The Mount Teide National Park is one of the Canary Islands’ greatest treasures and a must-visit for anyone looking to discover Tenerife – it is Spain’s highest point and the third tallest volcano in the world and has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Whether from the north or south of the island, the route leading us to Teide is the first wonder of this unforgettable visit, with some magical landscapes and superb viewpoints to fully savour its beauty.

At a certain height, the clouds start to swirl around its summit, creating a phenomenon known as a sea of clouds. It is impressive to see its enormous 3,718m figure bathed in a sea of clouds from afar. On the path climbing up, there is a point where you quite literally pass through the clouds to leave them under your feet.

Cable Car

To enjoy the views from the top of Mount Teide, there are two options: you can either walk the path up the mountain, or alternatively, you can take the cable car almost to the top.

The cable car starts from a base station at 2,356m above sea level, which you can get to in a car. Each cabin holds up to 35 people, the journey takes less than 10 minutes, and it runs between 9am and 4pm. The return price is 27 euros, and if you choose to only do either the way up or way down, then it is €13.50 each way.

The cable car will take you to 3,550m above sea level. Once there, if you want to reach the summit, you’ll need to take a path known as Telesforo Bravo, for which you’ll need to obtain a permit.

Access to the Pico del Teide

Access to Mount Teide is free – the only permit that you may need to get is if you are planning on climbing to the summit. You can get the permit to reach the summit on this website.

This permit is valid for a set date and time and can be used for up to 10 people. They are limited in number, so it is recommended to request one with sufficient notice.

However, there is another way to climb to the summit without a permit, which is staying a night in the Altavista Mountain Refuge.

Altavista Mountain Refuge

The Altavista Refuge is 3,260m above sea level and serves as a place of rest for anyone looking to stay the night on Mount Teide. You can only spend one night in the refuge, for which you will need to buy a permit costing €21 per person.

The Refuge can host around 60 people, and has everything that you will need to spend the night: kitchen, bathrooms, lounge, dining room etc.

Anyone with a permit to stay the night in the Refuge do not need to get a permit to climb to the summit, as the night permit also allows access to the peak, provided you go up before 9 in the morning. If you don’t fancy waking up early, you will need to get the other permit to access the summit.

There are two ways to get to Altavista – either on the cable car or by foot. If you take the cable car, you need to arrive before 5pm, then come down from the La Rambleta station for approximately an hour of walking. To arrive on foot, you’ll need to take Path nº7 from Montaña Blanca, at km 40.7 on the TF-21 road. The climb is around 7km long.

You can reserve your place here.