facilities adapted for people with reduced mobility. These include:

Reserved parking spaces for holders of disabled parking permits.

Accessible interior routes, ramps, and adapted public restrooms.

Audiovisual rooms with adapted seating for screenings.

The Botanical Garden at El Portillo has a circular accessible trail, so wheelchair users can see the park's endemic flora.

Accessible Viewpoints

Several major viewpoints along the TF-21 and TF-24 roads have paved surfaces and low safety barriers, so the volcanic landscape and the "sea of clouds" can be enjoyed from a vehicle or from a wheelchair on level ground.

The official souvenir shop is in the Teide Cable Car Visitors' Centre at the base station.

The shop follows the "Science and Legend" theme of the exhibition next door, with items such as a comic about Guanche mythology. It also sells practical mountain gear, including neck warmers, caps and reusable water bottles.

It also stocks educational materials and local crafts, from geological guides and books on Canarian volcanology to jewelry and decorative objects.

The Visitors' Centre hosts the "Science and Legend" exhibition, which is free with a cable car ticket. It keeps the same hours as the cable car facilities and is open every day except 25 December, even when the cable car is closed because of the weather.