Tenerife Council Implements Teide National Park Eco-Tax
Tenerife has introduced an eco-tax for visitors to Teide National Park's summit trails, effective this Monday, to manage increasing tourist numbers and fund conservation efforts.
The Tenerife Island Council has introduced an eco-tax in Teide National Park, which began this Monday. This fee applies to visitors using the two trails that lead to the summit. While Tenerife residents can access these trails for free, visitors from other Canary Islands and all tourists, whether from Spain or abroad, will need to pay between €3 and €25. The exact price is determined by the Tenerife ON platform, which handles bookings, based on your chosen time slot, user category, and the day of your visit.
For the Telesforo Bravo trail (PNT 10), fees apply between 9 AM and 5 PM. Access remains free for Tenerife residents and children under 14. Visitors from other Canary Islands will pay €6, and all other visitors will pay €15.
Meanwhile, the Montaña Blanca–La Rambleta trail (PNT 07) has fees between 9 AM and 3 PM, with prices varying by day. On weekdays, it's free for Tenerife residents, costs €3 for visitors from other Canary Islands, and €6 for all other users. On weekends and public holidays, Tenerife residents still pay nothing, while visitors from other islands pay €5, and all other visitors pay €10.
When making a reservation, you'll need a credit or debit card and the details of everyone in your group. Once confirmed, reservations cannot be changed, cancelled, or refunded. This includes altering participants, dates, or times. Refunds are only issued if a trail is closed due to bad weather, other exceptional circumstances, or if the Teide Cable Car is not working. You will also not receive a refund if you are denied access for not having the mandatory minimum equipment, which can be checked on the Tenerife ON website.
The booking system continues to operate on the Tenerife ON platform. However, for now, reservations can only be made via the website (www.tenerifeon.es), as the mobile application is not currently supported. Each Monday at 7:00 AM (Canary Islands time), a new week of booking slots becomes available, always allowing reservations up to 28 days in advance. To use the system, you must be registered and validated on the Tenerife ON platform.
Rosa Dávila, president of the Tenerife Island Council, explained that this decision addresses an "unsustainable" increase in visitor numbers since the pandemic. Teide National Park has seen its annual visitors jump from 3.5 million to 5.2 million. Of these, 88% are tourists, with only about 11% being local residents. This high tourist pressure is causing significant environmental impact, which the new measures aim to tackle.
Blanca Pérez, the Minister for the Natural Environment, added that "the funds collected will be used to boost conservation efforts, improve safety, and enhance the quality of the visitor experience, moving towards a more responsible and respectful model for Teide."
This eco-tax is part of Teide's recently implemented Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG), which also grants the Tenerife Island Council full authority over the park. Other improvements under this plan include hiring 17 new staff members, 8 of whom will be environmental rangers. The plan also introduces restrictions on sports events and audiovisual filming to reduce their impact on the ecosystem. A Mobility Plan, which will feature shuttle buses (similar to those used during the recent "Snow Operation"), is still in development. With all these initiatives, the Island Council aims to make visits to Teide a more controlled, safe, and environmentally friendly experience.