In addition to private vehicles, public transport is an efficient and sustainable alternative for reaching Altavista Refuge. The bus lines 348 (from Puerto de la Cruz) and 342 (from Playa de Las Américas) offer a regular service with stops at the main access points to the park, including Montaña Blanca and Mount Teide cable car.

Using public transport not only makes logistics easy, it also helps to reduce the ecological footprint and environmental impact in this protected natural area, actively contributing to the conservation of the Teide National Park.

We strongly recommend you opt for public transport whenever possible. The park is a mountainous area at high altitude with variable weather and a significant influx of visitors, so using the bus network minimises congestion in the car parks and reduces the pressure on the environment.

Location map of Mount Teide and the Altavista Mountain Refuge
Map showing the location of the trails, viewpoints, Cable car and refuge on Mount Teide.

A guide for getting to the Teide refuge

You can access the Refuge on foot via trail number 7 (Montaña Blanca) or more easily using the cable car and then transferring to trail number 11 (Mirador de la Fortaleza) and part of trail number 7. Using the cable car is subject to it running on the day of your visit, so please bear in mind that you may have to make the ascent and descent to the refuge entirely on foot along the Montaña Blanca trail.

Here's how to get to the trails, plus some further information about your route options.

Index

1 – Getting to the starting point of the Montaña Blanca trail by road to reach Altavista Refuge

The starting points for the two access routes to Altavista Refuge are very well connected by road, with various access points from anywhere on the island.

If you are in the north of Tenerife:

  • the TF-21 road links La Orotava with Portillo de la Villa and crosses the entire Teide National Park, access to the Montaña Blanca (trail no.7) is at km. 40.7 or via the cable car at Km. 43.
  • The TF-23 road, from Boca de Tauce to Chío, connects with the TF-21.
  • By bus, line 348: Puerto de La Cruz - Las Cañadas del Teide. Check the departure and return times on the Titsa public transport website. 

If you are in the south of Tenerife:

  • the TF-21 road goes from Vilaflor to the Teide National Park, the access route for the tourist areas of Playa de Las Américas and Los Cristianos, access to the Montaña Blanca (trail no.7) is at km. 40.7 or via the cable car at Km. 43.
  • By bus, line 342 Playa de Las Américas - Las Cañadas del Teide. Check the departure and return times on the Titsa public transport website. 

If you are near Santa Cruz or La Laguna:

  • the TF-24 road from La Laguna to Portillo de la Villa (Carretera de la Esperanza), connects with the TF-21, which in turn connects with access to the Montaña Blanca (trail no.7), at km. 40.7 or via the cable car at Km. 43.
  • By bus, line 100 from Santa Cruz - Puerto de la Cruz or line 103 from La Laguna - Puerto de la Cruz. Then, take line 348: Puerto de La Cruz - Las Cañadas del Teide. Check the departure and return timetables on the Titsa public transport website.

2- Getting to Altavista Refuge on foot, via the Mount Teide trails

Access to the trails (PNT 11 Mirador de la Fortaleza, a free access trail, and PNT 7 Montaña Blanca, a restricted access trail from the cable car), to reach Altavista Refuge on foot or to climb the peak of the Teide (PNT 10 Telesforo Bravo, a restricted access trail) is included in your reservation for an overnight stay at the Refuge.

Getting to Altavista Refuge:

There are two ways to access the refuge on foot:

  • Climbing Montaña Blanca trail (no. 7): a challenging, difficult trail, as it covers rocky terrain with a steep slope and visitors will need to cope with the altitude. It takes between 4 and 5 hours of walking uphill to get there, visitors can walk between 3 pm and midnight on the day of their refuge booking. Please note that you must check in at the Refuge before 10 pm.
  • Travelling comfortably via the Teide Cable Car (prior reservation essential): from the upper station of the cable car, you can access the Altavista Refuge via Mirador de la Fortaleza trail number 11, which then links to Montaña Blanca trail number 7 towards Altavista Refuge. It takes about an hour to reach the refuge. It is important to bear in mind that the cable car may be unavailable due to the weather or technical reasons, so you may need to ascend entirely on foot along trail number 7 to reach the refuge. The permit to walk Montaña Blanca trail no. 7 included in your Refuge booking gives you the right to walk this trail between 3 pm and midnight on the day of your reservation at the Refuge. Please note that you mist check in at the Refuge before 10 pm.

Leaving Altavista Refuge:

  • Walk down trail number 7 (Montaña Blanca) between 9 am and 12 pm on the morning after your overnight stay.
  • Weather permitting, you can also take the cable car from the upper station to the base station at Mount Teide Cable Car Visitors' Centre. If the cable car is not running, you must walk down trail number 7 (Montaña Blanca) between 9 am and 12 pm immediately after your overnight stay, and not at any other time. Important note: Cable car descent tickets cannot be booked in advance, they are subject the cable car running and therefore can only be booked at the top station by scanning a QR code using a mobile device and paying by credit or debit card. No cash payments are accepted.

For conservation and safety reasons, access to trail no. 7 (Montaña Blanca) is controlled by the Tenerife government and requires a permit that can processedbe via the TenerifeON platform. For visitors with a reservation at the Refuge this permit is included for the time slots indicated above. To gain access to the trail, you must show park staff your identity card or passport along with the booking document for your stay at the Refuge.