Parking
Neither endpoint is road-accessible. Reach the lower start on foot from PNT 09; the other end connects to PNT 13 Sámara. Plan your approach and onward route before setting out.
Overview
About PNT 38 Cuevas Negras
Why go
- A compact traverse through Pico Viejo’s old lava terrain.
- Links two established park routes in a single, clear line.
Heads up
- Foot access only; the approach and exit add distance.
- Loose volcanic ground makes footing uneven.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Teide map
Full mapElevation2,094–2,216 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 38 Cuevas Negras, 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 area
Green Shoots on Blackened Pines0:00 / 0:30
“A blackened pine trunk doesn't always mean the tree is dead. Canary Island pines can grow fresh shoots straight from their trunks after a fire.”
Plays on the road 1.1 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Teide Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Narices del Teide Viewpoint
- The Sheep People Brought
- Sámara Viewpoint and Volcanic Cones
- Lava That Looks Like Rope
- 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 38 Cuevas Negras
A connector, not a loopPNT 38 Cuevas Negras is a 2.2 km (1.
PNT 38 Cuevas Negras is a 2.2 km (1.36 mile) one-way traverse linking the lower section of PNT 09 with the high junction of PNT 13 Sámara across Llanos de Chahorra. Allow about an hour and a half; it is rated moderate. This works best as part of a longer point-to-point outing, not as a stand-alone hike: plan an approach to one end and a continuation or return from the other.
Across the Chahorra plainThe route crosses the open slopes of Pico Viejo between Montaña Cruz de Tea, Montaña Reventada…
The route crosses the open slopes of Pico Viejo between Montaña Cruz de Tea, Montaña Reventada and Lomo de Chío. Small ash and lapilli cover old lava flows, and the landscape is mostly bare with scattered low shrubs. Around Montaña Reventada, the path skirts the cone over complex lava and volcanic rock. Expect loose, uneven footing rather than a smooth, built path. A useful photo keeps the broken volcanic tread in the foreground with the low cones and ridges beyond.
The caves are a landmark, not a stopSmooth lava scarps mark the area of Cuevas Negras, also called Cuevas de Chahorra.
Smooth lava scarps mark the area of Cuevas Negras, also called Cuevas de Chahorra. The caves have a sensitive underground habitat, so access inside is restricted. The mapped trail passes the cave area; stay on the route and do not treat the caves as an excursion.
Plan the transferBoth endpoints are reachable only on foot: the lower start joins PNT 09 and the other end meets…
Both endpoints are reachable only on foot: the lower start joins PNT 09 and the other end meets PNT 13 Sámara. There is no road-side parking at either junction, so build the approach and exit into your itinerary. No food, water or toilet facilities are listed on this connector; carry what you need before leaving the wider trail network. The pet rule for PNT 38 is not clearly established, so confirm it before bringing an animal.
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.
