Why hiking Mount Teide raises so many questions
What you’ll find in my first-hand review
My mindset before visiting Teide National Park
Is climbing Mount Teide actually worth it if you choose the cable car version?
Hiking Mount Teide: My experience
Can you hike Pico Viejo from Mount Teide?
What surprised me most at Teide National Park
Is hiking Mount Teide worth it?
Is the Mount Teide summit overrated?
Mt. Teide cable car, permits, and what you actually need to book for your trip
Practical things to know before hiking Mount Teide
Mount Teide is the biggest attraction in Tenerife, but hiking Mount Teide can mean very different things for different people. Most visitors don’t hike from the base to the summit. Instead, they drive up, take the cable car, maybe do the summit section if they have a Mount Teide hiking permit, and possibly walk to Pico Viejo, another volcano in the Teide National Park. That’s exactly what I did, and this guide is based on my experience of hiking Mount Teide and exploring the national park.
I’ve done a lot of traveling and hiking in Tenerife and the Canary Islands extensively, and I can honestly say that Teide National Park really stood out.
In this article, I’m going to explain why climbing Mount Teide is worth it, why I skipped the full hike, and how to plan your own trip.
See my other articles on the Canary Islands.
No matter if you hike to the top or take the cable car to Mount Teide, the views are wonderful
I think hiking Mount Teide is an adventure that some might enjoy, but planning it raises many questions, as there’s a process involved. And I don’t want you to have to scour the internet as I did before my trip, so here’s all the info you’ll need to make your decisions.
It’s Spain’s highest peak, yet most visitors barely break a sweat thanks to the handy cable car. The true summit requires a permit; Pico Viejo is a separate but connected adventure, and in my opinion, the national park itself outshines the peak. So, it’s no wonder visitors get confused. Trekking up Mount Teide isn’t just about getting to the top; it’s about carefully choosing exactly what kind of experience you want and then leaning into it fully.
There’s a lot to think about regarding different transport options, permits, activities, and various points of interest.
Fun fact: Mount Teide is the most active volcano in Tenerife and is the 3rd tallest (from the base of the ocean) in the world at a total height of 7,500 m (24,600 ft).
Was I lucky to see Mt. Teide, or was Mt. Teide lucky to see me?
This isn’t a complete guide to every hiking trail on Mount Teide. Rather, it’s a first-hand review of what I did while visiting Mount Teide and what most tourists actually do as well when they’re hiking Mount Teide: take the cable car to the summit area, add in a Pico Viejo walk, and enjoy the best viewpoints in the park.
What you’ll find:
What you won’t find:
Before going to Teide National Park, I had one simple question in mind:
Hop on the Mt. Teide cable car and find out what my experience was like
I wanted to find out if the views and the hikes around the park would make up for the fact that I didn’t climb Mount Teide from the base of the mountain to the top. Everything in this article builds from that.
Also, is the whole thing too touristy? Is it packed with people everywhere, ruining the overall vibe? Is the permit to the summit that you must get one month in advance worth the effort?
Is Pico Viejo just an add-on, or is it one of the best parts of the park? And are the views from the top actually the best?
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The drives in Teide National Park are stunning, adding to the overall vibe
Even before hopping on the cable car, I could see that the drive up the 40 km (25 mi) route was worth it on this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a scenic drive—you'll want to rent a car, it’s the best way to travel with ultimate freedom.
I started out driving through a barren desert-like landscape, the next moment I was surrounded by black volcanic rocks like I was on another planet (come and take me away, aliens!), and then, boom, mountain peaks.
The whole drive to Mt. Teide was a cool combination of landscapes—the barren, dramatic volcanic terrain was my favorite. It is just so cool. I found it captivating with its strange rock formations, a bit like Death Valley had an apocalyptic baby with northwest Argentina.
Pro tip: I had the most amazing stay at Hardrock Hotel Tenerife, so if it’s your style and budget, I highly recommend it.
The climate in Tenerife changes quickly. The lush green areas contrast sharply with the desert-like terrain near Teide.
Top tip: There are no dangerous land animals, so the only thing to watch out for is super annoying human traffic.
It can only go up from here
The cable car starts at 2,250 m (7,382 ft) above sea level, so already I felt high (as a kite) up there when I arrived at the parking lot. Luckily, I’m well-versed when it comes to traveling, and I’ve done this kind of thing before. Why else would you be reading my review, eh? No, no, I’m not cocky at all!
Seriously, though, I was already kinda feeling the altitude, and I hadn’t even done anything yet. Another reason to take the cable car.
I was happy to see that parking wasn’t an issue even in the middle of the day. I booked the tickets for the cable car in advance and got an exact entry time, which was needed to combine the cable car with Pico Viejo.
Pro tip: I arrived at the parking lot about 20 minutes before my timed ascent. I recommend doing the same, so you’re not rushed.
The cable car was busy and felt, should I say, a bit too intimate. An introvert’s nightmare.
I don’t think this can be avoided, though. At one point during the ascent, it got a bit cloudy, and I felt a twinge of panic that I was in a floating box very high in the sky, packed in tightly with a bunch of strangers.
Quick heads up: It isn’t the best place for those who suffer from claustrophobia.
A super-fast cable car ride with super cool views of Mt. Teide’s landscapes
The ride was quick! It’s a very fast ascent to the La Rambleta cable car summit. I even said out loud, “Wait, What!? We’re here already!?” and I heard several others next to me say the same thing (thankfully, they sounded even more surprised than me, so I wasn’t the biggest idiot in the crowd). The cable car takes you up to 3,555 m (11,663 ft), just below the summit.
In the station, I saw an immersive animated display called Leyendas del Teide about the legends surrounding Teide. It was a fun touch to get to know about the island’s legends and tales surrounding its mighty volcano.
During my visit, it was thankfully clear (after that strange, cloudy moment in the crowded sardine can of the cable car), and I saw amazing, dramatic views. The day was clear, and boy, oh boy, did it deliver.
The views were stunning… I saw over 300 volcanic formations, the caldera of Pico Viejo, and Gran Canaria and La Gomera in the distance. It was incredible, I was excited, and I was very happy cheating my way to the (almost) top with the cable car. Sometimes in life, it’s better and a lot less stupid to take the easier route.
It was clear and cold up top, while warm enough for a T-shirt at the lower station, just your normal mountain climate. The temperature dropped about 12°C compared to the sea level, which made me very happy that I had proper clothing with me.
Altitude warning: The air felt noticeably thin. The altitude effects were definitely there… nothing too extreme though.
The summit is okay, just really be ready for a bit of altitude sickness
Summit obsession. Okay, it’s cool, and all to say that you’ve climbed to the highest peak in Spain and the third-tallest volcano in the world from the base of the ocean, and I will probably brag about it during a dinner conversation at some point, but to be perfectly honest, the summit itself is overhyped.
Bragging rights aside, I felt a bit underwhelmed.
Hiking Mount Teide and reaching the summit, I had to have a permit (secured one month in advance). I tackled the short but steep hike, and it was just enough to make me feel like I was maybe a bit out of shape.
Okay, the views were beautiful, there’s no doubt about it, but they were only slightly better than what I had already seen from the cable car area. The only major difference was that I saw the caldera. Since Teide is in the middle of an island, I saw a lot of ocean views, beautiful, but not dramatically different than what I saw at the cable car summit.
Did I really need to reach the final summit? Unless I had been truly set on reaching the absolute highest point, I didn’t really need to do it. The views were more or less the same (minus the caldera), and I could have easily skipped the extra logistics and uphill effort on my middle-aged legs.
Good to know: Health-wise, it was also worth noting that the altitude made itself known. I definitely noticed that slightly lightheaded feeling, nothing extreme, but enough to remind me I wasn’t at sea level anymore.
Wonderful views, awesome hike, happy me
You can hike directly to Pico Viejo from the cable car top station on Mount Teide, which is what I did.
I did the short version of the hike, which was just the right amount of effort… enough for me to experience the altitude and the beauty of Pico Viejo. The longer hike to the summit of Pico Viejo starts from below, from the Boca Tauce / Narices del Teide routes, and does not include the cable car.
The longer hike is several hours and is quite physically demanding, with a big elevation gain.
This was honestly one of the most enjoyable parts of this adventure for me. It was like a highlight reel on social media that I watch when I’m avoiding society. Short, sweet, and beautiful – with minimal physical effort.
Top tip: Guided tours to Pico Viejo leave conveniently from the cable car station. You don’t need to think about anything, and you’re guided to the best parts.
The path up is nice, but the altitude hit me pretty hard
The walk was short, but the altitude hit me hard, to be honest. It definitely felt more intense than I expected. The whole hike was just enough effort for me to start feeling like I actually did climb a volcano (but I really didn’t, shhhh, don’t tell anyone!) without actually doing that much.
From the cable car top station to Pico Viejo and back to the base, it took me almost 2 hours, which felt like a perfect balance of accomplishment and not dying.
The guided tours are in English and Spanish.
Pico Viejo’s crater was seriously impressive. At 800 meters (2,625 feet) in diameter and 200 meters (656 feet) deep, it’s much larger than the main Mount Teide crater. I found the surrounding landscape to be full of surprises: all the brown spots in the pine forest were little volcanoes!
The crater felt huge, with surreal volcanic rocks all around, and it gave off more of a volcanic dominance vibe than the main summit. Maybe I’ll start referring to it as Pico Viejo the Dominant. Ahaha. Or not. That could be interpreted the wrong way, no?
Fun fact: the colors of the lava rock depend on the composition of substances and the temperatures—one of the spots I saw was called the Base del Teide mound.
Distance-wise, it wasn’t difficult at all. But the combination of my slight altitude sickness, thin air, and exposed terrain made it feel more intense, like the mountain was quietly reminding me of who was in charge. Again with the dominance, Pico Viejo.
Top tip: As a cherry on top (of a volcano), there was an astronomical observatory that I was lucky enough to pop into. It was a neat reminder that this mountain wasn’t just for the bragging rights of saying, I visited the world’s 3rd tallest volcano complex; it’s also scientifically important.
Even the short hikes to the peaks of Tiede and Pico Viejo gave me a full sense of the variety this national park has with its black lava fields, lunar landscapes, and dramatic rock formations, all without feeling overly exhausted. The high altitude definitely made its presence known, but the trails themselves weren’t that hard.
Surprisingly, the summit of Mount Teide was not my highlight. In fact, I would rank Teide National Park itself—its variety, scale, and sheer splendor—up there with Yosemite or Torres del Paine. The summit had bragging rights, but the park made my experience worth it.
There were so many opportunities to hike, from the short summit walks to Mount Teide and Pico Viejo to longer trails throughout the park. In fact, I want to go back to explore more. Even though I was only there for one day, I managed to see a lot, but I would happily go back in a heartbeat.
I loved how barren the terrain was in the park. Tiede National Park is a great place for someone who can’t necessarily hike, since they would still be able to see most of the interesting rock formations from the comfort of a car.
I seriously thought of my parents, who aren’t the most active, but who would love this place in Tenerife. The variety of landscapes was on full display, whether via walking a trail or just driving through; it’s accessible to everyone!
A little pop-culture reference
Yes, hiking up Mount Teide was worth it for me. But not because of the summit alone.
I was impressed with the entire package: Not just climbing Mount Teide, but the cable car, hiking around Pico Viejo, and exploring the park itself and its varied landscapes.
Not worth it if:
Mt. Teide’s summit is skippable, because just being on Mount Teide makes for a wonderful experience with excellent views
I would say for most visitors, yes, it’s overrated. Climbing up Mount Teide and its final ascent required a permit, a bit of effort, and a sense of purpose, but it didn’t offer better views than what I saw at the cable car base. Unless one has the urge to climb to the top of Mount Teide just to say they’ve peaked, I don’t find it necessary to climb the final stretch while visiting Mount Teide.
The views from the peak of the Teide volcano were largely similar to what I had already seen from below, with the caldera being the main bonus feature at the top. Impressive, yes, but there’s better to be seen.
Meanwhile, the surrounding park, side trails, and especially Pico Viejo delivered equally impressive—almost better—views, without the extra logistics. In the end, I would say that the summit is obviously what most people are going to brag about reaching, but the rest of the national park delivered a better experience.
Good to know: Eruptions on Tenerife are never a surprise. Authorities typically give months of warning and monitor volcanic activity. It is still very much an active volcano; I could smell the sulfur fumes in the air.
Roques de García are genuinely very cool
If you focus only on the cable car, you’re missing half the park’s charm:
Minas de San José – I loved this fantastic yellow pumice walk that wound through the dramatic volcanic landscapes. I saw massive red boulders that felt almost lunar or Martian. Side note: Easy walks can take 1–1.5 hours if you have time to explore.
Los Azulejos – These striking green/bluish iron cliffs were so cool and offered spectacular views toward the caldera. Fun Fact: Scientists even study the rocks here to learn how water may have existed on other planets.
Roques de García – These towering rock formations looked super tiny from Teide’s summit but were impressive up close. They divide the caldera with dramatic 200 m drops, and a 40-minute loop along Sendero Linea gave incredible perspectives. I went to the visitor center, where nine-year-old me geeked out at the geology insights (that’s when I started collecting rocks and minerals) and information about the Guanche people.
Lunar Landscape – As the name suggests, this otherworldly terrain felt like stepping onto another planet. It was less crowded and easier to park at than Roques de García. It was a great place to snap photos for your socials – to make others jealous, perhaps? Top tip: High-clearance vehicles help, and the drive from Roques takes around 50 minutes.
Llano de Ucunca & Boca Tauce – Both of these areas provided some of the best panoramic views of Teide, Roques de García, and the caldera.
Narices de Teide – Known for its cool black lava bedrock and striking views of Pico Viejo, which erupted in 1798.
Samara Viewpoint – I loved this quiet spot. Especially in the evening when I visited, the clouds were shifting and the early evening light added drama to the already dramatic volcanic landscape.
Pro tip: Between Minas de San José and Llano de Ucanca, I found some of the best spots for stargazing. The sunset was magical, and once it got dark, I understood why it’s considered one of the best places in the world for stargazing. A night to remember, for sure. I thought doing a sunrise hike would be great here, too.
Despite the summit of Mount Teide being an unnecessary add-on, I still rate the experience very positively
Absolutely, but I would go with the right expectations. Hiking Mount Teide, specifically the summit alone, was overrated for me; I preferred wandering around the park as a whole. I would combine the cable car, hiking around Pico Viejo, and the surrounding trails for an unforgettable adventure. Bring layers, plan, and savor the unique volcanic landscapes of Teide National Park and enjoy hiking in Tenerife as soon as you can!
Hotel tip (yes, again, because it was great): Hardrock Hotel Tenerife
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Why hiking Mount Teide raises so many questions
What you’ll find in my first-hand review
My mindset before visiting Teide National Park
Is climbing Mount Teide actually worth it if you choose the cable car version?
Hiking Mount Teide: My experience
Can you hike Pico Viejo from Mount Teide?
What surprised me most at Teide National Park
Is hiking Mount Teide worth it?
Is the Mount Teide summit overrated?
Mt. Teide cable car, permits, and what you actually need to book for your trip
Practical things to know before hiking Mount Teide
Hi, I’m Jan. I travel fast and intensely, whether I’m exploring the buzz of Tokyo in 3 days or road-tripping through mountains and beaches on a 3-week Thailand adventure. And no matter where I am, you’ll always find me in a comfortable hotel at night and eating the best food.
If that sounds like your kind of journey, hop on board, and let’s explore the world together!
I started this blog after realizing how tough it can be to find reliable, authentic travel info. You wouldn’t believe how many “travel bloggers” never even visit the places they write about! On Next Level of Travel, you can count on my full honesty and insights drawn from my firsthand experiences.
Here’s the deal: not every destination is all superlatives and unicorns. I’ll let you know if a tourist attraction isn’t worth your time, like skipping overrated stops in my 2-week Spain itinerary. And when I find something truly special—like the perfect mix of culture and nature in Cape Town—you can trust that it’s worth adding to your itinerary.
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