Teide National Park Launches €1 Million Upgrade to Improve Safety and Sustainability

Teide National Park is undergoing a major upgrade to its public facilities to better manage the high number of visitors it receives. Funded by a one-million-euro grant from the European Next Generation program, the project aims to balance tourism with the protection of the park’s fragile high-mountain ecosystem.

Mariano Hernández Zapata, the Minister of Ecological Transition and Energy, recently launched the project, which is a joint effort between the regional government and park management. Work is currently focused on two busy areas: the La Ruleta viewpoint near the Roques de García and the surroundings of the Cañada Blanca Visitor Center. The main goal is to improve road safety, as the current high volume of rental cars and buses often forces pedestrians and drivers to share narrow, dangerous road shoulders.

The project also includes a redesign to improve accessibility for all visitors. Pedestrian paths will be widened to two and a half meters using local natural stone. This material was chosen to ensure the new structures blend seamlessly into the volcanic landscape while meeting strict conservation standards.

To further protect the environment, the park will install stone walls and rustic signage to clearly mark paths. This will prevent hikers from wandering into sensitive botanical areas and help stop soil erosion. By reorganizing how people move through the park, the government hopes to create a more sustainable model that protects Tenerife’s most popular natural site while addressing long-standing concerns from local officials and experts.