Experience · A whole day
From the volcano to the Atlantic
It can only be done from the north, and it is the day most people remember. It needs a clear sky up top, the cable car booked, and warm clothes in the car even if the coast is hot.
- 7–9 happroximately
- 3places
- Yescar needed
The plan, step by step
Early
The drive up
Sixty-seven minutes by car from Icod's old town to the national park, per OSRM without traffic. In winter the Cabildo closes the access roads for ice or snow, usually overnight: check before setting off.
Mid-morning
La Rambleta, at 3,555 metres
The cable car rises from 2,356 to 3,555 metres in a few minutes. It does not reach the summit — the last stretch needs a separate permit — but from the top you see the whole island. It stops in strong wind or ice, and booking online is wise.
Afternoon
Down to the sea
On the way back, instead of stopping at the house, carry on six more minutes to San Marcos. After the summit, water in the low twenties in an enclosed cove is the logical end to the day.
Good to know
The cable car publishes closures, not openings: not finding a notice does not confirm it is running. Its website's status indicator does.
Goes with
A whole day
Black, blue and lava
The black sand of San Marcos, the rock pools of El Caletón and the badlands of Chinyero: the coast and the volcano that made it, on a dry day without a swell.