Park Practicalities
There are four main routes up to the park, one from each corner of the island, and though it is easiest by far to get here by car , there are several buses daily from Las Americas and Los Cristianos and from Puerto de la Cruz calling at the Parador Hotel in the south of the park, the base of the cable-car up Teide itself, and the visitors' centre. The main park visitors' centre ( Daily 9am-4pm; tel 922/290 129) is at the eastern end of the park, about 1km southwest of a El Portillo. It has displays on the geological history of the area, its flora and its fauna. As well as selling topographical maps and providing rudimentary leaflets about the generally well-marked hikes in the park, the centre also organizes free guided hikes of varying difficulty - from easy four-hour trips to two-day expeditions of the summit of Teide. There's a second centre (same hours) beside the Parador Hotel on the south side of the park; this concentrates almost exclusively on the park's human heritage . Lastly, two tiny booths with unpredictable opening hours, field general enquiries and distribute leaflets: one is located at the junction of the roads from the west and the south, the other at the junction of the roads from the east and north. Since camping is prohibited in the park, there are only two places to stay here. The first is a simple refuge, 500m below the summit of Teide. At 3270m, Refugio Altavista ( tel 922/239 811; ?12-24; closed Nov-Feb) is around thirty minutes' walk below the cable-car terminus; although it can sleep up to fifty people, it is often filled to capacity and reservations are advisable. There are some cooking facilities here, but water can be in short supply at busy times, resulting in the closing of toilets and washing facilities; you should always bring your own drinking water in any case. When the refuge is closed there is a free no-frills bunkhouse open next door. It contains a dozen beds and blankets as well as windows that rattle all night. Despite the blankets, you'd be well advised to bring a good sleeping bag since temperatures frequently drop below freezing, particularly in winter. Offering considerably more comfort, but at a price, is the one hotel - the stylish, state-run Parador Hotel ( tel & fax 922/386 415; ?84-120) is beautifully located beside Guajara and Los Roques. It has a small pool and large and expensive restaurant. The restaurant , which looks out onto Teide, serves good Canarian cuisine and a particularly good local stew ( puchero ), but has a rather sterile atmosphere. The complex also contains an overpriced snack bar , beside the main entrance. The only other restaurants in the park are a number of bus-tour favourites in El Portillo. There are snack bars here, and at both ends of the cable car too.
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