El Teide from Puerto de la Cruz via La Orotava

The route

You set off from Puerto de la Cruz, almost at the water's edge, and start climbing from the very first metre. The road crosses the La Orotava valley among banana plantations, houses and allotments, leaves the old town behind and heads into the mid-slopes, among vineyards and then the green laurel forest and fayal-brezal woodland. That's where you're likely to run into fog. Above Aguamansa you enter the pine forest, the climb becomes steadier and, when you come out above the sea of clouds, you reach Las Cañadas del Teide. It's 42.5 km and +2,397 m, almost all on tarmac, up to 2,364 m.

Where it bites

The average gradient is 5.6 %, but what really weighs is the length: hours of climbing with hardly a breather. The toughest kilometre is 11.7, still on the lower part. Higher up, the altitude makes it harder to hold your pace. Pace yourself from the start and eat early, before you get hungry.

Where to stop

Fill your bottles and buy something to eat in La Orotava and Aguamansa. There are few services at Las Cañadas, so climb with plenty of food and drink.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the best times. In summer the heat bites on the lower part and in winter there may be ice or snow at the top. It's cold up there almost all year round: take a jacket and gloves for the descent, and lights to get through the fog on the mid-slopes.

Getting there

There are no trains in Tenerife, so the usual way is to arrive by car and park in one of the public car parks in Puerto de la Cruz. If you don't want to ride the 42 km back down, arrange for someone to pick you up at the top. Before you set off, check the weather at the summit: it can be very different from what you have on the coast.