Parking
Start at the public car park at El Portillo Visitor Centre on TF-21, around kilometre 32.1. The centre has public toilets; parking capacity and fee were not published.
Overview
About PNT 02 Arenas Negras Loop Trail
Why go
- Pumice slopes, a cliff-lined gorge and black cinder cones in one loop.
Heads up
- The cone-side descent is steep, loose and rough underfoot.
PNT 02 Arenas Negras is a 5-mile (8.05 km) loop from El Portillo Visitor Centre, circling Montaña del Cerrillar before returning on PNT 04 Siete Cañadas. Allow about three hours for roughly 330 m of climbing at 2,050–2,300 m elevation. The park calls it low difficulty, but a steep descent and loose volcanic footing make it feel more like a steady moderate hike. Choose it for a close look at the caldera’s pumice slopes and dark cinder cones, not for shade or an easy stroll.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the loop for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Teide map
Full mapElevation2,051–2,293 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Teide alerts
- CautionActive wildfire risk and preventive measuresTenerife ON currently lists wildfire risk and preventive wildfire measures; check the live restrictions before visiting Teide National Park.Official details
- CautionNo smoking in Teide National ParkSmoking is prohibited throughout Teide National Park as a preventive measure against forest fires.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Teide Tour Guide
Your drive to PNT 02 Arenas Negras Loop Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Teide National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
El Portillo Visitor Centre and Garden0:00 / 0:35
“El Portillo Visitor Centre is ahead, with a recreated volcanic tunnel inside and a botanical garden next door. Stop if you'd like a closer look at the plants living in this high country without taking on a long hike.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Teide Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Alto de Guamaso and Los Tagorores
- Smyth’s Mountain Experiment
- Portillo Alto and Arenas Negras Viewpoint
- A Bird on Foot
- 39 audio storiesacross Teide’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Short-finned Pilot Whale, Tenerife Lizard, West Canary Skink, and 10 more
- Works offlinemaps, 62 trails, 49 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking PNT 02 Arenas Negras Loop Trail
Up the pumice slopesFrom El Portillo the marked path climbs beside Montaña del Cerrillar, threading through pumice…
From El Portillo the marked path climbs beside Montaña del Cerrillar, threading through pumice with clumps of Teide white broom. It reaches an open high section with wide views across the park and Llano de Maja. Look east for the Izaña observatories; on a clear day La Palma can appear to the west. Trade winds sometimes bank a sea of cloud over the Orotava Valley, though visibility changes quickly up here.
The wall at Risco de las VentanasAs the route turns west, the Fortaleza ridge comes into view and the rocky gorge and wall of…
As the route turns west, the Fortaleza ridge comes into view and the rocky gorge and wall of Risco de las Ventanas rise ahead. Layered volcanic cliffs and scrub-covered slopes give this section a different feel from the broad pumice ground above. The formation sits just off the mapped line but is visible from the route. For a photo, frame the rock wall with some of the rough slope at its base so the layers have scale.
Down beside the cinder conesThe route descends along the caldera side beside the sparsely vegetated Arenas Negras lapilli…
The route descends along the caldera side beside the sparsely vegetated Arenas Negras lapilli cones. This is the steepest part: short sections reach a reported 60% gradient, and the uneven loose rock needs careful footing. The route’s general grade is manageable, but this descent is the part to take slowly, especially when you are tired. Stay on the marked track and do not cut across the fragile volcanic ground.
Back on PNT 04The loop joins PNT 04 Siete Cañadas for its return to El Portillo.
The loop joins PNT 04 Siete Cañadas for its return to El Portillo. That connection is part of the complete 5-mile circuit, not an optional add-on or a separate out-and-back. The marked PNT 02 line is a full loop, so follow the route markers at the junction rather than continuing along PNT 04.
Small plants, high-country birdsThe pumice and cinder carry several high-country plants, including Teide white broom, Teide…
The pumice and cinder carry several high-country plants, including Teide white broom, Teide sticky broom, rosalillo de cumbre and flixweed. Chiffchaffs, kestrels and Berthelot’s pipits are most likely in the flatter sections. These are small details in a wide, open landscape; stay on the path and leave plants, rocks and wildlife undisturbed.
Starting at El PortilloBegin and finish at El Portillo Visitor Centre on TF-21, around kilometre 32.1.
Begin and finish at El Portillo Visitor Centre on TF-21, around kilometre 32.1. Public parking and toilets are at the centre, with a restaurant nearby; no water point or toilet is listed along the loop, so carry what you need for three hours. Regular access is free and PNT 02 does not require a reservation. The route is not accessible for visitors with reduced mobility.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Teide
15 sightingsShort-finned Pilot WhaleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
829 sightingsTenerife LizardMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWest Canary SkinkMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
98 sightingsTenerife Blue ChaffinchMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
45 sightingsKestrelMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBarbary PartridgeMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Teide. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
