Teide – Masca – Beginner Level

“Let’s go up to Teide!” – that’s what you often hear from visitors arriving here.
Okay, but where exactly?

To the Teide National Park, driving up by car, stopping at the viewpoints 2000 meters above sea level on the beautiful Ucanca, passing the Roques del García rock formations, and then continuing towards Minas de San José?
Or do you mean the summit of Teide, 3715 meters high?

Alright, let’s “go”! But how?

By taking the cable car up, hiking from there to the summit, and then (with a daytime permit) taking the cable car back down?
Or starting the hike from Montaña Blanca along trail no. 7, which requires a separate permit, then continuing along trail no. 10 to the summit (which also needs a special permit), and if the cable car is still operating, riding it down comfortably?
Or perhaps the other way around: cable car up, hiking down?
Or would you rather watch the sunrise or sunset from the top of Teide?

There are a million options – and none of them are the same.

“Let’s go to Masca!” – that’s another popular exclamation.
Alright, but do you mean the village of Masca or the Masca Gorge?

You don’t need a permit to visit Masca village, but parking is limited to 2 hours in the blue-marked areas so others can find a spot too.
However, to hike into the Masca Gorge, you need to obtain a permit in advance.
If you choose this option, you must leave your car in Santiago del Teide and take the mandatory shuttle bus to the village.
On the bus, you’ll get a stamp on your hand – without it, you won’t be allowed into the gorge.
No taxis, no Titsa (local bus), no walking – taking the shuttle bus is mandatory.

The hike starts at the visitor center and leads all the way down to Masca Beach, where you’ll take a water taxi back to Los Gigantes harbor.
Okay, but our car isn’t there, right?
Exactly. From there, you can return to Santiago del Teide (where your car is) either by Titsa bus or by taxi.

Follow us, because in the next posts we’ll present each of these options in detail.
And if you’d like to reach the Teide summit or the Masca Gorge with a us, don’t hesitate to contact us!