The Teide crater permit, explained
Climbing the final 163 metres of Mount Teide, the Telesforo Bravo trail, requires a permit. From 2026 there is also an eco-fee. This guide covers the quota, the deadlines and the two ways to sort it out, because this is the paperwork that ruins most trips by being left too late.
What needs a permit and what does not
The national park is free to visit. What is restricted is the final stretch, from the Altavista refuge or the upper cable car station to the crater. That trail is called Telesforo Bravo and it is the one that needs authorisation.
The quota, in numbers
- 300 people a day on the trail.
- 50 per time slot.
- Eco-fee in force since 2026, with compulsory booking.
- Accredited guides are exempt from the fee.
Those figures are not a guideline: they are an administrative cap. When it is gone, it is gone, and in high season it goes weeks in advance.
The two ways to sort it out
On your own. You request the permit, pay the fee and climb. Cheaper, and it demands planning well ahead, because you are competing for the same 50 slots per time band as everyone else.
With an accredited guide. The guide arranges the authorisation in each participant name and is exempt from the fee. In exchange they need your ID number in advance — around ten days — because the permit is issued to a named person.
The mistake people keep making
Booking the accommodation and leaving the permit until the day before. There is no waiting list and no exceptions: if the quota is full, the only options are a different date or stopping at the upper cable car station, from where you can see the crater but not climb to it.
And one thing nobody mentions
It can freeze at the top in August. This is over 3,700 metres, and people go up in short sleeves because it was 26 degrees on the coast. Proper warm layers, category 4 sunglasses and two litres of water per person.
Frequently asked questions
›How many people can climb to the Teide crater each day?
300 people a day on the Telesforo Bravo trail, with a maximum of 50 per time slot. It is an administrative cap with compulsory booking.
›Is there an eco-fee to climb Teide?
Yes, the eco-fee came into force in 2026 with compulsory booking. Accredited guides are exempt, so climbing with a guide avoids the fee.
›How far in advance should I request the Teide permit?
As far ahead as you can: in high season the quota goes weeks in advance. If you climb with an accredited guide, they need your ID number about ten days before, because the permit is issued to a named person.
›Can I see the crater without a permit?
You can reach the upper cable car station and see the crater from there, but not climb the final 163 metres to the rim. That stretch is the one requiring authorisation.