Tenerife Plans Paid Teide Park Road Access, Car Restrictions

Tenerife's Island Council is planning big changes for how people access Teide National Park. They propose turning a part of the TF-21 road, specifically between Boca de Tauce and El Portillo Bajo, into an 'internal road' within the park itself. If this happens, visitors would need to pay to use public transport in this area. The move would also mean better environmental checks and more surveillance.

This plan is part of a larger strategy for getting around the island, which the council is currently working on. It's also included in the National Park's new Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG), expected to be ready by the end of the year. José Miguel Ruano, the Island Councilor overseeing various departments including planning, confirmed that changing the TF-21 road is a key short-term step identified by the group in charge of putting the PRUG into action, a group he leads.

The biggest change would be limiting private cars during certain hours, likely from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM. During these times, public and private buses would be given priority. Everyone, including local residents, would need to book their seats in advance. The council says the goal is to improve how people move around the park to help protect it, not just to make money. To enforce this, checks would be set up at the three main entrances to the park.

Making the TF-21 an internal park road would also mean more power for park surveillance. The Civil Guard's Nature Protection Service (Seprona) would be able to act directly on this road. They would join other groups like Traffic police, Canary Islands Police, La Orotava Local Police, the Island Council's environmental agents, and rural guards, who can report rule-breakers to the authorities.

The Island Council explains this decision by pointing out that there are other ways to travel across the island. This argument will become even stronger when the Island Ring Road, including the Erjos tunnel, is finished within the next year. Ruano called this mobility plan one of the Tenerife Island Council's most important successes in its discussions with the Canary Islands Government's Ministry of Ecological Transition.

The Mobility and Roads department is handling the paperwork to reclassify the TF-21. They will collect all the required reports and documents before presenting the proposal to the full Island Council for final approval. The new Master Plan (PRUG) also includes emergency plans to limit access during heavy snow or when there are too many visitors. It also aims to improve and charge for internal bus routes that will link up the park's main attractions.

Currently, you can get to Teide National Park using the TF-21 road (from La Orotava in the north or Vilaflor in the south), the TF-38 (from Chío), and the TF-24 (from La Esperanza). The overall aim of these changes is to better manage the large number of visitors to this important natural area, which is highly valued for its ecology and attracts many tourists.