The most visited natural park in Europe is set to introduce tourist fees from 1 January 2026, as part of efforts to protect biodiversity and enhance the visitor experience. Tenerife’s Teide National Park, home to Spain’s tallest peak, Mount Teide.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007 thanks to its exceptional volcanic landscapes and geological significance, the 3,718-metre Mount Teide and its park attracted five million visitors in 2024, 89% of whom were tourists.
But that very popularity has led to criticism about poor management practices from environmental campaigners such as Telesforo Bravo–Juan Coello Foundation, which wrote earlier this year that authorities on the island were allowing and promoting the park’s destruction due to the sheer number of visitors, vehicles, and off-trail abuses.
Here at Teide National Park, nature shows us daily the importance of protecting our spaces, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring that future generations can also enjoy this unique environment. 🌱✨ 👉 Let’s take care of this inspiring habitat together.#volcanoteide #teidelover pic.twitter.com/aAtXnERVpb
— Volcano Teide (@VolcanoTeide) October 6, 2025
Now, Tenerife councillors have responded by approving an “eco-tax” priced between €10 and €25 that will cover various trails, including number 10 the “Telesforo Bravo” (where daily visitor numbers will be capped at 300), as well as routes towards the Pico Viejo stratovolcano or and trail seven, the “Montaña Blanca-Rambleta.” There will also be a 50-person per timeslot limit on the crater to Rambleta hike, and a list of equipment that walkers must carry.
“With these measures, we seek a balance between visitor enjoyment and the conservation of a fragile and unique ecosystem,” said Rosa Dávila, president of the Tenerife Island Council, adding: “This is a brave decision and marks the first of many guidelines that will protect our National Park, which belongs to all the people of Tenerife. We must prevent its degradation, and any tool that helps conserve it will be studied.”
Expected to generate €650,000 per year, the eco-tax funds will be ring-fenced for maintenance and conservation measure as Teide National Park.
Desde el #CabildodeTenerife implantaremos una ecotasa a los turistas. Una contribución económica que aportarían los visitantes y en el caso de los #tinerfeños no pagarán.
— Rosa Davila (@rdavmam) May 14, 2025
Good to know
Some people, such as Tenerifians and children under 14-years-old can benefit from free Mount Teide visits, while residents of the wider Canary Islands will only be charged €3 to €6. Weekday visits are cheaper than weekends. English-speaking guides will be available for the iconic route 10.
⛰ #MEDIONATURAL 𝗘𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗼 𝗱𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮 𝗮 𝗹𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗶𝗱𝗲.
— Cabildo de Tenerife (@CabildoTenerife) October 1, 2025
📅 La medida entrará en vigor en 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.
💶 Se… pic.twitter.com/iZI0u4Cubt
Permits can be reserved via Tenerife ON. Anyone staying at the Altavista Refuge should be able to nab an early-morning access permit easily, as 80% of them will be reserved for refuge guests.
Breaking the rules comes at a high price, with fines of up to €600 to penalise unauthorised access, permit abuse, and failing to carry a fully-charged phone and torch.
