What to do · Teide National Park
La Fortaleza and Pico Viejo viewpoints, at La Rambleta
Information
- Price
- Included in the cable car ticket
- Duration
- 55 min
- Distance
- 1.3 km
- Season
- When the cable car is running
- Who it's for
- From age 3, anyone who can go up on the cable car; no heart problems
When you get off the cable car at La Rambleta, at 3,555 m, two short trails leave that need no booking: one looks out over the north of the island and the other to the west. With the time your ticket gives you at the top there is time to do both without rushing, and they are the way to see something more than the station terrace.
An hour up top and two paths
The upper station is a small lobby with toilets, wifi and vending machines for drinks and packaged food; there is no café. Right beside it is the La Rambleta viewpoint, and from there the two trails start. Your stay up top is limited to one hour; only those with a permit for the crater can stay two. Do one first, return to the station and carry on with the other, and leave a margin for the queue down.
To the north: the red crags of La Fortaleza
Trail PNT 11 measures 0.61 km and takes about 25 minutes, with 38 m of ascent. The Park rates it of medium difficulty because of the altitude and slope, not because of hard passages: the path is laid out. It leads to the La Fortaleza viewpoint, over the north of the park and of the island. If the day is clear, in the foreground you see the reddish crags of La Fortaleza, the vent of an old volcano of very viscous lava; to the east, Gran Canaria, and with great luck Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. Often the north is covered by the sea of clouds, which stays below you. From this viewpoint the Montaña Blanca trail descends towards the Altavista Refuge.
To the west: the Pico Viejo crater and three islands
The PNT 12 is 730 m and takes about 30 minutes. It descends a little at the start, 66 m in all, among fumaroles and areas of old eruptions, and ends at the Pico Viejo viewpoint. From there you look into the Pico Viejo crater, also called Montaña Chahorra, with a mouth of about 800 m, and the lava flow of the Narices del Teide, from the 1798 eruption, the most recent in the park. On clear days you can see La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. Bear in mind that the return is uphill at over 3,500 m: it is the stretch that tires you most.
What the cable car requires for going up
The return ticket costs from €43 per adult and these trails are included: you pay nothing more. The company requires closed mountain or sports shoes with a grippy sole; you cannot go up in sandals, heels or smooth soles. Children under 3, pregnant women, people with cardiovascular problems and people with reduced mobility cannot go up. Volcano Teide warns that trails 11 and 12 depend on the Cabildo having them open, and if they are closed the ticket is not refunded. If the cable car is not running, you can only get here on foot via Montaña Blanca, with a booking.
Tips
- Slowly from the first step There is less oxygen: the Park recommends going at a slow pace and stopping as often as needed.
- A coat and water even if it is sunny below The Park recommends it for these trails: up here the temperature has nothing to do with the coast's.
- Pico Viejo first if you are short of time It is the one with the uphill return; do it with fresh legs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for the La Rambleta viewpoints?
No. Trails 11 and 12 are free access; only the trail to the crater, the Telesforo Bravo, needs a permit.
Is there time to do both in an hour?
Yes: together they add up to about 55 minutes on foot. Come back with a margin for going down.
What can be seen from the Pico Viejo viewpoint?
The Pico Viejo crater, the 1798 lava flow and, if it is clear, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro.
Can children go?
From age 3, which is the cable car's minimum age.
As a familyWith teenagers
