Climbing mount Teide

Climbing Mount Teide

Mount Teide hike

First of all in this post we want to let you know that climbing mount Teide without permit is only possible when staying the night in the Altavista del Teide refuge. In this case is needed to keep your reservation of the refuge as this makes possible to climb Teide without permission from 6a.m to 9p.m.

Climbing the highest peak of Spain, mount Teide, is dreamed by many hikers that visit the island of Tenerife. The altitude of this volcano allows to watch several Canary Islands at the same time. Ascending Teide’s Peak means to be able to see all Tenerife Island from the highest point while smelling the sulphur of the active volcano that had the last eruption in the 1909. By the moment there is no risk on climbing this volcano.

Climbing Pico Teide using Cable Car and having the Permit

Many tourists that visits Tenerife take the cablecar that leads to La Rambleta at an altitude of 3550m over the sea. From there, if they have the permit given by Teide National Park’s authorities, it is easily reached the summit following the path nº10, the Telesforo Bravo path. In case of not having the permit, it won’t be able to walk the last part of the mountain due to regulations of visitors. This regulation means that only 200 people can take the permit and access to the summit but the local guides and tourist agencies have part of these permits so they quickly run out specially during summer, winter and holidays.

Climbing Teide without Permit

Maybe you have already took a look to the permits and for the dates you are staying in Tenerife there are no permits. If you are considering about having a real experience about what climbing the mount Teide is about, we encourage you to take a look if it’s possible to book a night in Altavista de Teide Refuge. If you are lucky, you will be able to experience the unique sunrise from the top of Teide but first you will have to climb up to the refuge from Montaña Blanca through the path nº7 to Altavista mountain hut and go to sleep early. This hike takes around 6h and has an elevation gained of 1350m so is only indicated for those who are in shape or are experienced hikers.

Waking up at 4:30a.m to start climbing the mount Teide is the way to see the sunrise from the top and you will be able to see how the shadow of the volcano is drawn in the ocean making an impressive triangle. You will be able to stay until 8:30a.m when you will have to go down and show to the workers there your reserval of the mountain hut. Only in this case is possible to reach the summit.

Problems with the permit

Since many people visit the mount Teide thanks to the help of the Cable Car, the Government of Tenerife had to put limits on the access to the top of the volcano, something that would not be necessary if the cable car would not be there. The massification of the mount Teide and its erosion and damages are occasionated by the instalation of this cable car that allow to climb to the Mount Teide hiking only 15min.

If you are considering to hike to Teide’s peak we encourage you to do it from the base of the mountain and having the experience of observe the sunrise from the summit.

Things you need to know:

-Despide of being in the Canarian Islands, above 3000m the temperature can easily go below 0ºC so you need to take warm clothes with you.
-Having the permit allows you to climb the last 150m during 2h and if in case of being late it won’t be possible to access.

-The permit is free of charge and you can get it online on the official website with at leats 2 months in advance. It allows you to walk to the top of the summit during 2 hours. So if you book your permit from 9a.m to 11a.m you can’t go at 12a.m because at that time there will be other people with the permit. So your permit only allows you to access during the timing you booked the permit.

Best places to visit in Gran Canaria

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Places to visit in Gran Canaria

If you are thinking about doing something more than sunbathing on the beach you should check out the next worth attractions in Gran Canaria. There are many places to visit in Gran Canaria but here you have what we consider the must-see! GET THE GUIDE OF GRAN CANARIA

Things to see in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and nearby

The northern part of Gran Canaria has one of the best beaches of the island called Las Canteras and it is located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Las Canteras is one of the most known places to learn surfing and it is actually pretty cheap! This beach is kinda far away (50min walking) from Veguetta, the main historical town of Gran Canaria. Veguetta has a typical architecture of Gran Canaria and some interesting museums as Colon’s House, the cathedral…

The north coast has villages as Arucas and Gáldar with a lot of history and still conserves a great architecture in the centre of the village. In Gáldar is possible to visit a really interesting museum, Museo y Parque Arqueológico Cueva Pintada that shows part of the history of the Canarian aborigines.

Furthermore, beautiful things to see in Gran Canaria east coast are the Botanical Garden, Caldera de Bandama, Barranco de Guadana and a small fisher coast called Túfia.

Best wild beaches in Gran Canaria

A bit more to the west you will find Agaete, a white-houses village with a beautiful beach and landscape of the west coast of Gran Canaria. From Agaete is possible to hike to Guayedra beach and to Tamadaba, both highly recommended hikes. Update 2019: Tamadaba has suffered a big fire and only Roque Faneque has escaped from it.

The west coast is the wild one, with lots of canyons that end quickly in the ocean making a gorgeous cliffy landscape with the best beaches to escape from the crowd. Wild beaches are spread out over the coast as Playa de Güi Güi, Playa de Tasartico, Playa del Risco, Playa de Guayedra… Discovering these beaches are one of the top things to do in Gran Canaria.

Maspalomas, Fataga and Sorrueda

The south is characterized by a desertic landscape. Narrow canyons climb up to the summit of the island as the Canyon of Fataga and Sorrueda. The south coast is the most touristic area of the island having the longest beaches and the dunes of Maspalomas, a special Natural Reserve unique in the island.

Hiking trails in Gran Canaria

The central area together with the west area are the best places for hikers and the landscape is characterized by steep valleys with “Roques” and Canarian pines containing as well the most beautiful small villages of the Island as Teror, Tejeda, Artenara and Acusa Seca. This area has as well really beautiful natural monuments as Roque Bentayga, Roque Nublo, the summit of the island called Pico de las Nieves and an incredible cliffy landscape of Tamadaba.

Update 2019: From Teror to Tamadaba was completely burned due to a fire. Acusa Seca Hike is the route that can have more areas not burned. The west coast, the area of Roque Nublo, Pico de Las Nieves and Inagua Natural Park were not affected.

More in your visit to Gran Canaria

Tasting food: In Gran Canaria you can taste typical Spanish food but also traditional and delicious food as Papas Arrugas con Mojo Picón (Cooked potatoes with a traditional sauce of Canarias), Pan de Papas (Sweet bread made of potatoes), Rancho Canario (Chickpeas, noodles, potatoes and meat) and aromatic wines and homemade beers.

Gran Canaria has different landscapes and every part of the island is different due to the microclimates that it has. Therefore we encourage you to explore the island through its paths!