PNT 09: Teide - Pico Viejo - Las Narices del Teide

PNT-09 is a 9.6 km (about 6 mi) one-way traverse from Mirador de Pico Viejo to the TF-38 roadside viewpoint at Las Narices del Teide. The marked route starts near 3,499 m and reaches a low point around 2,050 m, with about 192 m of climbing and 1,605 m of total descent. It links the enormous Pico Viejo crater, broken lava, pumice slopes, and the aligned 1798 eruption vents. This is a hard, full-day mountain route for hikers comfortable with altitude, rough footing, and one-way logistics. Allow about 6 to 8 hours for PNT-09 itself. The 9.6 km does not include the foot approach from La Rambleta along PNT-12 to Mirador de Pico Viejo.

Mirador de Pico Viejo has no road access: walk in from La Rambleta via PNT-12, and add that distance and time to your day. Advance authorization is required for PNT-09. Carry the reservation on paper or your phone, plus ID, for inspection. The route ends at TF-38, where parking is limited and there are no nearby services, so arrange a pickup or other return transport before you start. The booking allows either direction; reversing the line turns the big descent into a long, steep climb.

From the information panel, the path winds down toward Pico Viejo across black lava. This is the hardest stretch, continuing to Degollada de Chahorra. The route can be hard to distinguish against the rock, and the footing is uneven and loose. Follow the dark-green PNT-09 markers rather than choosing a smoother-looking line across the slope.

At Degollada de Chahorra, the surface changes to pumice. The trail curves below the south rim of Pico Viejo, around 3,100 m up, with the crater opening beside you. Its bowl is roughly 800 m across, so give yourself time to take in the scale. For a photo, keep a strip of the dark lava ridges in the foreground; it makes the crater’s size easier to read than a tight shot of the rim.

The route drops quickly to Las Narices del Teide, a line of volcanic craters from the 1798 eruption, the last eruption inside the national park. After the vents, keep going toward Lomo de Chío and the road. The Narices viewpoint beside TF-38 is a roadside destination as well as the trail’s finish; do not confuse a visit to that viewpoint with hiking the full traverse.

Most of the elevation change is downhill, but this is not an easy walk: the long, rough descent wears on legs and balance, and the start is close to 3,500 m, where thin air can bring on dizziness or unusual fatigue. The high-mountain route requires suitable boots, long trousers, a warm layer, thermal blanket, hat and gloves, water, a charged phone, and a torch. Crampons and an ice axe are required if snow or ice is present. The route is unsuitable for people with heart, respiratory, or mobility problems. No pets are allowed except guide dogs; children under 3 cannot use the route, and anyone under 16 must be with an adult.