National Parks in Spain

Cable car and summit permit are two separate things

The park is free to enter. The cable car, run by a private operator, costs €42 return for adults not resident in the Canary Islands and €21 for children aged 3 to 13; it is sold online only and stops in strong wind. For the last 160 m (525 ft) of ascent to the crater, every person needs a permit for trail PNT 10, booked through the Cabildo's Tenerife ON portal. Permits are released every Monday at 7:00 Canary Islands time for 56 days ahead; between 9:00 and 17:00 they cost €15, and children under 14 go free. A cable car ticket does not replace the permit.

Gear is checked

On the five volcano trails, mountain boots or closed trekking shoes, long trousers and a fleece are compulsory, even in summer, and are checked at the trailhead. With ice or snow, crampons and an ice axe are also required. Without the gear you are turned away, even with a valid reservation. Since June 2026 smoking has been banned in all outdoor areas of the park, and drones are banned for visitors.

Without a car

TITSA bus lines 348 from Puerto de la Cruz and 342 from Costa Adeje run to the Parador and El Portillo, and line 341 shuttles within the park. Departures are few. Camping and sleeping in vehicles are prohibited in the park.

Timanfaya covers 5,107 hectares in the west of Lanzarote, the core of the eruptions that buried a quarter of the island. You cannot walk into its heart. The Ruta de los Volcanes is driven by the Cabildo's bus from Islote de Hilario; the Montañas del Fuego ticket includes the bus route, demonstrations and parking. From the El Taro checkpoint to the car park, everyone stays in their vehicle, and there are no tickets at the El Taro ticket office.

The park authority runs two guided walks free of charge, the Ruta de Tremesana from Yaiza and the short coastal route from El Golfo, for groups of up to eight people aged 16 and over, in Spanish or English. Dates are released one month ahead; the park authority advises booking 25 to 30 days in advance. The only trail open without a guide is the long coastal path from Playa de la Madera to El Golfo: 9.75 km (6.1 mi), five to six hours, rated difficult. No bus line runs into the park, and pets are not allowed.

Booking windows matter more than the season on the Canaries. For the Teide summit, watch the Monday release at 7:00 Canary Islands time, 56 days ahead, and note that each person can hold only one reservation per 15 days. For the free Timanfaya walks, book 25 to 30 days ahead. The Teide cable car runs from 9:00 to 17:00 as standard, and until 18:40 from late March to mid-April and from July to September. At the top of Teide the temperature can drop within minutes; in winter it snows on some days.