Parking
Limited spaces are available at Área Recreativa El Contador. This is a point-to-point route ending at the Parador, not a loop; arrange a pickup or check current bus service from the Parador/La Ruleta before setting out.
Overview
About PR-TF 86: El Contador to Parador Nacional
Why go
- A true traverse from pine forest through old pastoral ground to the high caldera
- Marked route with a memorable finish at the Parador
Heads up
- Limited start parking and one-way transport to arrange
- Nearly seven hours of hiking with about 1,588 m of climbing
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Teide map
Full mapElevation1,263–2,489 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 PR-TF 86: El Contador to Parador Nacional, 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.
More stories near here in the app
- Minas de San José
- Violets in the High Rocks
- Montaña Blanca and the Climb to La Rambleta
- Los Azulejos: The Colored Rocks
- 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 PR-TF 86: El Contador to Parador Nacional
What kind of day this isPR-TF 86 is a 9.84-mile (15.
PR-TF 86 is a 9.84-mile (15.83 km) one-way traverse from Área Recreativa El Contador to the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide. It climbs out of the southern pine country, passes Chozas Viejas, then crosses Camino del Filo and Degollada de Guajara before finishing in the high caldera. The official estimate is 6 hours 55 minutes, with about 1,588 m (5,210 ft) of climbing and 688 m (2,257 ft) down. This is a hard, full-day hike, not a loop; sort out your pickup or return transport before you set off.
From El Contador to Chozas ViejasStart at the recreation area and follow the PR-TF 86 markers over Morro El Peñón.
Start at the recreation area and follow the PR-TF 86 markers over Morro El Peñón. The first spur is PR-TF 86.1 for Casa Forestal; keep to the main route. Farther on, Chozas Viejas is an old herders’ resting place. After it, the PR-TF 86.2 spur heads toward Fuente del Llano campsite, while the main trail continues north. Posts and yellow-and-white marks identify the route.
Across the high groundStay on Camino del Filo toward Degollada de Guajara, then continue to the Parador.
Stay on Camino del Filo toward Degollada de Guajara, then continue to the Parador. The route reaches 2,520 m (8,268 ft) before dropping to the finish. The route authority warns about loose rock, uneven ground and steep slopes, so expect a demanding mountain walk rather than a smooth path. The payoff is the change from pine forest and old pastoral ground to the broad, open volcanic uplands around the caldera.
Start, finish and waterParking at El Contador is limited, and there are no services around the start.
Parking at El Contador is limited, and there are no services around the start. The recreation area has picnic tables and grills; its fountain is not drinking water, so bring what you need for the long climb. Toilets are available on weekends and public holidays. At the other end, parking and Tenerife bus stops are listed by the Parador and La Ruleta viewpoint; check current bus times before relying on them. Stay on the marked route and keep out of private land, hunting grounds, water galleries, wells and caves.
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.
