The Teide National Park includes the crater region Las Cañadas and the summit region of the Pico del Teide in the center of the Canary Island Tenerife.
background
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The Pico del Teide is the highest mountain in the Canary Islands and at the same time of Spain at 3,715 m. The edge of the mountain is formed by a crater with a diameter of over 16 km, its jagged edges are the Cañadas and lie at an altitude of 2,000 - 2,500 m. The volcanic massif of Teide and Pico Viejo rise above it. The conical top of the mountain is covered with snow in winter. The second highest mountain of the massif is the one to the west Pico Viejo or Montaña Chahorra with 3,135 m.
The Teide is a volcano that has not yet been extinguished. Vapors are still pouring out from inside the mountain. They say he is breathing, which is a good sign because then there is no great pressure to build up inside him. It only becomes dangerous when he stops breathing. Then the pressure inside increases and it can lead to eruptions or explosions.
The crater in which the Teide stands is said to be the second largest crater in the world. In any case, it is enormous. You have to internalize this fact once you are in this crater. You have to let the imposing landscape affect you.
history
The area of the Teide was renamed in 1954 Parque Nacional de las Cañadas del Teide declared and covers an area of over 18,990 hectares. Since 2007 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The spectacular exterior shots of the film battle of the titans Created in 2009 mostly in the Teide National Park, partly also in Guía de Isora and in Buenavista del Norte.
But also for numerous other films, videos and commercials, the Teide was the location of the shooting. The spectacular landscape offers fantastic scenarios.
landscape
Flora and fauna
climate
The island of Tenerife is located in the area of Northeast Passat, the humid air of these winds brings frequent clouds and rain to the northeast of the island in winter and spring. However, these processes usually only take place at altitudes of 1,500 m to 2,000 m. The higher lying national park and the southwest of the island are mostly cloud-free.
getting there
The Teide With over 3.5 million visitors annually, it is probably the most popular destination on Tenerife. You can reach him
- from the south: the TF 21 leads from Granadilla above Vilaflor to the pass Boca tauce and across the national park towards Puerto Cruz.
- from the west: the TF-38 joins Chío Near Guía de Isora of the TF-82 from and meets at Boca tauce on the TF-21.
- from the north: the TF-21 leads from Puerto Cruz above La Orotava to the visitor center El Portillo in the east of the park
- from the east: the TF24 leads from La Laguna above La Esperanza to El Portillo. Of Güímar you get on the curvy TF-523 also to the TF-24 and the national park.
In winter and in the off-season it can happen that several access roads to Teide are closed. Rock falls after rainfall are often the cause. A call to a tourist information office can save you unnecessary trips.
With the public bus of the TITSA the Teide can also be reached.
- line 342: Departure 9:15 a.m. in Las Americas, Return from the cable car station 3:40 p.m.
- line 348: Departure 9:15 am Puerto Cruz, Return to the Hotel Parador at 4 p.m.
In addition, special trips to the Teide are offered practically at every location.
Cable car to the mountain station
With the cable car Teleférico del Teide you can climb the next 1,199 meters in about 8 minutes from the plateau of the crater area at an altitude of 2,356 m and get off at an altitude of 3,555 m. The trip costs 27 euros per person (as of January 2017). Jacket, long trousers and possibly a hat should definitely be carried in hand luggage, as it is very fresh and, above all, drafty there, even in midsummer.
The base station of the cable car is a few meters above the TF-21 on a cul-de-sac that also serves as a parking lot. With an average of 10,000 visitors a day, it is easy to calculate that you should be very early at the cable car, which starts operating at 9 a.m., in order to join the queue of those waiting who want to buy tickets for € 25 per adult . Then it goes through a waiting room to the gondola. 38 people are transported upwards in the cabins at around 8 m / sec per trip, which is around 200 people per hour. The last ascent is at 4 p.m., the last departure at 5 p.m.
At the exit you have reached 3,555 m, it is a few degrees fresher and, above all, windier than down at the base station. The air is also thinner, but the solar radiation is more intense. Next to the mountain station is a cabin with a toilet. You are now at the old Teide crater La Rambleta, which has a diameter of around 850 m, from which the cone of the new crater, is called El Pilón raises. Even if you are not allowed to climb the summit, you have a great view over Tenerife and the other islands of the Canary Islands. If the path is not icy, there is the possibility of short hikes to the lookout point Mirador de Fortaleza to the east or to Mirador Pico Viejo in the West.
The mountain station is still a good bit below the summit, even if the Teide at 3,718 m now seems close enough to touch, but the last few meters can only be covered with a special permit. You can get this free of charge either on-line or in Santa Cruz at the National Park office at the Plaza de España upon presentation of a copy of the ID. The permit is only valid for a maximum of two hours within a certain period of time (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) on the day for which it is issued - if the train does not run on that day, the permit is also valid on the next following day on which the Train runs. Only a certain maximum number of people, who have to identify themselves and are only allowed to stand together on the summit, may stand on a group permit. As an alternative to the permit, a march to the refuge is offered.
mobility
Sights along the road
On the road through the plateau of the Cañadas there are some vantage points that allow you to stop safely. From west to east this is first the pass Boca de Tauce, this is where the TF-38 meets the TF-21. From here you have a view over the slag fields of lava fields, further towards Teide you get through the plain Llano de Ucanca. Then the road goes a little uphill, you pass blue-green colored rocks, called Los azulejos. Then buildings appear, one is the chapel Ermita de las Nieves, the other is that Hotel Parador Nacional de las Cañadas. There is an information center next to the hotel (spring 2010: currently closed). Parking is available on the access roads to the hotel, as well as on the rocks across the street. The Los Roques de Garcia are probably the most famous rock formation in Teide Park. About three kilometers further you come to the base station of the cable car. On the way to the visitor center El Portillo At the eastern end of the national park there are several other viewpoints with parking spaces. A side street leads up to the Observatorio Astronómico del Teide.
activities
- Hike around Los Roques de Garcia
A popular and fairly easy tour is the hike around the rock massif Los Roques de Garcia. It starts across the street from the Hotel Parador on the TF-21. If you want to hike around the massif, it is advisable to first walk up the short, well-paved path to the first rock, from there you can get an idea of how the way back will be. You should plan around two hours for the tour.
The path leads as Sendero 3 Marked with green labels, quite flat along the eastern side of the rocks. Where the markings cannot be seen, conspicuously lined up stones help to find the way. One of the first particularly striking rocks is right at the beginning of the Stone tree or Roque Chinchado, often called Finger of god designated. At the end of the rock formation, a path branches off across a lava field up to Pico Viejo. Anyone who has difficulty walking simply turns back at this point. The actual hike now leads downhill for about 150 meters through quite rough terrain. Unfortunately, this route is soon allowed to go uphill again, the right path leads between two rock massifs to the starting point, as a signpost you can again use the Roque Chinchado serve.
shop
kitchen
There are only a few options in the national park, on the one hand the kiosk at the base station of the cable car and on the other hand the café at the Hotel Parador
accommodation
- Altavista mountain hut. Mountain hut at an altitude of 3,270 m. It is designed for a maximum of 60 people, pre-registration is necessary, groceries are to be brought with you. It is intended for mountain hikers who want to experience the sunrise early in the morning.
Hotels and hostels
security
Good shoes and sun protection are absolutely necessary.
trips
literature
- : Tenerife. Metzner publishing house, 2019 (2nd edition), ISBN 978-1790936762 ; 83 pages (German). Guía de Isora, Playa San Juan and the southwest of Tenerife
Web links
- Hotel Parador website to the Roques de Garcia
- Homepage of the cable car, current information also in German.
- Volcano Teide Excursions to Teide, Teleferico site in German
- Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Homepage of the Astronomical Institute on the Teide massif
- Reservas Parques Nacionales - Website for the online application for the "Permission to climb the Teides summit"
