Pico Viejo (Old Peak, 3135 m) is the second highest spot on Tenerife island. From the south side, Pico Viejo looks just like a shoulder of its great neighbor Teide. However, from the road on its west side this is an imposing giant, and climbing 1000 meters of height difference is a demanding task. In this page, you will find information about the routes from the west.
[J. S. Bach, BWV 1003, Allegro]
Routes to Pico Viejo
There are at least two or three routes from the west and southwest. They all start from the road. The west route begins close to Samara, and the southwest route at the car parking with the table Narices del Teide (nostrils of Teide), see the picture below.
This car parking you will easily find, it is on the mountain-side of the road, in the area between the two regions of black lava. These two routes merge just below ‘nostrils’, in the area where the mountain slope becomes very steep.
There seems to be yet another, south route directly from the Parador hotel area. There is an attractive rock formation in that region (Roques de Garcia), and the route to Pico Viejo starts from there. I did not pass it myself but it was clearly visible from the mountain.
From the Narices del Teide, you will start walking directly toward the mountain. The terrain is harsh but rather flat in this part, the path is barely visible, there are no markings except for some scarce cairns. So starting before daylight may not be a good idea if you do not know the path well.
At both sides, you will have huge black lava fields, and it is better not to enter there. While the terrain with the path looks harsh bad doable, those black lava fields look impassable. This is an extremely tough volcanic terrain which looks like as if it has just appeared from inside the Earth, although this is the result of an eruption which took place at the end of 18th century.
Below ‘nostrils’ (volcanic craters) you will turn slightly left, the route here becomes much more steep, but it is now clearly visible and it remains so all the way to the summit.
There are some markings in the middle part of the route, however, they are not at places where you need them most. Namely, the route splits several times, so you can only guess where to go. Take left route each time, and this will lead you to the summit.
The upper part of the route is more hard and slippery, a lot of gravel and soft sand, which takes your energy and slows your pace. But you might look upon this from a positive perspective. On your way back, you will be able to make very long steps, or even to jump and to slide down very quickly.
Equipment
You do not need any special equipment to do this route. Here is a short summary:
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Accommodation
Most likely you will come from the sea level when you climb Pico Viejo. So to rent a flat anywhere on the coast you may use some reliable agencies like Interhome or Casamundo. But if you want to stay very close to the mountain, then this is the Parador hotel, at a stone-throw from Pico Viejo.
There are bus lines to this place both from the south and from the north. If you stay at Parador you might also like to climb Guajara which is directly above the hotel.
My climb
I came by car from Santa Cruz. Started around 6:30 am from the city, and after a long but pleasant drive along the road in the direction from La Laguna, which is all the time at high altitude, I was at the parking at 8 am. It was almost freezing so I was wearing glows and other warm stuff. There was frost in some sections of the road.
In the middle of the walk-up, I did not feel really good. It felt like the altitude sickness probably because I came directly from the sea level. This was a bit puzzling to me because I climbed the much higher Teide twice in the past in the same manner, and did not have such problems at all. But this was a couple of years ago, and I guess I did not become younger in the meantime.
There was nobody around all the way to the summit, where I arrived at 11:30 am. But when I was in the upper part of the route I noticed two people far below. Later we met on the summit and I realized this was a couple from Germany.
On my way back I met several people, all dressed in summer clothes with short sleeves, although this was the last day of January 2015. But in fact, this was quite appropriate, as it became a rather warm day, totally different from the situation in the morning.
I used 2.5 liters of liquid, some fruit juice, and water. In the summertime almost certainly you might need even more.
To summarize, climbing Pico Viejo is a bit hard, but this is indeed a simple walk-up. You need no special equipment to get to the summit. Plan at least 3 hours from the road. I strongly suggest using walking poles, they come very useful for keeping balance on an unstable terrain like this.
If you plan to go Tenerife, just to know that you can do your accommodation reservation through Booking.com. I have used their services many times in the past and can fully recommend them.
Please leave your comments below, I shall be happy to read them and to give answers to any question about this mountain. Have a nice day.
Antony Stanley-Clarke says
Hi Jovo. Thanks for providing such complete information on the route to Pico Viejo. It’s really helpful. Also good to know that you ascended in January, which is when i may be able to hike next year. I wondered whether snow ever bars the way.
I was wondering how long the route took from the road and back. Also, have you linked the route to Tiede? If so, how much longer to Tiede from Viejo? Perhaps though, you wouldn’t advise it because of the extra altitude.
Many thanks, Antony
Jovo says
Hi Antony, great to hear from you. The snow can happen, these are high elevations, but this is rare and the snow does not stay long. I have climbed the mountains there in all months, even Teide. The timing is given in the text, from 8 till 11:30 AM.
As for continuing to Teide, yes I have done this a few times from Pico Viejo. You have the description of the remaining route in this text. Plan another 3 hours for that part alone.
The Pico Viejo – Teide is tough because of the altitude, but it is worth every effort. If you feel you can do it, do not hesitate. When you see the pictures in the link given above you will want to continue.
One more thing – if you do the tour, why not writing a text and submitting it here? People will find it useful. I have an invitation for guest editors please see it here.
Ajda says
Hi Jovo, your site is the best! We are going to Tenerife in 2 days and our plan is to do all your hiking tours (I am joking, only 3 or 4 🙂
I am wondering if it is possible to hire trekking poles somewhere on Tenerife? We are flying only with peronal luggage so we can not bring our trekking poles with us 🙁
Thank you!
And please keep going with this great site (your stories, useful plans and many details!)
Ajda from Slovenija
Jovo says
Hi Ajda, your words are a music for my ears. Thank you.
There is no such a service as far as I know. Have spent one year there and would hear about it, though I have not stayed in touristic resorts and could be wrong. I use them all the time but you know they are not compulsory. You can buy some there. There is a huge Decathlon store above Santa Cruz, take a tram and you are there easily; but they have a smaller shop also in the city, I mean in Santa Cruz, in the main street.
For Pico Viejo, I have climbed it from two sides, both are great, easier is the approach from Parador, it is described in this story.
All the best, if you want, send some story to the site, I have an open invitation for guest authors. Recently, some people submitted a few stories about Slovenian climbs, here is one about Jalovec, and another about Rjavina. My own beginnings of climbing were there 30 years ago. The most beautiful country in Europe, no joke.
Philip Blair says
Hi Jovo. Great website, i have came across it while researching walks to both Guajara and Pico Viejo. I have previously climbed to the summit of Tiede while on holidays there in February 2014, 4.5 hours to the summit and would love to do it again and get to the summit to witness sunrise but we are going back in January 2016 and i hope to do both Guajara and Pico Viejo on 2 different days and hike in in the dark and get to the summit of each for sunrise. Thankyou for all the info.
Philip Blair
Jovo says
Hi Philip, thank you for the kind words. These are great plans. The sunrise I experienced there will stay with me forever.
I assume you know that there is yet another route to Pico Viejo from Parador. There is also a nice tour from Vilaflor to Gujara, if you have time to do this.
Philip Blair says
Hi Jovo. Yes, I came across that route from the parador too while doing some research. I am not sure which route to choose, probably whichever I think I can do the fastest. We are staying in Los Cristianos so it is around an hours drive up to the parador for either walk, sunrise is around 8am when we are there so I would like to get to the summits around 7am so if Guajara is a 2 hour walk and Pico Viego is a 3 hour walk, I will have to leave our apartment at 4am and 3am respectively! Not looking forward to that.
Jovo says
The west route passes at one short section through the lava fields where it may be tricky to find the route in the dark if you do not know it. I would say that the route from Parador is less complicated.
Philip Blair says
Thanks Jovo. Would it take any longer time wise?
Jovo says
I did it two times similar in both cases, plan up to 3 hours Parador – Pico Viejo.
Philip Blair says
Thanks again Jovo. Looking forward to it already and it is still 5 months away! My local mountains here in Northern Ireland are the Mourne Mountains, i have a few photos from the last few years here if you fancy a look https://www.flickr.com/photos/philblair/albums/72157633183601497
Jovo says
Beautiful photos indeed, have not visited the area. What is the origin of the long wall?
Philip Blair says
Bit of info on the Mournes Wall here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mourne_Wall
And my account of walking it here http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/blog/2013/08/my-mourne-wall-walk/
Jovo says
Thank you Philip.
PHILIP says
Hi Jovo.
I just wanted to thank you for the information i recieved from you previously. We were in Tenerife for 10 days in January and i climbed Montana Guajara for sunrise using what you describe as the blue route. I put together a video of some short video clips and photos here https://youtu.be/xPslsQJn7z4 and there is some photos on my flickr as linked above. Again, many thanks for the information.
Philip
Jovo says
Thank you so much Philip. So great colors. This brings back a lot of memories. Pity you did not put the comment on the Guajara page. But no worry, thank you again.
Rex says
Hello Jovo. Thanks for your story!
My friend and I (both 18) are going on vacation to Tenerife by the end of June and we’re also planning a hike to Pico Viejo (and back of course). However, we’re both pretty new to hiking, which is why I’m wondering if there’s anything we need to know or bring with us other than a good working body, a good working mind, some water, clothing and a good pair of shoes (in specific for something like Pico Viejo). Besides that, we’re mainly struggling about the route we should take. Which route would you suggest for us and how much time would it take? My friend has got a driver’s license, but we’re still too young to rent a car, which is why we’re dependent on the bus (with a specific time schedule) or a taxi.
Thanks in advance and greetings from the Netherlands,
Rex
Jovo says
Hi Rex, Pico Viejo is just a walk up, so you do not need any particular equipment. There is another approach described in my another post, from Parador. So have a look there, the route is shown in a map. I assume you have read this west side approach, so details given in both texts should be enough. You see the start and the summit all the time so navigation is not a problem. The route from Parador is easier, less soft and less steep.
There is a bus from Puerto and from the south, it arrives at 11 and goes back at 4. So this is not enough time to go to P. Viejo. So you need to have car transport, perhaps bus one way and back by taxi. But you can manage to climb Gujara in this time interval, I did it the same way. Read about the bus in my another text (about Teide).
You can stay the night at Parador hotel and use the bus both ways.
Maeve says
Hi Jovo,
We’re just back from holidays in Tenerife where we climbed Pico Viejo and as you say altitude is the main obstacle, although the terrain can be harsh under foot also. We found the walk tiring and I’m just wondering how this walk compares to El Teide. with a bit more experience would it be achievable. Thanks for all the information on the site. Maeve
Jovo says
Hi Maeve, so great to hear about your climb. I wonder which direction you toke, from the Parador hotel or from the west side?
To tell you about Teide, as you have seen there are no principal differences regarding the terrain, but Teide is really a completely different story, only because of the altitude. I have described the tour to Teide following the route over Pico Viejo.
So here is how I see it. I climbed it 6 times, in the first 5 climbs I always had slight altitude symptoms but it was OK, nothing serious. But my last climb in December was such that I thought I would not manage it, such strong symptoms I have never had before even when I climbed in the Alps far over 4000 meters. So the point is you cannot predict it. It is good to be acclimatized but on Tenerife you do not have much chance because you always come from the sea level.
So for Teide you do not need any experience, it is simple walk, straightforward, always easy to find the route. It is only your fight with altitude, nothing else.
All the best to you.
Julie says
Hi there! An avid climber myself, I found your post very interesting. I have long wanted to explore mountains around Spain, and Pico Viejo looks like a great place to start although I’m a bit worried about altitude sickness. What do you do to prevent it and how can I deal with it if it happens to me?
Jovo says
Hi Julie. Great to hear from you. Regarding altitude sickness, this is totally unpredictable. I climbed Teide 6 times in the past, and my last climb was such that I hardly managed. Suffered a lot due to altitude sickness. But in the previous 5 climbs did not have any issues with it. And I have climbed much higher mountains in the Alps. So acclimatization is the only option. How to deal with sickness? The only solution is to go back if you feel bad. You will feel improvement very quickly. I have seen this with my daughter when we climbed on Tenerife together. After descending just a few hundred meters she felt far better.
Henry says
Hello Jovo & thanks for sharing!
Such exciting story & wonderful images to back it all up! Would you recommend climbing Pico Viejo for newcomers as well?
Seems like it’s not too gear-dependent spot to start with, although these black lava field terrains could alert you a bit.
I absolutely love that google-maps widget you got here. Can’t get any more precise than that if one asks for complete set of details.
Regards,
Henry
Jovo says
Hi Henry, thank you for visiting my site. This climb is all about high altitude, nothing technical, no problem with orientation, so it is doable to anybody. A bit more pleasant is the south side approach mainly because it is less steep. I climbed Pico Viejo recently following this approach, you may have a look.
Charles says
Excellent story Jovo,
Climbing Pico Viejo Tenerife sounds like it would be a great starter for a beginner like myself. I can see myself vacationing there. You give a pretty detailed account of your climb and the pictures are great.
I also loved the Allegro by Bach. Being a guitar player myself, I appreciated the instrumental and it fit perfectly with story.
Where are you headed next? I’m looking forward to reading more about your adventures.
Charlie
Jovo says
Hi Charles, yes Pico Viejo would be a great starter as this is not a technical climb. You would enjoy it. So do not miss the chance if you have it. Thank you for kind words about my choice of music. Bach is my eternal inspiration. I just came from the Alps, there is one story posted on my climb of Alpspitze. Have a look. Some more will be coming soon.
Retha says
As I read and observed the photos of your site, I began to smile, realizing that if this was me climbing one of these mountains, I’d probably have given up long before I reached the summit because I’m terribly afraid of ANY heights. You have a wonderful and very exciting website, and If I wasn’t so afraid, I would at least think about climbing the mountain with the loose gravel because I prefer to take my time. Are you ever afraid that the volcano might begin to erupt after you’ve made it to the top, or is that even possible? Please let me know, as I am very curious. Job well done!
Jovo says
Hi Retha, thank you. No you would not give up, this is a volcano and vertigo is not an issue. The slope is rather gentle and there are no places with rock scramble. Just a walk up at a high altitude. Last time this volcano erupted was somewhere in 17th century, those are ‘nostrils’ which you may see on the photos. So the mountain is calm, no worry.
Hanh says
This is an awesome site about mountain climbing! The trails, maps and pictures of your adventure sure make me want to start climbing at least for my own health. I like that these articles are so detail oriented toward an experience climber. Looks like I have ways to go! Keep contributing man!
Jovo says
Hi Hanh, kind words indeed. If you have any mountains around you then I suggest you give it a try, you might like it and you will feel great. As you rightly say, it will come good for your health.
NemiraB says
Your website is so impressive. There are so much information. I heard from my friends, that island of Tenerife is wonderful for vacation, climate is good mostly all year long. I did not know about climbing options. Thank you. I wonder what type of camera do you use to make pictures? All the best, Nemira
Jovo says
Thank you Nemira. Tenerife is a great place, I am living there right now. And it has very high mountains, Teide is over 3600 m above the sea, and this means literally above the sea, so you can imagine. Camera is ordinary pocket one, Sony.