Teide National Park · La Orotava, Tenerife

Mirador de La Ruleta

Everything you need to know before you go: Getting there, parking, prices, best time.

Last checked: September 2026

Does it cost anything?No, €0Viewpoint, car park and trail No. 3 are free, no booking.

How do I get there?~1 h from PuertoTF-21 into the national park. Or buses 342 and 348, once a day.Where do I park?Roques de García car parkFree, right at the viewpoint. No parking on the verge.When is it best?Before 16:00 by busBoth buses leave at 16:00. Sunset and stars need a car.

Roques de García and Teide, seen from La Ruleta — Photo: H. Zell, License: CC BY-SA 3.0

La Ruleta is the viewing terrace on the TF-21 across from the Parador, looking over the Roques de García towards Teide. It is also where the 3.6 km Roques de García circular trail starts. The car park was rebuilt and reopened in July 2026.

Straight talk

What to know before you go.

The bus leaves at 16:00. Both daily buses head back from the Parador at 16:00. Sunset or stars only work with a car.
Free may not last. The Cabildo plans bookable, paid parking for visitors from late 2026, and the park plan already lists La Ruleta as a paid, supervised car park.
It's 2,100 m up. The park authority advises warm clothes, sunglasses, a hat and sun cream even in summer.

Getting there

La Ruleta is on the TF-21 in the middle of the Las Cañadas crater, opposite the Parador and the Cañada Blanca visitor centre.

By car

From Puerto de la Cruz

~1 h

From Costa Adeje

~1 h

From Teide cable car

~5 min

Altitude

About 2,100 m

01From the north take the TF-21 from La Orotava up to El Portillo and on through the crater past the cable car station. From the south the TF-21 climbs from Vilaflor.
02The car park is on the TF-21 opposite the Parador, next to the Cañada Blanca visitor centre.
03The viewing terrace is a few steps from the car park. Trail No. 3 starts here.

Parking outside marked spaces is banned throughout the national park, and so is sleeping in vehicles.

Route to the car park

Other

From Puerto de la Cruz and La Orotava
Line 348 climbs via Aguamansa and El Portillo and arrives at the Parador around 11:10. It heads back at 16:00.
From Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos
Line 342 comes up via Vilaflor. Its arrival time at the Parador is not published; it also heads back at 16:00.

Check before you go

In ice and snow, on maximum wildfire alert and for big sky events the Cabildo can close the TF-21 and the other roads into the park at short notice. Fire-alert and sky-event closures run from the evening to the early morning: 18:00–6:00 in August 2025, 17:00–5:00 on 12–13 August 2026. Tenerife ON shows whether an alert is in force today.

Parking & arriving

Roques de García car park

0 €

Next to the viewpoint. Rebuilt in 2026: La Ruleta and Cañada Blanca together have 80 car and 14 coach spaces.

Parador car park

Reserved for hotel guests.

No verge parking

Parking outside marked spaces is banned in the whole national park. If the car park is full, try again later.

On site

From the stone-walled terrace you look over the Roques de García to Teide and across the Llano de Ucanca plain. Trail No. 3 around the rocks starts right here.

Time there: ~20 min at the terrace, ~2 h with the circular trail
Walk from car park: a few steps from the car park
Toilets: None at the viewpoint. Nearest at the Cañada Blanca visitor centre and the Parador across the road
Food & drink: Café and restaurant at the Parador across the road
Shade: None, neither at the terrace nor on the trail
Wheelchair: The rebuilt car park has lowered kerbs and tactile paving; an accessible variant of trail No. 3 exists
Dogs: Banned in the national park, except guide and working dogs

When is it worth it?

The viewpoint is always open. Buses, the visitor centre and road closures set your window. Tap a time of day.

00–09Before 9:00

No buses yet and the visitor centre is closed. Stargazing with a telescope is allowed at the viewpoint.

09–11Morning

The buses left the coast at 9:25 and 9:30. Bus 348 reaches the Parador around 11:10.

11–16Midday

Cañada Blanca visitor centre open until 16:00. Both buses leave the Parador at 16:00.

16–20Afternoon

No more buses. You need your own car to stay for the evening light.

20–24Night

Stargazing is allowed at the viewpoints. Only car lights and head or hand torches are permitted, no other lighting.

Timetables and rules from TITSA and the national park, September 2026.

Dec – Mar

Frost and snow. In February and March 2026 the Cabildo closed the TF-21 and TF-24 for ice.

Apr – Jun

Mild days, cold mornings. The Izaña weather station, 240 m higher, averages 7.6 °C in April.

Jul – Sep

The warmest months: Izaña averages 18.5 °C in July. Also wildfire season.

Oct – Nov

Cooling off: Izaña averages 10.6 °C in October and 7.8 °C in November.

Forecast

Facts

Entry: Source: National park · 09/2026; Free, no booking (September 2026). The Teide eco-fee does not apply here
Location: Source: National park · 09/2026; TF-21 opposite the Parador de Las Cañadas del Teide, La Orotava
Altitude: Source: Terrain data · 09/2026; About 2,100 m
Trail No. 3 Roques de García: Source: National park · 09/2026; Circular, 3.6 km, about 2 h, 202 m up and down, medium. Free, no booking
Car park: Source: Cabildo · 09/2026; Free. 80 car and 14 coach spaces together with Cañada Blanca
Bus 342: Source: TITSA · 09/2026; Costa Adeje 9:25, Los Cristianos 9:40. Back from the Parador 16:00
Bus 348: Source: TITSA · 09/2026; Puerto de la Cruz 9:30, La Orotava 9:45. Back from the Parador 16:00
Cañada Blanca visitor centre: Source: National park · 09/2026; Daily 9:00–16:00, closed 25 December, 1 and 6 January
Banned: Source: National park · 09/2026; Drones, verge parking, sleeping in vehicles
Road information: Source: Cabildo · 09/2026; +34 900 210 131