Mirador de Pico Viejo
Hello mountaineer! I'm your "Local Insider" from Canaguia.com. Today we are going to touch the roof of Spain. If you have decided to go up the Teide Cable Car, I have a secret for you: don't just stay at the arrival station taking selfies. The real adventure is at the end of Trail 12, at the spectacular Pico Viejo Viewpoint (Mirador de Pico Viejo). Get ready, because you are at 3,500 meters altitude and what you are about to see defies description.
A Chaos of Colors at Pico Viejo Viewpoint
Unlike the peak of Teide, which requires a special permit, access to this viewpoint is free for everyone who goes up in the cable car. The path is a walk among volcanic rocks that ends at a balcony over the abyss. From the Pico Viejo Viewpoint, your eyes will be glued to the immense crater of Montaña Chahorra (Pico Viejo): 800 meters in diameter!
It is an explosion of colors: yellow sulfur, black lava, and reddish earth. It is a landscape so wild that you will feel like you are on another planet. And if you look up, you get the "jackpot": the perfect alignment of the islands of La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma floating in the Atlantic. It is, without discussion, the best panorama of the archipelago.
Tips from Your Local Insider
You are in high mountains, my friend. The rules change here, so listen well:
- Take it easy: At this altitude, there is less oxygen. If you walk fast towards the Pico Viejo Viewpoint, you will get tired immediately. Walk slowly, enjoy the scenery, and drink water.
- Coat, always: It doesn't matter if it's August and 30 degrees at the beach. Up here it is cold and the wind cuts. If you go up in flip-flops and a tank top, you're going to have a bad time. A jacket and closed shoes are mandatory.
- Sunglasses and sunscreen: Solar radiation here is extremely strong. Don't be fooled by the cool air. Protect yourself well or you will come down red as a shrimp.
The Pico Viejo Viewpoint is the ultimate volcanic experience. Seeing that giant crater at your feet is something that changes your perspective on life.