Mount Teide — Attraction in La Orotava

Wow. They had me at 3rd greatest place to see stars (worldwide). I booked the sunset/stargazing tour(I normally take my kids to the Lomond hills to stargaze- so this was to be the daddy of them all). I was expecting a big dusty hill. Nope-how wrong (again). As the bus laboured and laboured we were initially below the cloud. The views when we rose above them were amazing...the kind you get briefly from a plane- not chugging in a diesel. The cloud was punctuated by the other islands and with the sun ablaze it appeared magical. The spectacle wasnt lost on my kids - and "wow look" was the cry modern kids so seldom make. Up and up ear pop after ear pop. Thin forrest followed by adapted plants (little globular things). The lava fields took over with scale-like terracotta stones and rocks of charcoal and lime green gave it an other-worldly feel (Like the australian red centre). The cable car took us higher and higher ( pregnant women and cardio respiratory patients warned off). Pardon my ignorance- i had ( wrongly) assumed the volcano was as dead as a dodo. Fingers of snow and soil patches as hot as a hot bath. Wisps of sulpherous gas. The drop in oxygen felt like a kick to the chest. Best part of 4000 metres. All four of us felt dizzy and the sunset viewing areas felt miles away (150m). Ive travelled far and never seen a sunset like this one. Kids are supposed to be over 8 for this tour ( the bigger nose doesnt bother me now). In truth the hyperbright moon ruined our views of the milky way- but weve been up a real volcano! It was 1 degree centigrade now and very cold. The expert guides spoke of the stars like my mechanic discusses classic gearboxes. With a modest telescope Ive seen a nebula now...baby stars and the moon so close i could almost touch it. In truth i didnt get what i came for (views of our galaxy) but what i seen of everything else blew me away. A trip of a life time. I'll bore many to death with tales of this trip for years. Stop sleeping off your hangover on a sunlounger and get up here....few of us will climb Kilimanjaro but many of us can come here. A few euros and a few hours but memories...

Just don't forget to get a permission from the canarias authority (it's recommended to fill the form at least 2months before a trip, i was lucky to get it for last remaining slot, 6 weeks earlier on the last day of their availability and there was no more permissions available the next day; they are probably some still available thru the teleferico operator, but [offered in the packet with the cable wagon drive up to the final parts of volcano] they cost A LOT, especially after u realize that you could have filled the same form and get the same permission for absolutely no charge, just had to do it with an appropriate advance. Okay, after reaching the top parts, the final way to the peak should tak no more than 30-40 mins of easy, but not so easy, hiking. Yeah, it's one of that unique opportunities to see how the world looks ans feels at 3.5km+ height, yes there are some effects of excessive height like shrinking stomach and breathing difficultues due to aor containing 1/3 less oxygen than in lowlands. At the peak it smells like hell, the hot sulfur smoke floating up straight from the core of the earth thru holes in the earth reminding that the Teide isn't really a friend, as it may blow off again in some near time, resulting in some real treat to the isle. After reaching the top, the impressions are fantastic. And don't forget to enjoy the. Martian views around you when driving home :]...

To go up here, a permit is needed. It can be obtained freely on the website of teide national park. I booked the entire trip two weeks ago, and couldn't get the permit. I learned that you could go up before 6 in the morning and pass this rule.

This leaves you with either climing up Montaña Blanca, on route 7, which can take up to 5 hours, or 3-4 if you are more active. The other option is going up to the altavista refuge at night, sleeping over, and doing the last stretch early in the morning.

This trip is absolutely worth every effort to get there. You'll arive in the dark, and see a halo sarround the world. And as the sun comes up, the views will amaze you. Look in the other direction and you'll see the pyramidal shadow of the mountain cast over 50Km away, and reaching la Gamora.

The crater itself is something spectacular. There is white smoke rising from the rocks, that keep you warm. But it reeks. Being that Sulphate is in the mix, I wouldn't recommend breathing in much of it.

Going back diwn, you can either go down the Montaña Blanca path, or wait until about 9am for the cable car. Make sure to book the ticket online, as there is no possibility to but the ticket from the...