Itineraries

Round the island in one day

South → west → north → Teide → south: cliffs, Masca, Garachico, the dragon tree, La Orotava and a lunar landscape in a single day by car

1 Day 11 stops couples and families with older children who have a car and want to see as much as possible

Day 1

The grand loop (~230 km, ~5 h of actual driving)

1
7:30 departure
Ponderosa, Costa Adeje
Fill the tank – there's no petrol station in Teide National Park.
2
8:05–8:20
Mirador de Archipenque – views of Los Gigantes
The classic view of the Los Gigantes cliffs, crowd-free in the morning (~30 min drive).
3
8:50–9:05
Mirador de Cherfe
Views into the Masca valley and across to La Gomera, on the road via Santiago del Teide.
4
9:20–10:00
Masca
Coffee on the square and a view into the gorge. The TF-436 is narrow and parking is minimal, so come early in the morning.
5
10:30
Buenavista del Norte
A drive through the north-west. You can't drive to the Punta de Teno lighthouse – only bus 369 goes there.
6
11:00–12:30
El Caletón natural pools (Garachico)
A historic little town with the natural lava pools of El Caletón (owner's tip). Quick lunch in the centre.
7
12:50–13:30
Icod de los Vinos and the Drago Milenario
The oldest and largest dragon tree in the Canaries – you can also see it from Plaza de la Pila without paying admission.
8
14:15–15:15
La Orotava – historic centre
Casa de los Balcones, the Concepción church and the Victoria gardens. Park in a garage on the edge of the centre.
9
16:00
El Portillo – Parque Nacional del Teide
The climb up the TF-21 through pine forests, often above a sea of clouds.
10
16:30–17:30
Roques de García and Llano de Ucanca
The car park empties out in the afternoon. A short walk to Roque Cinchado.
11
17:45–19:00
Vilaflor de Chasna
The descent along the TF-21 via Vilaflor, with sunset views in spring and summer.

Our tip

The full loop is only realistic if you don't queue for anything. Save the cable car and Loro Parque for a separate day. In winter, check whether the TF-21 is closed due to snow (tenerifeon.es/alertas). If it is, drive the loop the other way round via the TF-1 and TF-5 and skip Teide.

Whole route in Google Maps

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