Teide National Park is the biggest and oldest in Tenerife, as well as the tallest occupied zone on the island. It is a completely must visit not only for these three important facts about it but due to all the activities you can do there.
Get prepared for a unique landscape where you’ll find many routes to be done and also incredible views of Tenerife. Here we tell you everything about the most important park on the island.
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General and important information about Teide National Park
It has been declared as humanity’s cultural heritage in 2007 by UNESCO, as well as it has the European Diploma which is another recognition given by Europe’s council and also other acknowledgements that describe how important is Teide National Park for Tenerife’s culture and history.
It is also considered a natural wonder because geomorphologically the structure of the boiler and also the Teide, Pico and Viejo stratovolcano are unique in the entire world. However, all its charms do not end here, because this park also counts with a very rich flora and fauna variety with species that are exclusive to the park.
As explained above, it is the biggest park in the whole Canary Islands with an extension that goes beyond 19000 hectares, and also counting with a peripheral zone of protection which is also the biggest protected space in the archipelago (46612,9 hectares in total).
What do you see in Teide National Park?
Getting around Teide National Park is simply a spectacle on the island. Even if you go by car.
Its main attraction is obviously, Teide mountain which is the biggest peak in Spain, which is 3718 meters high. Actually is forbidden to get to the highest point of it, however, you can get permission that makes it possible to reach the top of Teide and also “Pico Viejo”.
In fact, there are excursions that can be done and show you the park by night from one of the highest points of Teide and have amazing sky views.
On the other hand, part of the Flora and Fauna species you can find in Teide National Park is unique in the world. And if not, they give an incredible view of the landscape. You can find some unique reptiles (small) such as:
- Tizon lizard
- Red tajinaste
- Perennial
- Many others
Also, there are other safe animal species that are worth the visit to this place.
Things to do in this natural reserve
There are A LOT of activities you can do in this natural space, from excursions to other recreational stuff. Here we tell you some of the most important ones.
Get on the cable car
Get to the top of Teide in minutes with the cable car service available in the park. From there, you can enjoy amazing views of the entire landscape (and Tenerife) while you reach the top, where you’ll be at the highest point in all of Tenerife.
There are trekking routes that use cable cars in a stretch, while there’s a path that you can walk. However, if you don’t feel the desire of going this way, you can do the entire trip in this vehicle.
Do guided routes
Guided routes are possibly the main attractions that Teide National Park has. There are a lot of companies that help you with this task. Like this is a very big ecosystem with a lot of stuff that you may not know, it’s necessary to discover it with some professional guidance.
You can do for example some guided routes such as:
- “La Fortaleza”
- “Arenas Negras”
- “Risco Verde”
- Teide by Night
- “Degollada de Guajara”
- Many others
They are very recommended by us because they are an outstanding way of meeting Teide and its secrets.
Experience Teide by Night excursion
As we explain in the guided routes section, Teide by Night is one of the most important walks in Teide National Park. You start going to the top accompanied by other people and a professional guide and see how the sun goes down from the top.
Then, you can see the beautiful sky from this point while your guide explains to you important facts about it and from the park. This route has lots of facilities to enjoy the most.
Going to the botanical garden
4 hectares plot located within the park, created to investigate and reproduce the native flora from this territory.
Here you can visualize more than the 75% of superior species that the National Park houses. In addition, it has a complete signalling system that allows you to learn a lot from this species.
There are also laboratories that can be visited by visitors where scientists are developing a flora recovery plan.
Getting prepared for Teide
Teide is a huge national park, and it’s important to be well prepared to go up. We recommend you:
- Solar protection: Due to the Teide’s altitude, it’s important to have your sunscreen to avoid getting sunburned
- Water & snacks: There are restaurants and coffee shops in the park. However, it’s good to take something to eat and hydration for tours, as well as walks.
- Sport shoes and warm clothing: There isn’t too much secret behind this recommendation, because it tends to get cooler while you ascend more so it’s important to take the optimum clothes and shoes for the occasion.
As you can see, Teide National Park is an incredible place in Tenerife where you can find a lot of stuff to see and activities to do.
We encourage you to go there with all the recommendations explained above to enjoy your experience the most!
Other Experiences we Highly Recommend
Tenerife Sailing Charters offers great boat charters for the explorer type. You will discover the south coast of Tenerife as well as all the wildlife it has to offer such as seeing whales, dolphins and snorkelling with turtles.
The charter starts at just 65 Euros per person, with a maximum amount of 11 passengers. The excursion lasts approximately 3 hours.
Our contact information is the following:
- Phone: (+34) 627069912
- Email: info@tenerifesailingcharters.com
Definitely, swimming with turtles in Tenerife and visiting the whales and dolphins is an experience worth to be done. Without any dudes.