Mount Teide is the highest peak in Spanish territory. Standing at 3,715 metres (according to the latest measurements), its outline can be seen from almost anywhere on the island. For your viewing pleasure, today we tell you the best viewpoints in Tenerife to see it.
Tenerife: a volcanic island best understood at height
Tenerife has it all: beaches, cliffs and fishing villages, but also mountain areas, such as the Anaga Rural Park or the Teide National Park. The latter protects a unique volcanic landscape, with lava flows and curious rock formations. However, while the surroundings make you feel like you are on another planet, Mount Teide’s charm lies in the fact that it looms around almost every corner.
Therefore, we recommend you visit Tenerife’s best viewpoints in the north, south and inland. This way you will get different perspectives of the volcano; some with the sea in the background and others with Canary Island pine forests in the foreground.
The island is fairly well served by public transport and the roads, although winding, are well maintained. However, there are some limitations when it comes to getting around, especially due to timetables. If you want to explore Tenerife at your own pace and reach less accessible points to enjoy the views, try a rental car in Tenerife with OK Mobility.
Best viewpoints to see Mount Teide in Tenerife
Mount Teide changes its appearance depending on the time of day, the season and where you observe it from. With the seven best viewpoints in Tenerife below, you will have different competing perspectives.
Mirador de la Tarta
Located within the Teide National Park, Mirador de la Tarta owes its name to the colours of the different geological layers of Las Cañadas, reminiscent of a cake. Each is due to a different volcanic eruption. As for the viewpoint itself, it sits on a curve of the TF-24 road, so you have views on both sides. You can leave your car in the car parks in the area.
Roques de García viewpoint
The Roques de García are one of the most recognisable images from the national park, as they were the image on the old thousand-peseta banknotes. From the viewpoint, Mount Teide rises behind these rock formations sculpted by erosion, creating one of the most photographed panoramas of the island.
Chipeque Viewpoint
On the ridge of La Esperanza, another of the best viewpoints in Tenerife to see Mount Teide is the Mirador de Chipeque, or Chipeque Viewpoint. You will see it towering above a sea of clouds when the conditions are right. This phenomenon is common in the north of the island and isolates the volcano, as if it were floating above the clouds. If you can, get there early, because it is one of the best times to enjoy the view.
Jardina Viewpoint
Near San Cristóbal de La Laguna is the Jardina Viewpoint. Here the perspective is different. Mount Teide appears in the background, framed by the Aguere valley and agricultural areas. As the sun sets, the lateral light highlights the profiles of the relief.
Humboldt lookout point
This viewpoint is found in the municipality of La Orotava. From here you can see how Mount Teide dominates the entire valley, with the Atlantic in the background. The panoramic view is balanced by the contrast between the green of the valley, the blue of the sea and the dark profile of the volcano. It is one of the most accessible points, and in the best condition.
Mirador de Samara
The Mirador de Samara is also located within the national park and is surrounded by the most recent volcanic lava flows. The part of Mount Teide that you see from here is more arid and open, with hardly any tall vegetation. It feels like an almost lunar landscape, with the volcano as a constant point of reference.
Mirador de Montaña Grande
In the south of the island is the last of the best viewpoints in Tenerife, Mirador de Montaña Grande. The view is not the typical one, with the southern volcanic relief in the foreground. Since this is the driest side of the island, such a radical difference in the landscape, which becomes more desert-like, is striking.
Visiting these viewpoints will help you understand the island’s volcanic origin and the diversity of landscapes it houses, so don't miss any of them with your rental car!
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