Staying overnight in the Refuge on Mount Teide

The Refuge accepts no liability for guests’ or visitors’ personal belongings.

Download the Refuge rules and bring them with you.

Rules for anyone using the Refuge facilities

The following is expressly forbidden:

• Lighting fires or candles, smoking, or using any oxidising or combustible materials that could pose a fire risk to any part of the Refuge (inside or outside) and its surroundings.
• Consuming and/or selling spirits or alcoholic beverages on the premises or in the immediate surroundings.
• Moving furniture or other items from their place or taking any fixtures and fittings outside.
• Operating any audio equipment that refuge staff deem to be disturbing other guests.
• Entering areas restricted to staff or for the use of overnight guests (the lounge, kitchen and dormitories) without having an overnight booking.
• Using the Refuge for anything other than its intended use.
• Leaving items lying around or blocking access that could prevent people from exiting the Refuge quickly in the event of an emergency.
• Camping or staying overnight in the area outside the Refuge.
• Using recreational or private drones throughout the Teide National Park.
• Littering or leaving rubbish at the Refuge or anywhere within Teide National Park.

Additional rules for overnight guests:

In addition to the rules listed above, overnight guests at the Refuge must comply with further rules regarding the use of the facilities to ensure a pleasant, respectful stay for all guests and staff.

The following are expressly forbidden:

• Cooking on the premises (you may reheat pre-prepared food in the microwaves provided).
• Entering the dormitories before 7.00 pm and sleeping in the common areas.
• Failing to allow other guests the rest they need. Complete silence must be observed from 10.00 pm until 6.30 am.
• Remaining in the dormitories after 8.00 am, unless there is a valid reason such as illness or injury. Refuge staff must be informed in the event of illness or injury.
• Leaving behind rubbish or the sleeping bag required for an overnight stay at the Refuge. Guests must take everything with them when they leave.

• Help to preserve the Refuge, use the facilities, equipment and services appropriately.
• Use the Refuge’s electricity and water resources sparingly. The Refuge is not connected to the mains supply, so guests must observe any instructions and restrictions issued by staff.
• To ensure a pleasant and safe stay along with the general upkeep and smooth running of the Refuge, please follow instructions given by staff at all times.
• Show ID for your overnight stay at the Refuge. Follow these steps:
  • All guests need to show a valid booking confirmation and proof of identity (DNI, NIE or Passport) to stay overnight at the Altavista Refuge, including minors. All guests must check in, either in advance via the website or, failing that, directly at the Refuge.
  • Where applicable, proof of Tenerife resident status or membership of the Spanish Mountain and Climbing Sports Federation (FEDME) is required to qualify for the relevant discounts.

Mandatory equipment for accessing the mountain trails on foot and staying at the Refuge

Visitors, hikers and mountaineers must have the mandatory basic equipment to comply with the rules for accessing the mountain trails, both in terms of footwear and clothing and other essential equipment for handing any possible risks at altitude, especially during the winter. This equipment includes: suitable hiking shoes, warm and weatherproof clothing, long trousers, a hat and gloves (especially in winter), a thermal blanket, water, food for energy, a fully charged mobile phone and a headlamp or torch. If you do not have the required equipment, Park staff will be forced to prevent you from accessing the trails.

To stay overnight in Altavista Refuge on Mount Teide, you must bring your own sleeping bag.

Specifications regarding footwear and clothing for accessing the trails:

• Appropriate footwear is mandatory. In other words, you must have hiking or closed-toe sports shoes with a non-slip sole. For safety reasons, it is expressly forbidden to wear heels, wedges, platforms, loafers and shoes with smooth soles or open-toes/heels.
• Warm, weatherproof clothing and a thermal blanket are compulsory. It is compulsory to bring a thermal jacket or equivalent, even in summer, and a hat and gloves in winter. Access to the trails will be denied to those wearing shorts or short sleeves who do not have additional warm clothing. Wearing the appropriate clothing is essential due to potential low temperatures and the risks associated with high altitude and the mountains. You can find further information here.
• Should the Montaña Blanca (number 7) and Telesforo Bravo (number 10) trails be closed because of a decision to introduce preventive measures due to ice and snow, access will only be permitted to expert mountaineers who sign a declaration of responsibility (which can be downloaded at TenerifeOn). Technical winter clothing, crampons and ice axes will be required. More information at TenerifeON. 

For your safety during your stay at the refuge your must:

• Wear warm clothing and footwear suitable for the mountains, even in summer. Only bring what you need, so as not to overload your backpack. Please note that water, soft drinks, hot drinks and non-perishable food can be purchased from our vending machines at the refuge. If you wish, you can bring your own food and heat it up in the Refuge kitchen.
• Protect yourself from the sun with sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen.
• Carry sufficient water with you during the ascent and/or descent. If you need to stock up on water, please note that, although we have vending machines carrying water at the refuge, you will need coins or a credit or debit card to use them (banknotes are not accepted).
• If you notice any symptoms of altitude sickness, start your descent as soon as possible.
• For serious illness, please call 112, the emergency telephone number.
• Remember that although our facilities have toilets, there are no showers.
• Always act prudently and at your own risk.

Altavista Refuge bookings can be changed up to 72 hours before the check-in deadline of your overnight stay (10 pm GMT), at the same rate as the contracted rate, on the Manage your booking page. 

After this date, no changes can be made. The

maximum number of changes allowed during the 12 months following your initial purchase is three.

If you do not use your booking on the contracted date, this will result in the loss of user rights.

No refunds are available for cancellations. Given the high demand for stays and the limited places available, if you are unable to use your reservation, please cancel it on the Manage your booking page, at least 72 hours before the date of your visit so that someone else can make use of it. 

If weather conditions do not allow for Altavista Refuge to be opened (for example, due to the closure of the trails that lead to it), we will email you to notify you of the closure with the option to change the date of your reservation, subject to availability. If you do not change the date, the full amount of the booking will be refunded. To receive your refund you must request it on the Manage your booking page. 

Facilities at Refugio de Altavista

The site is made up of two buildings separated by a common courtyard and with a terrace on the front overlooking Las Cañadas del Teide (the volanic craters and plateau).

The main building consists of:

• A sleeping area with 39 beds divided into two floors (26 on the ground floor and 13 on the upper floor).
• A first aid area.
• A space for relaxing with a fireplace and a dining area (with microwaves and a fridge only available to guests with an overnight booking).
• A lobby and reception.
• A unisex toilet (no shower).
• A covered porch.
• A terrace.

The outbuilding consists of:

• A sleeping area with 10 beds.
• Two toilets (no shower).
• An equipment room.

*The refuge has a registration book, an incident book and a complaints book

Restaurant/Cafeteria

Your reservation at Altavista Refuge on Mount Teide does not include restaurant services. However, you can purchase drinks and non-perishable snacks from our vending machines. The refuge also has a kitchen where guests can heat food they have brought with them.

Toilets

There are two toilets, but no showers.

Parking

The refuge can only be reached on foot. Given its location, it does not have a car park.

You can park in the car park at the start of the Montaña Blanca trail, which is very small, or, if you are taking the cable car, you can park in the Visitor Centre car park. Check the opening times here.

Although you can leave your car in the cable car car park, please remember that if you are walking up or down the trail from Montaña Blanca to or from the Refuge, you will have to walk 3.6 km along a trail parallel to the road (trail 39), from one point to the other (the road is too dangerous for pedestrians).

The best option is to use public transport as far as possible. Various bus lines run by the public company, Titsa, stop at the cable car and at the Montaña Blanca trail. You can find the routes under 'How to get there'.

If you are using your own transport, we advise against leaving any belongings and valuables in your car, whether you're parking at the cable car or the Montaña Blanca car park.

The cost of your stay goes directly towards conservation and safety costs at Altavista Refuge.

There are special rates for Tenerife residents and members of the Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports and Climbing (FEDME). Documentation proving this status will be required. If you cannot show proof on arrival, you will need to pay the price difference at the refuge to be able to stay overnight and not forfeit your booking.

You must take care of and respect the facilities at Altavista Refuge, along with the surroundings and the National Park as a whole. You are in a protected natural area.

Altavista Refuge promotes respect for the natural environment, the responsible management of waste (visitors should take their rubbish with them), and the responsible use of resources such as water, as it is not connected to water supply networks. Please note that regulations prohibit camping on Mount Teide.

The refuge is located within a protected National Park, i.e. a vulnerable area and, therefore, you must follow a series of simple rules of good conduct and respect for the natural environment, for example: don't litter or pick up stones, plants or animals. Remember that fires, loud noises, leaving the marked trails, feeding wildlife and camping are not permitted.

1- If you plan to take the cable car up or down as part of your night at the Refuge

After this date, no changes can be made. Any changes made will not be eligible for a refund.

• You can book your cable car ticket for the ascent in advance on the official Mount Teide Cable Car website, preferably choosing sessions after 3 pm.
• You can only book your descent ticket at the top station on the day you are going to use it (advance bookings are not allowed for this type of ticket as they are subject to the cable car running on the day), simply scan the QR code at the station. You can pay for your ticket with a credit or debit card. No cash is accepted.

The cable car may not be running on the way up or down due to weather conditions or force majeure. Please bear in mind that you may have to walk up and down trail no. 7 (Montaña Blanca).

If you book a cable car ride and the cable car is not running on the day of your visit, the company will notify you and offer the option to change your reservation date or cancel it, free of charge.

2- Booking access to the Mount Teide trails.

An overnight stay at the Refuge entitles you to the following access, on presentation of the booking confirmation at the checkpoints:

• Access to the relevant section of Montaña Blanca trail no. 7 between 3 pm and midnight on the day of your overnight stay (you must check in before 10 pm) and between 9 am and 12 pm on the day immediately after your booking.
• Access Telesforo Bravo to Pico del Teide trail no. 10, from 6 am to 9 am on the day immediately after your booking.

Access to these trails is controlled by the Tenerife government via the TenerifeON website.

Remember that you do not need to process the permits separately as they are included in your Refuge reservation, however, you must take into account all the mandatory equipment required by TenerifeON to walk the trails.

Altavista Refuge is located more than 3,200 metres high, its origins date back to 1892, the year the first refuge was built. Since 1950 it has been managed by the government. and, after several decades of use, in 2007 it underwent a complete renovation to adapt it to the needs of the time.

In 2026, a new renovation was completed, positioning the refuge as a benchmark for sustainability and safety in high mountain constructions.

Did you know that this refuge was born to provide shelter for scientists and researchers who needed a safe place to carry out their work?

Researchers such as George Glas and Robert Edward Alison had already pointed out the potential of the site, but it was the Scottish astronomer Charles Piazzi Smyth who, in the summer of 1856, first settled here to carry out his studies.

Years later, in 1891, the English naturalist and photographer George Graham Toler, decided to improve the existing primitive facilities after experiencing the harsh conditions of spending the night at altitude.

Altavista Refuge then became a major site for observing nature and the sky, and it has remained so to this day.

But why was Mount Teide chosen as the location for a mountain refuge?

Tenerife's extraordinary conditions for astronomical and atmospheric research were recognised as early as the 18th century.

The purity of the sky, the stability of the climate and the ability to make observations at high altitude attracted numerous scientists, especially foreigners, who took advantage of their trips to the island to climb Mount Teide and carry out measurements and studies.

Most notably, Charles Piazzi Smyth. For a fortnight in the summer of 1856 he stayed in the area to carry out his observations. For this purpose, he had a small shelter built, consisting of four stone compartments about two metres high, where he set up his instruments and pitched his tents.

Decades later, in the autumn of 1891, George Graham Toler climbed to the summit several times. Faced with the precariousness of the original shelter, he decided to extend and improve it. He built stone foundations, laid a floor, added a roof and erected a small room with an iron stove, as well as an annex building divided into three rooms: one for women, one for men and one for animals and guides. The toilet was located in a separate hut some ten metres away.

Toler donated the installation to La Orotava Town Hall in May 1926, and the council officially accepted it in July 1927. Thanks to this first refuge, visitors to Mount Teide now had a place to rest during their ascent.

In 1950 Cabildo Insular de Tenerife (the Tenerife government) took over the management of the building, which has undergone several refurbishments to arrive at its current refurbishment in 2026.

Today's Altavista Refuge conserves the essence of that 19th-century construction, although it has been adapted and modernised over time.

Originally conceived as a scientific observation point, over the years it was extended to provide accommodation for mountaineers and visitors to Mount Teide in their quest to summit Spain's highest peak.